Recommendation for a Path to Software Engineering

(1)

Recommendation for a Path

to Software

Engineering

I

NSPE

Board of Directors

h'

Dan Wittliff,

P.E.,

F.NSPE

Alexandria, VA

April 19, 2008

Path to Software Engineering Licensure

Consortium background

Organizations involved

I

Consortiitrn

accomplishments

I

Future plans

Resource requirements

Public awareness

I

Professional society action to date

I

What's

in

it

for the profession

I What

we

need

from

you

Sofhrvare Engmcrtng LtceMng Cortmbum

(2)

Consorti

=

Competing software engineering (SWEngr) licensure models

Competing definitions and goals Purposeofconsortium

Reach

consensus on SWEngr licensure models Develop a path forward that:

.

EngagesStateBoards

Includes like-minded parties

Culminates with first SWEngr PE Exam in Spring 2011

sohare E n g m b==w ~MO&MI

tions involved

--,-...- ... . . . ... . . . , . . .

PPC, CS

Wireless)

I

NSPE (PEI, L&QP,

BOD)

I

TBPE (Board, Staff,

SWmF)

I

NCEES

(Exam

Development)

(3)

Consortium accomplishments

...--.-. ..-, -,

I

Summit

meeting

in Denver, July 07

I

Reached

consensus on

key issues

Separate discipline that can impact public health, safety, and welfare

Software engineering definition

kensure of Software Engineers should be

pro^^

spedfm remain stateby-state process

b f a w u c E n g n r r r r f n g t K e r m n g C ~

Engineering Defined

-.... .<, %..

-Software engineering is the application and/or study of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software, that has an impad on the lives, property, economy, or security of people or the national defense; that is, the application of engineering to software.

(4)

Consortium accomplishments

ues

continued:

.

Basic

pa#

b I'm=

ABEf engineering degree

.

FE h a m

4 years enginewing experience

m SWEngr W

Certification by IEEE does not replace licensure Use NCEES model for exam development

I n c l ~

of dated disciplines in

the

BOK for

SWEngr

~ ~ k & l s n g C M l s o r t i w n

Consortium accomplishments

--..

....

.

Devebped 'Recommendation for a Path to Software Engineering Licensure"

.

Developed pbn for approadring State Boards d kensure Received resolution d s u m from NSPE BOD

Recehred support from TBPE and interest dnxn New York and

l=Mda

.

P m MSBC path forward b IEEE-USA L&R Camm*&te on 12/01/07

Received IEEEUSA L&R embsemnt and favorable ~ecommndation ro IEEEUSA BOD

Helped resohre i m p a s between IEEE-USA and IEEECS

(5)

-

.,

Goal:

Administer the

first SWEngr P&P Exam

by

Fall

2011

Seven

Step Process:

Step 1 : Engage with State b r d s (11 107

-

4/08) Step

2:

Get

at least 10 State Boards to request NCEES

develop a SWEngr exam (1/08

-

6/08)

Step 3: Receive NCEES Board of Directm' approval (6108

-

8/08)

Ste 4: Consummate exam devemment agreement with NC I!ES (9/08

-

11/08)

SafhnrateEnpineerlnptrcenstng-

ntinued:

Step 5: Engage with NCEES in developing PAKS, test

questions, and exam questions ( 1 ~ 6 8

-

7/09)

I Step 6: Review and

score exam.

Set cut off score

and standards (a09

-

11/10)

I Step 7: Prepare, distribute, and administer first PE

Exam for Software Engineers (12/10

-

10/11)

(6)

NCEES

Examination Development

Process Overview

Need for Task Armalyslis Eranrination Item

Examination Performed Specifkaation

-

Writing &

Identified PAKS)

-ped Review

I

Examination

Exnglination Equating of

Assembly & Seoriag

Examination

Review

Examiaftiort

Admfnistmth After Cut Soere Established

~ ~ i n e e s f n p t i r c n s k r g M r r s o r t k a n

Resource Requirements

.---- ... -.---.-.. ... .. ...-. . ... ... ... . . . .

=

Group 2 Exam

=

A

range

of 24-30 months effort after

NCEES

Board

of

Directors

approval

=

Budget

a

NCEES Share

$30k

Other

$look

a

Total

$130K

(7)

a

...-.

B

NSPE PEarticle

B

Possible IEEE

InMtufe

article

B

Press releases to Technical Societies

B

Presentations to State Boards

Alabama, 5/08 Delaware, 4/08 :CIWnoisI 2/08 Michigan, 4/08 Mew Mexico, 4/08

.

Texas, 1/08 s o r t w a r t E n ~ L i c c n s i n g C o m o r i k r m

Professional Organization Action

Directm, July

28,2007

Endorsed the actions of the SWEngr Summit

Resohred to support the path forward in kensing SWEngr

'[EEE-USA L&R C o r n m w , December I, 2007

supported SELcafmm

Votedaresodutionofsupport

Forwarded resdution b IEE-USA Board of Dimtors IEEE-CS and IEEE-USA L&R, April 12,

2008

SELC to provide requests fw volunteers

= CStopadl600PEmembersfw~rcetoUSA USA -ng forward with budget and sponsor action

(8)

State Agency Action to Date

, * , . . . . . . . .

tion on 5/2/08. Reaction favorable.

