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Copyright (c) 2001 National Society of Professional Engineers - All Rights Reserved

Attention Fellow and Licensed Members of NSPE: Remember to display your membership in NSPE! Download the NSPE insignia for use on personal and business stationery and business cards. Go to www.nspe.org/insignia for guidelines and instructions.

* Reminder: The deadline for the 2001 NSPE BER Ethics Contest is Friday, April 6, 2001. For contest rules or for more information, visit the NSPE Web site at www.nspe.org/ethics/eh01-test.asp.

1. Planning a Vacation? See "A Sightseer's Guide to Engineering"

2. Consensus Congress Backs Image Campaign, Mentoring Programs

3. Board Takes Action on Strategic Plan

4. NSPE Establishes Milton F. Lunch Memorial Fund

5. Educational Foundation Sponsors "Gift to the City" Program

6. Civil PE Exam Review Course Now Available in Online & CD-ROM Format

7. SFPE Announces Fire Alarm Systems Design Seminars

8. NSPE Establishes Ties With Bush Administration

NSPE and National Engineers Week launched a major new Web site--A Sightseer's Guide to Engineering--at http://www.engineeringsights.org to help promote engineers and engineering. The site encourages both adults and kids to add exciting engineering achievements and activities, both the famous and the not-so-famous, to their U.S. vacation itineraries or online exploration. Engineers themselves should find a wealth of interesting facts and anecdotes about the engineering around them through simple online browsing at the site.
        This Web-based travel guide, which was recently highlighted in The New York Times and The Washington Post, is a collection of some 240 engineering achievements, museums, and activities that includes popular destinations like the Golden Gate Bridge, the Hoover Dam, and the Johnson Space Center, yet also features lesser-known intriguing attractions such as the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Colorado, the World's Largest Hand-Dug Well in Kansas, the Hammond Museum of Bells in Arkansas, and the Original American Kazoo Company in New York State.
        A Sightseer's Guide to Engineering shows visitors how engineers are involved in creating nearly everything, and how the engineering profession protects the safety and well-being of society and makes valuable contributions to the economy. Besides being educational, the Web site is one more way to raise the image of the engineer.

2. Consensus Congress Backs Image Campaign, Mentoring Programs

NSPE state and national leaders have strongly backed the funding of a major public relations campaign to improve the image of the engineer among the general public. At the NSPE Consensus Congress, held in Anchorage, Alaska, in early February, 120 leaders gathered to consider a number of strategic issues and to update the NSPE strategic plan. A vote by a 2-1 margin gave the NSPE Board the go-ahead to approve a membership dues assessment to help finance an image campaign.
        NSPE member surveys have consistently shown that improving the image of the engineer ranks as a top priority. State and national leaders had already put their weight behind launching a major image campaign at previous meetings, and NSPE had hired Edelman Public Relations to put together the direction and materials for the campaign. To adequately fund the effort in years two and three could require a dues assessment in the $10-$25 per member range, and the Consensus Congress gave its endorsement to make that avenue a possibility. The NSPE Board of Directors then voted unanimously to place a constitutional amendment before the members to allow for such an assessment. The amendment will be part officer ballot in the March Engineering Times.
        The Consensus Congress also put its collective ideas together to set program direction in three strategic areas: mentoring NSPE's younger members; achieving more active involvement of young engineers in NSPE and state society activities; and offering services to, and thereby better recruiting, industry and non-licensed engineers. With the input from break-out groups, the Congress saw merit in developing an expanded Web site-based mentoring program for young engineers and creating a young engineers council to serve as an elite networking and resource group. Support also went to a continuation of NSPE's already-existing efforts to create an "enterprise" membership program for corporations and institutions that employ engineers and creating an individual career development program using a three-pronged approach-leadership opportunities, professionalism and ethics, and advancement to licensure.

3. Board Takes Action on Strategic Plan

At the NSPE Winter Meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, the Board of Directors took a number of actions related to the Society's Strategic Plan. Below is a summary:

Goal 1: Promote the competent, ethical, and professional practice of engineering.

