American Society of Civil Engineers

[cpzilliacus]

I just got an invite to join the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in the mail, probably because I am a longtime member of  the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE).

I do not have a degree in civil engineering (it's in information systems/computer science), though had I had a college education to do over, it might have been, and I am definitely not a licensed professional engineer (though my job title is "transportation engineer").

Should I take ASCE up on their offer?  Or am I wasting my money and their time?

[Big John]

You can't get full membership without the PE license.  There as associate membership, but unsure if you can get that with a CE degree.  Thinking you would be wasting your time/money.

[Duke87]

I joined in 2010 when I was looking for a job, thinking having access to their job listings would help. Then I found a job (not through them) and let my membership lapse. 2 1/2 years later I still get crap from them in the mail trying to convince me to sign up again.

So yeah, don't do it.

[cpzilliacus]

You can't get full membership without the PE license. 

And I don't have a problem with that per se.  My Dad (who is a P.E.) was a member of ASCE  for many years, but I believe he let his membership lapse because his structural engineering work had little or nothing to do with most of what ASCE is about.

Curiously, I am a full voting member of ITE (though I have never voted in an ITE election).

There as associate membership, but unsure if you can get that with a CE degree.  Thinking you would be wasting your time/money.

I am thinking in that direction, but other comments are welcome and appreciated.

On the other side, I presume that they would not be reaching out this way if they were not looking for ways to boost their membership base.

[cpzilliacus]

I joined in 2010 when I was looking for a job, thinking having access to their job listings would help. Then I found a job (not through them) and let my membership lapse. 2 1/2 years later I still get crap from them in the mail trying to convince me to sign up again.

So yeah, don't do it.

I would think that they would get the message, don't you?  Perhaps they are reaching out to ITE members to increase their membership base?

[Brandon]

I get mailings from the ASCE asking me to join all the time.  I am a professional engineer, but I am not a civil engineer.  I'm an environmental engineer.  Instead, I joined the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers (ISPE), part of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE).  I find ISPE very useful in maintaining my continuing education hours for my license, and the fees are fairly inexpensive.  Plus, they hold a convention in the state every year where I can pick up 12 to 15 continuing education hours.  Illinois requires 30 in a two-year span.  They're open to all engineering disciplines, and you don't need to be a professional engineer to join.

[Alps]

I don't think there's much difference between Associate Member and Member for any practical purpose. The only reason I get my money's worth out of being a member is because I am very active in ASCE, currently on the Younger Member Group board locally. Between reimbursement for conferences and event spending, I've covered my dues for a few decades already You can get ASCE materials online, so you'd only have two benefits by being a member: slightly cheaper admission to events, and subscription to the magazine. The magazine is the single most prominent benefit for a non-CE, whereas a CE benefits just by having ASCE membership on his/her resume. I am a champion of the ASCE cause, but I'd even say that you have no need to sign up.

[cpzilliacus]

I don't think there's much difference between Associate Member and Member for any practical purpose. The only reason I get my money's worth out of being a member is because I am very active in ASCE, currently on the Younger Member Group board locally. Between reimbursement for conferences and event spending, I've covered my dues for a few decades already You can get ASCE materials online, so you'd only have two benefits by being a member: slightly cheaper admission to events, and subscription to the magazine. The magazine is the single most prominent benefit for a non-CE, whereas a CE benefits just by having ASCE membership on his/her resume. I am a champion of the ASCE cause, but I'd even say that you have no need to sign up.

Thanks for the candid comments.  Sounds like membership benefits are somewhat similar to what I enjoy as a member of ITE (and I have been to various ITE events, including an excellent conference way back in 1997 in Toronto, Ontario, where we got a tour of the then-brand-new Highway 407).

Most of the stuff I attend is related to the Transportation Research Board (TRB), only because TRB always holds its annual meeting in Washington, D.C., so approval to go there is easy for me to secure.