Membership Process Basics - Points to Consider
- List of eligible students
- Request list from registrar as soon as classes start.
- Request the list in a format you can use to cut and paste into a spreadsheet.
- Incoming president should prepare for this over the Summer.
- Be sure to request postal and email addresses.
- If registrar will not release the list to a student, ask an Advisor to make request.
- Verify the list contains the ENTIRE top 1/5th of the seniors and top 1/8th of the
juniors.
- Number of students may exceed the calculated value if students at the end of the list have the
same GPA.
- Take into account any restrictions in your chapter bylaws.
- Include ALL students in report even if chapter has GPA cutoff.
- Include current members in report.
- Always round up.
- Privacy law issues or 'The registrar won't give out the names'
- Ask registrar for GPA ranges which cover the top 1/5th of seniors and top 1/8th of juniors instead.
Request the number of students in each group as well. This will help on the Report of Eligibility.
- Post flyers asking students with GPA's in those ranges to contact the chapter president.
Post this information where students can see it!
- Ask students for release to verify GPA and establish eligibility.
- Notify Headquarters. There is a way to work around this problem and submit your Report of Eligibility.
- ALL students in the top 1/8th of junior class and top 1/5th of senior class MUST be listed.
- If chapter has a GPA cutoff, ALL students must be listed and the cutoff marked.
- How to submit the Report of Eligibility
- Download a copy of the Eligibility spreadsheet. It's best to do this each time to get the current members correct.
- Check the list of eligibles and note any who are currently members.
- Copy and paste (or type in) names of students on list who are not members
- Remove any members on the spreadsheet who are not on the list of eligibles. They're still members, just not on the list.
- Select the appropriate curriculum from the pick list.
- Chapters may consider only students in those curricula listed in the chapter bylaws.
- Email spreadsheet to Headquarters. Spreadsheet will be used to enter the students into the online system.
- Notify candidates and following up
- Send letters to student AND their parents. Samples: from chapter | from dean: to student | to parents
- Hold an orientation meeting
- Powerpoint presentation available. Edit as needed.
- Don't over do it
- Excessive duties placed on electees may cause some to refuse election.
- Allow for class work and other outside activities.
- Some students may already be doing projects which demonstrate exemplary character.
- Be flexible.
- The election meeting
- Read Eligibility Code
- Proper quorum - 3/4 of active membership.
- Members may be declared inactive (check bylaws for procedure). They're still members of TBP, just not actively participating.
- How to submit the Report of Election
- Each electee must fill out their own Catalog Card.
- Sending invitations and following up
- Email is OK. Check addresses!
- Sample letter
- Letter from dean could be sent at this point.
- Getting approval to hold your initiation
- Headquarters will email approval to hold initiation
- DO NOT under ANY circumstances hold an initiation without approval.
- Unapproved initiations subject the chapter to fines and probation. Two in a 2 year period may result in loss of charter.
- Inform initiates of what to expect in the ceremony
- What to expect at Initiation .doc | .pdf
- Practice, practice, practice
- Rehearse before conducting ceremony.
- Practice pronouncing difficult words/names.
- Check out initiation equipment well in advance of the ceremony so repairs may be made if necessary.
- What about the one's who couldn't/didn't make the initiation?
- Postpone or mark as Refused Election.
- Advisory Board should approve those who missed for legitimate reasons.
- Postponed students must be initiated in NEXT semester.
- If student does not appear on that semester's list and the postponement was not approved by the Advisory Board, the student may NOT be initiated.
- Students missing the initiation may also be initiated in a special initiation or by another chapter. Check with Headquarters.
- It's not over till ...
- ... the paperwork's done.
- Students are NOT members until Headquarters receives the chapters roll book signatures.
- How to submit the Report of Final Action.
- Copy of roll book signatures must be mailed to Headquarters.
Beyond the Basics
- What's different about the reports?
- What documentation is needed?
- Graduate student (Section 3)
- Class rank statement from registrar showing standing in top 1/5th of class AND letter from primary academic advisor stating completion of at least 50% of degree requirements including course work and research.
- Do not need actual rank, statement that student is in top 1/5th is sufficient.
- Letter of recommendation from primary academic advisor may be substituted for class rank IF AND ONLY IF class rank is unavailable.
- Alumni of your institution (Section 4)
- Statement from registrar or other official document showing graduation in top 1/5th of class.
- Being listed on
Report of Eligibility in last semester before graduation meets this requirement. Headquarters can check for you.
- Alumni of another institution(Section 5)
- Statement from registrar or other official document showing graduation in top 1/5th of class.
- Being listed on
Report of Eligibility in last semester before graduation meets this requirement. Headquarters can check for you.
- Waiver from the chapter at that institution if one exists.
- Eminent engineer (Section 6)
- Graduated at least 10 years ago with degree in engineering or at least 15 years ago with a degree in an area other than engineering.
- Career in engineering meeting the requirements.
- The work MUST be in engineering. Teaching engineering classes and administration of an engineering school (ie.
dean of engineering) qualifies.
- Please submit a detailed resume including publications and other society memberships.
- Some foreign schools will meet the requirement for an engineering degree,
check with Headquarters.
- How to arrange for a student to be initiated at another chapter?
- Contact Headquarters who can let you know where and when an initiation is available.
- Can be used to initiate alumnus who lives in a different part of the country.
- How to initiate a student for another chapter?
- Contact Headquarters who will make arrangements.
- Plan to send a chapter officer or member along to take roll book if possible.
