ASCE Texas Section – Strategic Planning Priorities for the Future

ASCE Texas Section – Strategic PlanningASCE Texas Section – Strategic PlanningPriorities for the FuturePriorities for the Future

By:

Cres Guzman, P.E.President

ASCE Texas Section – 2004-2005

Vikas Verma, P.E.Director-At-Large, 2004-2006

ASCE Texas Section

Introduction

March 2005: ASCE Texas Section – Strategic Planning: Revisiting the 21st Century Report

June 2005: ASCE Texas Section – Strategic Planning: Priorities for the Future


Introduction

• Goals that have been met have been established• Priorities for the future have been proposed


21st Century Committee – Goals That Have Been Met

1. Distribution of Technical and Professional Information2. Opportunities for the Exchange of Ideas, Information, and Knowledge3. Promotion of Ethics within the Profession4. Provide a voice with regards to Public Policy and Community Affairs5. Increase Compensation Standards for Civil Engineers6. Cooperation with Other Professional Societies7. Expand Public Awareness and Appreciation8. Committee Structure: More responsive to member

desires and more officer leadership


21st Century Committee – Priorities for the Future

1. Members2. Students 3. Community

Support Mechanism: ASCE Texas Section Office


Members

1. Strengthening of Branches2. Improved Communications: New Design of the

ASCE Texas Section Website

3. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) 4. Cost Control: Dues, Meeting Registration,

Continuing Education Classes, andMembership Recruitment/Retention

5. Training Program for Officers/Leaders of Texas Section and Branches


Strengthening of Branches

• Branches are the heart of ASCE. • Smaller branches often face challenges

Membership Development of new activities

• Greater coordination between the Texas Section and Branches

Branches will be assisted in sustaining activities


Strengthening of Branches

Mentor Branches

Larger branches in the Texas Section can assist smaller branches with activities and events that may be difficult for the smaller branches to organize on their own. Examples: Continuing Professional Development (CPD) seminars

Meeting Topics


Improved Communications

• Continually-updated website that is a thorough source of information

• Members should also be able to purchase publications and pay for Texas Section Meetings, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Seminars, and other pertinent events and products

• Branches should be able to effortlessly coordinate their websites with the Texas Section


Improved Communications -- Goals

• The ASCE Texas Section website will undergo a complete redesign.

• The Section has a new website provider that will help improve communications with the membership and provide more efficient services.


Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

• In 2003, the Texas Board of Professional Engineers instituted mandatory Continuing Education requirements, otherwise knows as Continuing Professional Development (CPD), for all Licensed Professional Engineers in the State of Texas.

• This requirement requires all licensed Texas P.E.’s to obtain 15 Professional Development Hours (PDH) each year.


Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

• Attendance at Texas Section Meetings (specifically the technical program) • Attendance at CPD seminars sponsored by the Texas Section • Active involvement in the Texas Section (i.e. officer positions).


Continuing Professional Development (CPD) --Goals

• Continue to expand the number of CPD Seminars offered and make this a year-round priority

• CPD seminars can be offered statewide

• Coordination with branches will help in the development of these seminars, as well as provide the branches with new and exciting activities


Cost Control

• At the beginning of the 21st Century, the ASCE Texas Section faced a severe financial crisis.


Cost Control – Solutions to Financial Crisis

• Cost cutting• The generosity of Texas Section members and companies• Dues increases

RESULTS: The Texas Section was able to solve its financial issues and move forward with financial stability.


Cost Control – Primary Sources of Income

• Dues• Meeting Registrations


Cost Control – New Sources of Income

• CPD Seminars that supplement those provided at section meetings

RESULTS: The Texas Section will have an additional source of reliable income

and improved financial stability.


Cost Control – Membership

• The Texas Section strives to serve as many civil engineers as possible • This requires a strong membership.

• Increased membership provides an additional source of income in the form of additional dues.