* Reported on participation in newly launched joint task force on engineering licensure and qualifications for practice with the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying.
* Reported on participation in a NCEES public relations task force meeting.
* Revised NSPE Code of Ethics to update its language relating to the issue of collective bargaining.
* Approved policies to encourage all individuals deemed qualified under state law to become licensed.
* Approved policies to permit the waiver of the FE examination for graduates with at least 15 years of qualifying engineering experience.
* Approved policies to encourage licensure mobility by encouraging state engineering licensure boards to respond more expeditiously in approving reciprocity/comity applications.

Goal 2: Enhance the image and the stature of engineering professionals.

* Endorsed the action of the NSPE Consensus Congress to pursue the American Engineering Campaign for the next two years and authorized a mandatory member assessment for the NSPE member ballot.
* Continued efforts to enlist support for the American Engineering Campaign and National Engineers Week among other engineering societies.
* Launched an Engineering Sightseer's Guide web-site in coordination with National Engineers Week.
* Reiterated NSPE's recommendation that Washington, DC be established as the permanent home for the MATHCOUNTS national competition and that the competition be held each year in May.
* Directed the NSPE Membership Task Force to consider developing an "Honorary Member" category for non-member engineers.
* Approved a procedure for the nomination and selection of NSPE Fellow Members.

Goal 3: Provide educational, career development, networking opportunities, and other benefits to engineering professionals and students.

* Proceeded with the NSPE Membership Initiative, including the enlistment of the E-Team, development of membership recruitment tools, state society road shows, and other programs.
* Eliminated NSPE's 18-month recruitment plan.
* Approved the development of a standard NSPE business plan guide, form, and process for use by NSPE committees/task forces when proposing new products/services.

Goal 4: Advocate the interests of engineering professionals and protect the public through an effective government relations program.

* Finalized plans for PE Day on the Hill in March 2001 in Washington, DC.
* Approved the NSPE Legislative and Government Affairs Strategic Plan.
* Approved assisting the Alabama Society of Professional Engineers in their efforts to oppose changes in the state architect law that would unduly restrict engineering practice.

Goal 5: Align the structure, activities, and governance of the society to optimize support and resources for all programs.

* Accepted the West Virginia Society of Professional Engineer's plan to remove its "state only" affiliate membership category.
* Approved the NSPE Convention/Meeting Development Task Force recommendations regarding future NSPE annual meeting cycle and winter meeting destinations.
* Recommended that the NSPE Educational Foundation establish a generic memorial fund and that named funds be established if contributions reach a $10,000 threshold.
* Approved NSPE regional governance structures.
* Provided more time for states and regions to provide input into NSPE Board approval process.
* Developed a comprehensive outcomes report and presentations identifying key products and services developed by NSPE and aligned to the NSPE Strategic Plan.
* Received reports from NSPE practice divisions on "Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day", project management seminars, mentoring, licensure promotion initiatives, Federal Engineer of the Year activities, and various other publications, products and services.

4. NSPE Establishes Milton F. Lunch Memorial Fund

As a tribute to former NSPE general counsel Milton F. Lunch for his immeasurable contribution to the engineering community, NSPE has established a memorial fund in his honor through the Society's Educational Foundation. Tax-deductible contributions to the Milton F. Lunch Memorial Fund can be made by contacting NSPE at 703-684-4808 or at sbrasse@nspe.org. Donations can also be mailed to: National Society of Professional Engineers, Milton F. Lunch Memorial Fund, 1420 King Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. Since Lunch was committed to many areas of the profession, a committee has been appointed to determine the best use for this fund.

