2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This paper highlights a key approach, specifically developing and adopting a comprehensive strategic plan, that was taken to support curriculum innovations and enable cultural change. Over the past four years, the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology has worked systematically to change the undergraduate civil engineering and environmental engineering programs. The goals were to enhance early engagement in the major, strengthen professional identity development, improve retention in the program, and enhance engineering efficacy and professional skills development. A key feature of the process included adopting and institutionalizing these goals in the School’s strategic plan. The strategic plan was developed over an 18-month period and included engagement of numerous stakeholders, including faculty, students, staff, advisory boards, alumni, and industry partners. Throughout the planning process, the School aimed for a balance of alignment with the College and Institute’s strategic directions, and charting a unique path forward germane to the disciplinary and professional contexts within Civil and Environmental Engineering. The final plan encompasses three umbrella areas: Community, Student Experience, and Discovery & Service with themes, objectives, and initiatives in each area. The initiatives under the area of Student Experience are strongly aligned with the objectives of the NSF-funded Revolutionizing Engineering Departments (RED) grant, as well as a Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN) grant from the Kern Family Foundation. These initiatives include developing new courses, adopting a new curriculum, and deploying innovative pedagogy to support the program goals listed above. In addition, initiatives in the area of Community target the associated cultural changes, including incentivizing professional development, enhancing inclusiveness, and improving the sense of belonging. The effect of integrating these initiatives in the comprehensive strategic plan was to gain wide “buy-in” from faculty and staff and to effectively formalize the program goals into the shared vision for the future of the School.