Cost Control – Membership Recruitment• The ASCE Texas Section conducted an ambitious membership drive in 2004-2005 • Over 400 new members were added to the Section this past year. • Membership Recruitment will continue to be a priority beyond the membership drive


Cost Control – Membership Retention• Membership Retention is critical to sustaining the dues revenue

that the Section receives every year

• To achieve retention, the ASCE Texas Section must continue to strive to provide high quality services to our members and ensure that excellent communication with membership is implemented and maintained.


Cost Control – Increased Dues Allotment• As early as 2005-2006, the ASCE Texas Section

will see an increased allotment in dues from the national office of ASCE

• Both the Section and Branches will see the financial benefits of this increased allotment


Training Program for Officers/Leaders of Texas Section and Branches

• The ASCE Texas Section holds its annual leadership conference every summer• A concern is the lack of attendance by Branch officers

• This leads to coordination problems between the Section and Branches, and weakens the branches as a whole



• There is a concern that Section officers are not getting the correct training

• A training program that addresses these concerns and works towards creating better leaders in the Texas Section is essential.



• The Rules of Operation of the ASCE Texas Section are currently being updated

• It is critical for the ASCE Texas Section Office to manage the business of the Section as the rules of operation are being updated

• The Texas Section Office must adapt to changes in the Rules of Operation as they occur



• At the national level, ASCE is in the midst of a reorganization of its governance structure.



• One major change is the development of 10 regions that are each represented by one (1) director on the ASCE Board of Direction.

• The Texas Section is now part of Region 6Region 6 consists of the Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico Sections.



• The Region 6 Board of Governors will be comprised of four (4) Elected Geographic Region Governors, one (1) Appointed Geographic Region Governor, and the Society Director.

• The Society Director will serve as the Region 6 Chair.



• It is important for Section and Branch leaders to understand the new regional structure implemented by ASCE.

• Members of the Region 6 Board of Governors have made presentations to the ASCE Texas Section Board of Direction and will continue to update the Texas Section and its branches as Region 6 continues to develop.


Students

• Students are the future of ASCE, and need to be involved in the ASCE Texas Section

• ASCE student chapters attend both the Spring and Fall meetings of the Texas Section

• In particular, the Texas-Mexico Student Conference holds its regional concrete canoe competition at the Spring meeting of the Texas Section


Students

• The ASCE Texas Section needs to continue emphasizing student involvement in Section Activities and develop new ways of getting students involved

• Overall responsibility and direction for student activities rests with the Vice-President – Educational of the ASCE Texas Section


Community

• Reaching out to the community at large is imperative for the profession of civil engineering.

• The ASCE Texas Section needs to continue to emphasize the role of the Civil Engineer in our society.

• The civil engineering profession needs to be involved publicly in matters that affect us and our communities.


Community

• Overall, the ASCE Texas Section needs to be influential at the grassroots level.

• Overall responsibility and direction for community-related activities rests with the Vice-President – Professional of the ASCE Texas Section


Community

• State Public Affairs Grants (SPAG)

The Section has made progress in community affairs using these grants, and needs to continue these efforts and be alert for new opportunities


Community

• Examples of Use of SPAG Grants by the ASCE Texas Section

In the past year, the ASCE Texas Section joined with the Texas Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE) and the Texas Council of Engineering Companies (Texas CEC) to oppose the abolition of the Qualifications-Based Selection of Professional Services (QBS).

This piece of legislation was House Bill (HB) 2673 in the Texas Legislature.


Community

• Examples of Use of SPAG Grants by the ASCE Texas Section

HB 2673 did not pass in this year’s Legislative Session.

However, the Texas Section must continue to be vigilant on legislative issues such as QBS. It is likely that QBS legislation will be revived in the next session of the Texas Legislature.


Conclusions

• Members, Students, and Community comprise the focus of the strategic plan of the ASCE Texas Section

• The proposals made in this report will be further developed in stages

• The ASCE Texas Section Strategic Planning Committee has been formed as a standing committee to develop the priorities in this report in more detail and to continue to pursue strategic planning initiatives as an ongoing concern.


ASCE Texas Section – Strategic Planning Priorities for the Future

Documents

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