2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The built environment plays a key role in achieving equitable and sustainable development. It is estimated that 33 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions, 40 percent of energy use, and 30 percent of natural resources consumption are related to construction activities. Sustainable development requires considering the triple bottom line as well as measurement methods to track environmental performance and the social impacts of construction activities. Sustainability key performance indicators (KPIs) are essential metrics used to track sustainability performance. Offering our future construction workforce knowledge about sustainability KPIs is fundamental to achieving a sustainable future. The goals of this research are to: (1) understand the gap in construction management (CM) students’ knowledge related to sustainability KPIs and overall sustainability; (2) evaluate the significance of integrating sustainability topics, including sustainability KPIs, into CM curricula; and (3) determine the most efficient teaching methods and instructional tools for introducing sustainability KPIs into curricula, aiming to educate students and enhance their learning experience. To achieve these goals, this study surveyed 84 CM students at one of the largest minority-serving institutions (MSIs) in the United States. The results of this study highlight the gaps in students’ knowledge regarding sustainability KPIs as well as the importance and potential methods to educating them about this fundamental topic.