The Department of Civil Engineering Advisory Council (DAC) recognizes the continuing interest of leaders in the civil engineering profession and related industries in civil engineering education. All DAC members are dedicated to assisting the Department of Civil Engineering and its faculty and staff with its creative development and the fulfillment of the department, college, and university missions. Most importantly, the DAC works to ensure that the graduates of the department are well prepared to support the needs of and play leadership roles in the civil engineering profession.

The DAC structure provides a means for faculty to learn about technical, business, and philosophical trends taking place in civil engineering practice and related industries and a means for the DAC members to learn of the department’s programs, guide and assist in their development, and locate potential employees from amongst the students. Similarly, the DAC provides a format for discussions on current trends in engineering practice and academia and how those trends affect the department. One of the most useful functions of the DAC is to provide dialogue between students and practitioners of the profession. Such dialog provides DAC members an opportunity to meet students and to acquaint those students with opportunities in the profession.

DAC Objectives
The DAC will seek to assist the development of the department by advising and assisting in the continued development and evolution of all of academic, research, and outreach programs. Specifically, the objectives of the DAC are:

1. To advise the department of the professional requirements of private enterprise and government and the implications of those requirements upon the curriculum;
2. To provide a forum in which teaching, research, professional development, and academic excellence can be discussed vis-à-vis the needs of the profession and related industries;
3. To develop and recommend to the department effective programs for recruiting outstanding undergraduate and graduate students to the department and to internships, co-op, and permanent positions;
4. To develop and recommend to the department opportunities for faculty to assist the practicing community in applied research and development projects;
5. To assist the department in locating funds and gifts for its educational, research, and outreach programs; and
6. To serve as a medium through which the citizens of Florida and employers worldwide are informed about the excellence of the department of civil of engineering at Florida Atlantic University.

DAC Membership
The DAC shall be composed of prominent representatives of the civil engineering profession and related industries. The department chair shall serve as executive secretary, shall work for consensus within the DAC and shall receive recommendations for action from the DAC. All department faculty members shall be ex-officio (no vote) DAC members. All members shall have an expressed interest in the objectives of the DAC. There is no specific limit on the number of DAC members. The size of the DAC shall be regulated and determined by the department chair in consultation with the DAC.

The department chair upon recommendation of the DAC executive committee shall appoint members of the DAC for a three-year term. DAC members may serve multiple terms through reappointment by the department chair, although a two-term limit will be encouraged.

The work of the DAC is considered a part of the work of the department of civil engineering and staff support is provided through the department.

DAC Officers
The officers of the DAC shall consist of the immediate past chair, chair, chair-elect, and executive secretary (department chair). Each, except the executive secretary, shall serve for a period of one year in each office with the term of service beginning on July 1. The term of the officers shall be automatically extended to cover the period of service required to complete the succession of chairs. The new chair-elect shall be elected at the spring meeting of the DAC.

The chair shall preside at all meetings of the DAC and direct the affairs of the DAC as determined by majority approval of the DAC. The chair shall appoint such committees or subcommittees as may be required to assist the DAC in fulfilling its role.

The executive secretary shall maintain minutes of meetings, make arrangements for all DAC meetings, maintain regular communications between the DAC and the Department, and prepare annual reports concerning tangible results of DAC recommended actions.

An executive committee, consisting of the DAC officers and one at-large member, shall conduct all preparatory business for regular meetings of the DAC, take action on business not requiring approval of the DAC, and report its activities at each meeting of the full DAC. The executive committee shall receive and review nominations for membership on the DAC and recommend potential members to the department chair.

Meetings
The DAC shall meet at least twice per year, once in the fall semester and once in the spring semester. The executive committee may call additional meetings as necessary.

Expenses
Expenses of individual DAC members to attend meetings are not reimbursable by the department, college, or university.

Coordination & Planning of Development Activities
All DAC development cultivation and solicitation activities need to be coordinated with and approved by the Office of University Advancement. Annual planning, development campaigns, prospect assignment, and cultivation and solicitation activities will be coordinated jointly between the department chair, dean of the college, the DAC and the university development staff.