08.22.09
The Region B Blog!
Hello everyone!
This is the Society of Women Engineers Region B Blog. Stuff will be posted here periodically including: important information and deadlines, hot topics, important people, and various other stuff. This year, we (the RCRs and RCCE) would like to increase our readers, article submissions, and comments. So, we have decided to give a prize out to the section that is the most active section on this blog based on a points system.
The points will go as follows:
* 5 points for submitting an article written by a SWE member
* 4 points for turning your section report in on time
* 3 points for commenting on the Hot Topics (note: only one comment per person will count for points)
* 2 points for turning your section report in late
* 1 point for commenting on general posts
* 1 point for submitting pictures
Here are the rules for this Most Active Section Competition:
* All articles and comments must relate to SWE and the collegiate members. We are hoping to recognize significant people and collegiate sections in our articles. So, if you’d like to recognize a person or section, send the RCCE (rcce-b@swe.org) an email to nominate them.
* All comments must relate to the article being commented on
* Articles must be submitted to the RCCE (rcce-b@swe.org), and they need to include the submitter’s name and section to receive credit
* Comments should include the poster’s name and their section
We hope this will help increase our readers. Also, we wanted to start something new and recognize people in our region who have done awesome things. So, if you’d like to recognize someone, send us their name, email, and why you’d like them to be recognized.
As always, everyone is more than welcome to email their articles, ideas, and comments to the RCCE (rcce-b@swe.org). We hope everyone has a good year!!
Amanda Romero ~ RCCE (Note: I am the Region Collegiate Communications Editor now)
Annika Jensen ~ RCR
Katherine Gage ~ RCR
01.26.10
Meet the Candidates
So, this post will be updated as more candidates choose to run for our region’s positions. So, keep checking it!
For Region Collegiate Representative (we get to have two again next year):
Ashlin Olsen, Utah State University
Hello everyone! My name is Ashlin Olsen. I’m from a small town in Utah called Henefer (if you look at a map its in the corner that is missing…) I love music, reading, horses, playing board games, SWE, traveling to new places, and meeting new people. I’m an avid Aggie basketball fan and attend all the games cheering loudly in order to show my Aggie Pride! I’m currently studying Biological Engineering and loving life. I’m excited to get a chance to be RCR this coming year. I’m Utah State’s SWE section’s secretary for the ‘09-’10 school year. I’ve been a member for two years and have attended Region B conference in Phoenix recently and Albuquerque last year. I want to be RCR next year so we can continue on the tradition of being a strong region. I want to create unity and find new ways for sections to communicate with each other. I feel I have some fresh ideas and can keep our region moving in the right direction! I’m excited to meet more people across the region, represent you, and share your ideas to make SWE a better organization for everyone.
For Region Collegiate Communications Editor:
Brittney Pottenger, University of Southern California
Hey everyone! My name is Brittney Pottenger and I’m a sophomore Industrial and Systems engineer at the University of Southern California. When physics isn’t stealing all my free time, I love to play tennis and sing. I’ve participated in several outreach programs to teach local school children about the applications of engineering and inspire high school girls to take on the challenge of an engineering major. Within my school’s SWE, I joined the committee to organize a charity event for Aviva this year. We’re planning a date auction for the engineering school’s ball. I’m excited for the opportunity to get more involved with SWE; as RCCE, I promise to always be on my A-game and keep everyone informed and excited about the latest and greatest!
For Region Collegiate Senator:
Amanda Romero, Utah State University
Hey SWEsters!! I’m Amanda Romero, and I am a graduate student majoring in biological engineering at Utah State University. I’ve been involved with SWE since my freshman year in college. My various roles included: USU Fundraising Coordinator, USU Treasurer, and Region B Collegiate Communications Editor. My life pretty much revolves around school, work, my husband, my dog, and SWE. I love going to the SWE conferences and meeting people. It’s the best part about SWE. After sitting in the open session of the Senate Meeting at Annual Conference, I thought running for senator would suit me well. If elected, I look forward to serving my region as senator and seeing more familiar faces as well as meeting more people.
01.17.10
Making the Most of Region Conference
Region Conference is on January 29 through the 31. It will be in Phoenix, Arizona. Don’t forget to register for it!
One of the most important things I wish someone had told me before my first SWE Conference was the appropriate dress attire. The appropriate dress attire is business to business casual. Don’t show up to the conference in jeans and a t-shirt like I did my first time.
One of the best ways to network with professionals outside of the career fair is by sitting at their tables during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I urge every single collegiate to step outside of their boundaries and not save a table solely for their school’s section. Sit by people you don’t know and introduce yourself. Meeting people over food is one of the easiest ways to network.
The Schedule of the conference can be found here. The sessions consist of five different tracks: collegiate, professional development, personal development, technical, and SWE. Make sure to look at all of the sessions because sometimes, you might find a better session outside of the collegiate track. However, all collegiates are requested to attend the Collegiate Meeting.
