Tau Beta Pi

The Engineering Honor Society

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Tau Beta Pi March 2026 Officer and Advisor eNotes

These eNotes contain important and up-to-date information and links to help you and your chapter as the academic year is underway. A summary is at the top of the page with links to more detailed information and references. If you have questions about the information provided, contact Headquarters at 865-546-4578 or by .

TIP OF THE MONTH:

CHAPTER OPERATIONS

ASSOCIATION NEWS & DEADLINES

2025 Impact Update

This two-page document provides a brief summary of student accomplishments and Headquarters objectives.

Membership Process and Virtual Resources (Tips for New Officers!)

NOTE: Tau Beta Pi has updated the Officer Resources button in the Electronic Reporting System to include a number of initiation related resources (links) including script replacement ordering, kit parts ordering form and instructions, initiation fee tracker and payment links, and the hybrid initiation electee form.

A checklist of your required reports and deadlines is available on the home page of the Electronic Reporting System. Review each of these items ahead of time to keep your chapter on track throughout the year. This included membership, Convention, and chapter operations reports.

Chapters must use the Electronic Reporting System for all undergraduate membership reports. Your chapter has only one user name and password; if you do not have or remember your login or password, please contact HQ at to have your credentials reset. Details on how to submit the membership and chapter reports are available online. You are strongly encouraged to review the model Membership Process Schedule when planning your chapter's activities.

  • Send professional membership invitation or email; sample electee invitations are here and sample electee materials are here.
  • Work with the dean's office to send a letter to candidates and their parents; sample student letter here and sample parent's letter here.
  • Discuss TBP member benefits during meetings with eligible candidates; a list of benefits is here.

Your Report of Eligibility is due at HQ within the first five weeks after the start of your school term. Bylaw III requires that a fine be levied if the report is not received. Your chapter may submit its Report of Eligibility using an Excel spreadsheet. Instructions are available here.

Your report must list the entire top-fifth of the senior class and the entire top-eighth of the junior class, (including those who are already members) even if some names are below a GPA cutoff set by your chapter. If your chapter has one, indicate the GPA minimum on the Report of Eligibility. Round any fraction up to the next whole number. For example, 1/8 of 100 is 12.5, so you would list the top 13 students. Also, if a tie exists you must list all students with the same GPA in the last position. It's okay to exceed the total number of eligible students in this case.

After contacting your eligible candidates, the chapter members must vote on those candidates and submit to HQ as the Report of Election. This report must be submitted with each electee's online catalog card (which should be completed by the electee) and APPROVAL RECEIVED BEFORE you hold your initiation. Contact Kelly Caro at if you have not received approval at least two days in advance. DO NOT HOLD AN UNAPPROVED INITIATION as your chapter could be fined and placed on probation. Online catalog cards must be completed before membership items can be ordered. If you want keys and certificates for initiation, plan to submit at least three weeks before initiation.

Initiation Preparation

Initiation approval is NOT the acknowledgment received after the Report of Eligibility is submitted. Approval occurs AFTER you submit your Report of Election and HQ sends you an initiation approval email. Only after your Report of Election and catalog cards have been submitted online AND you have received initiation approval from HQ via email can you proceed with an initiation. If you do not have approval two business days BEFORE your scheduled initiation, contact to check the status. An initiation checklist is also available here to help you with the process.

Report of Final Action, Roll Book Signatures & Initiation Fees

Within two weeks after your approved initiation, submit the Report of Final Action indicating who was initiated. Please make sure initiates print their name next to their signature and then upload your roll book signatures as a PDF along with the Final Action. Initiation fees are due two weeks after your initiation ceremony is held. Each candidate marked as initiated on your Final Action must have a signature or signature form attached to the roll book. New members will not be added to the system until the Report of Final Action is processed. You can check your chapter's status through the Electronic Reporting System.

Report of Officer and Advisor Election

You should report your newly elected officers using the Electronic Reporting System within two weeks of holding elections. Plan a transition meeting with new and old officers and consider utilizing the official installation procedure in the Officer's Handbook, formerly the President's Book. One of the most important roles of a current officer is to ensure a smooth and effective transition of chapter leadership.

In addition to student officers, you must also elect and update your advisors. You can do this in the Electronic Reporting System by selecting Modify Advisor before you submit your Report of Officer and Advisor Election. Change an advisor's term to "none" if their term has expired or update the term if the advisor was re-elected. Each chapter should have at least four advisors (including one chief advisor), and each should serve four years. Ideally, one advisor's term should expire each year. A chapter must submit four advisors with valid terms of office on the Report of Officer and Advisor Election.

Host an Engineering Futures Session on Your Campus

Engineering Futures (EF) is TBP's award-winning professional development program. The EF web page allows members to learn more about the program, submit their interest in becoming a facilitator, and request an in-person session.

Request a Campus EF Session: TBP chapters may submit requests to host an in-person EF session for your members and/or as a service or outreach activity for your campus or community. Go here to learn more and to request a session.

Important: Sessions are open to the public, so they are not limited to TBP members only. You also must have at least 15 people pre-registered two weeks prior to the requested session. Contact Kimberly Smolter at if you have questions about scheduling an EF session.

