Society of Women Engineers- Region H Blog

♥ Home in the Heartland! ♥

Welcome!

Posted by regionh on November 11, 2008

Congratulations! You’ve found the Region H Blog!

Check back often for stories from our sections, updates about the activities of the Region, Hot Topic posts, and more!

Be sure to check out the photos on the Album page and download the Blog Article Submission Form off the Links and FAQ page. Don’t forget to add us to your RSS reader!

Photos, events, articles, etc. can be sent to your RCNE at rcne-h@swe.org.

Posted in RCNE Updates | Leave a Comment »

Better Know a Section: H087 Valparaiso University

Posted by regionh on May 19, 2009

Section website: www.valpo.edu/student/swe
Section contact email: valposwe@gmail.com

About

When was your section first chartered?
1987
About how many members do you have? What is the (approximate) male to female ratio of you SWE members?
We officially have 23 members on the national roster, however, a significant number attend and are not registered nationally. We generally have 20 come to the meetings held every other week. Our male to female ratio is 1.5:10.
How many officers do you have? Do you have an office on campus?
9 officers, no campus office.
Are you a commuter school, or do most students live on campus?
Mainly a residential school.
How many students are in engineering?
Approximately 600.
What would you tell someone if they were first coming to your campus?
Valparaiso University is located in Northwest Indiana and is a beautiful campus year-round. Our proximity to Chicago and Lake Michigan make Valparaiso the perfect location. Valparaiso has the hometown feel that is lost in many towns today.
How often does your section attend a Regional or National Conference? How many members usually go for each?
Our section attends Regional and National Conferences every year. The National Conference is generally restricted to eight members (or more if we can get a larger hotel room) and as many as want to go to Regionals are allowed to attend. We generally send eight members to Regionals as well. Regionals are paid for by the College of Engineering and Valparaiso University Student Senate.
Has your section hosted a SWE conference before, or plan to in the future?
We placed a bid for the FY10 Regional Conference and are currently working on our bid for FY11.
What is your school and/or college of engineering known for?
We are very well known for our research and outreach projects which currently include: a zinc oxide solar collector, Braille bible manufacturing, service projects in Nicaragua and Nigeria, and our Jerry Sanders robot teams.

Section History

What are some of the things your section does to archive its history?
We have a series of scrapbooks that archive our history. We are looking toward archiving our history online as well. The remainder of our history is filed away by event.
Do you have any suggestions on how other sections can keep track of their own history?
Scrapbooking is a wonderful way to keep track of your section’s history. It provides for creative members to preserve the section history while having fun in the process! Consider hosting the scrapbook online so alumni can keep up with the section’s activities.

Event Highlight

Describe an event that your section does that relates to (pick one): outreach, your unique section, a social activity, technical learning, professional development, joint events with other organizations, etc.
Regarding outreach – One of the goals for our section this year was to reinstate the relationship with the Drifting Dunes Girl Scout Council. However, due to a change in the registration program on the Girl Scout server, we were unable to host the Girl Scouts for the planned weekend. Instead, we hosted a single Girl Scouts for an afternoon of engineering based activities which included a tour of the Scientific Visualization Lab, wind tunnel, and bridge building. The girls’ enthusiasm for engineering was apparent and we look forward to continuing our relationship with the troop.
What kind of new events do you plan on starting at your section?
Next year, we are starting a mentoring program between upperclassmen SWE members and incoming freshman female engineers.
Do you do anything special or interact with a nearby professional SWE section?
No, but we are looking to build a strong relationship with them.

Section Strategies

What does your section do to attract and retain members?
We send out letters to the incoming female engineers and invite them to visit our booth during the activities fair which is held in August. We also have a welcome dinner and give away five free memberships to new members.
How do you reward members?
Our section is very small, so individual participation is high at most events so we do not reward members at this point in time.
Some states get cold in the winter. How do you get members out when it’s cold outside?
Our meetings are held during Chapel Break (11am) so the majority of the members are already in the building because of classes. Otherwise, we host game nights with other societies in the engineering building to provide opportunities for engineers to interact without the stress of homework or exams.
How does your section obtain funds to help defray the costs of attending a conference?
We ask for money from the Valparaiso University Student Senate in our yearly budget for both the Regional and National Conferences. In recent years, the cost of the National Conference has not been completely covered by the funds secured from Student Senate. The dean of the College of Engineering, Dean Olejniczak has graciously helped defray some of the costs for Nationals. Members that attend the conference are responsible for conference registration and meals during the trip.

