2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This Complete Research paper details the design and implementation of the Complementary Field Activities (CFAs) as an educational framework for engineering first year students that promotes sustainability and student engagement, while providing personalization and exploration.
Sustainability is a critical global challenge, and shaping future engineers to integrate sustainable practices is essential for addressing this issue. However, students often face an overwhelming array of educational opportunities, leading to information overload that can hinder their ability to engage meaningfully with high-impact experiences. In an environment where students are constantly bombarded with extracurricular options—from research projects to social events—navigating these opportunities becomes a challenge, especially for first-year students.
To counteract this and promote engagement with sustainability initiatives, we have developed the Complementary Field Activities (CFAs) framework. The CFA module empowers students with a structured, yet flexible, choice-based system that allows them to tailor their learning experiences according to their interests. By giving students autonomy to select from a curated set of sustainability-focused activities, CFAs provide a balance between guided learning and personal exploration, ensuring that students can engage with impactful educational experiences without feeling overwhelmed.
CFAs are university-wide educational events that connect first-year engineering students with faculty, staff, and internal organizations to provide hands-on involvement in sustainability initiatives on campus and beyond. These activities are categorized into three types: social, knowledge, and encounter.
Social CFAs involve campus-wide networking events, workshops, and activities led by sustainability-focused student organizations and community groups. Knowledge CFAs consist of 50 minute workshops that feature a combination between lecture and interactive, hands-on applications of sustainability concepts, led by faculty and staff engaged in sustainability research and practice. Encounter CFAs offer students site visits to observe and engage with sustainability practices in action, such as campus recycling centers or energy-efficient buildings.
The CFA framework was integrated into the interdisciplinary course Engineering in the 21st Century (E102), involving 726 first-year students across 10 sections taught by three instructors. Students were divided into two groups. Group A received streamlined access to CFAs, including a curated list of activities and regular reminders via the learning management system (Moodle), with access to both in-person and asynchronous CFAs. Group B, in contrast, received information about CFAs only via Moodle posts and verbal communication during class without asynchronous options or structured reminders. Both groups were required to complete three CFAs of their choice and submit photos and reflections on their experiences.
Two instruments—pre-course and post-course surveys—were used to evaluate students' understanding and engagement with sustainability. The pre-course survey assessed their initial knowledge and interest in sustainability, while the post-course survey evaluated their reflections on sustainability concepts and how the CFA framework influenced their involvement. Preliminary results indicate that most students in both groups lacked prior knowledge of campus sustainability initiatives but expressed a strong desire to get involved. Group A, which received regular communication and reminders, attended more CFAs and showed higher participation in sustainability initiatives.
These findings suggest that integrating structured communication and flexible learning formats into the curriculum significantly enhances student engagement with sustainability efforts. The CFA framework not only fosters collaboration between students and campus sustainability partners but also encourages students to reflect on how their future engineering careers can contribute to sustainable development. This educational module provides a meaningful interdisciplinary learning experience that extends beyond the classroom, positioning students to become proactive contributors to sustainability in their professional lives.