Issue 1
May 2013
BCSP Collegiate eNewsletter
Greetings! 

Welcome to the new BCSP Collegiate eNewsletter!

Whether you are a SH&E professor, student, or recent graduate, the Collegiate eNewsletter will include news and information that will help you in your professional safety career.

See the In This Issue section to the right to navigate to the stories of most interest to you.

Congratulations to all 2013 graduates!

Welcome to the New BCSP Collegiate eNewsletter

Lon H. Ferguson, Ed.D., CSP, BCSP Board of Directors Vice President and Chair of the Safety Sciences Department at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania

 

As safety, health, and environmental (SH&E) practice develops, providing SH&E professionals with new insights into the multitude of factors that contribute to organizational safety, it is incredibly important we strengthen the connections between safety education and practice.

 

With this first publication of the BCSP Collegiate eNewsletter, BCSP is taking a big step in the direction of establishing these connections -- the Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP�) program is being expanded from a list of 15 Qualified Academic Programs (QAPs) to a total of 56 programs. BCSP defines a QAP as a bachelor's or master's degree program in safety, health and environmental practices holding program accreditation by either the Applied Science Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology or the Aviation Accreditation Board International.

 

Being recognized as a QAP has several advantages for both the SH&E program and their graduates. For the program, being a QAP is tied in with accreditation which signifies the program has met certain standards and student outcomes necessary to produce graduates who are prepared to enter the SH&E profession. This accreditation promotes best practices in education as well as continuous quality improvement processes. Graduating from an accredited program provides students access to enhanced opportunities in employment and certification.

 

For these reasons, BCSP created the GSP designation, which recognizes graduates from these accredited SH&E programs. The GSP designation waives the requirement that graduates from these programs take and pass the Safety Fundamentals (ASP) examination before pursuing the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) certification. This is a major benefit for the GSP, as the three hour, 200 question examination has a current passing rate of 66% and a cost of $350.00. The GSP also receives a waiver of the CSP application fee, a cost of $160.00.

 

Ultimately, BCSP's goal in growing the GSP program is to draw attention to outstanding SH&E academic programs and provide a clear path for their graduates to become Certified Safety Professionals (CSP). This certification is critical to society as it demonstrates the CSP has mastered the core knowledge required for professional safety practice.

 

It is our hope that this BCSP Collegiate eNewsletter serves us well in the pursuit of this goal. I hope that you enjoy reading it and find it useful in joining us to advance the safety profession.

 

BCSP Expands List of GSP Program's QAPs

The list of Qualifying Academic Programs (QAPs), whose graduates are eligible for BCSP's GSP designation, has expanded from 15 programs to a total of 56.

 

Any bachelor's or master's degree program in safety, health and environmental practices which holds program accreditation by the Applied Science Accreditation Commission of ABET (ABET-ASAC) or the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) is now included as a QAP for BCSP's GSP program.

 

BCSP views this as an important step in advancing SH&E practice, strengthening the connection between education and employment. It is an opportunity to emphasize the importance of the study of safety as an important component in bettering its practical application, as well as to increase the visibility of safety as a profession.

 

Jolene Keach, BCSP Special Projects Administrator, is working with representatives from each QAP to assist in collaboration. Faculty recently received information on how they can collaborate with BCSP, and student initiative is encouraged -- GSPs are our future SH&E leaders.

 

The full list of QAPs, along with other related information, is listed on BCSP's GSP webpage.

 

BCSP's Academic Database Undergoes Major Update

In the first quarter of 2013 over 250 academic programs were either updated or added to BCSP's Academic Database.

 

By using the database's search function, individuals seeking the knowledge to become a safety professional, to meet recertification requirements, or to stay abreast of developments in SH&E can find safety programs that meet their need. Programs listed can be filtered by location, or by whether or not they are offered online.

 

In total, the database now contains over 837 SH&E programs from accredited universities, ranging from certificates to doctorates, many listed with the helpful assistance of students or professors.

 

To submit a new course, or update an existing one, you can fill out a Safety Program Contact Update Form. We appreciate your input in maintaining this useful resource.

 

New Edition of the GSP Application Guide Published

Important updates and layout changes have been made to the GSP's application guides, combining the original Application and Retroactivity Application Guides into a single, streamlined publication covering the qualifications and processes necessary to apply for the GSP credential.

 

QAPs Can Promote Their Being a Path to the CSP

As BCSP includes more academic programs among those where graduates can become GSP's, waiving the ASP examination, those programs and BCSP have an opportunity to promote each other's quality.

 

QAPs are encouraged to have those in charge of their marketing contact BCSP for information on how we can share the benefits of enrolling in a QAP, as well as practical assistance with links to GSP resources, and permission to use GSP logo.

 

Through collaboration, BCSP and QAPs can promote safety as a profession, such that becoming a safety professional is more often included among the options young people consider when exploring career possibilities.

 

Contact Colan Holmes, BCSP Communications Specialist, for more information on how QAPs and BCSP can advance safety together.

 

In This Issue
Send Us Your News

Consider the BCSP Collegiate
eNewsletter your eNewsletter.

The BCSP eNewsletter is currently published twice annually, at the beginning and end of each academic year.

If you have any SH&E education news ideas, contact Colan Holmes, BCSP Communications Specialist.

Newsletters and Annual Reports Archive

BCSP keeps an archive of all of its eNewsletters and Annual Reports. You can view these other publications in the eNewsletter section of the About BCSP webpage's right-side resources column. 
 
Promote the Value of Your School

If your academic program is a Qualifying Academic Program, BCSP would like to work with you in making sure individuals seeking quality SH&E education know your school produces future leaders.

Contact Lisa Spencer, BCSP Marketing Director, for more information.

BCSP's Toolkit for Advancing the Safety Profession


Tabletop displays are a great way to promote BCSP certifications and earn Recertification credit. A display is available to any certificate holder for use at chapter meetings, regional or local conferences, career fairs, and other safety-related seminars, meetings, and presentations. BCSP ships to and from any U.S. venue and provides literature at no cost.

If you would like to borrow a display, fill out a  Tabletop Display Request form and email it to Anne Price, BCSP Marketing Specialist. Displays are first come, first serve.

Presentations on safety certification can also be done for Recertification points, and BCSP has many resources that can be used for presentations, including pre-made PowerPoints, on our Articles and Presentations webpage.

Item writing illustrates your safety knowledge, earning you Recertification points as well. Find out more on our Item Writing webpage .
 


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