 

Valpo SWE Members at the 2008 National Conference.

Valpo SWE Members at the 2008 National Conference.

Valpo SWE Members at the 2008 National Conference.

Valpo SWE Members at the 2008 National Conference.

Girl Scout Visit 2009, Valparaiso.

Girl Scout Visit 2009, Valparaiso.

Valpo SWE Members at Region H Conference 2008.

Valpo SWE Members at Region H Conference 2008.

Valpo SWE Members at Region H Conference 2008.

Valpo SWE Members at Region H Conference 2008.

Posted in Better Know a Section | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Hot Topic: Planning for the Year Ahead

Posted by regionh on May 15, 2009

Jessica Nayes, FY09 RCNE

Can you believe it? Another year in SWE is nearing the end. As we all finish up classes, projects, final exams and moving on to our summer adventures, keep in mind a few things you can do to plan for “the year ahead”!

  • National Conference: October 15-17, 2009. Start making your travel arrangements early, because you won’t want to miss the next national conference, being held in Long Beach, California! I’m sure many of us midwesterners enjoy getting out to see an ocean now and again!
     
  • Upload a current resume to the SWE Career Center. No time like the summer when you’re free from classes (well, unless you’re in a summer session) to do that always fun job of updating your resume! By the time those fall career fairs come around, you’ll be ready to focus on getting that next job with an already-polished resume. (Don’t forget that the National Conference always has a career fair too!)
     
  • Connect with SWE through social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
     
  • Visit My SWE Communities to connect with other members, network and gather information on leadership resources, reports and documents. 
  • Renew your SWE Membership.
     
  • And last but not least: Enjoy your summer!

Posted in Hot Topics | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Interview with Nora Lin, SWE President Elect

Posted by regionh on April 28, 2009

Jessica Nayes, FY09 RCNE, interviewing Nora Lin, SWE President Elect

At Region Conference, I asked for your input on questions you’d like to ask Nora Lin, SWE President Elect (i.e. she’ll be SWE President next year- FY10). Here they are, with a few additions:

Background- Personal

Where did you grow up?
I was born and raised in Taiwan in a family of one boy and six girls.

What did you major in in college? How far did you take your education?
Physics – I completed my BS degree in Taiwan and came to the United States for my advanced education. I received a MS degree in Physics from the University of Alabama in Birmingham.

Can you describe you past job experiences all the way to your current position at Northrop Grumman (NG)?
My first job was a Data Analyst in an oil company.  I performed data analysis and produced various geographical maps and displays which were used by geologists for searching oil fields.  My job was terminated after 2 years as the company almost went bankruptcy during the oil crises in the early 1980’s.  Fortunately, I was hired by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing, St. Louis) within a month and started my career in engineering and in the Defense industry for the next 26 years; and the last 16 years have been with Northrop Grumman Corporation.  I started as an associated scientific programmer and later became an engineer, technical lead/manager in Software Engineering and led engineering teams with various sizes to develop relational database applications, mission planning software, and real-time embedded software for several military programs.  In 2001 I moved into an Independent Research and Development (IRAD) Coordinator position, where I was responsible for managing $30M+ IRAD funds and coordinating/reporting the IRAD projects for my campus.  I became the manager of Supportability Engineering in 2002 and have been in that position since.  In addition to my functional management responsibility, I led the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI®) initiative and obtained the accreditation of CMMI Maturity Level 3 rating for Systems and Software Engineering at my campus in 2007.  Currently, I continue to support the CMMI initiative and prepare the campus to pursue higher maturity level.  

Who inspired you the most when you were a collegiate? 
Math and science came easily to me so studying Physics in college was an easy choice. However, coming from a traditional Chinese culture that expects the man to be the provider and the woman to be her husband’s helper in making him successful, my life goal at that time was to complete my education, find a good husband, be a housewife and raise a family. While I was very young, I heard about many outstanding people and their achievements. For example Chen Ning Yang and Tsung-Dao Lee were the first Chinese Nobel Prize Award winners in Physics in 1957; Peggy Fleming won an Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medal in 1968; and Neil Armstrong became the first human being to set foot on the moon in 1969. I admired their achievements but never thought that I could have a career of my interest though. Not until I got laid off from my first job, I did not realize that I must be self-align and maintain marketable skills in order to support family needs at any time.

