Fork in the Road: Choosing a Bright Future for Engineering by Dr
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Fork in the Road: Choosing a Bright Future for Engineering by Dr. Stuart G. Walesh, P.E., Indiana Delta’63 amuel Florman’s Fall 2007 BENT article, “Facing Facts About the Profession,” com- pelled me to write this article. I must take issue with the somewhat pessimistic tone of S Mr. Florman’s views and respectfully offer a more positive perspective. The purpose of this article is two-fold. First, by “facing the facts,” to echo the title of the first article, my article demonstrates that signifi- cant segments of the U.S. engineering community are heading in a new direction regard- ing the formal education and early experience of engineers. Second, my article encourages current non-participants, As a result of reading these many messages, I was mo- whether individuals or organizations, to participate pro- tivated a decade ago to join others in proactively working actively and suggests how to do so. for reform in the education and pre-licensure experience Lest there be any misunderstanding, my purpose does of engineers. Any contributions I may have made are due, not include presenting arguments for reforming the formal in part, to Mr. Florman’s and other thoughtful calls for education and early experience of engineers in the U.S. reform. Those arguments have, with increasing frequency during I was taken back by the somber tone of Mr. Florman’s the last decade, been convincingly made by many. For most recent article and reread it several times. Although example, see reports and other documents produced by at one point he says “In the end, I come down on the side of various engineering organizations such as the American optimism,” he also offers many less than optimistic thoughts. Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE),1 American Some examples: Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE),2,3,4 National Academy of • “I conclude that our profession has not evolved the Engineering (NAE),5,6,7 National Council of Examiners for way that I, and many of my colleagues, once assumed Engineering and Surveying (NCEES),8 National Society it would. The time has come to rethink some of our of Professional Engineers (NSPE),9 and the University of most cherished assumptions.” Michigan.10 Also note the writings of various visionaries • “I conclude that American engineers will not play cited in the next section of this article. Seeds planted by all a significant role as legislators nor as officers in the of these individual and organizational calls for reform have executive branch of government, and perhaps that is borne fruit, reform has started, and it is growing. all for the best.” • “…engineering remains a profession characterized VISIONARIES AND THEIR INFLUENCE by anonymity. Well, so be it.” My writing of this article to somewhat counter Samuel Flo- • I wish it were otherwise, but I cannot sustain the rman’s article is ironic. For more than 30 years, beginning belief that the four-year degree will be repudiated as with his book, The Existential Pleasure of Engineering11 the defining accreditation for the profession or that re- and later The Civilized Engineer12 and The Introspective quired licensing for engineers will become the norm.” Engineer13 and his many articles, I have enjoyed, been I realize that the preceding quotes are not presented enlightened by, and, most significantly, been inspired by in their full context, and perhaps they were offered to jar his repeated, thoughtful calls for major improvements in more of us into action. Nevertheless, the statements reflect our profession. the tone of the article and convey a view of our profession’s During that time, reform messages were offered by future that, in my opinion, represents a major compromise other visionaries including L.L. Guy;14 R.K. Kersten;15 L.G. relative to Mr. Florman’s and other earlier calls for rais- Lewis Jr.;16 D.H. Pletta,17 IL A ’27; J.M. Roesset,18 MA B ’63; ing the bar. Furthermore, his statements do not reflect and J.P.T. Yao.18 Mr. Florman and others have, through their recent developments that point to a bright future for our forward looking writing and speaking, urged engineers to profession, or at least portions of it. His article, in effect, extend and broaden their formal education, attract the understates or does not adequately recognize the positive “best and brightest” young people, enhance their value, results of his and other’s pioneering efforts—efforts that seek leadership positions in government, expand mandated are now producing results. Therefore, I offer my different licensure, and influence public policy. view in the hope of encouraging discussion. SPRING 2008 THE BENT OF TAU BETA PI 29 cialization and more attention to mathematics and science. The 1956 Grinter report stressed the value of engineering science and led to much more fundamental research. The controversial 1966 Walker report, according to Seeley, “proposed addressing overloaded curricula by instituting a generalized undergraduate degree and reserving specializa- tion for the master’s level.” While improvements have occurred in engineering