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Benefits of a Decade Dedicated to FE Preparation

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Conference

2024 South East Section Meeting

Location

Marietta, Georgia

Publication Date

March 10, 2024

Start Date

March 10, 2024

End Date

March 12, 2024

Page Count

9

DOI

10.18260/1-2--45510

Permanent URL

https://strategy.asee.org/45510

Download Count

22

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Paper Authors

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Charles D Newhouse P.E. Virginia Military Institute

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Charles D. “Chuck” Newhouse received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at Virginia Tech after working nine years as a consulting structural engineer for MMM Design Group in Norfolk, Virginia. He spent three years teaching at Texas Tech University before joining the faculty at the Virginia Military Institute in 2008 where he is now the Charles S. Luck, Jr. ’20 Institute Professor in Engineering. He is also currently serving as the department head of the Civil and Environmental Engineering department.

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Kacie Caple D'Alessandro Virginia Military Institute

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Matthew K Swenty P.E. Virginia Military Institute Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-1166-3817

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Matthew (Matt) Swenty obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees in Civil Engineering from Missouri S&T and then worked as a bridge designer at the Missouri Department of Transportation. He then went to obtain his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at Virginia Tech followed by research work at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center on concrete bridges. He is currently a professor of civil engineering and the Jackson-Hope Chair in Engineering at VMI. He teaches engineering mechanics, structural engineering, and introduction to engineering courses and enjoys working with his students on bridge related research projects and the ASCE student chapter. His research interests include engineering licensure policies, civil engineering curriculum development, and the use of innovative materials on concrete bridges.

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Abstract

A decade ago the authors at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) reported on how the addition of an engineering course dedicated to preparing students for the Civil Specific Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (FE) enhanced the capstone experience [1]. Preliminary results indicated that the course, which did not specially teach to the FE exam but covered an array of topics, did improve pass rates and attitudes. The course also supplemented the capstone experience by creating a bridge between the fundamental concepts learned (and relearned) and the future responsibilities of professional engineers experienced during the capstone course. In the past decade, the pass rate has remained much higher compared to years before the course was added, and the course has evolved into an asset that has helped both the students and the department. This paper details how the course has been used to contribute to ABET assessment, specifically by long-term tracking of scaled scores [2], internal end-of-year reporting in annual reports, and curriculum improvements. Initially considered a concern, the course occasionally covers topics some students have been exposed to at some level in other classes. However, instead of becoming a liability, this repetition has proved to be a valuable way for cadets to gain a deeper understanding of many topics covered and ultimately increase their chances of passing the FE exam. Reflecting on the past decade since the course was introduced, both cadets and the department have benefited from the course, both in unanticipated ways. For the cadets, the course has developed into a pre-capstone experience. For the department, the course has allowed the curriculum to adjust rapidly to ever-changing industry needs.

Newhouse, C. D., & D'Alessandro, K. C., & Swenty, M. K. (2024, March), Benefits of a Decade Dedicated to FE Preparation Paper presented at 2024 South East Section Meeting, Marietta, Georgia. 10.18260/1-2--45510

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