On April 6, Rose McClure and Angie Sommer presented findings from the 2016 SE3 Survey and Report at this year’s ASCE/SEI Structures Congress in Denver. The presentation was part of a panel discussion entitled “Changing Structural Engineering Workforce and Work Places: Challenges and Opportunities,” which also included discussions about technology and globalization, generational differences, and examples of incorporating flexibility practices at large companies. SE3 member Emily Guglielmo was another panelist in the same session, and the whole discussion was well received by the 50-60 attendees
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In March 2017, the SE3 committee was divided into five task groups to further the mission of the committee, which is to study and promote engagement and equity in structural engineering. Each task group consists of two to four SE3 contributors, and is lead by one (or two) task group leaders. At the March SE3 committee meeting, the leaders of each task group shared their goals and ideas for the group. Here is a brief synopsis of the task groups and their new leaders. Pay Report Angie Sommer from ZFA Structural Engineers is leading the group that is developing a specialized report on pay. This report will focus on compensation reported by the 2016 survey respondents from around the nation to provide information based on region, gender, and more. Follow-up Interviews Nick Sherrow-Groves from Arup is leading the group that is conducting one-on-one interviews with respondents from the 2016 survey to receive qualitative data regarding experiences in the structural engineering profession. This work is also expected to help inform the committee’s upcoming 2018 survey. Best Practices Resource Guide Rupa Garai from SOM is leading the group that is working on an updated and expanded resource guide for firms to reference that discusses ways to successfully implement the best practices from the 2016 SE3 study. Outreach Zahraa Saiyed from Mar Structural Design is leading the group that is focused on engaging the national community regarding SE3’s mission by forming partnerships with similar organizations and identifying opportunities for SE3 members to present the committee’s findings and spread the message about engagement and equity. Mentorship Program Brenna Marcoux from FTF Engineering and Sarah Sullivan from Martin & Martin are co-leading the group that is developing a mentorship program for SE3 and SEAONC members to give more access to this career-boosting practice. The SEAONC Structural Engineering Engagement and Equity (SE3) Committee hosted its first symposium entitled LISTEN, ASSESS, CHANGE on January 26 at SPUR in San Francisco, and it was an amazing success! The sold out event hosted 120 attendees who came to learn about the 2016 SE3 study and listen to the experiences and inspiring ideas of a wide variety of professionals who were featured as speakers and panelists. Here's a recap of the events and discussions. Maryann Phipps started the day with a rousing and inspiring keynote speech where she discussed her love of the structural engineering profession and also noted some personal experiences that showed that there is room for improvement by all. Rose McClure and Natalie Tse, the committee’s co-founders, then presented the first session, entitled LISTEN, in which they discussed the 2016 SE3 study’s findings and presented the committee’s resulting list of best practices. The first panel discussion, ASSESS, was moderated by Angie Sommer, who led the panelists—Emily Guglielmo, Janiele Maffei, Joel Villamil, and Taryn Williams—in a deeply personal discussion of their experiences in the profession, including topics such as mentorship, management/staff disconnect, workplace flexibility, and the role of work-life balance. Julia Mandell then presented a short narrative of the mission and findings of the AIASF’s Equity by Design Committee, the organization that partially inspired the creation of SE3. The final panel discussion, CHANGE, was moderated by Nick Sherrow-Groves, who led the panelists—Emily Loper, Krista Looza, and Saskia Dennis-van Dijl—in a discussion regarding ideas and policies to improve engagement and gender equity that they have witnessed or helped enact in their career, including how to reduce bias in the promotions process and San Francisco’s new parental leave legislation. Dick Dryer, SEAONC president, provided a wrap-up to the day before Ayse Hortacsu, the event’s gracious emcee, closed the afternoon with a few thoughtful words. After the presentations were finished, a networking happy hour took place on the ground floor of the SPUR facility, where attendees mingled, chatted, and enjoyed snack and drinks together. The vibe was electric as we celebrated the success of the day together and excitedly discussed the ideas spurred by the day's discussions. Thank you to our incredible speakers who made the event inspiring, relevant, and valuable to the attendees and the profession as a whole. We really appreciate all the time you took in preparing for this event and in formulating thoughtful, interesting responses to the questions that were posed. Thank you also to the individuals and companies who provided funding in the form of sponsorship for this event and the committee’s continuing work; this support is extremely important and the committee extends its humble gratitude.
As we wind down from our first symposium, our committee wants to remind everyone that the work of the SE3 Committee is not done! We have a lot of work to do to continue the discussion and enact real change regarding engagement and gender equity in the structural engineering profession. If you're curious as to what the SE3 committee has in store for the near future, upcoming projects include (but are not limited to):
It's official -- the SE3 Symposium on January 26 is now sold out! We're at our max of 120 attendees, and are really looking forward to sharing an amazing program with everyone on Thursday.
