The vision of the Faculty of Engineering, as stated in the 2009 Strategic Plan (Engineering a Sustainable Society) is to be known internationally as a leader in research and education supporting the development of sustainable engineering practices. Dean David Wilkinson has appointed a Task Force on Sustainability in Engineering Education to shape the Faculty’s approach to more fully incorporate the concepts of sustainability into the curriculum, primarily at the undergraduate level.

Task Force on Sustainability in Engineering Education

• Art Heidebrecht (Professor Emeritus, Chair)
• Carlos Filipe (Department of Chemical Engineering)
• John Preston(Department of Engineering Physics)
• Gord Irons (Department of Materials Science and Engineering)
• Doug Down (Computing and Software)
• Ken Coley (Associate Dean, Faculty of Engineering)
• Spencer Smith (Engineering Year I)
• Jim Cotton (Department of Mechanical Engineering)
• Robert Fleisig (Engineering Year I, Walter G. Booth School for Engineering Practice)
• Mike Noseworthy (Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering)
• Cam Churchill (Bachelor of Technology Program and Department of Civil Engineering)
• Margaret Kirnbauer (graduate student, Department of Civil Engineering)
• Matt Wright (alumnus, Chemical Engineering)
• Daniela Corsetti (undergrad student, Department of Chemical Engineering)
• Erinn VanWynsberghe (undergrad student, Department of Engineering Physics)
• Lotfi Belkhir (Walter G. Booth School for Engineering Practice)
• Minha Ha (Coordinator, SELECT Engineering Student Leadership Program)
• Kelton Friedrich (ExCEL Project Coordinator)

McMaster University Sustainability Competencies for Graduates of Engineering Programs

The Task Force on Sustainability in Engineering Education has developed a set of five sustainability competencies; the intent is that graduates of engineering programs have a achieved these competencies at a significant level of learning. Using Bloom’s taxonomy, the task force is considering which levels of learning are to be expected for each of these competencies.

The five sustainability competencies, with brief descriptions, are listed below.

Triple Bottom Line - An ability to design and evaluate complex open-ended engineering systems using a triple-bottom line of sustainability dimensions: social, economic and environmental.

Metrics and Tools - Demonstrate an understanding of and an ability to use and interpret sustainability metrics and tools.

Stakeholders – An ability to interact and collaborate with stakeholders having a broad range of cultural and social backgrounds to consider the needs of present and future generations in developing creative solution(s) to an engineering problem.

Sustainability Ethics and Responsibilities - Recognizes and values the importance of dealing ethically with uncertainties, diversity, intra and inter-generational equity and other non-technical challenges which affect engineering decision-making.

Complexity – An ability to work within complex systems (environmental, social, economic or technological) using sustainability considerations and understand the limitations due to uncertainty.