HOT TOPIC: Preparing Future Leaders

Whether at the collegiate level, regoinal, or society level, SWE’s leaders are fantastic not only because of their own skills and networking abilities, but also because they begin seeking these positions as early as possible and have the opportunity to be mentored by their predecessors. So, to make sure your collegiate section continues to be successful year after year, start preparing your future leaders now!

1) Plant seeds of confidence!
One of the best things you can do is to simply encourage active SWE members in your section. Find those who have high potential, and tell them that you think they would be great in a leadership position. Members–and current leaders who will be taking on higher roles–often just need an extra push and love to know they are appreciated for their activity in SWE.

2) Mentor future leaders now
Pass down knowledge now! Keep future leaders in the loop as you carry out your duties. Show them how you do it, and most importantly, ask for their feedback. Being involved earlier on in the process engages them in the SWE leadership pipeline. Also, find ways to keep members active, and see which members take the initiative to be involved. For example, E-Week is coming up (February 18th – 25th)! This is a great chance to see how SWE members get involved.

3) Nominate them as a SWEFL
SWE Future Leaders are freshmen or sophomores chosen by their Region for their leadership potential and involvement in SWE. SWEFLs have the great opportunity of attending the Collegiate Leadership Forum in the summer, along with the SWE Society leadership, regional professional leadership, and regional collegiate leaders. If someone in your section shows great potential, nominate him or her!

Do you have other ideas for preparing future leaders in your collegiate section? Share them!

Why Collegiate Senate?

Interested in being involved with SWE beyond your section? Want to represent collegiates in your region, and have your voice heard in the SWE senate? Then run for Region Collegiate Senator–it’s not too late to apply!

If you’re unsure about the position, or don’t know what it involves, check out this video below from collegiate senators all over the country telling you why they love being a senator:

The deadline to apply for RCS, RCR, or RCCE is February 7th!

HOT TOPIC: Making the Most of the Region C Conference

The 2011 Region C Conference is just around the corner!

Whether it’s your first time attending a SWE conference, or you’re a seasoned SWE con attendee, you may be wondering what you can do this time to get the most out of your Region C conference experience!

1) Attend the Region C collegiate meeting (10am on Saturday)
Here’s your chance to not only meet your current regional leaders, but also hear from candidates for next year’s regional collegiate team! This meeting is also your chance to give feedback directly to the region and find out more on how you can get involved!

2) Mixer Activity (8pm on Friday)
Get to know SWE members all across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas! Conferences are full of networking opportunities, but it may be difficult to find the right way to meet collegiates and professionals. This new event is your chance to interact with them in a casual, fun environment!

3) Career Fair (11am to 4pm on Saturday)
Whether you’re a freshman or a senior looking for a full-time job, do not miss out on the career fair! Network with industry leaders from over twenty companies. It’s never too early or too late. Bring resumes!

4) Attend leadership and technical workshops (all day Saturday)
This conference brings you four sessions of workshops with topics from professional development, to avoiding leadership burnout, to ‘being an engineer outside of a cube’. Presenters include SWE collegiates, SWE professionals, and several companies. These workshops are interactive and very informative, so be sure to attend several of them!

5) Live band performance + dancing, presented by AMD (after 9:30pm on Saturday)
You can’t be in Austin without getting a taste of what makes this city the music capital of the world! So, grab your dance shoes and celebrate with Region C to the music of Red Alert, Austin’s premiere 80′s cover band! This event takes place at AMD’s hospitality suite. Don’t miss out!

The Region C Conference is held from January 28 – 30th. For more information, visit the conference website.

See you all in Austin!

Calling all SWE Members – Register for the Region C Conference!

The 2011 SWE Region C Conference will be held on January 28-30, 2011 in Austin, TX.

Join us for a weekend filled with learning, networking, leadership, and fun! This year’s theme, “Keep Engineering Innovative,” is meant to encourage participants to take a step back, think creatively, and use those ideas to change the world around us.

Registration and hotel room registration are available at our website: http://bit.ly/sweregionc.
Be sure to register before January 5th for the regular registration fees! If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at region.c.conference.2011@gmail.com.

HOT TOPIC: Keeping Members Excited about SWE

As we endure finals, as the semester ends, and as we head into the holiday season, it might be a little more difficult to keep members as excited about SWE as they were in September. Here are some easy ways to keep the enthusiasm going in your section!

1) Go to the Region C Conference!
Nothing brings SWE members closer together and keeps them more involved with SWE like a SWE conference! Register now for the 2011 Region C Conference in Austin, TX, from January 28th-30th. Talk about the conference during meetings! Send out a reminder email to get members registered. Mention all the great advantages of attending a conference–not only do you experience amazing networking and leadership opportunities, but you’ll also have the chance to explore the “Live Music Capital of the World” that is Austin!

2) Get Pumped for E-Week!
Engineers Week this year is February 20-26th. If your school participates in this nationwide outreach event, be sure your SWE section is involved! Many schools host an “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day” event during this time, when girls of all ages visit campus and explore what engineering can do through fun, hands-on activities. Some schools even host a competition between engineering organizations on campus, aiming to host the most events and garner the most participation by engineering students. If your school is not involved, then your SWE section can be the group that gets a new tradition going! E-Week is always an exciting event that keeps members more involved than ever, so take advantage of it!
For more information, visit: www.eweek.org

3) Maintain Connections
Encourage participation by building those SWE friendships! This is time of the year when leaders within your SWE section look for future leaders. So, for example, hold leadership retreats events that encourage bonding and give SWE members the opportunity to build a strong connection to your section. Encourage upperclassmen to mentor underclassmen during meetings, as you approach the start of the next semester. SWE involvement always begins with having a SWE buddy with you at every meeting or event. So, don’t forget to maintain those connections!