Timeline for Start of New Civil Engineering Program Uncertain
Prince George, B.C. – No word yet on when the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) Senate approved civil engineering program might be rolled out.
Dr. Dan Ryan, UNBC’s Interim Vice President Academic and Provost, says yesterday’s approval simply laid out the “academic framework” for the program.
“And what that does is it builds out the idea with respect to the courses, how we’re offering them, or how we’re planning to offer them.”
In order for the program to receive final approval, he says UNBC still needs the approval of the ministry of advanced education and the school’s board of governors, not to mention find its funding sources.
“It’s really to be frank difficult to assess when we’ll be able to have our first class because all those pieces have to fall into place first,” says Ryan. “But that being said, with the academic program in place, we can move relatively quickly once we figure out some of those other elements.”
Once the program jumps through those hoops he says they will need to go through some steps with the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board “to ensure it’s a fully appropriately accredited program.”
“And that would be the equivalent of a four year undergraduate degree – a four year degree. Now we’re adding a co-op component to it which means it may take longer to finish because they have work terms associated with it so it’s basically a five year degree with co-op in there.”
And like Prince George City Councillor Albert Koehler told 250News earlier today (see story here), he says the program will certainly help fill a void currently being felt in Prince George.
“We have engineers coming to the North that often end up not staying in the North because they don’t understand or appreciate the North.
“And we know from our Northern Medical Program that when we train students in the North, they stay in the North because they understand and appreciate what’s going on.”
Comments
It’s about time. I was disappointed that UNBC didn’t have an engineering program years ago.
There are so many engineers out there it’s like having a drivers liscense.. Used to be a specialty now it’s very common. Also just because they get a degree doesn’t mean they are capable of managing people.
“just because they get a degree doesn’t mean they are capable of managing people”
I would say that holds for most people no matter what type of education they may have.
Engineers typically manage projects.
Then again we have the Trump people managers starting to raise their heads more and more. Surround yourself with yes people and people who can live with bullying and fire the rest. ;-)
Really most engineers design..they don’t manage.
The types of engineers who work in designing and building structures, the more junior one is (early years after formal schooling is over) the more one designs general concepts.
Those juniors, who can be technologist or graduate engineers in training, report to design project managers (in office work) to ensure quality control of the design against many criteria.
Design of details is not taught in engineering schools. That is partially taught in Technology Diploma programs. Mainly, it is learned on the job after graduation.
Eventually those who manage projects in the studio go out into the field to ensure quality control and the certification of progress claims, etc. That is when they learn that what is on the drawings might not work when it comes to the filed.
That type of project management on the side of the owner, is differ from the construction project management of the building contractor’s work. There is a large learning curve when engineers first start to go onto the site and talk with the trades people. These are not Master and even PhD engineers who are all too often professors at university.
50 or so years ago there were mainly 3 or 4 types of engineering programs – civil (the oldest one going back 100+ years) mechanical, electrical, and chemical.
Here is a sample list of ABET accredited Bachelor/Master/PhD accredited programs in the USA (they have far more specialty engineering programs than Canada.
Most of the programs are “applied science” programs with that being the degree. Some of them have engineering degrees.
Professional engineers are regulated by their professional society and a fully licensed engineer can put P.Eng behind her/his name.
So here is a list of many of the types of specialty programs we now have in the 21st century.
Aeronautical
Aerospace
Agricultural
Architectural
Astronautical
Biochemical
Biomedical
Biomechanical
Bioprocess
Ceramic
Chemical
Civil
Computer
Construction
Construction Management
Electrical
Electronics
Electromechanical
Environmental
Forestry
Glass
Industrial
Industrial Hygiene
Manufacturing
Marine
Materials Science
Mechanical
Mechatronics
Microelectronic
Naval
Nuclear
Occupational Health
Project Management
Robotics
Software
Structural
Systems
Telecommunication
I do not recall the type of Maters program which will be delivered here in the Wood Design Innovation Centre. Having an undergraduate degree program here will provide that Masters degree more credibility, in my opinion.
That being said, the WDIC programs is a good example of where the education for those intending to be licensed Engineers has been going over the last few decades.
People studying in the engineering applied sciences have several stages of education available to them
Associate’s in Engineering
Bachelor’s in Engineering
Master’s in Engineering
MBA in Engineering
Doctorate in Engineering
Actually engineers drove trains..then it became the ones who worked with steam and pressure vessels.. Then it was taken over by the list of engineers you wrote down.
In most companies engineers have the choice of two paths… Staying a engineer or taking the management route. Anyone can be a engineer with the right schooling and dedication to learning, but not everyone can be a good manager.
Like they say…once a engineer gets their degree then the learning really starts.
The word “engineer” is not regulated in Canada. There are several historic uses of the word “engineer”. The practice of “Professional Engineering” and the application of the PEng appended after a professional engineer’s name is, however, regulated.
As the BC ENGINEERS AND GEOSCIENTISTS ACT states: “professional engineer” means a person who is registered or licensed as a professional engineer under this Act;
That is the type of engineer we are talking about.
