Institutions can only go so far.
We have a
personal,
professional responsibility to share what has been shared with us to those who will listen. Fear of "training your replacement" is usually not warranted, because others will recognize the contributions you've made.
My degree required 152 hours when I began college, but changes (albeit too late for me to take advantage of) to the curriculum had the degree down to 132 by the time I graduated (with 165 hours and a minor in Literature). Many of the reductions were effective and efficient, some reduced the breadth/depth of technical education, however. Regarding the gaps, the University fully supported and encouraged design competitions, student organizations, etc. and structured many of their classes to force teamwork to happen.
When I started in the workforce after graduation, I was fortunate to have supervisors and other senior engineers invest in my own technical knowledge, but more importantly, encourage and support my involvement in ASCE (for other young engineers, it may have been another professional society or civic organization). They challenged me to take on a leadership role early on, because THEY knew the value that experience would bring to the company in the future. In my 14 years after graduation, I've been able to mentor and supervise a number of young engineers in similar fashion, and the #1 contributor to whether those engineers are "GREAT!" or simply "adequate", rests with the individual. They have to WANT to learn, to grow, to be challenged, and to be involved.
So 2 points (at a penny apiece, you can call it my 2 cents):
1. If we want to raise the bar, the public has to know a civil engineer. Not just the value civil engineers bring to public welfare, but the value a civil engineer brings to the
intangible parts of their community. Are we known as a profession that is dedicated to our communities, or are we known as a profession of awkward pocket-protector introverts? ASCE and universities can only do so much in this regard...a publication or production isn't nearly effective as a personal interaction. So we, as Civil Engineers, need to get involved with our communities so that even if they don't understand the complexities of something like an infrastructure bond issue, they know and trust a Civil Engineer who says it's something their community needs. Get involved outside the walls of your home and work.
2. We have to help others reach the bar we want to set. I'm reminded of those wall climb obstacle courses you see in Tough Mudder races. it takes a few people pushing from below, a person pulling from the top, and someone willing to reach out their arms in order to raise the collective to the top. That's our personal, professional responsibility. Our universities and our professional societies can provide us tools to make the incline flatter or the starting elevation a little higher, but there will always be a need for peer support, from alongside, from within, and from above. Get involved in the professional lives of others.
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Kensey Russell P.E., M.ASCE
HNTB
Oklahoma City OK
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