Society of Women Engineers

University of Florida Section

P.O. Box 116550

312 Weil Hall

Gainesville, FL 32611-6550

Procedures Manual

Created 3 February 2020. Last Updated 22 September 2020.

STAKEHOLDERS

Internal

The ability and responsibility to maintain this document are that of the Executive Board of the University of Florida section of the Society of Women Engineers. The Executive Board includes the President, Vice President of Internal Affairs, Vice President of External Affairs, Corresponding Secretary, Recording Secretary, and Treasurer. The President should provide the final approval of each update.

External

Any input may also be given by the Faculty Advisor, Counselor, or other representatives from the greater Society of Women Engineers.

OVERVIEW

This Procedures Manual was created in addition to the Section Bylaws to provide further detail of the structure of the organization and its procedures including General Body Meetings and Executive Board Elections. An Officer Handbook containing internal details is also available to Executive Board members and chairs. This document must be reviewed at least every two years.

PURPOSE

This Procedures Manual serves to provide a definition of all major organizational details. This document is available to the public so that the Executive Board may be held accountable for upholding the processes and procedures within it.

TABLE OF CONTENTS (click a headline to jump to a section)

STAKEHOLDERS        1

Internal        1

External        1

OVERVIEW        1

PURPOSE        1

TABLE OF CONTENTS (click a headline to jump to a section)        2

LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATION        3

Executive Board Organization        3

President’s Committee Organization        4

Internal Committee Organization        4

External Committee Organization        5

Corresponding Committee Organization        5

Recording Committee Organization        6

Treasurer’s Committee Organization        6

QUALIFICATIONS        6

RESPONSIBILITIES        7

President & President’s Committee        7

President        7

eSwamp Directors (Spring Application)        7

Public Policy Chair (Spring Application | Beginning Spring 2020)        7

Diversity & Multicultural Affairs Director (Fall Application | Beginning Fall 2020)

Vice President of Internal Affairs & the Internal Committee        8

Vice President of Internal Affairs        8

Design Team Chairs (Spring Application)        8

Formal Directors (Fall Application)        8

Social Chairs (Fall Application)        8

Team Tech Chair (Spring Application)        9

Vice President of External Affairs & the External Committee        9

Vice President of External Affairs        9

Dance Marathon Chairs (Spring Application)        9

Graduate Liaison (Spring Application)        9

Off-Campus Outreach Chair (Spring Application)        10

On-Campus Outreach Chair (Spring Application)        10

Volunteering Chair (Fall Application)        10

Corresponding Secretary & the Corresponding Committee        10

Corresponding Secretary        10

Mentoring Chairs (Spring Application)        11

Career Development Chair (Spring Application)        11

Talk & Tour Coordinator (Spring Application)        11

Evening with Industry Chairs (Spring Application)        12

Recording Secretary & the Recording Committee        12

Recording Secretary        12

Graphic Designer (Spring Application)        12

Historians (Fall Application)        13

Public Relations Chair (Fall Application)        13

Social Media Chair (Fall Application)        13

Treasurer & the Treasurer’s Committee        13

Treasurer        13

Assistant Treasurer (Fall Application)        14

PROCEDURES        14

Executive Board Election Procedure        14

The Nominating Process        14

The Election General Body Meeting        15

Chair Selection Procedure        15

Spring Semester Selection        15

Fall Semester Selection        15

General Body Meeting Procedure        16

Executive Board Meeting Procedure        16

FURTHER INFORMATION        16

LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATION

Executive Board Organization

The Executive Board is made up of six leaders: the President, Vice President of Internal Affairs, Vice President of External Affairs, Corresponding Secretary, Recording Secretary, and Treasurer. The latter five members report to the President. Each Executive Board member has a group of chairs that report directly to them. Each Executive Board member is given equal weight in major decision making, while the President makes the final call if the opinion is split. The Executive Board is elected in the Spring (see Executive Board Election Procedure) and will hold their positions until the end of the following Spring semester.

President’s Committee Organization

Five chairs report to the President: the eSwamp Directors, the Public Policy Chair, and the Diversity & Multicultural Affairs Director. Each of the eSwamp Directors is of equal rank. They hold this position only from May through August. The only people reporting directly to the President from September through April are the Public Policy Chair, the Diversity & Multicultural Affairs Director, and the other Executive Board members. The eSwamp Directors and Public Policy Chair are chosen in the Spring, while the Diversity & Multicultural Affairs Director is chosen in the Fall (see Chair Selection Procedures).

Internal Committee Organization

Eight chairs report to the Vice President of Internal Affairs: two Design Team Chairs, a Team Tech Chair, three Formal Directors, and two Social Chairs. For the categories with multiple chairs, each chair is of equal rank. The Team Tech and Design Team Chairs are chosen in the Spring and the rest are chosen in the Fall (see Chair Selection Procedure). They hold the position until the end of the Spring semester, with the exception of the Team Tech Chair who stays involved until the following SWE Annual Conference (usually October or November) to prepare for the competition.

