Tau Beta Pi

The Engineering Honor Society

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Tau Beta Pi May 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 toll free at 1-800-TAU-BETA (1-800-828-2382) or 865-546-4578 or by .

CHAPTER OPERATIONS:

ASSOCIATION NEWS & DEADLINES:

End of Year Reports

Several chapter reports are due to HQ by June 1. Please ensure that your chapter has completed these reports.

The Advisor Evaluation captures data for the strategic goals of the Association and is now available for completion. Headquarters encourages both outgoing and incoming officers to work together on the Chapter Survey and the other reports as part of the officer transition process. This will ensure the incoming officers know the status of their chapter reports and can keep a copy for the chapter's records.

Required reports are graded and count toward the Chapter Excellence Award. Note: Any Project Reports included on your Chapter Survey need to have reports filed. Did you: hold a banquet or serve refreshments after initiation? polish individual Bents before initiation? host an Engineering Futures session or any other virtual events? Those are projects! These reports help determine the recipients of the Project Awards presented at Convention that are used to determine the Outstanding Chapter and Most Improved Chapter awards.

Program Appeals

If you are considering adding a program to your chapter's bylaws, review Constitution Article II, Section 1, for the criteria to be an eligible program. A chapter appealing to include a non-compliant program should submit an appeal to HQ no later than June 1. You must include a one-page summary for each program being appealed. Complete details on requirements for the appeals process are available here.

Annual Convention and Voting Delegate Credentials

Tau Beta Pi's 120th Convention will be held in Tucson, AZ, October 8-10, at the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa (3800 East Sunrise Drive, Tucson, AZ, 85718), and is hosted by Arizona Alpha at the University of Arizona and the Tucson Alumni Chapter. The Association expects each collegiate and alumni chapter to send a delegate to this year's Convention. You should plan to arrive by the evening of Wednesday, October 7, in order to attend the Thursday morning Business Meeting, and plan to depart on the morning of Sunday, October 11. ALL hotel reservations will be made through the Convention registration system. Do not book through the hotel directly.

Your chapter has received an email regarding Convention Credentials – please review the instructions. The deadline to submit credentials is June 1. It is essential that your chapter identify a delegate and alternate before the summer. The credentials are to be submitted in the Chapter Reporting System. This is a graded report towards a Chapter Excellence Award. After submitting credentials, TBP will email your chapter president that the report has been approved. TBP pays the full travel and on-site expenses of one voting delegate and 20 percent of airfare expenses (up to $200) for one non-voting delegate from your chapter. If you need an extension, contact Chapter Services ( ) prior to the deadline.

Convention Registration will officially open on June 1 for everyone to complete their registration – additional info to come. Everyone must register no later than August 31.

Convention Site Letters of Interest

The deadline to submit Convention Site letters of interest for the 2030 Convention is June 1. Interested alumni or collegiate chapters may submit a request to host our annual Convention in a given location. The TBP Executive Council will secure financial and logistical data for all submitted chapter requests and other locations from all parts of the country. Click here for more information.

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.

Report of Final Action, Roll Book Signatures & Initiation Fees

The Report of Final Action is due two weeks after the approved initiation - submit here 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.

Ratification Ballots

As has been done in the past, the Executive Council has extended the deadline for ratification ballots to June 1. Additional information about the mechanism involved in extending the deadline can be viewed in the Q&A on the Ratification Ballot Google Site. District Directors are encouraged to work with any chapters that have not submitted ballots to submit them by the deadline.

Reimbursement Policy

The Executive Council has updated the Official Travel Reimbursement Policy (PF 04 02) effective April 16, 2026. This update simplifies the policy and sets some of the reimbursements at the levels adopted by the Convention. Most of what you have used in the past remains unchanged, but the one major change is that the mileage reimbursement rate is now set to $0.36/mile which is 1/2 of the federal rate similar to the Convention policy. If you have pending expense reports for your conferences from this past weekend, you can use the old rate or the new rate. This update will be communicated to the chapters in May.

Next Town Hall

The next Town Hall is scheduled for Wednesday, June 10 at 8:30 pm. It is published on the TBP Calendar with a link to register. It will be shared with the chapters and members via eNotes and social media posts in May.

TBP Volunteer Opportunities

Check out these Volunteer Opportunities and the TBP Volunteer Interest and Background form to learn more about becoming involved following graduation including joining an alumni chapter and volunteering for committees and programs.

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, "Beyond the Buzz: Nanotechnology, Autonomous Labs, AI, and the Quest for Designer Materials," will take place on Sunday, May 17, at 4 p.m. ET, and will be presented by Edward Gorzkowski, PA A '99.

Register here for this event and to view a list of all past presentations and videos, visit our website.

Headquarters Shutdown

Tau Beta Pi's Headquarters will be closed from Saturday, June 27, through Sunday, July 5. Contact staff at 1-800-TAU-BETA (1-800-828-2382) or 865-546-4578 or by well in advance of this shutdown for any of your chapter needs. Phone calls/emails/etc. will not be returned during this time.

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 .