Conference Session

The Teacher as Manager: Best Practices for Culminating Design Experiences

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tonya Lynn Nilsson P.E., Santa Clara University; Kevin D. Hall, University of Arkansas; Ronald W. Welch, University of Texas, Tyler

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

26% Other“it depends on the project” and“course director, faculty and Figure 10: Primary advisor or mentor of studentsindustry mentor”. Figure 10shows the complete breakdown of responses. Page 25.967.8Course Content and AssessmentEighty-five departments are using the major design experience as an opportunity to teach a widevariety of topics, including the ‘soft skills’ required by ABET. Over 80 percent of the 85departments report teaching project management, teaming skills, oral communication, andtechnical writing or written communication. It should be noted, however, that one schoolreported

Conference Session

Civil Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Maria Dawn Blevins, University of Utah; Steven J. Burian, University of Utah

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

students sometimes feel thatworking on soft skills such as communication, writing, and sustainability are not directlyimportant to the tasks of their future4. However, the Accrediting Board for Engineering andTechnology (ABET)5, the organization that develops standards for college programs to meet,requires that sustainability is addressed in engineering curriculum. Hence it is necessary foraccredited university programs to incorporate the issue of sustainability in its curriculum.The first step to this is to define sustainable design. Pappas & Olga note 6 that sustainable designpractices in engineering have their roots in two engineering fields, green engineering whichfocuses on designing to be more in tune with the earth and environmental