News Detail

ACI and Education

7/1/2000

Since most of my career has been in education, the role that ACI plays in making knowledge available to a wide range of users is near and dear to my heart. Our educational activities span from elementary school to continuing education and lifelong learning, and from the classroom or laboratory to the field.

Educating engineers and technicians to have a greater appreciation for the versatility of concrete as a construction material and an understanding of the properties and characteristics of concrete is critical to the future of ACI. Unfortunately, today’s graduates with Bachelor of Science degrees in Civil Engineering probably have had less exposure to concrete technology and design of reinforced concrete structures than those who graduated several decades ago. There are many reasons why this has happened.

The range of topics covered in undergraduate programs has increased as the profession has added new fields of study and specialization. The number of hours or courses needed to graduate has reduced over the past 20 years. Where 140+ hours was the norm when I graduated, a majority of programs now require between 120 and 125 hours for graduation. Part of the reduction in hours has been made possible by the improved preparation for college by high schools, but most of the reduction has occurred to make engineering program requirements similar to those for other BS degrees. The increasing cost of education and the excellent opportunities for graduates in other fields, such as business and management, tend to draw students away from engineering programs—especially when engineering requires an extra year or extra semester to reach graduation. However, the end result is fewer opportunities for students to take courses that cover concrete materials and design. ACI already offers seminars and materials that can help to fill this "gap" but more are needed to meet the demand for engineers knowledgeable about concrete technology.

To encourage study in civil engineering at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, ACI has a number of scholarships and fellowships available each year. Details and application procedures can be found on ACI’s website. Student rates for membership in ACI or for attending our conventions are minimal. Student competitions in designing and building "egg protection devices" and high-strength concrete cubes help to draw attention to concrete and are always popular convention activities. Although ACI does not sponsor the annual concrete canoe competition, conducted instead by ASCE through its student chapters, concrete canoes capture the attention of both students and the public at large and are wonderful publicity.

To help keep the faculty teaching concrete material and design courses abreast of ACI activities, educational materials and seminars, scholarships and fellowships, and student competitions, the Educational Activities Committee has initiated a Faculty Network. The contact is Andrea Schokker, chair of E 803, Faculty Network Coordinating Committee, telephone: (814) 863-2786, e-mail: ashock@engr.psu.edu. If a representative from your faculty has not been identified, please let us know.

By any measure, our seminar program, managed by Peter Steiner, is doing very well. In 1999, 10 different topics were presented at 106 different locations. The Building Code (ACI 318) seminars draw the most participants who attend to learn about changes in the Code. Concrete International includes a listing of upcoming seminars in each issue (see page 6 in this month’s magazine.) I hope you will attend one of our seminars in the near future. The seminars are led by specialists in the topic who have worked on committees developing materials and documents relevant to the seminar. Our convention programs also offer countless educational opportunities—from displays and exhibitor booths to committee meetings and technical sessions. Each convention is organized around a theme and a number of technical sessions are devoted to that theme.

And last, but perhaps most important, are the programs or individual member activities that deal with the need to interest elementary and junior-high students in studying science and engineering. The number of students entering engineering is not keeping up with the demand for engineers. Within engineering, the fascination with computers and communications has drawn students to electrical and computer engineering. We must find ways to reach these young people at a stage where career choices are influenced. It rests on us to let them know that the field of concrete technology and construction is just as exciting.

Luke and Billie Snell have developed special concrete kits that let students in elementary and junior-high science programs make concrete that "floats!" They learn a great deal about a material very well-known to them in its final state. At the very least, they know that cement and concrete are not the same thing! This is just one way we can reach those students. Each one of us could take the time to go to a classroom and discuss or demonstrate some aspect of our field that might be the inspiration or motivation for a career in engineering or concrete technology. Imagine the impact of 17,000 ACI members involved in such an activity.

James O. Jirsa
President
American Concrete Institute

Back to Past-Presidents' Memo List