What are some of you current hobbies?
I like cooking and entertaining. The Iron Chef and Law and Order-Criminal Intent are my favorite TV shows. I also like to see musical Broadway shows and comedy and romantic movies.

What awards have you won?

  • Northrop Grumman Corporation
    • Three times Timely Awards Plan (TAP) recipients
    • Four times Quality Culture Committee (QCC) awards recipients
  • Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
    • Individual Contributor Award from the Chicago Regional Section in 2002
    • Consistent Contributor Award from the Chicago Regional Section in 2004
    • National Service Award from the Chicago Regional Section in 2008
    • Distinguished Service Award from the Heartland Region in 2008
  • Other Awards
    • 2008 Women of Color in Technology Career Achievement Award
    • 2009 Asian American Engineer of the Year Award

Background- SWE

When did you first join SWE?
I was not aware of the existence of SWE until 1997 when I was recruited to SWE by a co-worker at Northrop Grumman. Right away, I knew SWE was the organization I wanted to be a part of.

Why did you choose SWE?
Working with other women engineers to advance SWE’s mission brings me a lot of joy and self-fulfillment. I have also made many good friends across the country during my SWE journey and expanded my network more than 10 fold. I like to be surrounded by many talented people and high achievers as they inspire and encourage me to advance and achieve my own career dream. Being involved with SWE, I feel that I have gained a lot more than what I have contributed.

What is your favorite SWE memory or moment?
My favorite SWE moment was when a young women engineer told me that she decided to stay in engineering and finish her degree because of my visit and sharing of my career path and lessens learned at her SWE collegiate section a few years ago.

What is SWE’s greatest asset for college students?
SWE not only provides a support and networking environment but also provides many professional and leadership development opportunities. Most importantly, SWE provides a non-threatening environment where you can practice and sharpen you skills. For example, by being a committee chair and organize a program for your section, you can lean project planning, budgeting, how to hold meetings effectively, how to interface with others, and lead a group of people with different personalities, etc.!

Upcoming Role

What inspires you to lead SWE?
I am passionate about SWE’s mission. The society has changed and the work environment is a lot more friendly for women engineers in recent years. However, SWE still has a lot of work to do as the percentage of women engineers in the work force remain around 10% for the past decade. I am inspired by working with such a talented group of women to set strategies and directions on furthering SWE’s mission.

What are doing to mentally prepare for your role as SWE President?

Before I decided to run for the President-Elect position, I had talked to several past presidents to understand the role and responsibilities, time commitment and financial needs of the President position better. The SWE Present-Elect position also provides a good transition and preparation for the incoming President. I am working closely with the current President, the Executive Director, and Board of Directors to understand all aspects of SWE activities and needs. Many planning activities, such as setting the strategic priorities, the budget and the leadership team for the coming year, are being worked on so that everything will be ready to go by July 1st.

How has your current role at NG prepared you for the SWE Presidency?
Being in the industry for many years, I have had the first hand experience on how to work with the company, executive management and other employees on addressing many issues that women engineers are concerned about at the work place. I also have many opportunities to work with HR managers to recruit engineers and support SWE collegiate sections and that have helped me understand collegiate needs a lot as well. Those experiences will definitely help me work with other leaders on providing valuable programs and services to SWE membership and stakeholders.

How has SWE leadership prepared you for your role at work?
SWE has provided many training opportunities for me. Through various leadership positions, I have been able to sharpen my leadership, project planning, public speaking, networking, strategic planning, coordination and interpersonal skills, to name just a few. Many skills I learned at SWE are directly applicable to the work place so I can be a better engineer and a leader at work.

How has Northrop supported your efforts with SWE? Do they find it valuable?
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a strong supporter of SWE and one of SWE Corporate Partnership Council members. The company understands the benefits SWE provides and encourages women engineers to join SWE and be active members. I have received a lot of financial support from the company for my local, regional and national SWE involvements for the past many years. The company is very excited about my upcoming position in SWE. In fact, I will be the third Northrop Grumman woman to hold the SWE President position. This is unprecedented for any corporation associated with SWE. Currently, the level of support I am getting from the executive management team and employees is overwhelming. I really can’t find a better company to work for!

