Purpose of Assignment:

Engineers can become members of several professional boards and associations. Each has its own requirements and benefits of membership [http://www.onwibe.ca]. Technical societies are useful and important for professionals. Technical societies are equivalent to the learned societies that stimulate original thought and discourse in the arts and humanities. The societies provide a priceless store of well-organized information and link you to other professionals with similar technical interests. In countries that do not have Canada's strict licensing laws, technical societies may also provide voluntary certification, e.g. "Charter Engineer" status which is highly regarded in Britain, even though it does not permit the holder to practice engineering in Canada [Andrews, 2015].

This assignment will help to familiarize you with existing professional and technical societies in Canada and beyond. You will review the mission of the technical society and detail its mandate, role, professional services, engineering and society impact, etc. This assignment aims to get you to learn about existing technical and professional societies and their border social, political, and cultural aspects of society. It should also help you to conclude that every professional engineer should belong to at least one, and probably more professional and technical societies.

Requirements:

Each student in the class is assigned to research one professional engineering or technical society, with the above purpose in mind.

Each student will prepare a report (Word document and PDF file), as well as a Power Point presentation to make a presentation in class about the findings from the researched topic.

The report and presentation should discuss the following:

1. Name and mission of the technical or professional society. Acronym, abbreviation, as well as initials and a URL link to their website.

2. Conditions, terms and benefits of membership. Levels of membership (e.g. student membership, associate member, member, senior member, fellow). Cost of membership for each level.

3. Society's structure and administration: e.g. committees and/or working groups, etc.

4. Technical and professional services: information, education, research, conferences, certification, recognition awards, etc..

5. Socio-technical mission and impact: cultural, social, and environmental, etc.

6. Communication with the public: e.g. white papers, periodicals, publications, educational material, media services, conferences, etc..

7. Cross-references to other professional and technical societies and URL links.