ENGV 420 Professional Practice

The engineering profession is much more than equations, calculations, analyses, and experiments. The other side of the coin focuses on society and people. A civil engineer can be defined as an engineer whose training or occupation is in the design and construction of public works. Thus, the public plays a major role in the civil engineering profession. When dealing with the public, there are numerous issues of which to be aware, such as laws, liability, ethics, sustainability, and public policy. Engineers must have the professional skills to deal with various entities on multiple issues. This course develops the student’s knowledge base to be able to develop the non-technical skills essential in civil engineering. The course includes two issue papers and a team-based oral presentation.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

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Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each Discussion. The Discussions in this course contain different requirements and formats. Specific instructions and requirements will be given in each thread.

Discussion: Class Introductions

For this Discussion, the student will introduce himself/herself to others in the course by posting a thread in response to a provided prompt. The student will post an initial thread at least 300 words in length in response to this prompt. Then, the student will post at least 2 replies to his/her peers’ introductory thread. Each reply must be at least 150 words in length.

Discussion: Current Public Policy Issue

For this Discussion, the student will post one thread of 300 words and two replies of at least 150 words. For each thread, the student must support his or her assertions with at least one (1) scholarly citation in current APA format. In addition, each reply must incorporate at least one (1) scholarly citation in current APA format. Any sources used must have been published within the last five years. Acceptable sources include the Bible, articles, websites, reputable news media, and so on.

Discussion: Sustainability Project Presentation Q&A

For this Discussion, the student must post one question pertaining to each presentation from the Sustainability Team Project Presentation Assignment. Each team must also respond to each question addressed to its presentation/topic. All team members should participate in answering the questions asked by their peers, but only one response is required per question. There is no word count requirement for this assignment. Each team member should be sure to include any sources that he/she uses in his/her responses. Sources cited must have been published within the last five years. Acceptable sources include the Bible, articles, websites, published research papers, textbooks, and so on.

(CLO: I, L)

Homework Assignments (4)

Homework Assignments (3)

Homework (HW) assignments will contain varying numbers of questions, tasks, and/or problems to answer, complete, or solve. The homework will be relevant to the information presented in the Modules. A file upload in Canvas may be required.

Quiz: Homework: Contracts for Design Professionals

This quiz covers Learn material from the assigned Module: Week. This quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 25 true/false and multiple-choice questions, have no time limit, and allow unlimited attempts, with the highest attempt counting towards the grade.

(CLO: A, C, H, J)

Professional Ethics Paper Assignment

The student will write a research paper addressing the following topic: What is the Biblical Worldview concerning ethics? What are “Professional Engineering Ethics?” How do they align in practice? Then, the student will select one or more case studies from a reputable source and discuss the ethical dilemma, how the student would approach the situation, and the ultimate course of action. The student should include the provisions addressed within the Code of Ethics (ASCE or NSPE). The paper should demonstrate an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations, as well as the student’s ability to make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts. The paper should be 6-8 pages, incorporate at least 5 Scripture verses, and include at least 3 scholarly references. The case study(ies) the candidate reviews in this assignment may count towards the three required scholarly references. All references must be current (2010-present). The student should be sure to format his/her citations and references as per ASCE style guidelines. (CLO: E, K)

Sustainability Team Project Assignment

While working with his/her team, the student will identify an area, a project (new or retrofit), or a barrier to sustainable development that can be addressed (potential ideas – waste stream reduction, stormwater management, reducing impervious cover, updating development codes/requirements, water quality improvements, water conservation, biomimicry in construction, recycling construction material, etc.). The students will arrange to meet with the person or department responsible for the chosen project (in-person preferred, but virtual is allowed based on his/her availability). The team will gather information, background, and data relevant to the project. The team should also be sure to send them a “thank you” for taking the time to meet. After this, the team will develop a concept (or concepts) to address the chosen project. The team should include a description of the concept and renderings/drawings, if applicable. Also, the team will include technical information on how the concept will improve sustainability. The team will provide a cost-benefit analysis and a life-cycle analysis, if appropriate, to justify the implementation of the concept.

The team will submit this report in a written format. The report should contain the following components: an executive summary, an introduction, a background section (literature review), an analysis of the team’s proposed concept, a section providing and justifying the team’s recommendation, a section on professional ethics and responsibilities, and a section on the teamwork implemented in the project. The report should be professional-looking, informative, and clear to the reader, both at an executive and technical level.  (CLO: H, K)

Sustainability Team Project Presentation Assignment

As a team, the student and his/her team will present the Sustainability Project to the class and instructor via a recorded video file. The presentation will be a formal presentation as if delivered to a client, City Council, etc. Questions and answers (Q&A) will be facilitated by way of Discussion: Sustainability Project Presentation Q&A. Presentations will be limited to 20 minutes. Each team member should be aware that he/she will be assessed on the following criteria for the presentation: the quality of presentation materials, the delivery of the presentation, and the contribution of team members. (CLO: H, J, L)

Quizzes (3)

Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned module. Each quiz will be open-book/open notes, contain either 60 or 75 multiple-choice, true/false, short answer, fill-in-the-blank, matching, and/or essay questions, allow for one attempt, and have varying time limits. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J)