Faculty Perspectives on Teaching Sustainability in Civil and Construction Engineering Education in the United States

Despite the widely recognized necessity of integrating sustainability into Civil and Construction Engineering (CCE), curricula emphasized by accreditation and professional bodies (ABET, ASCE), a standardized and universally accepted definition of sustainable practice remains elusive within the discipline. This ambiguity complicates educational efforts and hinders students’ ability to operationalize sustainability in future professional roles. This research addresses this gap by systematically examining the perceptions and teaching practices of CCE educators. Through a survey questionnaire distributed to CCE faculty members across U.S. universities, data was collected on the extent of sustainability integration, its perceived importance, and individual conceptualizations of the term. Analysis of the 64 completed faculty responses reveals a strong consensus (77% rating it as 'extremely' or 'very important') on the necessity of sustainability education, yet a notable portion (28%) reported not integrating it into their courses, indicating persistent challenges in curriculum adoption. Furthermore, while the majority (72%) integrate sustainability, the predominant method is interwoven throughout the curriculum (49%), suggesting a lack of dedicated, standardized course time. Crucially, content analysis of the faculty definitions synthesized eight emergent themes that collectively define sustainability within CCE. The most frequently cited themes were: Efficient Use of Resources (e.g., reuse, recycle), Minimizing Environmental Impacts, and the necessity of Balanced Integration of the Three Pillars (Social, Environmental, Economic). Other significant themes included Durability/Longevity and Life Cycle considerations. These findings transcend the general Brundtland definition, providing a disciplinary-specific conceptual foundation. This paper contributes a documented current state of sustainability teaching and offers a thematic framework for CCE, facilitating a more cohesive, integrated, and effective pedagogical approach for educating future engineers.