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  • 1.  ASCE's Institutes & Technical Groups - Missing a Career-Critical One

    Posted 11-01-2022 10:56 AM
    Q. "What is the subject Engineering Education Programs require
          as we leave the year 2022 continuing on into our varied engineering futures?

    A. Education, Training, and Development Why, What & How "To play nice with others."

    i.e., knowledge and skills at a level of understanding just like the engineering
    courses we learned.

    No less than 60% of engineered projects fail due to the lack of our engineers knowledge, understanding,
    and skills when collaborating, communicating, and cooperating within a project's life cycle.

    • "Engineering technical knowledge and experience is necessary,
              but not sufficient to assure successful projects each time, every time."

                        We need to Re-Engineer Listening. TM

    Q. Have you evidence to support the above assertions. . . . or not?

    Cheers,
    Bill

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    William M. Hayden Jr., Ph.D., P.E., CMQ/OE, F.ASCE
    Buffalo, N.Y.

    "It is never too late to be what you might have been." -- George Eliot 1819 - 1880
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  • 2.  RE: ASCE's Institutes & Technical Groups - Missing a Career-Critical One

    Posted 11-07-2022 10:30 AM
    I think engineering education is ripe for strategic review.  I raised this point nearly year ago in the context of safety and was referred to this document from the 2019 Education Summit. https://www.asce.org/career-growth/educators/education-summit While I see a lot of good work and thought in this document it's far from a strategic assessment based on my experience. Such an assessment for me would include a clear articulation of where are now (e.g., strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats), where do we want to be (e.g., what is success, value measures and drivers, and possible tradeoffs) and decisions and alternatives to get from the now to the future state. I think a true strategic assessment is essential to ensure that we both keeping up with the times as well as looking far enough ahead shape our future.

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    Mitch Winkler P.E., M.ASCE
    Houston, TX
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  • 3.  RE: ASCE's Institutes & Technical Groups - Missing a Career-Critical One

    Posted 11-08-2022 10:24 AM
    Thanks Mitch.
    While not familiar with the 2019 report you note,
    I am quite familiar with the ASCE JUN 1995 Education Conference in Denver, CO.

    At the end, former CEO of CH2M Hill Jim Pirot, former Presdient of ASCE, ACEC, etc., summed up what we needed to begin placing into the education requirements.
    They were 4 elements that required soft skills.

    The room feel silent.

    Then one of the respected Engineering profs stood and said:
    "How can we do that? 
    We never received that education ourselves."

    If you skim the recent online ABET chats, you will see
    the push-backs on such an improvement.

    Engineering technical excellence is necessary,
    but not sufficient to routinely complete projects successfully.

    Cheers,
    Bill

    ------------------------------
    William M. Hayden Jr., Ph.D., P.E., CMQ/OE, F.ASCE
    Buffalo, N.Y.

    "It is never too late to be what you might have been." -- George Eliot 1819 - 1880
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