BTW, CNR uses the term “Locomotive Engineer” in their employment agreement. It is also a term most commonly used in the USA.
A locomotive engineer is licensed to drive a train
Another type of non-professional engineer is a steam engineer. Again, an operator of steam plants with boilers under pressure.
Professional engineer, likely Mechanical Engineers, however, would be those who design locomotives and steam plants.
Engineering is derived from the Latin “ingenium” meaning cleverness and “ingeniare” meaning to contrive, devise.
“Engineer” was employed in the 14th century, long before steam engines were invented, to identify a constructor of military engines (machines) such as catapults, scaling tower, etc.
Before that time, name any building in ancient times, starting with the era of the pyramids, and we look at people doing engineering work without the use of the modern term “engineer”. They reflect the ingenuity and skills of ancient civil and military engineers.
There was nothing stolen from Locomotive Engineers.
“In most companies engineers have the choice of two paths…”
That does not only apply to engineers. It applies to any profession or vocation.
As they say “managers rise to the level of their incompetence” as suggested by Laurence Peter. When a Forester, Engineer, Nurse, Accountant, etc. is promoted to that level without having the requisite skills, it is primarily the fault of the manager who has selected a candidate for a position based on the candidate’s performance in their current role, rather than on abilities relevant to the intended role.
It is THAT manager who most certainly needs to learn people skills.
If personnel management is a key requirement of the position, then the individual has to be observed and assed in those activities. If those abilities do not show up, then one can provide some training, whether on the job or extracurricular.
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Once ANYONE gets a formal education, then the real learning of how to apply the knowledge and skills start, no matter what kind of formal education has.
Why are you singling out engineers? Had some bad experiences with them in your life?
I am talking about engineers because that’s what the story is about :)
I have worked with many engineers..and just like every profession there are good, average and bad ones.
And to become a P eng you have to do your job and pay a fee. Nothing special.
And actually a steam engineer is a professional engineer. If you are paid to do your job you are considered a professional.. Like hockey player, teacher, etc.. The term professional definition is
(of a person) engaged in a specified activity as one’s main paid occupation rather than as a pastime.
“a professional boxer”
synonyms: paid, salaried
“a professional rugby player”
The report is not a general one about engineers and its various uses in the English language.
The report is about a very specific program of study which can lead to the eventual designation of a professional engineer as defined by an Act of Parliament in BC and likely recognized under a number of other jurisdictions in Canada as well as internationally. The steps are to get accepted into the program, graduate from the 4 or 5 year program, work as an engineer-in-training for 3 years, write a professional exam and pass it and become a member of the professional association.
Nothing special? In your opinion neither is taking a driver’s license. Sort of on par as you mentioned. I am sure that there are more than a few people who would consider that a misleading comparison. However, picture structural engineers designing buildings, bridges, etc. with failure rates as high as the failure of drivers to avoid crashes, even “professional” drivers who really ought to be more safety conscious.
As far as the use of the word profession or professional, we just have to remember what the oldest profession in the world is.
The Oxford Dictionary, which is the dictionary of record in Canada, defines professional as:
1 – A paid occupation, especially one that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification: examples: his chosen profession of teaching; a lawyer by profession
Occupation, in turn, is defined as a job or profession.
Examples: His prime occupation was as editor.
Those all deal with the every day use of the word. As I pointed out, there is a legal use of the compound word “professional engineer”. No one else can use those words especially when it comes to the claim that person may make to carry out the work of a professional engineer as defined by the Act:
practice of professional engineering” means the carrying on of chemical, civil, electrical, forest, geological, mechanical, metallurgical, mining or structural engineering, and other disciplines of engineering that may be designated by the council and for which university engineering programs have been accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board or by a body which, in the opinion of the council, is its equivalent, and includes reporting on, designing, or directing the construction of any works that require for their design, or the supervision of their construction, or the supervision of their maintenance, such experience and technical knowledge as are required under this Act for the admission by examination to membership in the association, and, without limitation, includes reporting on, designing or directing the construction of public utilities, industrial works, railways, bridges, highways, canals, harbour works, river improvements, lighthouses, wet docks, dry docks, floating docks, launch ways, marine ways, steam engines, turbines, pumps, internal combustion engines, airships and airplanes, electrical machinery and apparatus, chemical operations, machinery, and works for the development, transmission or application of power, light and heat, grain elevators, municipal works, irrigation works, sewage disposal works, drainage works, incinerators, hydraulic works, and all other engineering works, and all buildings necessary to the proper housing, installation and operation of the engineering works embraced in this definition;
Is this the same board that decided to call waiters at Starbucks baristas ?
P Val..Definitely knows how to argue like an engineer..;)
Northman, why am I blaming everyone else for my mistakes..lol
lol..Have yourself good weekend..!
“a”
You as well ;)
and I wonder what the sentence would be for using P Eng… if you aren’t one… I do have the ‘Ring” but not a eng.. would I go to jail for wearing that silly thing ? You mentioned power eng… would they not abbreviate to P. Eng…
the big difference I read about the power/steam eng is they actually have to work in their field to get their tickets.. not just go to school… seems the better way to do it..
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