Creating a new civil engineering program in the 21st century

Starting a new engineering program in the 21st century that fulfills ABET 2000 requirements is a major undertaking. In this paper, the authors will discuss the process of implementing a new civil engineering program at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, TX (in the Amarillo metropolitan area), starting with planning, offering initial discipline-specific courses in Fall 2010, graduating the first cohort of students in 2013, and concluding with an ABET accreditation visit in Fall 2014. This process includes the development of a suitable curriculum using existing and new courses, development of the new civil engineering specific courses and laboratories, the senior design experience, assessment, and final preparation for an ABET accreditation visit. The discussion of the curriculum includes general education, mathematics, applied sciences (chemistry, physics, and biology), general engineering, and civil engineering specific courses is discussed. In particular, emphasis on the unique approach to the senior design capstone experience is described here. Engineering course outcomes are mapped to a modified Bloom's Taxonomy and to ABET 2000 Outcome 3 a through k. A new program must also meet the requirements of regional and community stakeholders and fit with the unique service population in the greater Texas Panhandle region. West Texas A&M University is also on the verge of becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI, 25% or more of enrolled population) and is seeking to improve participation of women and underserved populations in STEM fields, such as with engineering. An overview of the process of preparation of the ABET self-study is described, including development of assessment tools necessary to determine the effectiveness of the new engineering program. Lessons learned and future improvements for the civil engineering program at West Texas A&M University are discussed.