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ASCE Policy 465 - Progress and Next Steps

ASCE Policy 465 – Progress and Next Steps

Abstract

For several decades, educators and practitioners in the civil engineering community in the United States have been calling for reform of civil engineering education. In 1995, at the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Civil Engineering Education Conference (CEEC ’95), some of the educational leaders of the profession believed that the time was right to begin the long road to reformation. Their call for action ultimately resulted in the passage of ASCE Policy Statement 465 Academic Prerequisites for Licensure and Professional Practice which states that in the future, education beyond the baccalaureate degree will be necessary for entry into the professional practice of civil engineering. Ultimately, the new Committee on the Academic Prerequisites for Professional Practice (CAP^3) was charged to develop, organize, and execute a detailed plan for the full realization of ASCE Policy Statement 465. The purpose of this paper is to discuss ASCE’s current plan for implementing Policy Statement 465.

ASCE’s Raise the Bar Initiative

October 2008 marked the Tenth Anniversary of the Board of Direction’s approval of Policy Statement 465 Academic Prerequisites for Licensure and Professional Practice. Since then, ASCE has gradually increased its efforts to raise the educational requirements for entry into the future practice of civil engineering at the professional level. For more than a decade, ASCE has been presenting, talking, and listening to many stakeholders. As a result, ASCE has been progressively improving our proposed program to Raise the Bar in engineering education. This has resulted in refinements to Policy Statement 465 in 2001, 2004, and 2007.

The Committee on the Academic Prerequisites for Professional Practice (CAP^3) is charged to develop, organize, and execute a detailed plan for the full realization of ASCE Policy Statement 465. This effort is also referred to as the Raise the Bar initiative. The National Council of Examiners for Engineering & Surveying (NCEES) 1, the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) 2, and the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) 3 have joined in this advocacy. In addition, there are many other individuals advocating change including Norman R. Augustine 4, James J. Duderstadt 5, and those leaders that attended the “5XME” Workshop 6.

The Raise the Bar effort ties directly into ASCE Strategic Plan via the Competency Strategy Sketch. The Competency Strategy Sketch is one of four key long-term strategic issues being pursued by ASCE. ASCE’s “motive to act” on this strategic issue has been clearly documented. It states that the increasing breadth, complexity, and rate of change of professional practice puts greater stress on (a) the expectation that the BS degree can provide the foundation for the civil engineer to practice at the professional level, (b) the profession’s ability to assure competence in engineering specialty areas, and (c) civil engineers’ ability to acquire sufficient non-technical professional skills (such as communication, management, and leadership), thereby limiting opportunities to fill leadership roles. There are 13 actions associated with the strategy sketch

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Russell, J., & Galloway, G., & Lenox, T., & O'Brien, J. (2009, June), Asce Policy 465: Status And Next Steps Paper presented at 2009 Annual Conference & Exposition, Austin, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--4517