Basic Elements Of The 21 St Century Body Of Knowledge For A Construction Professional: Challenges For Construction Educators

Abstract

The American Society of Civil Engineers has recently released a report, “Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge for the 21 st Century: Preparing the Civil Engineer for the Future.” It calls for sweeping changes in the way we will teach and train our future civil engineers. Since civil engineering and construction are closely related, and go hand in hand, it is important to review our current body of knowledge imparted in a four-year graduate of a construction degree program. It is equally important to devise a curriculum suited for a future construction professional that parallels the educational preparation of a future civil engineering graduate. This paper presents the basic elements of a current four-year educational program for a construction professional, and compares with an educational program that would be more suited for a future construction professional. This paper presents a proactive approach to developing broad-based knowledge, requisite skills, attitudes, and integrity in a future construction graduate. It stresses understanding of issues such as 21 st century global business economy, and multi-cultural teams; it also lays the foundation for strong understanding of world cultures, languages, and local practices in the context of international collaborations on small to mega construction projects. The future construction professional will be required to be grounded in ethical decision-making, and more versatile in life long learning aspirations. The future role of educators will continue to include characteristics such as scholarly faculty, effective teaching, and practice-oriented teaching and research.