Consider another perspective -- that of young women scanning the landscape of professions. Maybe smart and aspiring young women are increasingly discriminating in how they view and evaluate professions. A non-engineering university colleague, who knew about our engineering program, said something like this: "If young women have the intellect and drive to study engineering, they are also prepared to pursue any profession." Some of those options, all of which when compared to engineering, require more education and a license to practice, are: architecture, audiology, dentistry, law, medicine, optometry, and pharmacy. These young women, having done their homework, contemplate the much broader and deeper educational requirements of those professions, their strict licensure rules, the leadership of those professions' members in their communities and the country, and the roughly equal participation of men and women.
Then they evaluate engineering, including Civil Engineering, with its two-century-old, four-year education model that once led but is now surpassed by all professions, the way engineers are allowed to practice without a license and some of the related disasters, the minimal role of engineers in public life, the low participation of women in engineering, and reports of discrimination against women in engineering organizations.
What would many of these capable women conclude? What might some bright young men conclude? Might most of engineering, and maybe civil engineering, be in increasing trouble as professions because of discrimination, minimal formal education, lax licensure, and increasingly discriminating young people, especially women? Civil engineer and ASCE member Stephen Ressler, who has studied professions, draws this conclusion for much of engineering: "…engineering is regarded as an inherently weak profession because of the corporate setting in which engineering work is typically performed." To some extent, as all of engineering goes, so goes CE but, fortunately, ASCE's Raise the Bar initiative took the lead in strengthening CE. If that effort continues, history may show that it enhanced CE as a profession and did the same for a few other engineering disciplines.
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Stuart G. Walesh Ph.D., P.E., Dist.M.ASCE, F.NSPE
Consultant-Teacher-Author
S.G. Walesh Consulting
stuwalesh@...------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 03-03-2018 11:15
From: Dwayne Culp
Subject: Women in Civil Engineering
I believe that one of the reasons there are fewer women engineers actively working is that as engineering companies, we have made it difficult to be a part-time engineer. We have lost some of our best resources by not allowing stay at home opportunities, not having weird hour employees, and not having employees that can work weekends instead of week days.
I am fortunate that my wife was a nurse. She was able to schedule her full time work around my 5 day a week 8-5 engineering job. We were able to both work, and contribute to society, while still being able to be there for our children.
I am also fortunate that because of today's technology, I am able to help stay at home moms work for me. Sure, they can't work full time 8-5 jobs. Sure, I have many coordination meetings at 9:30 at night. Sure, most of my work gets accomplished while I am not there to supervise, and from their living rooms, or home office. Sure, I have to do more of the daytime coordination with clients. But I have some very motivated and happy employees. I would even go on to say, the best of their class employees.
With today's technology, we do not need to be 8-5 in whatever time zone we are physically located in. A company can perform perfectly fine from Houston with employees in Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Alabama, working 8-midnight, or 9-11, 1-4, and 8:30pm to 10pm.
I think that the gender pay gap based on time out of school, or working hours after school will be significantly reduced if we can learn how to tap that currently under employed or unemployed resource.
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Dwayne Culp, Ph.D., P.E., P.Eng, M.ASCE
Culp Engineering, LLC
Richmond TX
Original Message:
Sent: 03-01-2018 16:31
From: Ben Walpole
Subject: Women in Civil Engineering
Is there a gender wage gap in civil engineering? Do women still have to choose between motherhood and a career in civil engineering? Or can they have both?
What progress has the industry made over the years in terms of attracting and retaining women to the profession? And what problems still need to be fixed?
It's been very interesting to explore these issues with our female members as ASCENews launches a new series, Women in Civil Engineering, in March. We would love to hear different perspectives on these topics.
Let's get the conversation started here.
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Ben Walpole Aff.M.ASCE
Editor
American Society of Civil Engineers
Reston VA
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