I ask the question when did the ICE change the definition of being a civil engineer? Simon Heathorn's letter "Is that an engineer I see before me?" appears to suggest it has (NCE 27 February). While he states his letter is for debate I find his subject matter insulting and ill-informed to say the least. My certificate from the ICE dated 1979 states, "the profession of a civil engineer, being the art of directing the great sources of power in nature for the use and convenience of man." It makes no reference to design or contracting. If, as an institution, we are to promote civil engineering and improve the perceived status of being a civil engineer, suggesting only those who carry out design are engineers will not achieve the desired result at primary, junior and senior school and within the public at large.
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