WT students have just started a year-long process of becoming a student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

“The students had the initial idea,” said Kenneth Leitch, professor of Civil Engineering. “I was approached by them.”

Robert Heinz transferred to WT in 2011 for the civil engineering program. After visiting other universities he decided on WT because he wanted to be a part of something new. Heinz initiated the request to start a ASCE club. He and other students talked about it in a civil engineering course early this fall and decided they wanted to approach Leitch with the idea. As soon as their professor was on board, the students decided to start right away.“It all started when I visited other colleges and got the opportunity to see some of the items they were working on,” Heinz said.

Becoming a student organization under ASCE is a two-fold process. First, the students have to go through an easy process of getting recognized by WT. After being recognized by the school, the next step is to have ASCE recognize the organization. When that happens, a one-year probationary period is followed by the acceptance by the national ASCE as a student chapter. During that year of probation, the student organization cannot use the “ASCE” in their name. Right now, WT is still in the very early stages of the long process and they have turned in the necessary paperwork and constructed a constitution.

“The hardest thing about the process is the one year probation period because the ASCE has to evaluate the club to make sure we are going to represent them in a professional manner,” Andrew Payne, a junior Civil Engineering major, said.

Leitch will be named the academic adviser of the club. The professor has been a student and national member since 1993 and has prior experience starting a chapter at a different university years ago.  But because the organization is student-led, he will only assist the students. Ultimately, they will be in control.

The club is being organized to promote the civil engineering discipline to student members and the community. It is expected to develop leadership, practical tactics and connect students to a network of professionals.

“Civil engineers build the quality of life we expect to have,” said Leitch. “Creating roads, buildings, dams and flood control, airports, railroads and just about anything else that we need to function in a modern society.”

The Civil Engineering Society hosted its first general meeting Nov. 16.

“I believe we have accomplished a lot, and we are well on our way to being a well respected and fun organization,” Heinz said.