|
September 2001 |
|
President’s Column Normally the summer is a slow time for Section activities, but this year is different. Although we are taking a break from formal meetings, the Section leadership is busy planning activities for next year, filling vacant committee chair positions, and updating the Duties and Procedures Manual. In addition, the Board has been working hard formulating a response to the Society’s policy on the Masters as the First Professional Degree. At the June Executive Board meeting a motion was passed recommending the current policy be rescinded and that future policies on this issue encompass the entire aspect of professional development. The Board took this action because it felt there hadn’t been sufficient input from the grassroots membership, and it was not clearly demonstrated how this policy would address issues surrounding the adequacy of a 4-year degree. (The complete text of the Board motion can be found on page 3). The Board also prepared a detailed letter to the Task Committee on the First Professional Degree in response to their request for comments. A copy of this letter can be found on the section web page, www.asce.org/gsd/sections/seattle. In summary, the Board’s letter stressed that the minimal requirements to practice as a civil engineer should be addressed at the undergraduate level, and not at the graduate level. Within the profession there seems to be widespread recognition that switching to a 5-year undergraduate program will increase the likelihood of producing well-rounded technically competent graduates. So it seems that if the policy is intended to address the inadequacy of the undergraduate program it should focus on that area, and not the master’s degree. The policy is also being promoted as a means of improving our professional image, which is also of concern to the Board. Granted, society values education, but when you consider many civil engineers already pursue a masters to obtain the technical knowledge to practice in specialty fields, and registration is required to seal construction plans, it doesn’t appear civil engineers are seen as under educated. Our image is a reflection of the perceived value of our services, and the role we play. When society loses sight of the importance of basic services, or even worse, when we are seen as incapable of solving problems, i.e., the transportation crisis, our image suffers. We also lose out on the opportunity to show leadership and enhance our image when we abstain from participating in the public infrastructure policy debate. To elevate the image of civil engineers ASCE needs to remember that 90 percent of all civil engineers work for the government, and it is in our best professional interest to aggressively promote government policies that support funding for infrastructure. With adequate funding will come increased opportunity for the profession to show we can create positive change, thereby raising our image. ASCE and civil engineers in general also need to recognize the need to play a leadership role in the public policy debate. Since our political leaders have shown they are not going to promote tax increases to pay for infrastructure, this situation creates the opportunity for us to show leadership in the community by educating the public about the issues. Once the politician recognizes our ability to influence issues, our political clout will rise along with our image. Fifty years ago society looked to the engineer for solutions that would improve the quality of life and lead it into the future. Today we think the computer technicians and software designers will do it. While civil engineers aren’t likely to upstage the computer industry, ASCE policies should emphasize the development of leadership skills within the membership, and work to recreate the awareness that civil engineers are essential to maintain the quality of life; this will certainly be more effective than stressing additional education. |
|
ASCE Seattle Section Meeting |
|
Place:
Ballard Yankee Grill
Spouses and guests are invited.
Reservations must be made by NOON, 9/10. Call 206-926-0482 Program Don’t miss this opportunity to find out what is happening with the Elevated Transportation Company’s (ETC) plans for a Monorail in Seattle. ETC Executive Director, Harold Robertson, and members of the design team will be on hand to provide an overview of the project, and solicit comments and recommendations. The ETC is currently studying a 14-mile route from Ballard, through downtown Seattle, and out to West Seattle. Scoping meetings for the EIS were held in early August, and alignment studies are currently underway. Input from the civil engineering community on how to cross the Ship Canal and the Duwamish River, along with ideas on possible routes, are welcome. To learn more about this exciting project visit the ETC’s web site at www.elevated.org, and be sure to attend the September 12 meeting! |
|
Section Vote on
National Policy |
|
For the past few years, an idea has been kicking around—initiated by ASCE National—that would require a person to have a Master’s Degree in order to be licensed. It is now a policy of National that is in the process of being implemented. There has been plenty of discussion about this issue. Perhaps one of the most important aspects of this policy is the manner in which it was handled. Very early in the process, it was clear that members wanted to participate. Despite much pleading by sections, this did not happen. But, I was assured, the lesson had been learned and this would not happen again. Well, it has. The latest strategic planning process also shut out section involvement despite early and frequent requests to participate. But, back to the First Professional Degree (FPD) issue. Spurred by a proposed resolution by then-President John Hastig, the Pacific Northwest Council (PNC) passed a resolution in 1999 urging caution and member solicitation before going further with the policy. In subsequent years, the PNC language was worded more strongly and eventually requested that the policy be rescinded. In late May, National released an FPD Task Committee report and requested input by the end of June via the internet. At the June Section Board meeting, John Hastig and I agreed to draft a