The Career Fair will be one of the best ways to search for potential employers. It is highly recommended that you where business attire, maybe even a business suit. Also, resumes are a must! There is a session in the collegiate track that can help prepare us for the career fair. So, if you’re new to the whole career fair business, attend that session to become career fair savvy.
The best thing we all take away from SWE conferences is the people. Meeting old friends and making new ones is the best part about SWE. I hope everyone enjoys the conference at the end of this month. I look forward to seeing familiar faces and new faces!!
12.28.09
Opportunity Knocking
Are you interested in taking your SWE leadership to the next level? Do you want to make a difference in programs for collegiate members or assist in developing the strategic direction of SWE in the Senate; this is your opportunity to apply! You could be your region’s next Region Collegiate Representative (RCR), Region Collegiate Communication Editor (RCCE), or Region Collegiate Senator (RCS).
The RCR is responsible for representing collegiate members’ interests among regional leaders. The RCCE is responsible for communicating important SWE events and best practices through the region’s blog. Plus, the RCR(s) and RCCE from each region will have the opportunity to attend next summer’s Collegiate Leadership Forum in San Francisco, CA!
The RCS is responsible for chartering strategic direction and adopting long-range goals for the Society. The alternate RCS is responsible fulfilling their Senator’s duties if the Senator is unable to perform their tasks. The RCS from each region may also have the opportunity to attend next summer’s Collegiate Leadership Forum in San Francisco, CA!
The RCE, RCCE, and RCS positions provide invaluable interaction and coaching from SWE leaders. These leadership opportunities sharpen your career skill-set in the areas of leading and facilitation, group dynamics and communication, and project leadership.
Click here to apply.
Read what Katherine has to say about being an RCR:
The call for applications for RCR and RCCE went out I believe December 18th. As RCR you are responsible for communicating and working with all the collegiate sections in our region. There are 29 sections in Region B to be exact. As RCR you have monthly conference calls with region leadership and conference calls with the RCR/RCCE from every region. You also have reports to collect from sections and reports you must write to summarize collegiate section activity. Being RCR has taught me a lot more about SWE. It can help make your section stronger because you have more resources at your finger tips. I know I really enjoyed meeting all the collegiate members in Region B at the SWE Annual Conference. I have enjoyed working with each section and understanding more about their specific needs. With any leadership role I think the more you can put into it the more you gain from it. I would like to mention that I feel this is a fairly large responsibility so make sure that you have the time to fulfill its responsibilities. If you have considered it or have questions about the process application process or responsibilities please email me at swe.rcr.b@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.
About the RCCE:
As an RCCE, I maintain the collegiate blog for the region. This can take some time to research SWE and write articles. And I definitely have to agree with Katherine when she says the more you put into the position, the more you can gain from it. The best thing about this leadership position is the opportunity to meet people. I enjoyed seeing everyone in my region at the Annual Conference. And I look forward to seeing everyone again at the Region Conference in January. It’s nice knowing that there is a lot more to SWE than just your section’s monthly socials/activities. Also, one thing that definitely helps holding a leadership position is letting your teachers and bosses know about it. Having their support really helps you move forward and grow in your position in SWE. If you have any questions for me, please email me.
Region Conference
This year’s Region B Conference will be occurring January 29-31, 2010 at Sheraton Downtown Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. Don’t forget to register for it because it will be a lot of fun!
Register here.
Visit Region B’s Conference website for more information.
SWE Scholarships
The SWE scholarship application deadline is February 15, 2009. Please pass the word on to collegiate members in your section. More information can be found here.
About SWE Scholarships
The SWE Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to women admitted to accredited baccalaureate or graduate programs, in preparation for careers in engineering, engineering technology and computer science. In fiscal year 2009, SWE disbursed more than 180 new and renewed scholarships valued at $470,000.
Grants are announced in the summer (sophomore, junior, senior and graduate students) and late summer/early fall (freshmen and reentry students) for use during the following academic year. Grant payments are made in the fall for corporate-sponsored scholarships and in both the fall and spring for endowed scholarships, upon proof of registration.
Accredited programs are based on ABET accreditation. The list of SWE-approved colleges and universities is the same list as the ABET-accredited engineering programs.
Did you know?
* Annually, SWE awards individual scholarships to freshmen through graduate students
* Scholarships and fellowships range from $1,000 to $10,000 each
* In 2008, SWE national scholarship distributions were over $400,000
* Many professional SWE sections offer additional scholarships
National Involvement
So, there are three main levels of involvement with SWE. They are: the sectional level, the regional level, and the national level.
The section level involves your school’s section. This is probably the most in-person interactions you will have with fellow SWE members. And for almost all members, this is where they find out about SWE and decide whether or not to join. Each SWE section has different socials and activities that they are doing. And I’d like to hear what sections are doing (leave a comment letting everyone know).
The region level involves everyone within your region. We are all in region B, and there are a lot of professionals and collegiates who hold leadership positions and help maintain our region. There also a few committees: awards, finance, outreach, procedures, and communications to name a few. The region B leadership holds conference calls once a month to keep all of us moving forward. If you are interested in running for a leadership position or would like to join one of the conference calls to see what it’s like, please email me or the RCRs for more information.