5. Educational Foundation Sponsors "Gift to the City" Program

For the first time the NSPE Educational Foundation, a long-time provider of educational assistance to engineering students, will serve as the organizing sponsor for the Society's "Gift to the City" program. The Gift to the City program was established in 1999 to provide a legacy to the city that hosts the NSPE Annual Convention and Exposition - this year, Detroit, Michigan.
        In collaboration with the Michigan Society of Professional Engineers, NSPE has selected Focus: HOPE - a civil and human rights organization that provides technical training, including engineering - as the designated recipient of this year's "Gift to the City." It is NSPE's goal to establish an endowment with funds raised by a 3K/5K Walk/Run Thursday, July 26, 2001, on Belle Isle in Detroit. This endowment would support Focus: HOPE by providing ongoing loans and scholarships to students pursuing degrees in manufacturing engineering.
        Show your support for this endeavor by participating in the 3K Walk/5K Run, or by sponsoring someone to participate on your behalf. Donations are also welcome. For more information contact NSPE at 703-684-4808 or at sbrasse@nspe.org.

6. Civil PE Exam Review Course Now Available in Online & CD-ROM Format

If you or any of your friends or colleagues are preparing for the PE exam, NSPE offers valuable resources to help engineers pass the PE exam. To help you prepare for the Civil Engineering PE Exam, KeepSmart Engineering has developed a multimedia electronic prep course that includes over 50 hours of instruction. The course allows users to choose the specific topics they want to review for the exam. The topics are divided into seven modules (Transportation, Sanitary & Environmental, Hydraulics & Hydrology, Structures, Geotechnical, Surveying, and Economics). Each module includes a series of demonstration and practice problems and extensive video instructor walkthroughs of each skill test within the PE exam, accompanied by on-screen displays of the corresponding formulas and equations.
        The course is available for purchase online at the NSPE Web site, http://www.nspe.org, under "Education" or on the KeepSmart Engineering Web site, http://www.keepsmartengineering.com/, where you can also view a demo of the course.

7. SFPE Announces Fire Alarm Systems Design Seminars

The Society of Fire Protection Engineers, in collaboration with the Automatic Fire Alarm Association, is presenting Fire Alarm Systems Design Seminars in Chicago, April 10-12; Baltimore, September 10-12; Providence, Rhode Island, October 2-4; and Irvine, California, November 28-30. SFPE is offering NSPE members $50-75 off the non-SFPE member price.
        The seminars are intended for participants who have a basic level of understanding of design, design support, or review of fire alarm designs. Participants should also have a basic level of understanding of NFPA 72-1999, the National Fire Alarm Code. These three-day seminars will help fire protection engineering practitioners from a variety of backgrounds to effectively design fire alarm systems. Advanced fire alarm system design techniques are presented, and practitioners are given an opportunity to test those techniques on real-world examples. This seminar will address equipment selection, system design, specification writing and development of inspection, maintenance, and training programs.
        For more information or to register, contact SFPE at education@sfpe.org or by calling 301-718-2910.

8. NSPE Establishes Ties With Bush Administration

In a recent letter to President Bush's Chief of Staff Andrew Card, NSPE identified several of its priorities and noted their consistency with many of the new administration's priorities:

* Education - NSPE urged the administration to make K-12 math and science education a key element in its education initiative. The Society was pleased that President Bush's initiative, No Child Left Behind, provides funds for state and local school districts and institutions of higher education to establish Math and Science Partnerships. The partnerships would focus on strengthening the quality of math and science instruction in grades K-12.

* Environmental Infrastructure - NSPE encouraged the administration to increase the federal investment in clean and safe water.

* Tax Reform - As part of its package, NSPE urged that the implementation of pension reform be included.

* Research & Development - NSPE noted its support for legislation that would double federal support for civilian research and development programs.

        Card, a graduate of the University of South Carolina, was a former student of NSPE Immediate Past President J. David Waugh and served as Secretary of Transportation during the George Bush Sr. administration.
        NSPE has also contacted key senators in support of several of the president's nominees. In a letter to Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), then Chair of the Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, NSPE endorsed the nomination of Rod Paige to be Secretary of Education, noting that Paige is an advocate of improved math and science education. NSPE also endorsed the nomination of Christine Todd Whitman to be Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in a letter to then Environment & Public Works Chair Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

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