response to the report. This was done, posted on National’s comment page, and sent to our District Representative. (It would have been emailed to the Board of Direction, but electronic communication with the Board is not encouraged by ASCE’s website.) It has generated interest and I recently received correspondence from Ken Dunker in Iowa including a Resolution passed in June from the District 16 Council in Zone III requesting a yearlong postponement of a vote on implementation. Please review the Seattle Section Board’s response document and resolution to have the policy rescinded at ASCE’s website at http://ascecf.minus.com/Forums/Main.cfm?CFApp=20 (or go to www.asce.org, Inside ASCE, and find the FPD comment page). We would like your input and plan to put the issue to a vote at the September meeting. To be prepared, please read these documents. Please contact me at work (206-389-0291) or home (425-483-2295) to get a hard or electronic copy if you are unable to access the website. Although the official comment period on the website is over, people are still commenting. I encourage you to do so also. |
|
ASCE Seattle Section Executive Board Meeting Minutes for June 13, 2001 |
|
Attendees: Ron Leimkuhler, Ann Epler, Susan Gardner, Ron Borowski, Bob Boudinot, Stan Boyle, Linda DeBoldt, Shannon Kinsella, Don Northey, Jim Carlson, John Hastig. Section President Ron Leimkuhler called the meeting to order at 4:15 p.m. Corrections to May 2001 Meeting Minutes: Add after the first sentence in the Old Business section of the minutes: "A meeting of this committee to discuss potential program changes for next year is scheduled for later this month." Meeting minutes approved as amended. Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer’s report through May 31, 2001, was passed out and reviewed. Arthur Fleming requested direction from the Board on what actions to take with regard to CDs that are coming due in the next month. Arthur presented a breakdown of the proportion of money that is invested in CDs that is operating money and how much belongs to the Infrastructure Report Card grant money. Treasurer’s report was approved. Committee Reports: Shannon Kinsella, Bob Boudinout, Ann Epler, and Don Northey presented status reports for the Technical Committees, Branches, YMF, and PSEC, respectively. The North Branch is looking for officers and volunteers for various positions. The committees and YMF are also encouraging more participation. YMF has a number of activities planned and has applied for a National Public Service Award. Old Business: Section Meeting Format: Ron Bard will be organizing a meeting to discuss potential Section meeting format changes. [Follow-up: The first meeting of this committee was held in late June]. R.H. Thomson: The initial awardee for the R.H. Thomson award has advised the award committee that she would not be pursuing civil engineering. The committee requested and received Board approval of their decision to present the award to the runner-up candidate. NEW BUSINESS: ASCE National Awards Nominations: Applications and nominations for ASCE Government Civil Engineer of the Year Award and the Parcel Sverdrup Award are due at the end of June. Applications for Outstanding Section are due this Fall. Honorary Members: The Board discussed procedures for nominating potential honorary members. It was generally agreed that people nominating potential honorary members should spearhead the nomination effort or identify someone or a committee to spearhead the effort. District 12 and National Issues: Jim Carlsen, the ASCE District 12 Director attended the Board meeting to discuss National issues. The Annual Budget was passed out and discussed. National may implement a policy whereby Sections are penalized part of their allotment if their annual reports are received late. The general reduction in university enrollment in Civil Engineering programs was discussed – programs at some universities are closing. Jim suggested that the Section begin thinking about candidates to fill his position as District 12 Director. Candidates should be declared by this fall. Nominees are due to be submitted to the PNC in the fall of 2002. The three largest District 12 sections (Alaska, Seattle, and Oregon) have the first opportunity to submit nominations for the full-time Director position. Jim recommends that potential candidates be active in PNC during the spring and summer of 2002 so that they can meet other people that are involved in PNC and familiarize themselves with PNC. Jim reported that ASCE National is attempting to reduce costs and has had layoffs. National may also reduce the allotment provided to each Section. Please contact the Seattle Section leadership or Jim if you are interested in these issues or would like to become more involved. Inter-Society Workshop: Ron Borowski attended a PSEC meeting on June 6. A number of items were discussed, including how the various societies could better interact and coordinate efforts, how information is disseminated to members, educational and mentoring efforts for pre-high school students. During discussion of this topic, John Hastig suggested that perhaps the section could fund getting engineering books into schools. Masters as First Professional Degree: ASCE National is calling for comments by the end of June on their decision to promote a "First Professional Degree". Various issues on the merits of the Masters as the First Professional Degree were discussed. The Board approved a resolution to oppose this policy by National and to send National a statement declaring the Board’s position. Jim Carlsen proposed that PNC discuss and vote on this issue at their September meeting. Ron Borowski suggested that an announcement be made in the August newsletter so that the Section could vote on this issue at the September meeting. Susan Gardner and John Hastig volunteered to prepare an additional statement to address University programs and requirements and how they relate to National’s perception that Civil Engineers with Bachelor degrees are unprepared to practice civil engineering, as well as comment directly on the National task committee’s policy paper. The meeting was adjourned at 5:50 p.m. Meeting minutes prepared by Stan Boyle. |
|
Seattle Section ASCE