Posted in Region News | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

NEW User ID for SWE Communities & Password

Posted by regionh on April 21, 2009

Hey there, H’ers! For those of you who are experiencing issues with SWE communities since the upgrade to the Member Services Center, see below:

From: Pamela Androff, pamela.androff@swe.org

Hello SWE contacts!

I’m sending this e-mail because I have been sent a lot of e-mails about not being able to access SWE communities and if I know why it’s broken? :)

This Monday the new SWE Member Services center launched. As you know, in the past you have used your SWE login to access the member database. When SWE Communities launched, we used the same SWE login to access SWE communities. Then, because our SWE login also became our SWE Communities display name, most of us changed our SWE login to represent our names in some fashion so we would be able to recognize one another in SWE communities.

With the launching of the new Member Services center, every SWE member has been assigned a new SWE login. The format is typically firstname.lastname#### (May be last 4 digits of your membership ID #) and your password remains the same. Thus far I have not been able to find a way to adjust or change your display name to remove the numbers or change the format. You should have recieved a letter in the mail with your new log in. (This came in the letter with either member solicitation or voting). This new username replaces your old SWE login. If you have been having trouble accessing either the Member Services center OR the SWE Communities, you are likely using the incorrect username for yourself. Your old username has been overridden and does not exist any longer.

If you do not know your new login, you can access it by going to the following page and clicking on the link following “Forget username/password?”

http://ams.swe.org/swessa/ssaauthmenu.show_top_menu

I think SWE HQ did not make a big deal out of this username switch because there is only a very small percentage of members who actually use SWE communities actively, and we are that small percentage!! Let me know if there’s anything else I can help with!


Pam

Posted in Region News | Leave a Comment »

Region Awards due May 31st

Posted by regionh on April 17, 2009

The Region H awards are now online! Please see the Region H Awards page for more information on:

  • Outstanding Collegiate Section Awards
  • Collegiate Emerging Leader Award

Posted in Governor's Update | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

Hot Topic: Preparing to End the SWE Year

Posted by regionh on April 15, 2009

Jessica Nayes, FY09 RCNE

As many of us are counting down the weeks we have left of class until summer break, keep in mind there are several tasks that need to be accomplished to end the SWE year with everything in order. To name a few: transitioning roles to a new officer team, ensuring all your national paperwork is in, and preparing for anything that will be happening for the next year. Feel free to use this post as a checklist!

Section To-Do’s

  • Nominate a SWEFL (SWE Future Leader), due May 1st
    • Please nominate outstanding members in your collegiate section. Candidates for SWEFL nominations should be an undergraduate in first or second year of school with potential for future leadership in SWE. SWEFL candidates are chosen based on their nominations and availability to attend the Collegiate Leadership Forum (CLF) this summer in Chicago from July 30 – August 2nd. Nomination form: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=fMHFAX5B0FrBhqILcUNtRw_3d_3d
  • Final Quarterly Section Report, due May 10
    • Remember that your RCRs need to compile your section reports after you send them in, so send in your section reports before you get overwhelmed by finals and studying!
  • Send in new officer information, due June 1st
    • National SWE needs to know your section’s FY10 Section Officer info! All elections should be completed by then, and a number of schools have already passed along the information.
  • Annual and Financial Reports, due June 30th to HQ (online or paper copy)
    • Now is a good time to start working on completing these reports. Even thought they are not due until June 30th, who wants to spend the summer focusing on SWE?
    • Annual Report
      • www.swe.org –> My SWE Communities (log-in) –> SWE Region and Section Resources
      • To submit online – go to Links (click “view all”) – click on “Collegiate Section Annual Report (online)”
      • To submit a paper copy – download the report forms and submit a hard copy to SWE HQ, go to Resources (click “view all”) – click on “Collegiate Annual Report Form”
    • Financial Report
      • www.swe.org –> My SWE Communities (log-in) –> SWE Region and Section Resources
      • To submit online – go to Links (click “view all”) – click on “EZ Collegiate Section Financial Report (online)” (for sections <$10,000) OR click on “Collegiate Section Financial Report (online)” (for sections >$10,000)
      • To submit a paper copy – download the report forms and submit a hard copy to SWE HQ, go to Resources (click “view all”) – click on “EZ Collegiate Financial Report Form” (for sections <$10,000) OR click on “Collegiate Financial Report Form” (for sections >$10,000)
  • Apply for Awards! (see website)
    • All sections are encouraged to apply for the available awards, including Outstanding Collegiate Section and more! All awards and due dates are posted on the SWE website: Awards and Competitions
    • Section awards, due July 1st

