NSPE Board of Directors: Read

Out

January 9-10, 2015

Hollywood, Florida

Rough, contemporaneous notes: not an official record.

Disclaimer

The following are rough notes that capture the sense of

discussions that were broad in scope and general in nature.

The output from these discussions will inform future, more formal

and structured debate but they do not represent final conclusions,

commitments to action, or statements of position or policy.

In free form, open discussions, sometimes vivid or even

provocative language emerges that becomes a kind of shorthand,

immediately recognized and understandable to those who were

present for the discussions. In the moment, such phrases have a

very specific and narrow meaning. That intended meaning may

not be obvious to someone not present for the discussions.

Accordingly, please be sensitive to the potential for

content to be misconstrued or misunderstood if

taken out of its specific context.

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Author of Life’s Little Instruction Book

“When you can't change the direction of

the wind — adjust your sails.”

Lumina Spark Profile of NSPE Board

STRATEGIC DIALOGUES:

READ OUT

NSPE Board of Directors

January 9-10, 2015

Hollywood, Florida

REVIEW DISCUSSION AND

UPDATES FROM OCTOBER

2014 MEGA ISSUES

DISCUSSIONS

Strategic Dialogue 1

Issue Statement

Last meeting, the board engaged in discussions of six

“mega-issues.”

The ED’s regular board updates, subsequent board

conference calls, and materials for this meeting all

provide data and insights on what has happened since

those discussions.

Before engaging in additional topics the board is

asked to take stock in how far it has come since

October in these areas, and where things are going

from here.

Following Through From October

Dialogues…

Committee Charges, Work Plans, Reports have

increased

– Volunteer Accountability

– Alignment

– Sense of Purpose

Staff organizational goals to deliver concrete

achievements.

We’ve laid the foundation … but there is work left

to be done.

Being a PE Stands for Something

Being in the profession

requires and means more.

The license allows you

to practice in the

profession.

Licensure as a statement of personal values/core

commitment.

Individual Leaders as

Advocate/Salesperson

Focus and message

✔Why it is important to be a member

☐WIIFM (What’s In It For Me?)We have found strong branding messages at the first level: We still need to to

articulate why being a member is critical at individual member level.

Accomplishments

– Renewed commitment

– Heal old wounds

New Issues/Questions

States and Strategic Partners:

– Different audiences.

– Require different approaches.

– But draw upon the same resources.

• Volunteer capacity

• Staff capacity

• Dollars and other resources

New Issues/Questions

What have we done that is recognized and

valued by the average member?

Can we survive as an organization,

depending upon membership dues as our

primary revenue source?

NEXT STEPS: ADVOCACY

AND POLICY

Strategic Dialogue 2

Issue Statement

The recommendations of the Position

Statements/Professional Policy Development Task

Force are now being implemented, raising both

transitional and long-term challenges as the Society

attempts to realize the advocacy aspirations of its

strategic plan.

What are the practical/operational and

strategic/substantive ramifications of being an advocacy

organization that is multidisciplinary and focused on

the issues of importance we all share, as opposed to a

collection of coordinated, but “siloed” special interests?

Perspectives

States protect the license.

– What PE means;

– Ensuring that people who aren’t PEs don’t engage in the practice of

engineering.

National protects the profession.

– Activities that create engineering jobs and opportunities.

– Activities that ensure states can be effective protecting the public

health, safety and welfare “on the ground.”

Subject matter expertise (content/programs), with the

exception of ethics and professional practice, is primarily

the domain of technical societies and ACEC

– Complement and enhance not compete or displace

Is There a National Advocacy Role?

Licensure is largely a state issue.

Advocating for PEs means:

– Supporting states who are doing well protecting the

license.

– Shore up states that are not

– Clearinghouse/Coordination between states

Limited scope of issues that NSPE advocates (lobbies) directly

on at the Federal level.

– Legislative

– Regulatory

– E.g.; Brooks Act

The Whole is Greater Than the Sum

of the Parts

Effectiveness is based on the

national/state/chapter system operating

as an integrated whole, not division

into self-sufficient, stand-alone

activities.

