John Webster, AIA
Eugene EPC Representative

I am a recently licensed architect practicing at Robertson Sherwood Architects in Eugene. I currently serve the AIA Eugene Section as representative of the Emerging Professional Committee (EPC). AIA uses the term "emerging professional" to refer to the diverse group of individuals who are entering the profession, recently licensed, or moving along various points on the path to licensure. This includes recent graduates, candidates on the path to licensure, and architects licensed 10 years or less. The mission of the AIA Oregon EPC is to connect and assist members along the path to licensure and advocate for career development and mentorship.

Representing the AIA Eugene EPC, I work with representatives of the other local section EPC representatives, including Sara Bergby, AIA of Bend, Lewis Williams, AIA of Portland, and Patrick McKechnie, AIA of Southern Oregon. On behalf of my EP colleagues, I would like to inform AIA Oregon members about the EP development grant we received and some of the first steps of how we intend to implement the EPC mission.

To provide equitable benefits for all Emerging Professionals within the Oregon chapter of AIA, an application for a grant offered by the College of Fellows (COF) was submitted. The $5,000 grant was awarded to AIA Oregon in July of 2019. Along with the COF grant, AIA Oregon committed an equal amount to further assist the Emerging Professionals in our state.

The grant is broken into multiple phases, the first of which includes providing equitable study materials for Architect Registration Exams (ARE). Each section will have a dedicated Lending Library, where candidates for licensure can borrow study materials to help prepare for the ARE. The intent is to provide each section with some of the NCARB recommended study materials. Included in the libraries will be the ARE 5.0 Study Guides as well as publications like the Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice, Architect’s Studio Companion and Building Codes Illustrated.

The Lending Libraries will be housed in a local firm, preferably centrally located within the population center of each section. Items will be available for check out for 3 weeks at a time, with no cost to AIA/AIA Associate members. For non-members, a minimal fee will be assessed for each checked out item.

Each section will have a Lending Librarian, who will manage the library, acting as a point of contact for interested borrowers and also keep track of the materials that have been checked out. Each section is currently identifying their Lending Library location and Librarian. Once these are determined across the state, locations and contact information will be made available on the AIA Oregon website (www.aiaoregon.org).

Another key portion of the grant implementation is to provide communication tools for EP members throughout the state. Soon we will be developing website content that will help connect EP members to available AIA benefits. Recently, we started using the free platform ‘Slack’ for our Emerging Professionals communications.

What is Slack? Slack is a free online tool that allows for easy conversation sharing, file and document sharing and more. With a free Slack account, it is possible to join the workspace specifically for Oregon Emerging Professionals (aiaoregon-ep).

AIA Oregon set up a Slack workspace earlier in the year for communication between the board, staff and committees, and many consider it a very effective communication tool. We set up the EP Slack workspace to expand this communication to a larger group. There are various channels set up within the aiaoregon-ep workspace, allowing for internal communication among EPs within your own section, and the opportunity to connect with others throughout the state. Share your thoughts on local issues, coordinate groups for ARE study, learn what other sections are doing, and the opportunity to do much more.

The Slack app is available for free on your computer from www.slack.com and also available for download from your phone's app store. The AIA Oregon Emerging Professionals workspace is located at aiaoregon-ep.slack.com. Once you enter the workspace, join the channel for your section and join the conversation. Also, please invite other AIA Associates, or others who identify as architectural emerging professionals.

Communication tools and ARE study materials are the first steps to the implementation of the grant. We will also be working on providing scholarships for online ARE study resources, continuing work on developing a culture of mentorship, and developing career-based educational opportunities for emerging professionals. These other focuses will be possible as a result of direct communication with and participation of the emerging professional community.

We look forward to hearing from our emerging professional community!