'Geomatics, Formerly Known as Surveying'

I appreciate all the comments to my last post, which also ran in the Dec. 15 edition of the POB eNews. In addition to the comments that were posted here, I received numerous e-mails from individuals who read the eNews article. One of these comments came from Walter M. Cunningham, PLS, Geomatics Program Coordinator & Faculty Member, Division of Natural Sciences, School of Science, Mathematics, and Engineering at Salt Lake Community College. Cunningham writes:

“Surveying or Geomatics—in all its forms, manifestations, usages, technologies, adaptations, locations, and applications—has survived for well over 30,000 years and has no doubt experienced thousands of name changes over the millennia. I seriously doubt that another name change will affect the profession or the crucial work performed by geoscientists, professional land surveyors and their technicians. In view of the over-all historic perspective, debating over a name change is equivalent to 'sweating the small stuff.'

“Our ability to survive and succeed as an ancient discipline and profession continues to be in direct proportion to our ability to adapt to ever-changing world environments and technologies.

“I am one of the many who have worked together for over 20+ years with the Utah Council of Land Surveyors, our state licensing board and state legislature, Salt Lake Community College, UVU, etc., to help create the new Geomatics BS degree at Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, Utah. Dan Perry is the one person who took our shared dreams and translated them into the new BS program. I have been a surveyor for over 45 years and I hold a BS degree in a discipline directly related to Surveying/Geomatics, which I earned from the world’s largest private university, I’ve been licensed in Utah for the past 20 years and have worked all over Alaska, Utah, Nevada, and Wyoming during my career. I am also a member of the Geomatics (Surveying) faculty at Salt Lake Community College where I’ve taught and labored since 1994 with said faculty, whom I respectfully consider to be a “Band of Brothers.” I’ve had the privilege of serving as the coordinator of the SLCC AAS Geomatics (Surveying) degree program for the past five years, and enthusiastically look forward to fulfilling our articulated role and partnership with UVU to continue the advancement and improvement of Surveying/Geomatics education in Utah.

“To put it best, Shakespeare said it correctly when he wrote that a rose by any other name is still the same.

“Please stop sweating the small stuff and let’s get on with the future of our profession, no matter what it’s named!”

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Although several others voiced similar opinions, the majority believe that the terminology is far from “small stuff.” I’ve compiled all of the comments below, listing each contributor by first name only to protect the privacy of those who may not wish to be identified.

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The title "geomatics" implies that the work performed in the "real world" land surveying is an exact science—that you need no experience in the field, you don't need to be taught or guided by anyone as long as you have a degree in that "title." It has always been instilled in me that land surveying is an art, NOT an exact science. The word surveying implies that! There are so many variables. When you try to make it an exact science, you eliminate the human factor, the intent of the surveyor to come to the best conclusion with what information and instruments, tools he had at the time. Every day and job performed is different and the conclusion could be different.

I'm tired of this day and age where everything has to be politically correct. Well, if these people are so hell-bent on being politically correct, then word "geomatics" is not correct in place of “land surveying.”

--Thomas

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Geomatics may encompass surveying but a geomatist is not a land surveyor. It is a person who has a degree in a field as stated in your article "... that uses satellite technology—technology that allows both underground and above-ground surveying capability." And, as the trustees noted … “geomatics” is the emerging name and is sometimes included as part of a civil engineering degree.

A degree in geomatics may make the graduate a surveyor, but not a land surveyor.

There is a difference.

--Gene

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The historical significance of the title surveyor is becoming lost. Surveyor has traditionally been a title for a person that was held in high esteem. A surveyor was an educated person, a mathematician, a quasi judge, an arbiter, and a botanist. It's hard to see how geomaticist will carry the same honor. Certainly it's a modern word; I daresay if one were to look at an unabridged dictionary from as recently as the 1980's and perhaps even the 1990's the word would not appear.

I proudly graduated from the University of Florida, College of Engineering, with a BLS degree ( Bachelor of Land Surveying). At the time, I had the opportunity to change my degree title to BS. I opted out because I revere the title land surveyor.

It would be difficult to think of Mount Rushmore as the three geomaticists and the other guy!

-- Michael

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If we are practicing geomatics, then what do we call ourselves—GEOMATICISTS? Really, why change something if it isn't broke? I agree with one of your bloggers that all of this hype is just to grab the attention of high school students so that they will sign up with their schools. It's recruitment 101. I guess you can't really blame the schools. They need the department, but come on, call a spade a spade. A surveyor is a surveyor is a surveyor.

--Mike

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Geomatics is being taught as a science like engineering (experts at measuring and mathematics), but surveying is an art. The problem is as I see it is students are being taught the science and not the art. Real-world professionals like myself teach the "art of surveying" to my interns, which is a combination of mathematics, law, logic, deductive reasoning and common sense. The first laws of surveying, "Let me walk in the footsteps of the surveyor before me," and "proration is a rule of LAST resort," are not being taught. Most professors teaching these students understand none of this, as they are trying to make our profession a subdivision of the Science of Engineering. It is time for surveying professionals to make a stand. We are not simply people who can solve a right triangle (which is what a lot of engineers think) but problem solvers who have been a part of this great country since its founding.