I would also like to remind everyone of our region’s goals this year:
1. 95% of our sections turn their section report in on time.
2. 50% of professional sections host a joint meeting with a collegiate section.
3. 85% member retention rate from last year (FY09).
4. Our “SWE”eter future combined efforts reaches out to at least 10,000 K-12 students.
5. Our leadership pipeline fosters 10 mentor/mentee relationships.
And now we get to the national level. The best way to get involved with the national level is to go to the Annual Conference. That is one of the best SWE experiences anyone can have. The national level also has people in leadership that keep our Society moving forward. At the head is our President, Nora Lin. There is also the Senate that includes two professionals and one collegiate from each section.
I would like to mention an activity that is going on this year that all sections are encouraged to participate in. SWE is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Sections are encouraged to hold a social to celebrate SWE and its 60th anniversary. I know it’s supposed to occur sometime next spring. I will have to continue researching it and get back to everyone with more information.
11.09.09
SWE Nomenclature
This is a very important topic that needs to be addressed. If you hold a position in your collegiate section and have it in your signature, it needs to include your section name. Only one person is the SWE President, and that is Nora Lin; only she has that title and can use that signature.
Three example signatures are shown below:
Amanda Romero
Region B Collegiate Communications Editor
Society of Women Engineers
Jane Doe
Utah State Collegiate Section President
Society of Women Engineers
Jane Doe
USU SWE Section President
Your signature doesn’t have to follow the same format in my examples. But the main thing is that you include Collegiate Section (or just Section but I enjoy showing my Collegiate pride) in your title.
Please, please pass this information on because this is important to anyone who has a position in SWE and uses it in their signatures (e.g. treasurers, directors, etc.)
11.08.09
Membership Sign-Up/Renewal Instructions
Renew Your National SWE Dues
Click here to renew your National SWE membership! Just login and complete the online renewal form. A letter sent from the national organization contains your password (in case you forgot). If you don’t have your letter and don’t remember your password, select “Forgot your login or password? Click here” and enter your e-mail address. Your password should arrive shortly. If your e-mail address is not recognized, you will have to apply for a new membership.
Become a National SWE Member
Click here to register as a National SWE member! Just follow these easy steps:
- Select Collegiate and New Member or Former Member and click Continue.
- Select SWE Collegiate Member Dues
- Enter the following required information in the form.
- First Name
- Last Name
- Home Address 1
- Home Address City
- Home Address Postal Code
- Home Address Phone Number
- Home Address Email
- You must create and save at least one Education record.
- All other fields are optional; enter any or no optional information.
- Click Continue.
- Enter your credit card information and click Submit.
10.25.09
Making a Personal Connecton to Members
I really didn’t know what to write about with this hot topic until I though about what kept me in SWE. Also, the advice I later took from my section’s past president on how to connect to members, new and old. And I believe the best personal connection you can make with members is remembering their names and who they are.
When the first social begins, it should be expected that all officers initiate the conversation with members, whether they know them or not. Also, officers shouldn’t be talking with only other officers because that is a big turnoff for soon-to-be-members. A great way to start a conversation is to introduce yourself and get to know the other person. You should be able to remember their name, major, and year in school by the end of the social. A great way to remember names is to always think of people’s names as you see their faces at the social because you’re probably going to see the same faces over and over again (and be repeating their names over and over again in your head). If you can’t remember some one’s name, go ask them.
Once that first social is over with, the best way to keep that personal connection is to remember the people. If you see someone from the social on the way to class, address them by their name as you say hello. That often makes people think, “Wow, they remember me.” And this often shows a little bit to a lot of appreciation. And if they feel remembered, they tend to show up more often at SWE events.
Another way to make a personal connection is to connect with freshman or sophomores who are in your major. If you’ve already taken the classes they’re in, offer them help if they need it. Because chances are, if they need help, they’re going to remember you and seek you out.
Now for those who already have a connection to SWE, e.g. the returning members, ask if they want to come to the officer meetings. Always let members know that the officer meetings are open to any one who wants to go. And if these members do go to the meetings, assign them appointed positions and ask if they would like to help. If members are given responsibilities within the society, chances are they will be more likely to show up and participate.
As always, I would like to keep this topic as an ongoing discussion. I want everyone’s feedback and ideas on how to make a personal connection. Maybe there’s an even better way to connect with members that I haven’t talked about.
09.20.09
Attracting & Retaining Members
I thought I’d start this discussion by telling how my section increased our membership last year. Our section’s president came up with a “What SWE Can Do for You” flyer. This flyer listed almost all of the benefits of SWE and who could join. For our first social every year, we have door prizes, and we discuss what SWE is on a national, regional, and section level. Also, we include computers to allow students to register right then and there. So, to keep the discussion going, I’d like to hear what other sections do to attract and retain members.
