19 Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org PCC’s New AAS Degrees By Christina Friedle and Tara Nelson, Portland Community College Geography Department Chairs Portland Community College is now offering two Associates of Applied Science (AAS) degrees that will prepare its graduates for a career in surveying. The two new classes are a Geomatics AAS and Civil and a Construction Engineering Technology (CCET) AAS. These programs were designed collaboratively with industry partners through our advisory boards and in the case of the CCET degree using a DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) process, identifying major duties, tasks, knowledge, and skills in the field. One goal of these two programs is to train surveying technicians to be employable in two years and to meet the needs of the growing demand in the surveying field. The two programs were designed to cover overlapping skills in year one that include map and plan reading, algebra, precalculus, GIS, AutoCAD, writing composition, and technical writing. In year two, both programs have a series of three surveying courses. The only difference is that the Geomatics AAS covers boundary surveys and maps, and the CCET AAS covers computer applications for surveying. In year two, CCET dives deeper into more technical and drafting coursework, with additional AutoCAD courses and Civil3D, materials testing, and inspection. The second-year program in Geomatics is focused onmore in-depth GIS using desktop and online applications, remote sensing, GPS, and a three-course sequence in UAS flights and geospatial modeling using Agisoft. Now you know about our programs and you are excited about having students trained to enter the surveying workforce. You ask yourself, what can I or PLSO do to help support these programs as they get off the ground? There are many ways. Surveying Instructors are Needed Between the two programs, we are offering four surveying-specific classes: Introduction to Surveying, Computer Applications for Surveying, Boundary Survey and Maps, and Intermediate Surveying. We are looking for instructors who can teach the next generation of surveyors and get students excited about the career opportunities. Some of the surveying courses require a surveyor’s license and some do not. All of our courses require industry experience. Serve on Our Advisory Boards Advisory boards are one of the ways we stay connected to the industry that our programs serve. They help guide our curriculum, ensure we are meeting industry needs, and generally provide support and advice on our academic programs. Host an Intern Our students are looking to gain real-world experience in the field while pursuing their AAS degrees. Gaining experience in the surveying field while working towards their degree gives students an opportunity to apply their classroom learning and gives employers an opportunity to expose emerging surveyors to their specific workflows and methods. There are also ways students can earn credit towards their degree through an internship. Be a Guest Speaker in Our Classes We are always looking for professionals to join our classes and give students a glimpse of “a day in the life of a surveyor.” Regardless of your field or specific role within the surveying profession, there is an opportunity for you to share your knowledge and experiences within one of our classes. Share Internship and Job Opportunities When your company is looking to hire surveying or other geospatial technicians, send those announcements directly to the faculty department chairs (Christina Friedle and Tara Nelson). We can post and share them directly with students and graduates. Support for AAS Degree to Count Towards LSIT and PSL Licensure OSBEELS is currently revising the OARs for surveyor licensure and we need your support to ensure that our AAS degree programs are included towards the education component of the licensing requirements, hence cutting the number of years of experience needed before being eligible to become Professional Land Surveyor. Learn more at these links: • www.pcc.edu/programs/gis/ aas-geomatics/ • www.pcc.edu/programs/ civil-construction-engineering/ x Christina Friedle is geography/GIS faculty and department chair at Portland Community College. Christina has been instrumental in designing and managing PCC’s Geospatial Programs including a GIS Certificate, UAS Certificate, and Geomatics AAS. Contact her at christina.friedle@pcc.edu. Tara Nelson is CCET faculty and department chair at Portland Community College. Tara has experience teaching in engineering transfer and technology pathways, and seven years of working as a civil engineer. She has been an integral partner in creating and managing the CCET program. Contact her at tara.nelson@pcc.edu. One goal of these two programs is to train surveying technicians to be employable in two years and to meet the needs of the growing demand in the surveying field. Featured Article
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