Organizations in High School
Many American engineering societies exist for the basic purpose of disseminating information. Among the numerous types of information available from these societies, including the American Society of Civil Engineer's is guidance material for high school students considering a career in engineering? High school students can obtain this information concerning engineering careers from their counselors or teachers or from local representatives or members of the professional societies.
The National Society of Professional Engineers is deeply involved in career orientation programs specifically directed toward high school students. Representatives of this society regularly conduct programs throughout the country. In such programs, high school students visit engineering, industrial, and technical organizations to see engineers and technologists at work. These students are given an opportunity to investigate the work of the engineers as well as to meet and talk with practicing engineers. Interested students or counselors should contact the local chapter of the National Society of Professional Engineers for further information about such programs in their localities.
In addition to the orientation programs conducted by the National Society of Professional Engineers, a separate program, the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS), also exists for the purpose of furnishing information to high school students who are interested in careers in engineering. This organization was founded in 1950 to sponsor extracurricular programs for high school students in both rural and urban areas. One of its primary activities is the sponsorship of JETS chapters in junior and senior high schools. These chapters in turn sponsor extracurricular clubs under the supervision of a faculty advisor assisted by a volunteer professional engineer from the community.
The typical JETS chapter or club holds regular meetings at which members explore various aspects of engineering. The club members may visit local industries, consulting firms, and government agencies to discuss their interests with engineers and scientists in practice. Technical programs, projects, and other group activities are part of most clubs' schedules. Information concerning membership can be obtained from any local chapter of that organization or from the JETS National Office, 1420 King Street, Ste. 405, Alexandria, VA 22314-2715. JETS chapters have been formed in many cities and towns in the United States and have proven to be a very worthwhile means to acquaint high school students with the career opportunities in civil engineering.
In addition to the high school clubs and programs sponsored by engineering societies, there are many other science and mathematics clubs that the prospective civil engineering student will find to be educational as well as enjoyable. These clubs frequently have programs and speakers that are valuable sources of information for young people who are trying to choose a career.
College Professional and Social Organizations
Students in a civil engineering curriculum at a university or college can become members of several different organizations associated with their particular field of study. Almost all of the national engineering societies, including the American Society of Civil Engineers, have student chapters in colleges and universities throughout the United States. The student chapter of ASCE on the campus will be sponsored by a local section of the national organization. In addition to the very interesting programs and field trips that the student chapter officers arrange for chapter members, the students frequently will be invited to participate in the activities of the local section. These activities will include programs with prominent engineering speakers and tours behind the scenes of outstanding civil engineering projects in the area.
The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), 1420 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314-2715, also sponsors student chapters in many engineering schools. These clubs are open to students from all branches of engineering and have programs of interest to all engineering undergraduates.
The civil engineering student may be invited to become a member of Chi Epsilon, an undergraduate honor society for outstanding civil engineering students. Chapters of Chi Epsilon are found at many universities. The civil engineering student may also be invited, as an outstanding scholar, to become a member of Tau Beta Pi, the national honorary engineering society. Election to Tau Beta Pi, for an engineer, is equivalent to election to Phi Beta Kappa for a scholar in the arts and sciences. Members, both male and female, are chosen for this society on the basis of outstanding potential as a member of the profession of engineering, as well as on their performance as undergraduate students.
In addition to these honorary and professional organizations, there are many social and service organizations on every campus that are open to civil engineering students. The prospective engineer would be wise to consider joining one or more of these organizations in order to gain social contact with students from diverse backgrounds, interests, and fields of study. Among these groups are the Greek fraternities and sororities, religious clubs, military veteran groups, political clubs, and the many types of musical associations open to student members.
For members of minority groups and for women, special organizations have been formed to fulfill identified needs. Women interested in careers in engineering or who already are practicing in the field can become members of the Society of Women Engineers. Information is available to interested women from the Society at 120 Wall Street, 11th floor, New York, NY 10005-3902. In addition to this organization for women, a number of other organizations have been formed to respond to the needs of various ethnic and racial groups whose members practice in the field of engineering. Some examples are:
Of all engineering professionals, the civil engineer deals more directly with, and is more responsible for, maintaining public health and safety than any other type of engineer. For this reason, it is important that there be laws requiring the examination of the qualifications of civil engineers before they are permitted to practice in capacities where public safety is their concern. All fifty states and the District of Columbia currently have laws requiring the licensing or registration of professional engineers, including civil engineers. These laws require that members of registration boards, established for this purpose by the various state legislatures, secure evidence of education and experience for each applicant and determine whether or not the applicant fully understands the basic principles of science and technology necessary for the safe practice of engineering in that particular state. While the requirements in each state differ in accordance with the specific law of each state, registration is normally granted only after completion of four years acceptable engineering experience and passing a set of comprehensive examinations.
The primary justification for registration and licensing of engineers is the protection of the public. The requirement for licensing was well stated some years ago by the judge of a Utah court in the case of Clayton v. Bennett (298 P. 2d 531) as follows:
It has been recognized since time immemorial that there are some professions and occupations which require special skill, learning, and experience with respect to which the public ordinarily does not have sufficient knowledge to determine the qualifications of the practitioner. The layman should be able to request such services with some degree of assurance that those holding themselves out to perform them are qualified to do so. For the purpose of protecting the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens, it is within the police power of the State to establish reasonable standards to be complied with as a prerequisite to engaging in such pursuits.
In this regard, it is recommended that all civil engineering graduates become registered as soon as possible after graduation. There are various reasons for this recommendation; however, the two most compelling reasons are: 1) courts of law generally do not recognize a person as an engineer unless that person is registered (this can be a serious obstacle should the person ever wish to testify as an expert witness); and, 2) while the activity that an engineer is currently engaged in may not require registration, it is possible that at some career point he or she may wish to assume a position in which registration is required.
As pointed out previously, each state has its own specific registration law. However, the most common requirement for registration at the present time is the successful completion of two comprehensive examinations. The first examination usually covers the basic fundamentals of engineering as taught in an ABET-accredited curriculum. Many states permit this first examination to be taken just prior to, or immediately after, graduation. When a candidate successfully passes this examination, the certificate granted designates her or him as an Engineer-In-Training (EIT). The second examination may be taken only after the applicant fulfills the particular state requirement for a minimum number of years of practical experience, usually four years. The second examination covers more advanced principles of engineering, which the engineer should now be ready to tackle. Upon completion of this second requirement (the years of experience plus the second examination), the graduate engineer is registered and granted a license to practice engineering in that state.
Once registration is granted, further examination is not required. However, several state registration boards have considered the adoption of a requirement that periodically an engineer may be required to show proof of some degree of continuing engineering education before renewal of the engineer's license. These requirements, if adopted, will probably be similar to those now in existence for the medical, law, and teaching professions.