Individual To-Do’s

  • Don’t forget to renew your SWE membership!
  • Join a national committee, due May 8th
    • Committees are a great way to get involved at the national level without an overwhelming commitment, and there are committees to suit everyone’s needs. If you’re interested, fill out the volunteer interest form by May 8.
  • Transition with the next officer!
    • Remember your first thoughts on becoming an officer in your SWE section? Were you lost and confused or well-aware of what you got yourself into? Help your succeeding officer out by walking them through what the position is like, offer them resources to take with them, and don’t forget to let them know who to contact for help later!

Good luck with everything, and remember that your RCRs and RCNE are only an email away at rcr-h@swe.org and rcne-h@swe.org.

Posted in Hot Topics, Uncategorized | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Better Know a Section: H070 University of Notre Dame

Posted by regionh on April 9, 2009

Section website: http://www.nd.edu/~swe
Section contact email: swe@nd.edu

About

About how many members do you have? What is the (approximate) male to female ratio of you SWE members?
80 Members but only 1 male. 
How many officers do you have? Do you have an office on campus?
We have five Executive Officers who do a lot of work but no office. 
Are you a commuter school, or do most students live on campus?
Almost everybody lives on campus.  
What would you tell someone if they were first coming to your campus?
Notre Dame is a great place. Our section of SWE is one of the most active clubs on campus. We put on lots of events and are always looking for new members. 
How often does your section attend a Regional or National Conference? How many members usually go for each?
We attend one Regional and National Conference a year. About 35 students attend the regional conference and 4 attend the national conference. 
Has your section hosted a SWE conference before, or plan to in the future?
The last time we hosted a conference was in 2006. Maybe it will happen again someday. 
What is your school and/or college of engineering known for?
For being awesome! Go Irish!

Section History

What are some of the things your section does to archive its history?
We’ve been working on this lately. We keep a dogbook from year to year of all the members and have been starting a scrapbook. 
Do you have any suggestions on how other sections can keep track of their own history?
Pictures are the best. Try to take pictures at all events and upload them to a common site.  
Has your section been the home of any famous SWE members or other people?
Yes, Cathy Pieronek (our advisor), she’s pretty great and very involved with SWE national. 

Event Highlight

Describe an event that your section does that relates to (pick one): outreach, your unique section, a social activity, technical learning, professional development, joint events with other organizations, etc.
One of our biggest events is Engineer-A-Palooza. This was started two years ago but it’s an event put on during the first two weeks of school. Last year we got a blow up obstacle course. The event was a big success and really kicked off the year for the whole college. 
What kind of new events do you plan on starting at your section?
We’ve got a pretty substantial amount of events but we would like to start some events centered around diversity where we interact with other clubs.  
Does your section interact with other nearby sections?
Only when we can make it to conference. Otherwise, we are pretty far away. 

Section Strategies

What does your section do to attract and retain members?
We try to really let our members know that they will be doing something worthwhile and all the benefits of national SWE. 
How do you reward members?
We let their hard work reward themselves. 
Some states get cold in the winter. How do you get members out when it’s cold outside?
Offer food at every meeting. It really helps!
How does your section obtain funds to help defray the costs of attending a conference?
Our school pays for the entire trip (which is very helpful!). We only make members pay if they sign up and then back out.  

Posted in Better Know a Section | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

Hot Topic: Preparing Future Leaders

Posted by regionh on March 15, 2009

Jessica Nayes, FY09 RCNE

Leadership… so many seminars and conferences try to nail this concept down, but it’s not always so easy! The best way to become a good leader will vary from person to person, but even if it’s not a talent to which you feel naturally inclined there are definitely resources through SWE that can help you along the way. For this month’s Hot Topic article, I’ll touch on a few of these, but know that this is definitely not a complete list! 