Licensure is a Means to an End We are for protecting the public health, safety and

welfare.

Licensure is a means to advancing that goal.

National role:

– Address how public health, safety and welfare is

advanced and served through licensure.

– Enables and empowers states to be effective advocating

for how the license is defined, administered and

enforced.

– NSPE speaks for the profession before national groups

like NCEES and ABET.

Is National structured to do this effectively?

NSPE Speaks Nationally …

Only when it does not conflict with the states.

– Stay neutral if there is no agreement.

– Respect states who don’t agree with National even when there is

agreement.

Standard of Agreement:

– Full consensus is impractical.

– Majority vote of HoD (as policy spokespeople for the states).

Is HoD structured to do this effectively?

– Following the process does not automatically translate into

credibility.

– HoD must be strengthened or reinvented in order to be a more

effective and productive venue for building consensus among the

states and articulating national policy.

Advocacy is a Joint Venture

National and states.

Integration of effort is improving, but level

of collaboration and coordination is not what

it needs to be to maximize effectiveness.

– Between National and the States

– Between States

House of Delegates and Regional Directors

are critical infrastructure for the necessary

degree of partnership to occur.

Scope of Policy Umbrella Policy

– Maximize areas of agreement first.

– Do not push for detail beyond the boundary of substantial

agreement.

An 80/20 agreement on policy can be stronger than including a specific detail

that reduces agreement to 55/45.

Not everything we have a position on is something we

invest resources lobbying on.

– Others might take the lead.

Policy/Topics that are important to states are important to

National

– We do not need a policy on every engineering issue we might be

asked about.

Scope of Policy (continued)

The need for consensus does not reduce the

obligation to work hard to extend policy to its most

meaningful level.

– Avoid the trap of watering down to such a low common

denominator as to be meaningless.

• Being “for” infrastructure is easy … and relatively meaningless.

• Being “for a gas tax to fund infrastructure” would be powerful

and meaningful.

• If and only if that is a policy supported by a majority of the

states

Illustrative Example Only: NOT discussed as a policy proposal.

INCREASING MEMBERSHIP

NUMBERS AND ENGAGING

YOUNG ENGINEERS IN NSPE

Strategic Dialogue 3

Issue Statement

National has no shortage of programs, products

and activities intended to meet the needs of

young engineers; it has given serious attention

to strategies and tactics to be more accessible,

relevant and engaging to young engineers.

What are we achieving through these efforts?

What more can and should we be doing?

Two Conflicting Paradigms

“NSPE is here to provide us what we need to

know but they didn’t teach us in school.”

Versus

“I already have two parents … I don’t need

someone else telling me what’s good for

me.”

Findings

Most meaningful engagement and

involvement with students and post-

graduation/pre-licensing can only be

provided at the local or state level.

– Direct, national-level mentoring is not feasible.

Student chapters need resources.

– Funding and grants?

Without faculty engagement, traction with

students is difficult.

Partners Are Needed To Be Effective

With Students/Early-career-stage

Engineers. With states and chapters, to provide direct services,

such as mentoring;

With The Order of the Engineers, to foster ethical

awareness;

With groups like Engineers Without Borders, to

respond to YE’s desire to create a sense of purpose

and for an opportunity to “give back” to society;

With NCEES, to support and remain engaged with

graduates/EITs on their pathway to the PE.

Options to Explore

Invest in real research and data on student/ young

engineer needs and preferences.

Partnering

– NCEES: Create a “Pathway to the PE” portal to get

graduates to sign up for the FE examination and

maintain contact/connection via email to support them

post-graduation to PE testing.

– EWB: Create purpose and opportunity to give back.

– Order of the Engineer: Ethical awareness.

– States/Chapters: Hands on assistance.

ABET Criteria: Require FE testing

Day Two

Additional Thoughts from Day One

Being “in the profession” means different

things to different audiences

– Being a PE

– Being an engineer (lower case e)

NSPE’s focus is on the first level.

