Is Education Failing Society? Thirty-Nine States Don’t Require A College Degree for Land Surveying Licensure

This week, I’m pleased to present to you an essay by Earl F. Burkholder, educator, professional land surveyor and professional engineer. Earl and I have been sharing thoughts since we had a chance to sit down and talk at the 2010 ACSM/GITA annual meeting in Phoenix, AZ.

By way of background, Earl is a surveying engineering educator who retired in July 2010. Licensed both as a professional engineer and as a professional surveyor, his career includes five years working for an international engineering firm, 13 years teaching at Oregon’s Institute of Technology, 12 years at New Mexico State University, and being self-employed for five years during which time he incorporated Global COGO, Inc. to promote use of 3-D digital spatial data via the global spatial data model (GSDM). He wrote a book, “The 3-D Global Spatial Data Model: Foundation of the Spatial Data Infrastructure” which was published by CRC Press in April 2008.

His education includes a BSCE from the University of Michigan, a MSCE from Purdue University, and sabbatical study at the University of Maine, Orono. He served two 4-year (non-consecutive) terms as Editor of the ASCE Journal of Surveying Engineering and has been involved in the ABET accreditation process since the early 1990s. He was Chair of the ABET Related Accreditation Commission (now known as the Applied Science Accreditation Commission) in 2000-2001. He is currently Secretary of the ASCE Geomatics Division (GMD) Executive Committee and will become Chair of the GMD on October 1, 2011.

Is Education Failing Society?

Our lives are enriched to the extent we understand the reasons for and the consequences of our decisions.  My assumption has long been that education is the foundation upon which we build that understanding.  Listening to the recent ongoing debate of LightSquared’s impact on GPS signals has given me reason to question that assumption.

I agree with those who believe that education is essential for the survival and continued viability of the surveying profession.  Nonetheless, challenges remain. In my opinion, two of the most pressing challenges facing the surveying profession are:

• Thirty nine (39) of the state boards of licensure for surveyors in the United States do NOT require a college degree as a prerequisite for licensure (Thompson 2011).
• The onslaught of technology and the pervasive use of 3-D digital spatial data have out-paced the ability of many practicing surveyors (myself included) to keep up – except by using technology in a rote manner and relying on manuals and vendors for training and/or support.

Wikipedia states, “Education is the process by which society transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills, and values from one generation to another.” I remain convinced that education deserves an unconditional commitment and that education is an important part of addressing the challenges facing the surveying profession.

But, in an attempt to look at the bigger picture and to view the challenges from another perspective I offer the some comments and questions. Whether personal, business, governmental, or other – decisions and/or actions are based upon some combination of knowledge, ability, and authority. But the question is, “does the ability/authority to do something justify doing it?” That question could be asked regarding stem cell research or building atomic bombs. I’d rather look at it in terms of the LightSquared debate.

“The Curious Capitalist” (Foroohar 2011) is a column in the April 4, 2011, issue of Time magazine which notes that Wall Street hires more science and engineering graduates than are hired by traditional high-tech industries. One Wall Street mathematician-turned-trader is quoted as asking why he should work on new high-tech products at Bell Lab when he could make five times as much crafting 12-dimensional models of the stock-buying and -selling behavior of the average Joe.  Foroohar observes that while expansion of the U.S. economy depends upon innovation, Wall Street would have us believe that they are “the grease on the wheels of the real economy.” This position has been weakened by recent studies showing that “the financial sector is sucking talent and entrepreneurial energy from more socially beneficial sectors of the economy.” Foroohar makes several other relevant points and closes by saying, “Bankers will undoubtedly continue to push the story line that they are funding innovation. The question is whether it’s the kind that’s real or the kind that’s synthetic.” I see the Light Squared-GPS interference debate as a case in point.

