YEA’s Guide to:
Being a College Representative
1.
Introduction
Engineers Australia’s eight Colleges embody the learned-society function of the association
and are responsible for the following:
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maintaining, extending and promoting the body of knowledge in their field;
providing continuing professional development for members through their programs of
conferences, publications and visiting speakers;
formulating standards for accrediting university degree programs and practice
competencies for the attainment of chartered status;
providing expert members of accreditation and assessment panels;
promoting discipline-specific Continuing Professional Development; and
mentoring the development of graduates to full professional level.
The Colleges broadly cover all areas of practice in engineering and are as follows:
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Biomedical Engineering
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Information, Telecommunications and Electronics Engineering
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Civil Engineering
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Electrical Engineering
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Chemical Engineering
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Structural Engineering
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Mechanical Engineering
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Environmental Engineering
See Attachment for a description of each College.
All Engineers Australia members automatically join the College relevant to their qualifications
and experience. Members can apply to be part of more than one College where relevant
(eg. civil and structural; environmental and structural etc).
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2.
The College Boards
Each College has a Board that oversees College activities in accordance with Engineers
Australia’s strategic plan.
The meeting schedule for each Board varies slightly and they operate within annual financial
allocations from Engineers Australia.
Each College is supported by a Committee
Administrator who is employed by Engineers Australia within the Engineering Practice Team.
College Boards are composed of the following:
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a Chairman elected by the Board from within the membership of the Board;
a representative of each Division;
the Immediate Past Chairman for the year after he/she leaves the Chair if he/she so
wishes; and
a number of representatives appointed by Council (usually three) from nominations
provided by the respective College Boards.
The latter provision allows for a balance of expertise and the representation of special
interest groups such as YEA, Women in Engineering (WIE), and technical societies.
3.
Current YEA College Representatives
As of June 2007, YEA have representatives on 3 of the 8 Colleges as follows:
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Mechanical – Clair Pocock
Chemical – Andre Jemison
Biomedical – Rachel Coxon
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4.
Role and Responsibilities of YEA College Representatives
YEA College Representatives provide a vital link between Engineers Australia’s young
members and the senior members of the College Board. YEA representatives ensure that
the Colleges are informed on the views of young engineers and that these views are
incorporated in an essential aspect of Engineers Australia’s activities.
The role of YEA College Representatives is to:
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promote the interests and activities of YEA specifically, and all young engineers more
generally by providing the College Board with regular updates on relevant activities and
issues;
communicate information on the College’s decisions, activities and services to YEA and
young engineers;
act as a point of contact for all young engineers who wish to know more about the
College being represented;
facilitate links between the College being represented and other Colleges, societies and
groups (including YEA) within Engineers Australia, as well as relevant external groups
identify opportunities for young engineers to be involved in College activities;
The responsibilities of YEA College Representatives are as follows:
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Attend nominated College Board meetings and present reports to the Board as required.
Provide the YEA National Committee (YEANC) with regular written reports on the
College Boards. Reports should come out within one month of the College Board
meeting being held. The number of reports will depend on the frequency and dates of
the College Board meetings. Typically this would be every 6 months. Where possible
reports should be written to coincide with the YEA national meetings.
Make your contact details available to Engineers Australia’s members and young
engineers more generally (eg. through the YEA public website). This will provide an
avenue for members and young engineers to pass on issues for your information and/or
discussion with the College Board.
In addition, you will be appointed to the YEANC as a YEA Corresponding Member.
Corresponding Members receive all formal YEANC material (eg. meeting agendas, minutes,
resources etc). This will ensure you remain up-to-date on relevant issues for young
engineers.
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5.
Selection Criteria for YEA College Representatives
To become a YEA College Representative, you must meet the following criteria.
Essential Criteria
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Membership of Engineers Australia as a ‘young engineer’ (under the age of 35 years);
a commitment to advancing the engineering profession;
Strong communication (written and oral) and people skills; and
Knowledge of the purpose of Engineers Australia and its groups, especially YEA and
the Colleges.
Willingness to dedicate the time to prepare, attend and report on College Board
meetings and to be the young engineer liaison for the specific College Board.
Desirable Criteria
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one or more years of professional engineering experience in the field(s) relevant to
the specific College;
an academic qualification in the field(s) relevant to the specific College;
previous participation in Engineers Australia and/or YEA;
knowledge of, and ability to, discuss current professional engineering issues such as
diversity, ethics, communication and environmental sustainability;
knowledge of, and ability to, discuss contemporary Australian political, sociological,
technological and economic trends;
a record of voluntary contribution and demonstration of community spirit;
knowledge of the purpose, structure, processes, policies, code of ethics and history of
Engineers Australia;
demonstrated ability to motivate and organise people, especially young people; and
demonstrated initiative, creativity and time management skills.
Selection Process
When YEA College Representative positions become available, the YEANC is responsible
for identifying and nominating suitable applicants from within the Divisions they represent.
Nominated applicants identified are required to submit the following information:
 Resume
 Supporting statement - addressing what the applicant will do if they are successful in
obtaining this position.
This information is then circulated to the YEANC and a formal vote is taken either via e-mail,
teleconference or at a face-to-face meeting of the Committee. Votes are tallied by the YEA
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Coordinator. In the event of only one nomination being forthcoming the vote is declared
unanimous. In the event of a tied vote, the Chair of YEANC will make the casting vote.
