2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Civil Engineering Program Implementation of Proposed ABET EAC Criterion 5

Presented at ABET, PE, and CEBOK

The Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET proposed changes to General Criteria 5 (Curriculum) and Criterion 6 (Faculty) to include components addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion. ABET Criteria 3 (Student Outcomes), 5, and 6 are not harmonized across ABET Commissions, meaning that the changes only apply to programs accredited under the EAC of ABET. The proposed changes were introduced in the 2022-23 accreditation cycle for public discussion, and a voluntary pilot program has been in effect since the 2023-24 accreditation cycle. It is expected that the proposed changes will be adopted into the EAC General Criteria 5 and 6 effective in the 2025-26 accreditation cycle.

This paper focuses on the proposed changes to Criterion 5 (Curriculum). In anticipation of the changes, a survey was developed and distributed to department heads and chairs of civil engineering programs to gauge the level of awareness and support for the changes, the ease of implementation of changes, and to gather examples of how programs are preparing to meet requirements of this criterion. The objectives of this study were to:
Identify supportiveness of Civil Engineering Department heads and chairs of the Criterion 5 change
Identify the ease of implementing the proposed changes
Identify the perceived acceptance within the broader community (local, county, state, professional)
Identify example practices within the department that can be shared with the community

Demographic information will be gathered to determine whether any differences are apparent based on program size and institution characteristics. Additionally, feedback will be gathered on questions and concerns related to implementation of changes for compliance with the proposed changes. This feedback can help inform training offered by ABET and the ASCE accreditation communities.

Authors

Dr. Audra Morse http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8337-5726 Michigan Technological University [biography]

Dr. Audra Morse, P.E., is a Professor and Chair of the Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering Department at Michigan Technological University. Her professional experience is focused on water and wastewater treatment, specifically water reclamation.
Dr. Camilla M. Saviz P.E. University of the Pacific [biography]

Camilla Saviz is Professor and Chair of Civil Engineering at the University of the Pacific. She holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Clarkson University, an M.B.A. from the New York Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Davis. She is a registered engineer in California.
Dr. Norb Delatte http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1811-4335 Oklahoma State University [biography]

Dr. Norbert J. Delatte, Jr., P.E., is the MR Lohmann Professor and Head of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Oklahoma State University. He is the author of Beyond Failure: Forensic Case Studies for Civil Engineers (ASCE Press, 2009). In Spring 2025 he was awarded a Fulbright Grant for Teaching and Research to the University of Naples Federico II in Naples.

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