2026 District Conference Dates – they have started happening!

District Conferences will be held from February to April. These conferences include members from all of the chapters in your District and are an invaluable training tool for new officers and members who want to be more involved with the Association. The primary goal is to aid with incoming/outgoing chapter officer transitions to help maintain continuity for chapter leadership. They also provide a great opportunity to network and have fun! Conferences are coordinated by your District Directors who are a vital resource for your chapter. Your Directors' contact information is available online here. The 2026 District Conference schedule is here.

Chapter Report Grading

Information on Chapter Excellence Requirements and the scoring process are provided here.

New Requirement – non ".edu" email address

Effective in mid-February, 2026, Tau Beta Pi's online initiation process will now require the entry of two email addresses (one being a non ".edu" address) for each student member. In-line with recent changes, Tau Beta Pi hopes to keep in touch as students graduate and university email addresses are discontinued.

Stoles and Honor Cords

Order your graduation items early to ensure prompt arrival for distribution to members before graduation. Chapter officers may order stoles and cords for the chapter on the TBP store. Many chapters have placed restrictions on individual orders of stoles and honor cords; you can determine if your chapter has a restriction by using the dropdown menu when ordering. If your chapter does not appear, it has a restriction.

Connect with Local TBP Alumni!

Are your members interested in networking with Tau Beta Pi alumni in your area and increasing their professional connections? Here are some possible activities to which you could invite alumni:

  • Meet and greet/networking event
  • Initiation
  • Alumni Q&A panel
  • Resume workshop
  • Mock interviews
  • As a speaker for a chapter meeting

For suggestions or advice, please contact Sean Aiton, Director of Alumni Affairs at . You can find the list of our active alumni chapters here. Reach out to the chapter contact and meet with the alumni officers to discuss ways that alumni members could help your chapter or participate in your activities. If your area does not have an alumni chapter, Sean can help you contact alumni in your area. He advises having arrangements finalized about 3-4 weeks before the event so alumni can include it on their schedules and RSVP. Finally, if your chapter is looking for more advisors, Sean can go through your faculty list and identify Tau Bates.

Initiation Kit Task Force

Are you interested in helping to update the equipment used for the initiation? The Executive Council has chartered a task force to examine the existing kit and produce a new design and prototype for the Convention to review and for chapters to use. Current students and alumni who have ideas on potential changes and are interested in assisting in this work are encouraged to join the task force. Please send an email of interest to Executive Director Gomulinski and Director of Rituals Ed D'Avignon by March 30, 2026. Additional information is available in the committee's charter.

Association Policy Updates

The 2025 Convention requested that any policy updates be communicated to the chapters within 30 days of the revision. The following policies were adopted by the Executive Council at their February 2026 meeting:

  • Convention Program Planning Committee Charter (CC 04) – updated 2/12/26
  • Advisors Committee Charter (CC 11) – updated 2/12/26
  • Ritual Kit 2006 Task Force (CT 04) – adopted 2/12/26
  • Risk Management Task Force (CT 05) – revised 2/12/26

Celebrate Tau Beta Pi Day (Saturday, March 14, 2026)

We encourage you and your chapter to host or participate in Tau Beta Pi Day events and to proudly wear your TBP apparel. Check out the long-sleeve Pi Day t-shirt here and the short-sleeve Pi Day t-shirt here. If Pi Day is during your school's spring break, consider hosting events throughout the month. Send an email to by March 2, 2026, telling us about activities your chapter has planned so we can share this information with others in your geographic area. Learn more about Tau Beta Pi Day here.

Tau Bate Talks Series

The Association continues to offer Tau Bate Talks, a series of monthly virtual presentations given by Tau Bates who have used their engineering background to pursue fascinating experiences. The talks are scheduled on one Sunday of each month. The next Talk, "How I Turned an Industrial Engineering Degree into a Career in Hip and Knee Replacement," will take place on March 15 at 3 p.m. CT, and will be presented by Craig Mahoney, M.D., IA A '91. Register here for this event and to view a list of all past presentations and videos, visit our website.

Scholarships

Applications for Scholarships are due April 1, 2026; the stipend is $2,000 for a year of study and $1,000 for one semester. An electee whose initiation is accurately reported to headquarters before the deadline is eligible to apply. To receive the award, applicants must be initiated by June 1. Additional information is available on the Scholarships page.

Award Nominations

For information on the following awards, go here.

Due April 1 - The Distinguished Alumnus Award recognizes alumni who have continued to live up to the ideals of TBP as stated in our Eligibility Code and to foster a spirit of liberal culture throughout their lives after college years. Any chapter or member may nominate one (or more) alumni member(s).

Due April 1 - The Laureate Program recognizes members who excel in areas outside of engineering (arts, athletics, service, and diverse achievements).

Due April 1 - The TBP-McDonald Mentor Award celebrates excellence among TBP educators and engineers who have consistently supported the personal and professional development of their students and colleagues as excellent mentors or advisors.

Due April 1 - The Association's Outstanding Advisor Award recognizes outstanding performance among the Chapter Advisors of Tau Beta Pi.

Executive Council Nominations

The 2026 TBP Convention will elect three members to serve on the Executive Council (EC).

Members interested in serving on the EC must be nominated by a collegiate or alumni chapter by July 1. The Executive Director can work with candidates needing a formal nomination. Candidates with experience in a variety of functions—management, finance, teaching, business, research, etc., and those with knowledge in the areas of image enhancement, branding, fundraising/development, alumni relations, and advising collegiate chapters are strongly encouraged to consider running. If you know of a qualified candidate or are interested in learning more, review this letter. Nominations can be sent via email to tbp@tbp.org.