It’s challenging to graduate with an engineering degree in 4 years starting out in Calc I and passing everything. The number of courses and rigid pre-requisites make scheduling a challenge. And yes, many other courses will be dependent on Calculus. Regardless of how “easy” Civil Engineering may be seen as (because, after all, who cares if the civil engineer correctly does the calculations for a bridge that you drive over every day), it still requires a certain level of mastery this student has not demonstrated they can achieve.
I would strongly encourage serious discussion about the best major for the student. Why engineering? Is it the desire of the student, or is it the desire of the parents (so many push students into engineering these days based on ROI rather than where the student is likely to succeed). If the student truly wants to be an engineer, it’s going to be a long hard road that will require more than 5 years. There are many courses he won’t be able to get into without first mastering calculus.