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Educating the Future Civil Engineer for the New Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge Abstract The purpose of this paper is to provide the engineering education community with its first formal update from ASCE’s new Body of Knowledge (BOK) Educational Fulfillment Committee. Specific emphasis is given to survey data illustrating how well programs, in their current design, achieve the educational outcomes of both the first and second editions of the civil engineering BOK. The results of a curricular review by ten representative civil engineering programs are presented. Explanations are also presented as to why current curricula may fulfill or fall short of fulfilling specific BOK1 and BOK2 outcomes.

Introduction The first edition of the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge for the 21st Century1 (BOK1), released in January 2004, has already impacted accreditation criteria and curricula and is changing how future civil engineers are educated. The second edition of the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge for the 21st Century2 (BOK2), released in February 2008, is also impacting programs and curricula and is motivating additional change in how future civil engineers are educated. Both the BOK1 and BOK2 express aspirational definitions of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for entry into the professional practice of civil engineering. The BOK1 consisted of 15 listed outcomes, including many with multiple topic areas presented as a single integrated outcome. The BOK2 is a comprehensive, coordinated list of 24 outcomes divided into three outcome categories: Foundational, Technical and Professional. Both the BOK1 and BOK2 outcomes have the desired level of achievement defined according to Bloom’s Taxonomy for the cognitive domain4. Additionally, the BOK1 and BOK2 have recommended outcome achievement targets for each state of the fulfillment pathway: the baccalaureate degree (B), post- baccalaureate formal education (M/30), and pre-licensure experience (E).

To assess the impact of the BOK1 and BOK2 on civil engineering curricula and to facilitate broad adoption of the new BOK concepts in civil engineering education, the ASCE Committee on Academic Prerequisites for Professional Practice (CAP^3) established a new committee – the BOK Educational Fulfillment Committee (BOKEdFC) in late 2007. This new committee is charged with (1) fostering the creation of a learning community of scholars interested in engineering educational reform, (2) reviewing the work products of the Body of Knowledge Committee and providing feedback, and (3) documenting how programs can incorporate the Body of Knowledge into their curriculum. A key input to this work is the second edition of the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge for the 21st Century2.

The Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge – A Review The first Body of Knowledge report1 (BOK1) was published by ASCE in January 2004. Subsequent to the release of the January 2004 BOK1 report, the Curriculum Committee of CAP^3 recommended fundamental changes to the levels of achievement, reporting their findings in their committee report3 dated December 2005. Their recommendations were supported by CAP^3 and subsequently adopted into the framework of BOK1 by ASCE. Thus, within this report, the acronym BOK1 refers to the January 2004 report with the December 2005 Curriculum Committee revisions.

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Fridley, K., & Larson, D., & Hall, K., & Sutterer, K., & Alleman, J., & McManis, K., & Bardet, J., & Gunnink, B., & List, G., & Smith, R., & Lenox, T. (2009, June), 2009 Asee Abstract Bokedfc Paper presented at 2009 Annual Conference & Exposition, Austin, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--4970