Holding a Position in SWE

For collegiates, their first experience with SWE is often on the local level, interacting within a local SWE section lead by a team of officers. These officers hold important positions that -you guessed it- are great for developing your leadership skills! In local student organizations, you have the opportunity to gain experience in a variety of ways. Many skills will be used to pull together any event: requesting financial support from industry, planning and leading a meeting, advertising an event, working with other groups, putting together a presentation, designing merchandise, shopping for food and supplies, tracking member participation, managing an officer team, recognizing and rewarding outstanding members, traveling with a group, collecting many different points of view and making decisions, and many more…

Not only does developing these skills help out your section, it can also be a strong talking point in an interview for your next position! I’d encourage all to take a chance at being an officer in your local sections- you’ll discover talents you didn’t know you had and help develop your section!

But leadership does not end on the local level- there’s a whole national organization of SWE you can be a part of- serving on a committee, representing your region (like your RCNE and RCRs), and on up to the top. Elections for RCR/RCNE just happened but keep your eyes out for other options too.

Collegiate Leadership Coaching

Where can you get FREE training for your section or officers? Collegiate Leadership Coaching sessions! I think the national SWE website puts it best:

“The Leadership Coaching Committee is a pilot program to provide proactive leadership coaching to sections. Trained Leadership Coaches will provide coaching and support the development of our leadership and management skills at the section level. Training modules have been developed on topics that are essential to maintaining a vital section. Trained Leadership Coaches will take this training out to the section level and also conduct training at Region Conferences. The training modules can also be used for other purposes such as a section meeting or retreat. This Committee is needed to support our membership and enhance program participation at the section level. The section is the key component to SWE. We need healthy local sections to survive and thrive as an organization. This effort is to help the local section become more vital.” -Leadership Coaching Committee page

This year’s Collegiate Leadership Coach (CLC) head chair is Melissa Zaczek. (Look her up online: SWE > Member Data Services > On-line Directory).

SWE Leadership Pipeline

Elizabeth  Bierman, FY09 Region H Governor

To support SWE’s Diversity and Inclusion strategy, regions are being challenged to take the ownership of building a SWE leadership pipeline, which is a long-term effort. SWE has many membership recruiting and retention programs in place already. However, we need to do a better job in succession planning and leadership development. A task force was created this FY to is to define the leadership pipeline goals and the processes for identifying and developing SWE leaders. The leadership development effort includes developing, mentoring, and tracking the progress of high potential SWE leaders. To make the leadership pipeline effort successful, it requires the participation and support of many SWE leaders. It also needs the SWE leadership advisory group, national nominating committee, and regional nominating committees to facilitate the effort. Look for more information in SWE News and from the Region Leadership on how you can get into the pipeline!!

Closing Notes and Quotes

  • Check out the bios on the Region Collegiate Team page to see where your current Region H leaders have been in SWE Leadership. Don’t stop there! Ask your local section officers and other inspiring figures how they got where they are now too.
  • Transitioning leadership did not get a main heading in this article, but remember that preparing for a transition is critical to the successor’s success!
  • The bottom line in preparing future leaders: encourage them to try in the first place, and support them along the way. Experience is the best teacher!
     
  • “Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him.” -Aldous Huxley, Texts and Pretexts
  • “He who is to be ruler must have first been ruled.” -Aristotle, Politics
  • “The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction and will to carry on.” -Walter Lippmann, in New York Herald Tribune
  • “The person who knows ‘how’ will always have a job. The person who knows ‘why’ will always be his boss.” -Diane Ravitch, speech (1985)
  • “I would tell young people to start where they are with what they have and that the secret of a big success is starting with a small success and dreaming bigger and bigger dreams” -John H. Johnson
  • “Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but she did it backwards and in high heels.” -Faith Whittlesey
  • “Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.” -J. K. Rowling

Comments, more quotes, suggestions for others? Leave a comment on this article!

Posted in Hot Topics | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

Websites! And How to Start One For Your Section

Posted by regionh on February 22, 2009

Jessica Nayes, FY09 RCNE

One of my RCNE goals for my term was to not only update the list of our section websites and emails, but also to do what I could to help some of our sections that do not yet have websites going. I have had several emails about this, but I know there are more sections that would benefit from the advice so here’s a run-down of ideas and information that I hope will send you in the right direction!