If you didn't get your ticket in time, please email SE3@seaonc.org to be added to the wait list. We can't wait to see everyone on Thursday afternoon! 2017 Gender Equality Challenge Forum: Accelerating Leadership through ActionFriday, January 27, 2017
8:30 am - 4 pm Gap Inc., 2 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 The Gender Equality Principles Initiative will showcase model and promising practices from 10 Bay Area employers at the 2017 Gender Equality Challenge Forum on Friday, January 27, 2017, from 8:30 am to 4 pm hosted by Gap Inc. at 2 Folsom Street in San Francisco. Join the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women, Bay Area Council, and Friends of the Commission on the Status of Women to learn about these innovative programs and policies, share ideas, and get inspired to advance women in the workplace! AGENDA 8:30 am Registration 9 am Welcome & Opening Remarks 9:30 am Calvert 2017 Diversity Report Findings 9:45 am Presentation of Model Practices 10:35 am Break 11 am Roundtable Session 1 12 pm Lunch 1 pm Roundtable Session 2 2 pm Reflections & Closing Remarks 3 pm Networking Reception Register Now for the SE3 Symposium on Jan 26! The SEAONC SE3 Committee’s inaugural symposium is on January 26, 2017! Tickets are selling fast, and you don’t want to miss this stimulating half-day event! LISTEN. ASSESS. CHANGE. January 26, 2017, 1pm-5pm SPUR, 654 Mission Street San Francisco General $85, Student $40 SE3 2017 Symposium Program 1:00pm: Welcome Remarks & Keynote Address Emcee: Ayse Hortacsu, ATC; Keynote Speech: Maryann Phipps, Estructure 1:15pm: LISTEN An overview of the key findings and conclusions from the 2016 SE3 study, including recommended best practices. Speakers: Natalie Tse, KPW Structural Engineers; Rose McClure, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger 2:00pm: ASSESS A panel discussion among practicing professionals regarding their experiences with engagement and gender equity in the workplace. Moderator: Angie Sommer, ZFA Structural Engineers Panelists: Emily Guglielmo, Martin/Martin; Janiele Maffei, California Earthquake Authority; Joel Villamil, Marx Okubo Associates; Taryn Williams, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger 3:00pm: Break 3:30pm: Equity by Design Presentation A discussion of the work and findings of the AIASF’s Equity by Design committee, whose focus is to study and improve gender equity in the architecture profession. Speaker: Julia Mandell, Wilson Associates 3:50pm: CHANGE A panel discussion regarding research and experiences enacting change in the profession through new ideas, programs, and policies. Moderator: Nick Sherrow-Groves, Arup Panelists: Emily Loper, Bay Area Council; JaNell Cook, HDR; Krista Looza, Buehler and Buehler; Saskia Dennis-van Dijl, Cameron MacAllister Group 4:50pm: Closing Remarks
5:00pm – 7:00pm Networking Social Network with attendees to discuss what you can do to promote engagement and equity in your firm. Wine, beer, and appetizers will be served. For more information on the SE3 Committee and the findings of their 2016 study, go to se3project.org. For sponsorship opportunities, email Nick Sherrow-Groves at se3@seaonc.org for information. Thank you to our event sponsors: Computer and Structures, Inc. (CSI), Arup, Thornton Tomasetti, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Exponent, ZFA Structural Engineers, Degenkolb, Forell/Elsesser, Bello and Associates, Holmes Structures, Gilsanz Murray Steficek, SOM, Build Change, ATC, Tuan and Robinson Structural Engineers, KPW Structural Engineers, CastConnex, BASE Design, Walter P. Moore, Maffei Structural Engineering Last month's webinar, hosted by ATC, was a success! We had over 400 people call in to listen to our presentation about the results from the 2016 SE3 study. If you missed it, the presentation is available to watch at your convenience here.
Co-Chairs Angie and Nick will be presenting a webinar on our SE3 study, hosted by ATC.
The following is the announcement for this webinar: "In early 2016, the SE3 committee administered a nationwide survey of employee engagement and gender equity in the structural engineering profession, for which they received over 2,100 completed responses. The survey investigated a variety of measures of engagement (satisfaction) and equity regarding career advancement, compensation, and work-life balance. This webinar will share the most significant findings of the 2016 study, including why 56% of respondents have considered leaving the profession, the prevalence of the gender pay gap, and the importance of mentorship. The Structural Engineering Engagement and Equity (SE3) Committee is a committee of the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC) whose mission is to study engagement and equity in the structural engineering profession in order to provide meaningful input on improving both of these metrics within the industry."
More Photos from the EventSE3 Survey Comments Reveal Wide Range of Experiences Within Structural Engineering Profession12/4/2016 We received numerous comments at the end of our 2016 survey. They reveal a wide range of experiences in the Structural Engineering profession. Here is a small sample of the comments we received.
"I am enormously happy with my career as a structural engineer. I had a rare, varied, and highly rewarding career in design, construction and forensic work." Male, mid-70s "People who stay in the field (both men and women) do so for the love of it - as an avocation, not to fulfill ego or greed. This makes them, on the whole, more respectful and interested in their employees as people." Female, early-40s "Employers would be wise to learn that engineers are not a commodity. They are the source of income and profits, to be well nourished, consistent with their talent levels." Male, late-60s "As a mother with a professional engineering career, my experiences are better described as 'confused' and 'conflicted', rather than 'pleased' or 'dissatisfied.' Female, late-30s 'I think our industry is lagging in... compensation as scaled to education and training requirements compared to other professions." Male, mid-30s "I was explicitly told that a promotion was delayed due to the fact that management didn't know if I was 'going to be a mother or an engineer'." Female, mid-30s "Wish I would have spent more time with family. Felt I could not in order to succeed at career." Male, early-40s "I felt as a female I had a very strong support network throughout my years in college. Once I started working, however, there was little to no support for females, and work-life balance in general." Female, early-30s "In general, I believe structural engineers offer more value than they are compensated for." Male, mid-20s |
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