“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
The events of the past year, including the death of George Floyd and others at the hands of law enforcement, have cast a new light on the need for additional work to overcome persistent racism, systemic bias, and other forms of discrimination that persist in our society, including in our professional lives. The civil engineering profession is dedicated to the advancement of human welfare, building a better quality of life through designing, building, and maintaining the foundation of our modern society, including elements of both the natural and built environments. As members of such a civic-minded, future-oriented vocation, we are in a unique position to ensure that the future belongs to ALL of us.
BSCES recognizes that, through our work as civil engineers, we have the opportunity to build, and re-build, the nation’s infrastructure to right some of the injustices of the past. Understanding how our profession impacts all of us, both positively and, in some cases, negatively, will require listening to a diversity of opinions and ensuring that we are not overlooking the talents and perspectives of colleagues who have previously been underrepresented. With this in mind, BSCES has established a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee, which is accepting new members. The following is the mission statement that was approved by the BSCES Board in creating this new permanent committee.
Attracting those that have been traditionally underrepresented in the engineering community to the civil engineering profession is essential for maintaining the vitality of the profession. In doing so, we attract the best and brightest to the profession and ensure that the world we create through our designs better serves the population at large. The BSCES Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee recognizes the lack of diversity in our industry and proposes to address this issue by spreading awareness and advocating for a more diverse and inclusive industry.
The Committee commits to this mission statement by establishing the following objectives:
- To acknowledge the challenges faced by engineers due to the lack of diversity in the industry.
- To spread constructive awareness in BSCES regarding the characteristics of our industry that have slowed the growth of a diverse industry.
- To provide educational resources for BSCES members to learn about how they can help to provide a diverse and inclusive culture in the industry.
- To promote a climate within our industry that allows all engineers to thrive and succeed regardless of race or gender.
- Promote diversity within technical groups and institute chapters, the Public Awareness & Outreach Committee, and other operational committees.
- Promote sensitivity within the industry to issues of environmental justice and the interests and concerns of minority communities as they relate to design of infrastructure and other engineering design projects.
- Attract students from underrepresented groups to civil engineering careers.
The first event of the DE&I Committee – to be co-hosted by the Younger Members Group -- is an effort on the part of the Committee to learn from BSCES members. Lisa Black, the ASCE Director of Cultural Belonging and Social Ethos, will start the discussion. Then we will move to breakout rooms to brainstorm on activities and events that DE&I could undertake to promote their mission. Finally, the groups will come back to report back to the group at large. Please do find the time to attend this important event on April 29, 2021.