A recent article presented a convincing argument that all civil engineering professors should be registered professional engineers. This paper presents a similar argument from a faculty point of view. However, it focuses on civil engineering design professors, i.e., those professors who teach engineering design courses. It explains why a certain group of faculty members may not require a license in order to contribute effectively to the goals of an academic department. It also proposes a numerical criteria for the percentage of licensed faculty that a department may strive for that would be a realizable goal.

Within the current engineering educational system, the term quality has interpretations that vary from achievable intellectual levels to the financial state of the institution. The desire for quality is inherent in academe, but its conception varies, producing varied standards and assessment practices. Concern for quality undergraduate engineering education is not unusual due to current societal trends which have resulted in declining enrollment; changing student characteristics, including those due to the percentage increase of foreign students; and changing expectations of an engineering education. In this context the definition of quality undergraduate engineering education assumes significant importance, as do the processes to achieve it. The incorporation of an integrated liberal arts core within the curriculum, co‐op education and an emphasis on general intellectual development, instead of mere technical competence are seen to lead to an education of merit and worth, and thus one of quality.

Many civil engineering departments are facing low enrollments, despite excellent job opportunities and demand for both undergraduate and graduate degree recipients. The main problem in attracting students to civil engineering is a poor image or, even worse, a lack of image. Civil engineering has always been the broadest and least understood discipline and has not been perceived as a “hightech” area. This paper outlines some ideas, many of which have been tried at Auburn University to help accelerate the slow process of improving the image of civil engineers and reestablishing the desired enrollment levels. Included are active promotional ideas as well as passive programs that indirectly affect the department's image and improve the recruitment environment. Ideas are presented for both undergraduate and graduate student recruitment. These same types of recruitment programs would also apply to other departments that are experiencing low enrollments, by identifying the strengths of the department and how to work them into their recruitment plan.

The modern engineering curriculum has evolved to be heavily weighted with science and analysis. Recent concern with the need for instruction in design has led to the introduction of capstone design courses. These courses give the student an opportunity to produce a design, using the scientific principles and analytic methods learned previously. However, students are often thrown into such a course with little preliminary instruction on design methods. Though much of our early understanding of design consisted of broad generalities combined with sets of unrelated, uncodified tips and pointers, there is now a growing body of rigorous knowledge, first suggested 20 years ago, that might be called the science of design. This material is primarily related to techniques for generating, evaluating, and selecting among alternatives. Development of this science must be continued, but its incorporation into the curriculum should not wait for its perfection. Many of its components can and should be taught now, preparing students to undertake capstone design courses.

Consultants are used for many types of planning, design and special services relating to actual construction. Negotiations by a government agency for any of these services is an important process. It requires good judgment, engineering experience, and knowledge of the business side of engineering work. This paper describes the methods used by a county public works department that has a large annual volume of construction. The paper is based on a presentation the writer made as part of a panel discussion at the 1987 ASCE National Convention in Anaheim, California.

In July, 1981, two suspended walkways overlooking the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, Mo., collapsed, killing 114 people and injuring 200 more. The immediate cause of the accident was a structural design flaw in the box beam‐hanger rod connections supporting the walkways. However, a more fundamental cause was a series of communication failures between the structural engineer and the steel fabricator. Confusion developed about whether the fabricator was to assume the professional role of “designer” or “developer,” design drawings failed to clearly communicate important design information to indicate that the box beam‐hanger rod connection shown was an “incomplete” design, and ambiguities in communicating intent were never resolved—all contributing to the ultimate tragedy. Specific areas of miscommunication that led to the inadequate box beam‐hanger rod design that made the structural collapse inevitable are examined. The purpose is twofold: (1) To provide some insight into the complexities of communication systems in the construction industry; and (2) to encourage engineers to develop more effective foresight as a result of the communication lessons that emerge in hindsight from the tragedy.

One of the most important phases of the registration process involves satisfactory completion of the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination. This paper describes a FE review course which has been operating since 1980. The course has been successful in that 93% of the students (100% for civil engineers) completing the sequence have passed the Fundamentals Examination. The review emphasizes, over a seven‐week period, the engineering sciences (statics, dynamics, solid mechanics, circuits, thermodynamics, engineering economy, and fluids) that compose approximately two‐thirds of the questions on the exam. It is assumed that the students are motivated to study on their own the remaining one‐third of the material that includes, in part, questions on chemistry, computer programming, materials, and mathematics. A pretest, final practice exam, and independent student evaluation are also conducted. The findings indicate that well‐motivated students, who complete a comprehensive review course, experience a high pass rate on the Fundamentals of Engineering examination.

During the facilities planning for the Deer Island Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant peer review of the project was accomplished through the use of two review groups. A Technical Review Committee reviewed all aspects of the project with particular emphasis on secondary treatment processes. An Operations Review Committee focused primarily on operation and maintenance aspects of the treatment plant. Both groups involved outside experts who were not directly involved in the planning. The review groups assured the consultant's use of the state‐of‐the‐art technology and supported his use of innovative systems.

This paper presents a method which can be used for research on controversial issues such as awarding contracts to disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs). In the research method both groups were surveyed to determine the opinions in various subjects. Chi‐square tests with contingency tables and Z tests were employed to distinguish the difference between the opposite groups so that a base could be established for policymakers to facilitate their search of further causes and specific workable plans. Both DBEs and non‐DBEs argued that they are confronted with difficulties in the areas of financing, bonding, labor, management skills, cheap competition, marketing, and debt collection. However, significant differences could be found between DBE contractors and non‐DBE contractors in the difficulties encountered by using the method discussed in this paper. The degree of differences can also be determined and quantified.