A new land surveying mentorship program is launching in Arizona.

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” ― Benjamin Franklin

The Launch

In 2019, the United Surveyors of Arizona, a member-driven non-profit, is developing and facilitating the first ever officially sanctioned surveying mentorship program in Arizona. The program will kick off during National Surveyor’s Week and will last one calendar year.

This program seeks six mentors and mentees to participate.

Mentors and mentees must submit a letter of intention to participate before the start of the program. Participants must be active members of the organization. Additionally, mentees will have access to a discounted membership rate of $50.00 per year. Note that the mentor must possess an active Arizona Registered Land Surveyor license and be employed at the company the mentee works at.

The mentor will sponsor the mentee during the year, adhering to the outline of the program dictated by the United Surveyors of Arizona and by any applicable company policies.

Goals

The intention of the program is to provide young surveyors a structured program to further their professional careers. Mentees will be trained by their mentors and will attend quarterly training sessions hosted by the organization.

During the program mentors will have access to specific education committee funds to support their mentees. Mentees will be presented with surveying instructional books at the onset of the program, with the intention at the completion of the one-year commitment that the mentee will take a corresponding CST exam. The mentee’s level of experience will dictate the appropriate CST exam.

Following the completion of the yearly mentorship program and the passing of a CST exam, mentees will receive a certificate of completion from the organization. Further, an event will be planned to celebrate their accomplishments.

Any mentor or mentee who wishes to continue the program into the next year is encouraged to do so. After completing all three CST exams, mentees are prepared to take the LSIT exam.

Description of a Mentorship Program

The new mentorship program is being formed per the guidelines posted by O*Net [the Occupational Information Network, developed under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA]. Per O*net, the definition of a mentorship program is:

A training system under which a senior or more experienced individual (the mentor) is assigned to act as an adviser, counselor, or guide to a junior or trainee (the mentee). The mentor is responsible for providing support to, and feedback on, the individual in his or her charge. — FAR Number: O*Net SOC Code 17-3031.01, Rapid Code: 0551

Mentor Title: Registered Land Surveyor (required)

Desired Mentor Qualities: A mentor can be described as a person with experience in a job who supports and advises someone with less experience to help them develop in their work. The focus will be on taking a long-range view of the mentee’s growth and development while offering encouragement and guidance along the way.

Mentee Title: Surveyor Assistant

Desired Mentee Qualities: A mentee must focus on being teachable and open to hearing feedback from their mentors, both positive and negative. A mentee cannot be afraid to ask for advice or critique. A mentee must be a good communicator and able to provide structure for the relationship while specifying up front some initial career goals and objectives.

Skills

Skills to be taught should include, but not be limited to, the following:

• Learn basic first aid treatment practices for medical emergencies.
• Learn traffic control and safety procedures for surveying and construction operations.
• Apply basic math, science, history of surveying, geography, and measurements.
• Make arithmetic calculations.
• Care, clean, and sharpen a variety of surveying tools and equipment.
• Set up, transport, and calibrate surveying field instruments.
• Identify names, purposes, and parts of various surveying instruments.
• Learn basic surveying measurements, including linear, angular, elevation, and unit systems conversions.
• Identify the types of surveying and their basic differences,
• Set up and operate specialized surveying instruments related to boundary surveying and construction.
• Learn to obtain and process data for survey plats, maps, charts and other documents using generally accepted procedures relating to boundary surveying.

Basic Mentor Program and Schedule

• The program will start in March 2019 during Surveyors Week.
• Surveyor’s Week 2020 will be the end of the first session.
• Every three months the organization will sponsor training opportunities on specific topics. These will be hosted at local facilities and open to all participants.
• The Education & Community Outreach Committee will facilitate and manage the mentorship program.

Contact:

[email protected]

Photo credit: Clif Clark. Picture from left to right: Mike Banta, LS (Westwood Professional Services), Kent Groh, LS (Stantec Consulting Services), John Rose, LS (Maricopa County), Chris McDonald, LS, CFedS (BLM), Mike Fondren, LS (RLF Consulting), Tom Granillo, LS (Hoskin Ryan) and Clif Clark, LS (ADOT).