Where Do We Stand?
SEI just finished its successful 2017 Structures Congress in Denver where we celebrated collaboration, innovation, and the Vision for the Future of Structural Engineering: A Case for Change. Reflecting on the program, sessions covered areas such as communications, mentoring, ethics, codes and standards, history, performance, multi-hazards, training, professional practice, health monitoring, sustainability, resiliency, construction, loads, rehabilitation, and solutions. All areas are meant to contribute towards the future of structural engineering.
SEI’s A Vision for the Future of Structural Engineering and Structural Engineers: A Case for Change was released on October 16, 2013, and serves as SEI’s blueprint for the future. For the full version of the report, refer to www.asce.org/SEI. The executive summary, dated September 2015, is also available there.
As part of the Congress, the SEI Board of Governors met to assess our progress and identify areas where we need to increase attention. This primarily includes progress on the seven key initiatives that will enable SEI to achieve the Vision for the Future of Structural Engineering.
The following is our status towards fulfilling our key initiatives to advance our vision:
Reform Structural Engineering Education
The Committee on the Reform of Structural Engineering Education (CROSEE) has been formed to study new educational models to equip students with the broad technical, communications, and critical thinking skills necessary to compete in the global economy.
Improve Mentoring and Continuing Education
The Committee on Professional Mentoring has been rebranded as the Leadership Development Committee within the SEI Business Practice Activities Division (BPAD). The committee is developing a national, standardized framework to launch the careers of young professionals and create a meaningful platform for lifelong learning and constant professional growth. See the March 2017 STRUCTURE magazine Editorial for more information highlighting this committee. The Continuing Education Task Committee received a grant this year from the SEI’s Futures Fund and is scheduling a workshop in June to explore the direction of continuing education for Structural Engineers.
Create a New SEI Global Activities Division
A business plan and budget have been approved by the SEI Board of Governors for the newly formed Global Activities Division. This new division will address the needs of a worldwide membership, and position our members as global leaders in structural engineering research and practice. Meetings have also been initiated with Structural Engineering organizations outside the United States to seek ways to collaborate.
Promote Performance-Based Codes and Standards
A Task Committee on Performance-Based Design is reviewing the final drafts of white papers that will define the path required to give structural engineers new tools to liberate them from the limitations of prescriptive code-checking, encourage innovation in their designs, and increase the value of their services.
Lead Multi-Disciplinary Summits on Technical Matters of Broad Interest
The Committee on Biennial Interdisciplinary Technology Summits has been formed to think outside of the traditional boundaries of structural engineering to identify and apply the most advanced new technologies and science to the practice.
Promote the Structural Engineer as a Leader and Innovator
Each of the preceding responses to key initiatives contributes to promoting the structural engineer as a leader and innovator by supporting and encouraging the expansion of members’ roles to recognized positions of leadership in society by equipping them with the tools they need to succeed and be recognized by the public. SEI is also initiating new digital branding to communicate our vision.
Advocate for Structural Engineering Licensure
We have joined with our peers, NCSEA, CASE, and SECB, to form the Structural Engineering Licensure Coalition (SELC) to advance implementation of the SE license as a post-PE credential.
This fall, five years since the publication of the original vision, SEI will formally evaluate where we stand, what we have accomplished to date, and what we need to do to continue to achieve the Vision’s goals.▪
You can help advance the Vision for the Future of Structural Engineering in two ways. Take the first step of influencing our structural engineering profession by joining an SEI committee at www.asce.org/structural-engineering/sei-committees and, secondly, support the vision with a gift to the SEI Futures Fund which provides critical funding support to many of our initiatives.
If you would like to learn more about the SEI Vision for the Future of Structural Engineering or SEI, please contact SEI Director Laura Champion at lchampion@asce.org or SEI President Andy Herrmann at aherrmann@hardesty-hanover.com.