--Matthew

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I went to a survey conference in British Columbia back in 2001 and was surprised to find that they consider land surveying as one component of geomatics. In the United States, geomatics is one component of land surveying. Geomatics is merely the act of measuring on the earth’s surface and neglects to include boundary law, property development or any of about 90% of what surveyors do. I have not yet seen a college use the term geomatics to describe a degree and get any respect from the survey community. To reduce surveyors to merely measurers or field technicians (or, God forbid, field engineers) is a pathetic understatement of what we do. Besides, who wants to say they are a geomaticer? (Sounds like a toy my grandson would play with.)

--Rob

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In response to your comments regarding geomatics versus surveying, it appears to me that the more we shift from being surveyors to being geomaticians, the more emphasis we place on the science of measurement, and the less we place on the art of establishing boundaries. I see a day in the future when you call a geomatician regarding a dispute concerning a fence location. Your geomatician, and your neighbor’s geomatician will easily agree on the precise location of the fence. However, neither will have any idea on whose property the fence is located!

I am afraid that we are losing more than we are gaining.

--Joseph

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The University of Florida program changed to a Geomatics program and degree from a Surveying and Mapping program in 2004.

I graduated from this program at the end of 1987 with a bachelor of science degree in Surveying and Mapping.

The name change was considered controversial by the state surveying society at the time, but it was felt as necessary to incorporate more disciplines into the surveying field.

Their website can be reached at http://sfrc.ifas.ufl.edu/geomatics/

--Bill

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The title of your latest eNews certainly caught my eye. I know that you're just the messenger, and therefore you don't deserve any scorn, but as you might imagine it was an unwelcome shock to discover that I was going to have to change so many things about my profession and business. Little things, like the health insurance application I filled out a few months ago, where I said my business was "land surveying." Gonna have to get back to them and apologize for the error. Maybe my occupation was already "geomatics" at the time, and I was just behind the curve. And all my business brochures, which claim to educate potential clients about "land surveying."

Then, of course, the big things. Like getting in touch with the Massachusetts Legislature and breaking the news to them. Yup, they've got an act or two to pass, revising Chaps. 97 and 112 which govern the "Practice of Land Surveying."

And then there'll be the debate over what to call us: Geomaticians? Geomaticists? And somebody's gonna have to let Webster's know, too. Shame, they probably went to press with their 2011 edition already, without revising the definition to "surveyor: the archaic term for geomaticitician."

Thanks for the heads up, anyhow. Funny how you can go to bed thinking you're one thing and wake up to discover you're something entirely different. Kinda shakes you up. Oh well. I'll just go along and do the same thing I was doing yesterday and hope that it passes muster in whatever world those guys out in Utah are living in.

--David

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Wow…you’re going boldly where few surveyors have been brave enough to tread! Great job in articulating the surveying vs. geomatics argument. I’ve come to terms (no pun intended) with geomatics and now believe that it is a much more forward-thinking, visionary term for the future of our profession. I actually like it, but it was only after I was well into my graduate studies that I really saw geomatics as an appropriate label for our future. Too many surveyors see the evolution from surveying to geomatics as some sort of condemnation of the rich history of surveying, which I have always failed to understand. I think it says “We are all that and much, much more.”

--Rich

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Your article was indeed thought-provoking. Will people think of Thomas Jefferson as a great geomatics professional? I certainly hope not, as the practice of surveying is rooted deep into our history. I am sure there are many of us that are proud of what we do but more importantly we are proud of our past. Certainly the name surveyor will stand the test of time.

--Scott

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I believe the entire discussion on geomatics causing the demise of the term land surveyor is moot. Similar to the use of US feet, a unit that is no longer the official unit of the United States for measurement of distance, it won’t go away any time soon. Geomatics engineering, as did surveying engineering before it, applies to far more than what a “land surveyor” does. In light of this, if the land surveyor wants to be involved in laser scanning, hydrographic surveying, spatial surveying, geodetic surveying, etc., then maybe the title should change, but it hasn’t stopped any land surveyors that I know of from claiming to be experts at some or all these things, and none of them involve a deed or a boundary which is all the state exam covers. I wouldn’t worry about it. Besides change is good.

In Canada, for example, where I was educated as a surveying engineer, the candidate for registration as a professional land surveyor is required to obtain a degree in geomatics as the term has now replaced surveying engineering. They’ve been educating surveying engineers or geomatics engineers for many decades now, and the term land surveyor is still relevant. The Alberta Land Surveyor’s Association provides the following for those interested in a career in as a land surveyor:

Career Opportunities
This section is for those individuals who are interested in pursuing a career in land surveying but not currently articled to an Alberta Land Surveyor. Alberta Land Surveyors are geomatics professionals. Geomatics is the discipline of gathering, storing, processing, and delivering of geographic information. Alberta Land Surveyors apply their educational skills to a wide variety of surveying disciplines. Land surveyors are involved in oilfield work, land use planning and development and in other related activities involving determination of property boundaries or assembly and analysis of land related information. It is an exciting career of changing technology, computers and satellites. Alberta Land Surveyors are in the centre of it all! (www.alsa.ab.ca)

--Clark

Professional Geomatical Wizard....do we get a complimentary magic wand with that?? :-D

In the 1990s, the BLM Alaska State Office changed the name of the Division of Cadastral Survey to the Division of Geomatics. It so confused everyone, as in "what is that" or "what do you do" that it was not to long after changed back to the Division of Cadastral Survey... Sometimes things are not broke, and do not need a newer and to some people thinking loftier title. I suppose when the State changes the licensure from a Professional Land Surveyors license to a Professional Geomatical Wizard license, we could change.... If we have too... maybe...I think…