October 2005 ISSUE
COUNCIL BRIEFS
Inclusivity Moves Away from New Category Idea
The following news items were gathered from the Sept. 22 APEGGA Council Meeting in Calgary. The next meeting is Thursday, Dec. 8, in Edmonton.
After about 18 months of consultation with members and the Board of Examiners, APEGGA’s Inclusivity Initiative is taking a new direction — one that doesn’t point to a new category of membership. Because most members are against it, the option of creating a category left the table in a unanimous Council vote.
Four Ipsos Reid focus groups suggest that perhaps 90 per cent of members want APEGGA to address Inclusivity issues by modifying Board of Examiners policies. This should happen with an eye for improving admittance rates to the full professional categories of membership.
Council decided to halt further Inclusivity consultation and stand down the Inclusivity Consultation Group, chaired by President-Elect Dave Chalcroft, P.Eng., and includ-ing representatives from the Board of Examiners.
Focus groups rejected the creation of a category between Registered Professional Technologist and the full professional designations of P.Eng., P.Geol. and P.Geoph. Interestingly, the groups also said that maintaining the status quo is not the right course for APEGGA, either.
Says the consultation group’s report: “Members believe that membership should be reserved for those whose capabilities exceed a certain ‘bar’ of competency, as demonstrated by their education and/or experience. They are suspect of any change that can be perceived as ‘lowering the bar.’
“Members are not convin-ced that extending the obligation of self-regulation to non-professionals working in the professions would result in a lower risk to the public. They are satisfied that the current model requiring non-professionals to work under the supervision of a professional member is providing the public with the expected level of protection.”
APEGGA Plans Summit
To Help Develop
More U.S. Mobility
APEGGA’s efforts of the last six or seven years to improve professional
mobility with the U.S. are starting to pay off. So much so, say the Executive
Director and the President, that it’s time for APEGGA to hold another mobility
summit and invite the Association’s American neighbours.
The second APEGGA Mobility Summit will be held with the 2006 APEGGA Annual Conference
in Edmonton in April. The first summit was held in 2001 in Calgary.
Mobility refers to the ability of professionals licensed in one jurisdiction
to work in another with a minimum of red tape. A high degree of mobility, in
engineering and geoscience, exists between Canadian jurisdictions, thanks to
agreements signed with sister associations over recent years.
But much remains to be done in the U.S., where most individual states require
that, at the very least, Canadian engineers write the Fundamentals of Engineering
examination before they become engineers-in-training.
For two years APEGGA has been proctoring the exams for members here on behalf of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. Marks in Canada are consistently high, with a mean score of 82.1 per cent, and the pass rate is almost 100 per cent on the FE — only one writer has failed of 191 who’ve taken the exam since APEGGA began proctoring.
All along, APEGGA’s position has been that the Canadian accreditation system ensures that engineers here are well qualified to practice in the U.S. The success of the Fundamentals of Engineering exams in Canada has underlined that belief.
The Canadian systems of accrediting universities and registering high-quality engineering graduates are being recognized like never before south of the border. The annual meeting of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying in Memphis in August included numerous references to Canada, and delegates showed their respect by seeking Canadian input.
That hard-earned respect permeates the NCEES committee structure and is recognized at its highest level. In fact new NCEES President Martin Pedersen, L.S., said his council will pursue even closer relations with Canada.
U.S. states are beginning to give greater recognition to the Canadian P.Eng. designation. In some states, boards are allowed to waive the writing of the FE exams for Canadians.
There are key differences between the U.S. and Canadian systems. For one, registration boards in each state are appointed by government and do not enjoy self-governing legislation as we do in Canada.
Aboriginal Advisory
Committee Receives
Marching Orders
Aboriginals make up more than five per cent of the Alberta population, according
to the 2001 census. Although the actual figure is unknown, suffice to say the
percentage of aboriginal APEGGA members is somewhat smaller.
