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ASCE accelerated efforts to raise the educational requirements for the future practice of civil engineering at the professional level. ASCE brought the civil engineering department heads from major universities into the effort, and presented information at the American Society for Engineering Education Conference. ASCE met with the Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology (ABET) and participated in the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) annual meeting.
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2005 was another strong year for ASCE’s continuing education programs. Total participation increased by 66 percent above the previous year, and more than 31,000 individuals took part. ASCE strives to offer a large number of low-cost, readily accessible distance learning options to members. Webinars were a key factor in the dramatic growth in distance learning in 2005. Average Webinar attendance was 285, and several Webinars drew more than 500 participants, with one serving nearly 1,000. Overall, continuing education produced gross revenue of about $5.3 million.
Both practitioners and faculty advisors are critical to the success of any ASCE Student Chapter or Club. To educate advisors on how to be effective “shadow leaders” and better use available resources to benefit students and their chapters or clubs, ASCE enlightened practitioners and faculty at its annual Practitioner and Faculty Advisor Training Workshop.
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To support the Society’s goal of attracting students to civil engineering, ASCE established the new Committee on Pre-College Outreach (CPO). Through workshops around the country, ASCE helped engineers develop pre-college outreach skills and learn about ASCE resources. In a joint initiative with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and participation from the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), ASCE developed relationships with middle-school teachers and counselors. We distributed resources and interacted with more than 1,500 educators at meetings of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), International Technology Education Association (ITEA) and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).
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Design Squad is an exciting new reality game show for kids, focusing on the engineering design process. ASCE is a leading supporter of the program, and is represented on the advisory and funding boards. Contributions to the 2006 Public Image Fund will support Design Squad. WGBH, the program’s producer, designed a multimedia Web page to inform ASCE members about the show. ASCE and WGBH also collaborated with the Boston Society of Civil Engineers to pilot test the show’s outreach program at the National Society of Black Engineers annual meeting.
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ASCE is doing its part to help teachers prepare well-rounded civil engineers for the unseen horizions ahead. In its seventh year, the Excellence in Civil Engineering Education (ExCEEd) Teaching Workshop (ETW) offers faculty members a chance to learn to teach better by doing. The course and workshops were conducted at the University of Arkansas and at West Point Military Academy. To date, about 10 percent of the nation's civil engineering faculty members have graduated from ExCEEd.
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The West Point Bridge Design Contest (WPBDC) continues to be a strong tool in the ASCE outreach arsenal. Middle school and high school students throughout the country create hands-on designs and test a truss bridge within a set of design parameters, using a computer simulation program. In 2005, 13,069 teams submitted 42,962 unique designs to the competition. The popularity of the contest is reflected in the hit count on its site: there were 444,563 hits this year. ASCE also offered local contests, allowing students to simultaneously participate both nationally and locally. About 108 local contests were held with 5,057 teams participating.
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The best and brightest from 21 top engineering schools across the country gathered at Clemson University in June to achieve the seemingly impossible: design, build and race canoes made of concrete. The ASCE National Concrete Canoe Competition gave students the opportunity to learn teamwork, challenge themselves mentally and physically, and apply engineering knowledge learned in the classroom to a fun, "real world" project. The students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison captured their third straight ASCE National Concrete Canoe Competition, earning a $5,000 scholarship from Degussa Admixtures, Inc. In the 18-year history of the competition, no team has ever before achieved a "three-peat."
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In support of ASCE's policy to broaden and deepen the ‘body of knowledge’ for practicing engineers, the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers (AAWRE) offered its certification program to engineers wishing to obtain a higher level of expertise and experience while improving the practice, elevating the standards and advancing the profession for water resources engineers. The Diplomate, Water Resources Engineer (D.WRE) credential was awarded to 93 individuals in 2005. Another 60 individuals have applied for the credential, illustrating that interest in the program is quickly exceeding anticipated demand.
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| 2005 Y.C. Yang Civil Engineering Scholarship recipient Kyle Frazier |
ASCE continued to grant scholarships and fellowships to both graduate and undergraduate students. The Society launched the Y. C. Yang Civil Engineering Scholarship this year. The Foundation applauds Y.C. Yang for his generosity and for helping inaugurate the scholarship for students interested in structural engineering.
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The Society’s acclaimed 150th anniversary museum exhibition concluded its run at a fourth venue, the Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding, California. Originally intended for display at just three venues, the exhibition has remained timely and relevant, allowing ASCE to extend its $1 million initial investment.