I Connecticut

-

Considering

Delaware

-

c m s i d e d 3/26/08. kt& in the works. Florida

-

Reaction favorable. Letter IN.

Illinois

-

Presenbtbn on 2/21/08. Letter in the works. Louisiana

-

Costsidered on 3/16/08.

Michigan - Presentation on 4/17\08. Wadion fawxatk- Mississippi

-

Declined to support at thistime.

soRNan Encjmerkq Mensing Consortium

State Agency Action to Date

,,.

.

M i i r i

-

Declined to suppat at this time New Jersey - Considering

New - Prrsentation 4/17/m. New York - ktkr sent to NCEE!5 in 3/08

Oklahoma

-

M i n e d to support at this time

.

Pennsylvania - Declined to support at this time. Texas

-

k t k r sent to NCEES in 2/08.

Wisconsin

-

Considering

(9)

What's in

Professional licensing of software engineers serves the interest of

the as many as 30,000 IEEE-USA members by providing a formal

path to I - m u r e .

.

Software Engineering degree programs are gming:

2006-18Schookandl%BSDegrees 2006-24Sdrrots(13A5rr)and218BSDegrees 2007

-

450 Senii, 305 M i , 262 and 459 Freshmen, 15 ABET pmpms S b c C a M d i a n ~ g w r W 2 9 7 B S d e g r e e s i n 2 0 0 6 SaRwarr E n g m hcmsmq Corrsorbum

What's

in

it for the profession?

-.-,-..- ... . .. . . .. . ... .

'15 ABET Degree programs in 11 states

Atabama Florida (2) Indiana = M i i Mississippi -3ersey NewYork(2) = Pennsylvwia T- (2) w- (2)

(10)

#

it for the profession?

-.. ,

-

"..

Setting a path for licenwre now allows state boards to

attract these graduates and set a new paradigm. Ucensure of software engineers serves to distinguish them from b s e qualified professionals in the public's perception of the prof-.

ticensure

provides

an extra level

of

scrutiny where public safety, health, and

welfare

are at issue.

=

A separate PE Exam fw Somare Engineering provides

the formal path to l i i s u r e

recognized

by

the

States.

!%ttwae E i q h e m g LK-mg C o t m r b m

What concerns do State Boards

I

Is this

recommended

path

to licensure

consistent with the model law?

Yes

Graduate from ABET-amed'i curriculum

Pass the Fundamenbls of Engineering Exam Four years of

acceptable

experience

Pass the P&P Exam

(11)

What concerns does the State

ve?

-

.,. ..

.

,

.

What is normal

software?

Software is the

ekbo~%cally

coded

instructions to computers or prograrnmabk control chdces.

.

Software effects entertainment and office products

as well as many key infrastructure devices.

Software development for mass consumer products is regulated under mm- regulations and generally exempt from Engineering Practice Acts.

SELC proposes no change to state pmdce

acts.

S o f a v v a r r ~ k J a m s b q C o n s o c t l u r n

What concerns does the State

What is engineering software?

.

S M W n ? E@inae@ iF tfre a@kabiw, aI.Ed/mstudy ofa

system&, &cf@fnad, qmn&& appratdi tn Uie

clb&pmnc

qmram,and mkierwnrp Cfsafzwan?

mt

has

a n i ~ m t i k ~ ~ ~ , ~ , o r ~ @ y u f

~ m t i k ~ / ~ UieappTitimOf ; m &

e n g i m * ~ b &E.

.

software Engineering requires the application of hiiher rnathem€ks and the p h p a l schces to writing software that controls key pieces of i-re with a pc&stkl impact on public health, s a w , and welfare.

(12)

What concerns does the State

Licensed PE?

Infrastructure: emergency d ismhzs, fire

alam/sprinkrs, emergency shut down system, electrical grid, public water supply

Medicine: heart lung machines, ventilators, medical infusion pumps, medial dispensers, implant devites, robotics, and medical records

Energy: nudear reactas, memkk system, electrical grid pumps

Recreation: amusement park rides

Transportation: railway signak/mtrols, auto; airbags, brakes, seatbek, aviation; air tFaffic

&,

avionks, air crew life support, emergency emmation equipment, automatel bafic control _-ww=wt-w-

What concerns does the State

I

What

needs

to

be

programmed or

overseen

by

a

Licensed

PE?

Financial: banking systems, accounting, online financial systems, information security

Government: taxam, l i m n s , criminal systems legislative s u m

public

policy tools

Communications: switching, transmission multiplexing, network management

Military: GPS satellite,

d o

communications, artillery

contr~ls,

aircraft

systems

(13)

What

yw,

3- S

D

Continue to support the

Consortium's Recommendation for

a

Path to Software Engineering

Licensure

w

Send written request to NCEES

requesting the development of

Group

2

Exam

for software

engineering

Soham hgmemg Licasmp fonrortfwn

Recommendation

for

a Path to

S o h a r e Engineering Licensure

,... , ,

Q & A

Dan

Wittliff,

P.E., F.NSPE

Dan.WiW

[email protected]