Step 1- What?

To have a successful website, think about some of the following:

  • What should we put on there?
  • What will the site be used for?
  • What do we want it to look like?

At this point focus on what you want to get out of the site. Once you get your dream website in mind it will help motivate the work later, and help guide the actual implementation of the site.

Here’s a list of information you should definitely consider having (for your section’s site):

  • Name of your section
  • Section contact info (phone number, address, email, fax, etc)
  • Calendar of events (event name, location, contact info, details, etc)
  • Links to SWE National home page, information about SWE

Here’s some additional information sections tend to have:

  • Officer list, position descriptions
  • Photo gallery
  • Sponsors page
  • Scholarship info (if the section offers any, or links to national opportunities)
  • Section bylaws
  • Merchandise
  • Committee info
  • News
  • Alumni info

Step 2- Who?

Now figure out who can help you make this dream a reality. If there are no members who know their way around creating a website, think about branching out a little to find help:

  • Does your school offer classes about website design? Consider taking one to get you started.
  • If your school does offer classes, perhaps they also have some sort of help desk or technology tutor you ask for assistance?
  • Do you have any friends, not necessarily SWE participants, that could be asked to help create the site?
  • (If you are hosting through an online site) Does your web host offer templates that anyone, regardless of skill level, can use?

Step 3- Where?

Obviously, you will need somewhere to host your website so the rest of the world can see you. In general, our local collegiate SWE sections are recognized as student organizations at their respective university, which for some, means you have web hosting provided to you through the university. If this is not the case, but your section would still benefit from having a presence on the web, try looking into some alternate options. These may include paying for web hosting or searching for free alternatives: 

FAQ

Are there any website templates that we can use?
Depending how you host your site, there may be templates available to you. These may be templates provided the web host (like for Google Sites or WordPress), or perhaps your university offers basic templates to match the general look and feel of a typical university webpage (for example: UW-Madison offers templates for a few different layouts as part of their efforts to ensure all university pages at least start out accessible). Keep in mind that not all templates are completely customizable- see how others have adapted the templates to their own needs.
Can we change the SWE logo to make it fit the graphic design of out site?
SWE Communities- Communication Resources (community)- Resources
 ”SWE Logo, Tagline, and About SWE Usage & Guidelines: The SWE logo and tagline are for use by SWE members and approved vendors only. The SWE logo and tagline can be used for marketing materials, ad specialties, give-aways, signage for events, general communication and web sites. The SWE logo cannot be altered from the guidelines put forth in this document without the expressed permission of SWE leadership.”
Would it be possible to put a link to our website on the Region H website?
Absolutely! The actual Region H website at this time has the older (nonrevised) list of links to the sections, but it does link to the most current list of links (which is on the Section Websites page)
Where can we get ideas for the look and feel of our site?
Check out the other section websites in Region H (or other regions too) on the Section Websites page, browse the internet, browse through you’re favorite sites, etc.

A few more links to get you started

Looking for more? Try a search engine: the web is based off HTML, so it stands to reason that there are many resources on web design out there already! Don’t forget to email your RCNE, rcne-h@swe.org, when your section gets its new site up and going!

Posted in RCNE Updates | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

Join the Region Conference Task Force

Posted by regionh on February 15, 2009

Now that conference is over, are you dreaming about all the things you might change for the next one? Join the Region Conference Task Force and become involved on a higher level in national SWE!

Alyse Stofer (Director of Regions) is currently looking for students to particpate in the Region Conference Task Force. This task force was created from the survey that was sent out to understand ways to standardize all regions. One way was to find ways to standardize the region conference, so professional and collegiate members from all regions are being pulled together to try and complete this task.

This would be a great leadership experience, a way to give back to SWE and help improve the region conference experience across the country, and would look great on a resume! They are especially looking for people who’ve helped organize a region conference in the past or will be organizing next year’s. 

Sign-up is easy: If you are interested in joining this committee and giving your valued input, please email Pam Snyder (pamsnyder@gmail.com) and Jennifer Vallero (jennifer.vallero@colorado.edu).

Posted in RCNE Updates | Leave a Comment »