Liberty University (LU) started the residential delivery of a BS in Civil Engineering program in Fall 2019, with an enrollment of 12 students. This is the ninth engineering program at LU. A Civil Engineering Student Club (CESC) was begun on February 6, 2020 with a slate of officers selected. The club had a full schedule of activities planned but, the pandemic hit, LU closed on Monday, March 16, and everything was turned upside-down and put on hold. Classes resumed in Fall 2020 with the wearing of masks and social distancing, with an enrollment of 47 students. Moreover, the online delivery of the civil engineering program was begun, with an initial enrollment of 192 students. The online delivery of the program mirrors the residential delivery. The only exception is that the online students will be required to take the two civil engineering laboratory courses on campus; each being one week long.
CESC currently has about 78 members, and has filed a Statement of Intent to Establish a Student Chapter with ASCE. To date, the club has held and participated in various activities (mostly virtual): guest speakers (including the club’s two practitioner advisors and one from Habitat for Humanity); civil engineering career night; tour of LU’s new 9-story parking garage; Career Fair preparation; FE Exam review meetings; and an Operation Christmas Child shoebox-packing social.
Anyone interested in speaking and interacting with the club is welcome to contact the club President, Lydianna Notheis (lnotheis@liberty.edu) or the faculty advisor, Dr. John Vadnal (jvadnal@liberty.edu; 434-592-4651).
