Integrating an environmental ethic into undergraduate engineering education. II. A case study at Grand Valley State University

Abstract

The integration of an environmental theme into the entire undergraduate engineering curriculum at Grand Valley State University (USA) is described. This integrated approach for all students is driven by industry demand that all engineers understand how the practice of their profession impacts the environment. A new set of tools is required to meet this demand, yet the typical undergraduate curriculum is already so crowded that the insertion of new material is extremely difficult. This paper describes how this challenge has been met by the program at GVSU and provides guidance for continued curriculum development.