The Chair of YEANC will inform the applicants of the outcome of the vote. The YEA
Coordinator will then confirm the appointment with the College Administrator, and update
YEANC Contact Lists as required.
7.
Support provided by YEANC
YEANC is supported by Engineers Australia through the YEA Coordinator, part of the
Marketing and Communication Team within Engineers Australia’s National Office.
YEANC and the YEA Coordinator provide the following support for YEA College
Representatives:
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copies of YEANC meeting minutes and agendas;
resources and reference documents;
invitations to participate in YEANC meetings, where relevant;
copies of resource papers;
opportunities to comment and contribute to YEANC activities;
inclusion in the e-mail group for regular updates;
day-to-day support and
other support as required.
The YEA Coordinator can be contacted as follows:
Andrew Mackay,
Phone (direct): 02 6270 6552
E-mail:
yeaadmin@engineersaustralia.org.au
Author:
Revised:
Hayley McNair
June 2007
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Attachment 1
Engineers Australia’s Colleges
The following information is provided as a guide to the principal areas of expertise
which characterise the chartered level of each of the engineering disciplines of the
eight Colleges. Each College has their own website where you can access more
information on the College and its activities (see below).
Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical Engineering is concerned with research, design, development,
evaluation, manufacture, installation, operation, maintenance, management and
control of biomedical devices, facilities and equipment. These are designed to
support and enhance human life and help individuals to overcome physical
disabilities, to aid in the planning and assessment of medical procedures and the
development of related data handling facilities. The Biomedical engineer requires
adjunct knowledge of human biology and the medical process, to enable
competent research, education and practice.
Website:
http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/learned-groups/colleges/biomedicalcollege/biomedical-college.cfm
Chemical Engineering
Chemical Engineering is concerned with research, teaching, design, development,
economics, manufacture, installation, operation, sales, maintenance and
management of commercial scale chemical plants and process systems, industrial
processing and fabrication of products undergoing chemical and/or physical
changes being applied to materials for construction, process systems and
equipment for instrumentation and control, and protection of the environment.
Website:
http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/learned-groups/colleges/chemicalcollege/chemical_home.cfm
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Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering is concerned with materials such as steel, concrete, timber,
earth and rock, and with their application in the research, design, development,
manufacture, construction, operation, maintenance and management of hydraulic,
structural, environmental and systems aspects of infrastructure works and
services. This includes water, sewerage, transport, urban development and
municipal services, and with building and construction for other infrastructure
industries.
Website:
http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/learned-groups/colleges/civil-college/civilcollege.cfm
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering is concerned with research, design, development,
manufacture, installation, operation, maintenance and management of equipment,
plant and systems within the electrical, electronic, communication and computer
systems areas. This is applied to electrical power generation, transmission,
distribution and utilisation, manufacture, instrumentation and control in industry,
communications networks, electronic plant and equipment, integration and control
of computer systems.
Website:
http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/learned-groups/colleges/electricalcollege/electrical_home.cfm
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Environmental Engineering
Environmental Engineering is concerned with:
 water and waste water treatment and environmental management (including
application of re-use and recycling);
 waste management (including ecoefficiency and cleaner production concepts,
and life cycle assessment);
 surface and ground water system environmental management (including water
quality management);
 contaminated land assessment and remediation;
 natural resource management;
 environment protection;
 management and pollution control;
 environmental management system design (including environmental
management planning, and auditing);
 environmental impact assessment and environmental management planning;
 environmental information systems;
 natural system accounting (including economic evaluation);
 social impact analysis, community consultation and dispute resolution;
 sustainable energy planning and design;
 greenhouse gas mitigation and management;
 environmental risk assessment and management; and
 environmental policy formulation.
Website:
http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/learned-groups/colleges/environmentalcollege/environmental_home.cfm
Information, Telecommunications and Electronics Engineering (ITEE)
Information, Telecommunications and Electronics Engineering is concerned with
communications and telecommunications systems and engineering, computer
systems engineering, software engineering, electronics engineering, electronics
manufacturing, internet, microelectronics and optical fibre technology.
Website:
http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/learned-groups/colleges/itee-college/itee.cfm
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Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering is concerned with design, development, research,
evaluation, manufacture, installation, testing, operation, maintenance and
management of machines, mechanical and mechatronic systems, automated
systems and robotic devices, thermodynamic and combustion systems, fluid and
thermal energy systems, materials and manufacturing equipment and process
plant, and materials handling systems. This is applied to manufacturing, land sea
and air transportation, electricity generation, mining, minerals and metals
processing, food, agricultural and forest products processing, thermal and
environmental control systems in buildings and industry, refrigeration and air
conditioning systems.
Website:
http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/learned-groups/colleges/mechanicalcollege/mechanical-college.cfm
Structural Engineering
Structural Engineering is concerned with the research, planning, design,
construction, inspection, monitoring, maintenance, rehabilitation and demolition of
permanent and temporary structures and structural systems and their components
and with associated technical, economic, environmental, aesthetic and social
aspects. Structures might include buildings, bridges, in-ground structures,
footings, frameworks and space frames, including those for motor vehicles, space
vehicles, ships, aeroplanes and cranes, composed of any structural material
including composites and novel materials.
Website:
http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/learned-groups/colleges/structuralcollege/structural_home.cfm
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