educa- tion, they have been evolutionary, not revolutionary. These improvements fall short of reform. For example, at the end of his essay, Seeley offers this summary statement: “Despite these changes, however, many of the chal- lenges facing engineering educators have remained remarkably consistent over time. The question of what to include in tight curricula, how long engineering education should last, how much specialization there should be at the undergraduate level, how to prepare THE FORK IN THE ROAD students for careers that include both technical and According to former New York Yankee catcher Yogi Berra, managerial tracks, and how to meet the needs and “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Robert expectations of society all seem timeless.” Frost, using elegant prose, offered similar advice when he And, for about two centuries, engineering has, with few said “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,… I took the exceptions, adhered to four-year undergraduate education. one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”19 This four-year degree has continued to be recognized as the Some elements of our profession have come to that fork and engineering professional degree despite decades of scientific have taken it by beginning to reform—not just planning to and technological advances, increased environmental con- reform—the education and early experience of engineers. cern, growing threats of disasters, and rapid globalization. They have approached the divergence, taken the road less The ASCE board of direction’s adoption and confirmation traveled or not yet traveled, and are seeing that the chosen of Policy Statement 46520 that “supports the attainment of path promises to make “all the difference.” the Body of Knowledge (BOK) for entry into the practice Other elements of the engineering community are ap- of civil engineering at the professional level” has already proaching the fork, that is, the diverging roads. They have proven to be revolutionary, to have started reform. This is the opportunity to take it; to travel on the road less traveled, due, in part, to its uniqueness in that this is the first time the one that will make “all the difference.” I hope that many a U.S.-based, discipline-specific engineering society has do in the spirit of determining their future, rather than hav- formally called for major reform of engineering educa- ing others do it for them. While examining and striving to tion—including adding education beyond the bachelor’s improve the full careers of engineers is desirable, clearly degree—and reform of pre-licensure experience. how we prepare and orient new members of the profession Table 1 indicates that ASCE published two editions of has highest priority. The reform effort begins at the begin- Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge for the 21st Century: ning, as it should. Preparing the Civil Engineer for the Future.21,22 The second edition uses Bloom’s Taxonomy, which is widely known and THE FACTS: REFORM ACTIONS understood within the educational community, to describe Table 1 summarizes definitive and strong reform actions the minimum cognitive levels of achievement for each of taken by various U.S. engineering societies over the past the 24 outcomes. The outcomes, which are organized into decade. Some of these actions have, in turn, already caused three categories—foundational, technical, and profes- changes, or will cause changes, in the education and early sional—define knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are to experience of engineers. As noted, the table includes strong be fulfilled by an individual prior to entering the practice of definitive actions that already have or will lead to reform. civil engineering at the professional level, that is, licensure. Nothing listed in the table can be categorized as recom- All 24 outcomes are fulfilled or partially fulfilled through the mending more of the same or of just fine-tuning ortweaking bachelor’s degree. Three outcomes are partially fulfilled by the current approach. Presented below are thoughts to a master’s degree or equivalent, and 15 outcomes require supplement information in Table 1. experience as an engineer intern for complete fulfillment. The preceding, relative to today’s approach, and in keep- ASCE: 1998 TO THE PRESENT ing with Florman’s and other calls for reform, mean that Reformation of U.S. engineering education has been studied tomorrow’s civil engineer will: and discussed for decades. B.E. Seeley,23 to use his words, • Master more mathematics, natural sciences, and identifies “the main currents in various reform movements.” engineering science fundamentals; He describes the gradual evolution of engineering educa- • Maintain technical breadth; tion beginning with adoption of the Morrill Act after the • Acquire broader exposure to the humanities and Civil War that established land-grant schools that shifted social sciences; the dominant pattern of “engineering education from shop • Gain additional professional practice breadth; and floors to classrooms.” He cites key studies including the 1927 • Achieve greater technical depth—specialization.