Colin Pitman, chair of the APEGS Student Development Committee (SDC) took the job of committee chair in the same way as many other volunteer leaders. Unwillingly.
“I was sort of ‘volun-told’. My boss at a previous job was the previous SDC chair. She was looking for a vice-chair and ‘suggested’ it might be something I’d be interested in doing,” Pitman says.
As it turns out, his former boss was right.
“It’s very gratifying to be part of getting events off the ground, events that might not happen otherwise. It’s also more gratifying than some other volunteer opportunities because you can see tangible results rather than pursuing a more vague objective.”
The SDC handles grants, sponsorship, mentoring and liaison work between APEGS and university student groups. This is Pitman’s fourth year with the committee and his second year as chair. Over that time, he’s helped the committee build on its past successes and develop some new initiatives.
Earth Ring
One innovation under Pitman’s watch has been the introduction of the Earth Ring ceremony for geology graduates.
“This was a concept that originated in Alberta. It’s the equivalent of the Iron Ring for engineers that reminds them of the duties and responsibilities of their profession. My dad is a P.Geo. so I have a soft spot for that profession,” Pitman says.
In its first year, the Earth Ring ceremony was held for University of Regina graduates. Pitman looks forward to extending it to the University of Saskatchewan next year.
In addition to promoting the idea, SDC provided funding and a keynote speaker and assisted with the logistics.
Student Engagement Subcommittee
The SDC carried a dizzying array of funding and other interactions with student organizations. It provides more than $100,000 in funding in support of roughly a dozen separate student groups and over 50 events.
With all this activity, one would think SDC and APEGS would be household terms to the student body. But that’s not the case.
“What we’ve found is that students who are active volunteers understand SDC and APEGS very well but they represent only a small fraction of the overall student body.”
SDC conducted a baseline survey that showed most engineering and geoscience students have little awareness of APEGS as an organization, the supports it offers them now and later in their careers, and of the responsibilities they will have to the organization upon graduation.
The new Student Engagement subcommittee is seeking to address this through a range of outreach initiatives including luncheons, student talks and social activities.
One notion the committee is considering is introducing a limited student membership to APEGS, which exists in some other professional associations.
“We’re still weighing the pros and cons of that idea. On the plus side, it would provide better student representation on APEGS committees and vice versa as well as new avenues for mentoring and career support.”
“On the downside, there would be some significant costs for staff support and logistics. As well, we have yet to determine if this is something students would really value and take advantage of.”
To help guide its decisions, SDC will be carrying out a further student survey in the near future to see if it has moved the needle in raising student awareness of APEGS.
Travel Costs
One of the main focuses of SDC funding is travel expenses for students to attend conferences and competitions. In most cases, those expenses are quite modest, involving only road trips to events within Western Canada. In a few cases, the expenses are almost literally out of this world.
“One group we are particularly proud to support is the U of S Space Design Team. Team members are highly respected and have won numerous award but their competitions take them all over the world, to Europe and throughout the United States. Those travel costs are obviously going to be beyond the means of the average student. SDC is pleased to provide travel support so they can take advantage of these opportunities.”
“Their building and materials costs are also significantly higher than many other student groups so APEGS helps fund those expenses as well.”
You Can Help
The members of the SDC don’t handle the responsibilities of the committee single-handedly. The committee provides innumerable APEGS members to serve as judges and public speakers at student events, as well as generating mentoring opportunities at student-professional networking events.
“For these roles, we draw on a database of volunteers who have expressed an interest in these roles with the APEGS office. But there’s a never-ending need for these positions so we can always use more,” Pitman says.
Plus, you might get a few free dinners out of the deal – if you like rubber chicken.
“At various student galas and conferences and galas that we fund, there is often some provision for us to have a few seats or even a whole table at dinners and lunches. We don’t always fill those spots but that’s certainly available for those who help out with the committee’s functions.”