Board Motion |
|
Policy of the Masters Degree or Equivalent as the first Professional Degree WHEREAS, a policy has been adopted by ASCE’s Board of Direction on October 18, 1998, stating that ASCE supports the concept of the Masters degree as the First Professional Degree for the practice of civil engineering at a professional level; and WHEREAS the Task Committee on the First Professional Degree has put forth a call for comments on the recommendation by June 30, 2001, and the ASCE Board will be asked to adopt the revised recommendation at the Annual Meeting in October 2001; and WHEREAS this issue had been initiated and approved quickly and without adequate discussion at the Section and grassroots level, and WHEREAS designation of the Masters Degree as the first professional degree is a fundamental change to the education and practice of all disciplines of engineering, including civil engineering; and WHEREAS, the new policy has not described any restrictions on the field of advanced study required for the Masters degree as the First Professional Degree; and WHEREAS there has been considerable interest in this issue from the general American Society of Civil Engineers membership and the Student Chapters; and WHEREAS there is considerable confusion and concern about which specific problems the ASCE Board intends to address with this policy; and WHEREAS the Task Committee on the First Professional Degree has stated that the current four-year bachelor’s degree is inadequate formal education for the practice of civil engineering at the professional level in the 21st Century; and WHEREAS there may be other alternatives to address the specific problems which have not been completely evaluated including establishing a core civil engineering curriculum, minimum number of college credit hours in non-engineering disciplines, number of years of employment in both engineering and non-engineering careers, aggressively educating the public about the role of civil engineers; and WHEREAS the Seattle Section Board has studied the details of the policy and believes that its implications of making a Masters degree a condition of being able to practice civil engineering at a professional level is in direct conflict with the current efforts by the Board of Direction to encourage government engineers to join ASCE because many of their positions do not require a master’s degree to practice civil engineering within a public agency; and WHEREAS the Board of Direction is devoting resources to promote this policy; and WHEREAS the Pacific Northwest Council passed Resolution 99-06 which opposed the Master’s as the first degree; and WHEREAS the Seattle Section Board’s first choice is to COMPLETELY RESCIND THE POLICY, NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Seattle Section Board requests that the policy be amended in Title to "Professional Development" and that the policy be reworded to "The American Society of Civil Engineers supports the concept of further education for professional development in the practice of Civil Engineering"; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Direction study and evaluate all the educational alternatives beginning with promoting Baccalaureate Excellence; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that comments received by ASCE National be reported to the Sections before further action is taken; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Direction includes the grassroots membership as stakeholders in the development of all policies that will impact the careers of current and future civil engineers. PASSED AND ADOPTED this date, June 13, 2001 Seattle Section, Submitted by: |
|
ASCE Geotechnical Group Annual Spring Seminar – Another Success! |
| The geotechnical group held its annual spring seminar on April 28, 2001, at the University of Washington. The seminar "Biotechnical and Soil Bioengineering Methods for Slope Stabilization and Erosion Control" was a great success and was well received by many participants. The seminar focused on cost-effective and attractive approaches for stabilizing slopes and stream banks against erosion and shallow mass movement. Keynote speakers, Dr. Donald H. Gray and John A. McCullah, provided excellent presentations that included numerous design considerations and many case studies. The seminar included regulatory and technical presentations by seven other speakers. Approximately 220 people attended the seminar including 145 from the private sector, 50 from city, county and state agencies (Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia), and about 25 from the construction industry. The seminar included an exhibition room that was attended by 18 exhibitors. The seminar was sponsored jointly by the ASCE Seattle Section Geotechnical Group and the University of Washington. |
|
Iron Goat Trail Work Day |
|
The ASCE Seattle Section History & Heritage Committee invites you to join them in a construction and maintenance work party on the Iron Goat Trail on Saturday, October 6, 2001. The Iron Goat Trail is located off of US 2 at Stevens Pass, and it is an interpretive trail along the old Great Northern Railway grade. The development of the early railroad tunnels in this area has been designated an ASCE National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. Work parties are sponsored by the Volunteers for Outdoor Washington. They usually carpool from Bothell Park & Ride, SR 522 and Kaysner Way, leaving at 7:30 a.m. and returning to Seattle by 5:45 p.m. Bring sturdy boots, rain gear, and lunch/beverages. To verify details, please contact Cindy Hirsch at 206-438-2700, cindy_hirsch@urscorp.com. or the Volunteers for Outdoor Washington coordinator Endre Dale, 206-525-7796. The VOW web site is www.irongoat.org. Please contact Cindy as well if you are interested in joining the Section’s History & Heritage Committee. Meetings are held monthly. The setting is friendly and informal. All are welcome. |
|
Request for North Branch Officer Candidate |
| The North Branch still requires at least one candidate to be a new North Branch officer for the coming year. If you are interested please contact Mark Ingham at 360-671-1450, ext. 3429, mingham@anvilcorp.com. They would like to hold elections in August if possible. |