NSPE activities/communications need to be

sensitive to the paradigm of the intended

recipient.

Engineering Continues to Expand

Protecting the public health, safety and welfare

encompasses more than the traditional engineering

arenas of the built environment.

– Civil

– Mechanical

– Structural

– Etc.

Includes biomedical and genetic engineering,

software/cyber (e.g.; artificial intelligence), etc.

– NSPE tends to lose students in bio/cyber post-

graduation.

Ethics is Core to the NSPE Brand

NSPE has Subject Matter Expertise and established

stature/credibility in ethics and professional practice.

– National and state.

How many states have ethics as a specific domain for

continuing education requirements?

Large number of states using national speakers (volunteer &

staff) to deliver ethics programs at the state level.

Support states in making the case for meaningfully enforced

ethics requirements.

Order of the Engineer

Important (and under-utilized) element of

NSPE Ethics and Professional Practice

strategy.

Can NSPE provide “continuity of

engagement” after induction into the Order?

– Provide a mechanism to maintain contact and a

relationship with Order Link membership.

Breaking the Stalemate

Without faculty engagement, traction with students

is difficult.

ABET requirement that Dean of Engineering being

licensed?

– Option for faculty to become licensed outside of the FE

test > Internship > PE test framework?

Long standing stalemate: Time to end the stand-off?

ABET Criteria: Require FE testing of

undergraduates as a requirement for graduation?

JULY 2015 HOUSE OF DELEGATES:

CAUCUS AND AGENDA

DEVELOPMENT

Strategic Dialogue 4

Issue Statement

The Annual Meeting Planning Task force is

creating an opportunity for delegates to caucus

and engage in open dialogue in preparation for

the formal business session, a new feature in

the House of Delegates activity.

Agenda development for the House of

Delegates Assembly will begin in several

weeks.

Questions

How can we engage, excite and support the

planning and convening of the House of

Delegates in Seattle in a manner that is

productive, rewarding and relevant?

What topics should be included in the House

of Delegates Caucus?

– What are the anticipated outcomes of the

Caucus?

Deepen the Governance Role

HoD needs opportunity to dialogue on emerging “mega-

issues” before the formal business meeting, which addresses

specific, pre-identified issues for decision.

– HoD Caucus is to the HoD General Assembly as these Strategic

Dialogues are to the formal, NSPE Board agenda.

Better HoD orientation needed.

– Effectiveness.

– Continuity.

– More clarity and accountability on role, responsibilities and

commitments

• E.g.; Produce something similar to the summary of “Time and

Financial Commitments for the Two Year Term of NSPE Regional

Director,” produced by the Regional Directors Best Practices Task

Force.

HoD Caucus: Purpose

How can we create opportunities for HoD to look

beyond issues of immediate concern and think

about strategy and policy needs for the future?

– E.g.; clarity on the roles of certification versus licensure.

– E.g.; What is the value, need and role for licensure in a

future that includes Artificial Intelligence, genetic

engineering, etc.?

How do we engage elected leadership and staff

leadership from the states?

Scheduling Has Impact

Convention programing (content) includes an

increasingly strong element of value to state leaders

(staff and volunteer).

– State leaders will get real value in coming for the entire

week of governance and education/networking elements.

State budget constraints severely limit states’

willingness and ability to send elected leaders and

staff for an extended period, notwithstanding the

value offered.

Governance Meeting or

Education/Networking Event? Both

Need to maximize the scheduling overlap to make it easier

to involve those who come (primarily/exclusively) for

governance and those who come (primarily/exclusively) for

education/networking.

Governance

Education/Content

Day One Day Five

Practical/Market Place Reality

We do not yet have the ability to secure the commitment

from everyone we need at the Annual Meeting to come for

everything.

– Do everything we can to encourage but do not predicate plans on

attendees seeing the value and coming to both.

– Create a track record of value for expanded participation in the

future.

