Call for Papers
All divisions are ‘Publish to Present’
All papers must be submitted for peer review in order to be presented at the Conference and subsequently published in the proceedings.
The submission process is as follows:
- All authors must submit an abstract of their papers to be reviewed and evaluated.
- Authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to submit a full paper draft to be reviewed by three engineering educators.
- A draft may be accepted as submitted, accepted with minor changes or major changes, or rejected.
- Successful review and acceptance of the full paper draft will allow a final paper to be presented at the Annual Conference.
- Exceptions to the “Publish to Present” requirement include invited speakers and panels.
Here are important dates for authors:
- Feb. 8, 2021: All draft papers must be submitted.
- March 22, 2021: Requested revisions to blind drafts must be uploaded.
- April 12, 2021: Deadline for authors to register and accept copyright.
- April 26, 2021: Deadline for authors to upload final papers with all blind indicators removed; submit all bio and author information; and select who will present. No paper changes will be accepted after this date.
Be Advised:
- Abstracts must be submitted via ASEE’s Web-based Conference abstract/ paper submission system, Monolith.
- For more information and to see the full Call for Papers from each ASEE division, please visit: https://www.asee.org/annual-conference/2021/paper-management/call-for-papers
Questions?
Please contact the ASEE Conferences staff at conferences@asee.org.
Engineering for Social Justice
By Rocío C. Chavela Guerra
The continuing systemic oppression of marginalized groups in the U.S. has thrown a spotlight on the need for a focus on social justice in the public sphere. Many educators are now in the process of critically examining their pedagogies and practices, as well as asking fundamental questions as to what roles professionals in different fields can play in tackling broad societal challenges, and whom they serve in doing so.
If the goal of engineering is to design solutions to improve our quality of life, ideally “making our world more sustainable, secure, healthy, and joyful” (a vision posed by the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges for Engineering), it can be presumed that the work of engineers is inherently embedded in issues of social justice. A contrasting belief is that “engineering is a ‘technical’ space where ‘social’ or ‘political’ issues such as inequality are tangential to engineers’ work”—an ideology contested by sociologist Erin Cech in “The (Mis)Framing of Social Justice: Why Ideologies of Depoliticization and Meritocracy Hinder Engineers’ Ability to Think About Social Injustices,” her chapter in Engineering Education for Social Justice: Critical Explorations and Opportunities.
To address how engineers can ground their practice in social justice values, ASEE hosted a webinar introducing foundational concepts of social justice, illustrating its close relationship to engineering. The webinar was led by Brenda Bryant, president of the Michigan Coalition for Human Rights and former chair of the social justice master’s program at Marygrove College, and Carol J. Miller, professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of Healthy Urban Waters at Wayne State University.
Drawing on examples from the Detroit area such as the Flint water crisis, Bryant and Miller spoke about ways engineers can take positive action towards social justice when solving problems, thinking critically about what is known and how it is known. By using participatory action research (a collective and reflective inquiry process in which researchers and participants work together to understand and pursue practical solutions to pressing issues), engineers can upturn the value system, positioning the people most affected by an issue as the experts and collaborating with them to frame the questions to find suitable solutions. The speakers urged the audience to question the often-tacit assumptions that guide our actions and policies (for instance, for whom are seat belts designed? Standard seat belts don’t account for pregnancy, or breasts), to challenge dominant narratives (people are poor because they have not worked as hard), and to ask if our efforts are effecting real social change or are just “moving chairs on the Titanic.”
Bryant ended the webinar with a call to action to infuse into engineering education “not only the analytic tools, but also social justice values to help build peaceful and just environments that liberate human capacity for all, so that we may all thrive.”
Rocío C. Chavela Guerra is the headquarters liaison for ASEE’s Commission on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Society’s director of education and career development.
Engineering and Social Justice Resources
Access the on-demand webinar via ASEE’s Course Catalog.
https://resources.asee.org/course_catalog/foundations-of-social-justice-for-engineers
ASEE has a new Constituent Committee (provisional division) on Equity, Culture, and Social Justice in Education (ECSE).
https://bit.ly/3cjHmOs
Reference books
Engineering Education for Social Justice: Critical Explorations and Opportunities (Lucena, J., Ed. 2013. Springer Science & Business Media)
Engineering Justice: Transforming Engineering Education and Practice (Leydens, J. A., & Lucena, J. C. 2017. John Wiley & Sons)
New Course Catalog
The ASEE Course Catalog features a variety of education and career development resources to help promote the continued learning and career success of engineering educators and professionals. Access all upcoming and on-demand webinars, and upcoming online courses, in one spot. Search by topic, type, delivery method, skill level, and more. Embark on your learning journey today!
https://resources.asee.org/course-catalog