Is there something APEGGA should do to address this imbalance? A new Aboriginal Affairs Advisory Committee plans to answer that question.
Council approved terms of reference for the committee, which will make recommendations
to Council on what role APEGGA might play “in addressing the apparent under-representation
of this sector.”
The committee, chaired by Coun. Jane Tink, P.Eng., will start its work in fact-finding
mode. Council doesn’t want to duplicate existing programs, and APEGGA may
end up supporting the efforts of other groups.
An initial findings report is expected in December, followed by a final report and implementation plan in April.
Consulting Practice
Guideline Ready
Members who want to start their own consulting practice can seek free advice
from their Association. Council approved an updated version of the Guideline
of Considerations in Establishing a Consulting Practice, originally issued in
1982.
“One of APEGGA’s goals is to achieve an atmosphere in which a competent and effective consulting industry can thrive and produce direct benefits to the public,” says a Practice Standards Committee report to Council. The guideline gives professional members “an overview of the professional practice and ethical issues to be considered in starting their own consulting practice.”
The guideline even includes advice gathered from professionals who’ve established their own consulting firms.
Reinstatement
Charge Reduced
Council is reviewing policies related to charges for persons who request reinstatement
as members of APEGGA. In the interim it is proposed that former members who voluntarily
resigned must pay only the current year’s annual dues.
The charge, however, is greater for those whose membership was cancelled for either non-payment of dues or for failure to comply with Continuing Professional Development reporting requirements. For them, it is the current year’s dues plus another 50 per cent, with the extra charge classed as an administrative reinstatement fee.
As always, those who resigned or had their membership cancelled seven or more years ago face an entirely different scenario. They must re-apply and have their qualifications reviewed by the Board of Examiners.
Business Plan
in Place
Council looked over a newly reformatted business plan, which ties the goals of
the Association to measurables and staff responsibilities. The idea is to make
the plan a usable document, keeping staff aligned with Council expectations and
giving Council a way to measure progress.
The 2006 Business Plan divides its goals into five key areas — regulating
professional practice, leading the professions, upholding members, communicating
and consulting, and providing resources.
The plan calls for a blend of regulatory and non-regulatory functions. Says the
executive summary: “APEGGA must meet its obligations to society under Alberta
legislation, the EGGP Act, and also forge a role outside that legislation that
will build additional value in the eyes of stakeholders.”
The plan should be “responsive to Council’s strategic initiatives while honouring the need to carry out and enhance, where appropriate, the ongoing operations of the Association.”
Council Approves
New Members
Of Board of Examiners
It’s a massive, diverse and busy group with a job critical to APEGGA’s
regulatory role. The Board of Examiners looks at experience, education, character
and other credentials to decide who joins the APEGGA register.
To do this requires a board roster, right now, of 46 people. They’re professional members from a wide range of disciplines. They’re academics, members working in industry, members of the public and registered professional technologists.
The board’s size just grew by five members to handle an increasing number of applications for registration.
Council approved the following board appointments – Frank Au-Yeung, P.Eng., Brad Rieb, P.Eng., Dr. Doug Dale, P.Eng., Dr. Ron Wong, P.Eng., Dr. Ivan Fair, P.Eng., and Charlie Perry, P.Eng. A number of other spots remain to be filled.
Credit Card
Raises Dollars
For Education
Spend money, help the APEGGA Education Foundation. That’s what members
and anyone else can do, thanks to a new Mosaik MasterCard through BMO.
Those using the card will be earmarking a small percentage of sales to help the foundation in its support of the professions through higher education.
APEGGA isn’t allowed to offer affinity card programs, because of a Council policy. But the foundation faces no such restriction. It is an arm’s-length, non-profit organization, set up to raise money for scholarships and other education-related programs.
Also new on the APEGGA Member Services front is a deal with Imagewear and its retailer Mark’s Work Wearhouse. Members receive a 10 per cent discount on all regularly priced work clothing and safety wear items.
For more information on both services, visit www.apegga.org.