Course: Senior Capstone for Civil and Environment
Engineers
Promising Approaches
- (1) Provide instruction in academic disciplines through the lens of government, history, law, and democracy.
- (2) Incorporate discussion of current local, national, and international issues and events into the classroom, particularly those that young people view as important to their lives.
- (3) Design and implement programs that provide students with the opportunity to apply what they learn through performing community service that is linked to the formal curriculum and classroom instruction.
- (4) Encourage and support activities and student and community organizations that provide opportunities for students to be engaged in their campuses and communities.
- (8) Involve students in the development and sustaining of campus/community partnerships.
Overview
The
learning objective is to use professional and general knowledge and expertise
that engineering students have learned throughout their degree programs in an
actual project. Student group must find
a real project external to the Civil Engineering Department. In 2005, projects ranged from a new rugby
field for the Athletic Department to a new building for the Boston Red Sox
organization (you may have seen this one in the papers: Aimee Dolloff, Bangor
Daily News, April 27, 2005, page 1). The students must organize the project, complete a design, and then
present that design to both the department and the client.
Special Features
Civic Learning Goals
- Civic knowledge: Recognize the variety of characteristics and actions of effective,
participating citizens; identify, define, and describe the community in which
they live and understand local problems and their connections to problems on
the state and national level; the variety of ways an individual can help solve
social problems; knowledge about community affairs, political issues, and the
processes by which citizens effect change; knowledge about processes and
strategies for change; an understanding and awareness of public and community
issues.
- Civic skills: Process and evaluate information
for objectivity, accuracy, and point of view; use critical-thinking skills and
ethical reasoning to make informed and responsible decisions; use verbal and
written communication skills to convey ideas, facts, and opinions in an
effective and reasonable manner; work cooperatively with others and develop
effective team building practices; effectively advocate individual and shared
interests; public speaking; contact public officials; organize meetings to
insure that all participants have a voice in the process; active
listening/perspective taking; competencies in achieving group goals; work
together to overcome problems.
- Civic attitudes: Develop a sense of personal efficacy; build social trust; become
confident in one’s capacity to make a difference; strike a reasonable balance
between one’s own interest and the common good; value and practice civic
duties.
Contact Information
Connection to Maine Initiatives
Bryan R. Pearce, Ph.D., Professor of Civil Engineering
Cooperating Professor of Oceanography, Animal Veterinary, and Aqua Sciences; Cooperating Research Professor in the Lobster Institute
The University of Maine
brp@maine.edu
