Progress On Raising The Bar – Current Progress And Anticipated Next Steps

• Published in: Association for Engineering Education - Engineering Library Division Papers p. 11.1037.1
• Main Authors: Russell, Jeffrey, Lenox, Thomas, Stuart G. Walesh S.G., Anderson, Richard O, Galloway, Gerald E, Musselman, Craig, Bergstrom, Wayne R, Nelson, James K, O'Brien, James
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Atlanta American Society for Engineering Education-ASEE 18.06.2006
• Subjects: 21st century; Civil engineering; Civil engineers; Engineering profession; Professional practice; Urban environments

In October 2001, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) approved Policy Statement 465 entitled “Academic Prerequisites for Licensure and Professional Practice.” The underlying purpose of ASCE Policy Statement 465 is to prepare the civil engineering professional of the future. The Committee on Academic Prerequisites for Professional Practice (CAP^3) has been working to implement the policy for the past four years. The purpose of this paper is to describe the progress over the last year and the next steps for the implementation of Policy Statement 465. In October 2001, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Board of Direction unanimously approved Policy Statement 465, entitled “Academic Prerequisites for Licensure and Professional Practice.” In October 2004, the policy was revised. This revised policy supports “the attainment of the Body of Knowledge (BOK) for the entry into the practice of civil engineering at the professional level.” Undergirding this policy is the belief that the BOK necessary to enter the practice of civil engineering at the professional level in the future will be beyond the scope of a traditional 4-year bachelor’s degree and required practical experience. While ASCE recognizes that implementation of Policy Statement 465 will not occur overnight, this policy has the potential to transform the practice of civil engineering, and positively influence the safety, quality, efficiency, and sustainability of the built environment in the 21st Century. The purpose of this paper is to describe the progress over the last year and the next steps for the implementation of Policy Statement 465. Background The last four years have seen major progress in ASCE’s “Raise the Bar” initiative, from the creation of a Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge (BOK), to a sea change in the reaction towards this initiative. The CAP ^3 Body of Knowledge committee formulated and published the first edition of the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge for the 21st Century in early 2004. The definition of BOK is shown in Figure 1. This effort moved the focus of ASCE’s initiative from one principally referencing degrees to a new focus on the requisite areas of knowledge necessary for the professional practice of engineering in the future.