Student Affairs

September 2020

WELCOME MESSAGE

CSCE Student Chapters: Opportunities for Professional Development

Alan Lloyd, PhD – Chair, CSCE Student Affairs Committee
Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, University of New Brunswick

A New School Year Unlike Any Other: New Challenges, New Opportunities?

In past years, at the beginning of a news school year, I would welcome you filled with enthusiasm and tell you how eventful and successful the past school year had been and how excited and hopeful I was for the upcoming one.

Yes, the past school year was eventful, but ended in a rather bizarre manner. It has been a new and sobering experience for all of us, but I do hope that you are all well and healthy during these difficult times. I am sure that your respective schools have been hard at work preparing to deliver the best learning experience to you. Whether your new school year begins with remote learning, in-person classes, or a hybrid model, let us all continue to put our safety and health first.

The COVID-19 pandemic was disruptive to the 2019/2020 academic year, but we rose magnificently to the challenge; our individual and collective acts of determination, creativity and just plain hard work shone through. The CSCE Student Affairs committee would like to applaud all our students for showing an unmatched resilience and great leadership in these extraordinary times, and our faculty advisors for showing compassion and caring for our students while adapting to their new reality of online learning and virtual student engagement. Moving forward, let us continue to care for one another and support each other the best way we can. I will especially ask that we all keep our international students in our thoughts, and support them whenever we can, and together we will overcome this, we will become stronger as a result of the lessons we learn today. Let all your activities as student chapters and organizations be guided by your institution’s requirements and by local and provincial prevention plans. The containment of this pandemic is in all of our hands. 

Wash Your Hands.
Wear Your Mask. Watch Your Distance.

As chair of student affairs, I cannot honestly tell you that I have got this new academic year all figured out. But one thing I know is that the CSCE values its student members and we will continue to provide you with opportunities and

experiences that stimulate early professional consciousness. We will work together with you to turn our challenges into new learning opportunities. We will aggressively pursue the CSCE mentorship program for you to continue to connect with seasoned professionals who would provide you insights into our profession Student Affairs will continue to work hard in collaboration with the CSCE Regional Coordinating Committee to build connections between student chapters and regional and local CSCE sections, and to provide you with consistent engagement throughout the school year. I ask all student chapter leaders to email me and I will put you in contact with CSCE leaders in your region.

Further, keep an eye on our website. We will be posting news, links to new resources and webinar opportunities to help new and existing student chapters. Times have truly changed, and more now than ever before, your active participation in your student chapter will prove enriching for you as you begin making those lifelong professional contacts.