EWRI Meets with Council of Presidents

Dennis L. Richards, Chair, Sections and Branches Activities Council

The Sections and Branches Activities Council as well as representatives from the six other Institutes met with the Council of Presidents (COP) during the 2002 ASCE Annual Conference in Washington, DC in November. The meeting was an interactive forum that provided an opportunity for receiving input from the Sections and Branches leadership on how the Institutes can be of further service to the Sections and Branches. An additional goal of the session was to explore ways the Sections and Branches can support the Institutes.

A variety of topics were discussed during the hour long session. One of the primary topics dealt with how to start a technical group and ways in which the Institutes can assist the local ASCE leadership. One of the ideas that surfaced was that information on how to create local technical groups, and how those groups can relate to Institutes could be put in the monthly electronic newsletter, the Section Informant, so the Section leaders could know what is available to them. Technical groups often form to fulfill a need that is not being met by other ASCE communities. The Coasts, Oceans, Ports, and Rivers Institute (COPRI) offered an example of the Deepwater Infrastructure Forum (DIF). DIF is a local group established in Houston that holds technical meetings for the many ASCE members and non-members working in the offshore industry. The Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI) has formed chapters in cities where graduates of architectural engineering tend to locate with such chapters in Houston and Kansas City. The Institutes are available to help new and established technical groups with model documents, resources, and organizational support should the Section and Branch leaders desire assistance.

Institute representatives shared some of their success stories at the local level. EWRI and the Geo-Institute (G-I) have sponsored sessions with Section and Branch leaders at the ASCE National Convention and are establishing Speaker’s Bureaus for the use of local technical groups. The Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) mentioned low cost continuing education programs that had been successful. The Construction Institute (CI) has made a commitment to provide a minimum of four regional seminars each year. The Transportation and Development Institute (T&DI), the newest Institute, is looking to assist Sections and Branches in producing high quality continuing professional development events, and enhancing the quality of local transportation committees or groups.

Another topic related to dialogue/coordination between existing Technical Groups and their Section leaders. In a few places, the leaders of the Technical Groups in the Sections do not participate in the Section Board (either as members or ex-officio members). This would provide a forum where technical issues could be discussed and more Section-wide support could be given for dealing with these issues.

Council of President representatives attending the session were provided a one-page information sheet for each Institute listing the mission and current activities of the Institute along with individuals to contact for further information. The Sections and Branches Activities Council did receive a couple of inquires regarding EWRI.