Addressing and assessing program outcomes in a Civil Engineering Department seminar course

Abstract

Four of the twelve Program Outcomes established for the Brigham Young University Civil and Environmental Engineering Department are: Be able to communicate ideas effectively, work in teams and lead others Be familiar with professional practice, business management, and public administration Be aware of cultural, societal, contemporary, historical, global and sustainability issues Be committed to life-long learning as licensed engineers of integrity and faith These types of outcomes have been difficult to incorporate into traditional Civil Engineering curricula. A weekly seminar course has been developed to facilitate the development of competencies associated with these program outcomes. "Civil Engineering Seminar" meets one hour each week and is required each semester for all students who have declared Civil Engineering as a major. The course is managed by elected officers of the department's student chapter of ASCE, under direction of the course instructor. Presentations are made each week by guest speakers or students. By carefully selecting speakers, positive reinforcement of the importance of each of the necessary competencies can be given to students on a very regular basis. As a part of the Seminar students are required to complete at least five hours of service on projects developed for the course. Service projects are engineering related and developed by students in the course. The last semester students are enrolled in Seminar they are required to write five papers relating their experiences. These papers are evaluated and used as one of the main tools for assessment. Civil Engineering Seminar has been an effective tool to help meet program objectives and excite students about their future in civil engineering. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2010.