Dr Ben Parkes, University of Manchester, discusses his experiences of applying for Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) and offers his support to academics considering applying for Chartership.
My name is Dr Ben Parkes, and I am a Lecturer in Climate Resilience in the School of Engineering at the University of Manchester. As with anyone, the start of the journey to becoming Chartered is making the decision that it is a worthwhile investment. I teach on a Civil Engineering programme which is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators. To meet accreditation requirements, at least half of the teaching staff on the programme should be professionally registered. Typically, this would be in the form of Chartered Engineer, however my background in Physics and Environmental Science makes this a poor fit for me. Regulations allow other professional qualifications such as the CEnv and CSci, both of which are available through the IES.
Why choose Chartership through the IES?
This decision was very easy, the IES’ remit and topics matched my area of interest, and I was able to join quickly and painlessly. I am far from the first academic to become chartered through the IES and I am happy to report that I received support from their team with my application. I took advantage of the CEnv in a day workshop and heartily recommend this route.
Navigating the application process
I did have to modify my approach to fit the application. Within academia we flit from project to project often on a short time scale or only committing a few percent of our time to any given topic. This contrasts with our professional peers who may have projects lasting many months or even a year. The IES is understandably more experienced with these larger projects forming part of an application, compared to projects in academia. This mental shift was crucial in the success of my application and something I’m glad to have experienced.
How can I help you?
I am now in the position of being the pathfinder for other sustainability focused academics within the school of engineering in their applications for professional recognition. Beyond my University, I am looking to support colleagues working in academia. I can provide guidance and advice on the application for CEnv status. Please contact me to discuss how I might assist with the application process.
