Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Abstract Sustainability is unquestionably an emergent theme for students, educators, and professionals in all fields, including engineering. In engineering education, a 'sustainability mindset' can serve as a compass with which students can synthesize and direct their education to prepare for careers and lifestyles oriented around sustainability. This article reviews definitions and notions of 'sustainability mindset', leading to a broad framework comprising knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes (KSBA). The article then describes the first year of a research study undertaken with a cohort of 11 freshmen (7 male, 4 female) who were accepted to join a new initiative in Sustainability Engineering in June 2023 at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus (UPRM). Through this initiative, the cohort received the following interventions with the broad goal of establishing a supportive community of practice: (1) participation in a Summer Camp in July 2023; (2) block scheduling in common courses during the 2023-24 academic year; (3) periodic events that include a discussion topic and socialization; (4) active mentoring that includes the formation of an Individual Development Plan and tutoring in freshman coursework. This article documents how students are developing their sustainability mindsets. We employed a qualitative analysis methodology through an open-response questionnaire. Results demonstrate that students develop their mindsets broadly across the K, S, B, and A spectrum, including mature conceptualizations of sustainability, as well as many personal and professional growth attributes, such as improved study skills and the ability to make connections between different courses and topics.
Colon et al. (Sun,) studied this question.