We need to continue to expand the areas of overlap (a more

fully blended/through-programmed schedule), but we are

not there yet. (Build the self-evident value of participation)

To successfully attract the individuals we need to be in

Seattle for specific programs to be successful, we must

adopt contiguous, overlapping, but separate programs.

Governance Elements to

Accommodate

HoD

Caucus

SSEC

Board

Meeting

HoD General

Assembly

Orientation

Joint

SSEC/State

Leader Meeting

Block Schedule

Friday Saturday Sunday

SSEC/State Leaders Joint

Meeting (10 am -12 noon)

HoD Caucus (8 – 10 am) Board of Directors (7 – 11

am)

SSEC (2-4 pm) Part 1: HoD General

Assembly (elections) (10

am - 1 pm)

Include SSEC in Awards

Lunch

Installation Luncheon

Part 2: HoD General

Assembly (3 – 5 pm)

Board Orientation (5 – 7

pm)

Times are approximate - more an assessment of time required and staging order than

final scheduling.

“Will there be beer?”

Particularly for new events (new demands on

delegates time and attention), do not

overlook the niceties that will make coming

more:

– Convenient

– Attractive

– Social in feel

A small investment in food, beverage or

hospitality can go a long way.

2015-16 HOUSE OF DELEGATES

AND BOARD ORIENTATION

Strategic Dialogue 5

Issue Statement

The Society continues to explore the

development of a Leadership Academy, but in

the meantime, a new class of directors and

delegates will enter leadership at the annual

meeting in Seattle. NSPE typically provides a

two part, interactive live orientation webinar

each spring. These sessions are well but not

universally attended by new and emerging

leaders.

Questions

What can we do better this year?

How can we bring new members up to

speed quickly?

Can a mentoring program be

established?

First Who, Then What

Jim Collins: Good to Great

– Companies that went from good to great concentrated first on

“getting the right people on the bus,” and then figured out where to

go.

How do we get the right people on the HoD bus?

– Understand it is a significant policy and governance role, not an

honorary position.

– In touch and current with the practical and political realties in their

state and region.

– Informed and current on policy issues.

– Aware and sensitive to strategy and long range goals and vision.

– Able to fit their state-specific concerns and needs into the bigger

picture.

House of Delegates Orientation

Single webinar, focused exclusively on HoD.

– Not combined HoD and Directors

More volunteer-to-volunteer discussion and

presentations.

– Don’t delegate to staff.

Single speaker, not multiple speakers.

President-elect (who will chair the General

Assembly) should conduct the orientation.

Incentive for participation?

House of Delegates Orientation (continued)

Present more in advance, less lecture during orientation

session.

– Work book with the substance and detail provided in advance.

– Brief summary/review and questions during orientation session.

As with Regional Directors Best Practices Task Force:

– Explicitly document expectations/time demands.

– Emphasize role and responsibilities that extend beyond or between

actual meetings.

– Provide best practices.

FORMAL BOARD AGENDA

SESSION

Saturday, 10 January 2015

Key Actions Taken

Comments and revisions to the draft advocacy and

communications platform.

Approved the “PE Institute” concept.

– Creating a national platform to promote, market and support

education offerings from national and its state societies.

Approved the fast-track planning for possible

implementation of an upgrade to NSPE’s netFORUM

membership system.

Received a status report on efforts to improve financial

management and reporting systems and staff;

Reviewed and provided comments/feedback to the Regional

Directors Best Practices Task Force on their draft report.

Key Actions Taken (continued)

Accepted the independent auditor’s report on NSPE

finances.

Approved the ratification of amendments to ABET’s

constitution.

Finalized comments to ABET’s Engineering Accreditation

Commission on proposed changes to the curriculum criteria.

Signed-on to a joint letter from the engineering societies,

supporting efforts to educate engineers to meet the National

Academy of Engineers’ “Grand Challenges.”

Reached consensus on continuing to hold two face-to-face

meetings a year, but adjusting the schedule in 2015-16 to:

– September/October

– April

Unofficial Record

NSPE Board of DirectorsJanuary 9-10, 2015

Hollywood, Florida