According to LightSquared’s website, “LightSquared was established in mid-2010 by an experienced team of global communications executives and investors with the vision of revolutionizing the wireless experience in the United States.”  The referenced web site also highlights the background and experience of nine LightSquared executives.  The Management Team is truly an impressive collection of talent and they have laid out an ambitious vision for providing extensive wholesale wireless service throughout the United States. Information on the investors in LightSquared is found under the “our investors” tab of the LightSquared web site leading to information on Harbinger Capital Partners. The Wikipedia web page description of Harbinger Capital Partners lists an abundance of additional interesting information. LightSquared certainly has the ambition, knowledge, ability, and, with the FCC license, the authority to construct an impressive wireless network. Is such a project justified? Of course it is. Consumers are convinced that wireless is a good thing and that everyone deserves unlimited wireless access. Not so fast, larger issues need to be identified, debated, and resolved. This is the first of several articles devoted to larger issues.

In addition to others, my suggestion is that there are lessons here for the surveying profession. In addition to the wireless network issue; GPS, laser scanning (both terrestrial and aerial), and cloud computing technologies are or will be available for our use – to what end?  In order to remain productive and to stay in business the prudent business professional will invest in the new technologies and will participate in more and more rote processes that will ultimately be as productive as the dog chasing his own tail.  The point was made (seriously) at the March 2011 SPAR Conference that the incremental cost per point of spatial data collection is asymptotically approaching zero. An extrapolation of that trend leads to the implication that traditional surveying will die, will be handled by others, or will become economically unviable. In other words, a surveyor will not be able to earn a decent living. I am leading up the point that the “values” part of our educational system needs immediate and careful attention.

How many of the best surveying graduates (typically scholarship recipients) pursue a career with a manufacturer or a large corporation?  They are certainly entitled to do so and some who go that route do make significant contributions to our profession. Having taught surveying at the college level for 25 years, I know a number of surveying graduates who took that route and are now leaders in surveying profession. They have established a solid professional reputation and I am proud of their accomplishments. But, like Foroohar, somehow I get the feeling that surveying is one of those more beneficial sectors of our economy th
at is getting shortchanged.

I do not take exception to our democratic form of government where the economy is regulated by the government and ‘run’ by the banking industry. Within this environment, businesses and corporations operate according to capitalistic principles and fidelity to the stockholders is paramount. I fully support the right of businesses to pursue innovation, to develop a competitive edge, and to profit from efficient execution of a well-crafted business plan. Regretfully, I am also naïve enough to believe that each person (and business/organization/government entity) should act responsibly (some do, many don’t). I am also sufficiently tolerant to recognize that legitimate differences of opinion will be the basis of spirited discussions. Although I place much faith in such discussions, I am bothered by the apparent attitude that the ability or authority to do something (as long as it is legal) seemingly takes precedence over accomplishing something within the broader professional scope of what is the “right” or ethical thing to do.

My plan is to discuss the following issues in more detail in subsequent articles.

1. A summary article in which ethics/morality (value-based decisions) will be compared to legal issues (authority-based decisions).  What does it mean to say that morality cannot be legislated?
2. Are there really two sets of rules for decision making – one for individuals (values and ethics based) and one for business/government (legal and authority based)?  Is it desirable or possible to reconcile the two?
3. Bureaucrats, business, and courts preside over the “legal” decision making process while professional, religious, and civic organizations preside over the “ethical” decision making process.  Is it reasonable to expect that the U.S. Congress has the ability to act as an impartial arbitrator in passing legislation?  What is the influence of lobbyists and big business in Congress compared with the voice of professional associations and others representing “values” based decision processes?  Hopefully the LightSquared debate will provide some insight and answers.
4. Checks and balances – independent professional boards of licensure exist in most states “to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public against incompetent (unethical) practice.”  Is there a comparable system of checks and balances at the national and/or global level to provide safeguards against unwarranted economic exploitation of “the masses”?  From the grass-roots perspective, it appears that the current national (even global) economic crisis was brought on, in part, by “the fox guarding the henhouse.”  I need to listen to those representing a broader perspective but, so far, I remain convinced that the logic in “too big to fail” is faulty.
5. Proposal – Professional associations need to sponsor and promote serious discussions involving the basis of ethical decisions at all levels of business, corporate, and governmental.  Many such ethics courses exist for individuals but what is the source of ethics enforcement for businesses, corporations, and governments?  Why are existing efforts so ineffective?

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