External Committee Organization

Six chairs report to the Vice President of External Affairs: two Dance Marathon Chairs, a Graduate Liaison, a Volunteering Chair, and On-Campus and Off-Campus Outreach Chairs. The Dance Marathon chairs are of equal rank. The Volunteering Chair is chosen in the Fall while the rest are chosen in the Spring (see Chair Selection Procedure). They hold the position until the end of the Spring semester.

Corresponding Committee Organization

Six chairs report to the Corresponding Secretary: a Career Development Chair, two Evening with Industry Directors, a Talk & Tour Coordinator, and two Mentoring Chairs. For the categories with multiple chairs, each chair is of equal rank. All of the positions are chosen in the Spring and hold the position until the end of the following Spring semester (see Chair Selection Procedure).

Recording Committee Organization

Five chairs report to the Recording Secretary: a Graphic Designer, two Historians, a Public Relations Chair, and a Social Media Chair. The two Historians are of equal rank. The Graphic Designer is chosen in the Spring while the rest are chosen in the Fall (see Chair Selection Procedure). They all hold their position until the end of the Spring semester.

Treasurer’s Committee Organization

One chair reports to the Treasurer: the Assistant Treasurer. They are chosen in the Fall (see Chair Selection Procedure). They hold the position until the end of the following Spring semester.

QUALIFICATIONS

To hold a leadership position, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 and be enrolled full-time on-campus for the Fall and Spring semesters. The Team Tech chair must be willing to attend and present at the upcoming SWE Annual Conference. The eSwamp Directors must be located in Gainesville during the Summer semester (excluding Summer 2020 because classes will be online due to COVID-19). One of the Design Team chairs must have taken EML2322L. The Off-Campus Outreach chair must have their own transportation.

RESPONSIBILITIES

President & President’s Committee

President

• Organize and attend General Body Meetings and semesterly SWEek of Welcome
• Organize and preside over Executive Board Meetings (and create agendas)
• Meet with University of Florida, industry, and SWE leaders
• Write award submissions
• Write one agenda story per semester
• Hold four office hours per week
• Represent SWE at as many events as possible
• Answer incoming emails (from the general UF SWE email and the President email)
• Pass on announcement and opportunity requests to the Recording Secretary
• Pass on sponsorship inquiries to the Corresponding Secretary & Treasurer
• Aid in the planning of eSwamp and Annual Conference travel

eSwamp Directors (Spring Application)

• Plan every detail of eSwamp day, an event to recruit incoming female first-years and increase the retention rate for women in engineering at UF
• Plan activities to introduce the students to the College of Engineering and inform them of the many various resources and opportunities available to them
• Coordinate industry, student, and academic panels
• Arrange a student organization fair
• Meet weekly up-and-to the event
• Table at summer Engineering events (StepUp) and, if possible, at Preview
• Contact College of Engineering Dean and invite to speak
• Reach out to corporate partners and seek sponsorship
• Fundraise if no sponsorship acquired
• Work with local businesses for catering, T-shirts, etc.
• Advertise the event as much as possible

        Public Policy Chair (Spring Application | Beginning Spring 2020)

• Focus on STEM education, workplace equity, D&I, and environment issues
• Plan a yearly women’s health and reproductive rights event
• Coordinate with advocacy leaders at the college and university level
• Encourage members to follow and engage in legislation that affects women

Diversity & Multicultural Affairs Director (Fall Application | Beginning Fall 2020)

• Organize events that celebrate diversity & multiculturalism within STEM and SWE

• You have the creative freedom to come up with event ideas, which then must be presented and discussed with the President
• Events are meant to be neutral, informative, and uplifting. No political or religious topics should be involved

• Encourage member expression and inclusion in a respectful and meaningful way
• Raise awareness through professional events, including panels and guest speakers
• Work with similar established organizations, through volunteering or other means
• Collaborate with HWCOE and other student organizations, such as SHPE, NSBE, BEC, etc.
• Potentially work with the Public Policy Chair occasionally
• Maintain clear and professional communication with all contacts and SWE members
• Responsible for keeping track of emails and having timely correspondence

Vice President of Internal Affairs & the Internal Committee

Vice President of Internal Affairs

• Attend all General Body Meetings and Executive Board Meetings
• Hold three office hours per week
• Respond to emails quickly and professionally
• Attend as many Internal events as possible
• Host one SWEek of Welcome event each semester
• Help to write award applications
• Write one agenda story per semester
• Meet with chairs frequently and assist them as needed

Design Team Chairs (Spring Application)

• Work to plan, build, and present a chain reaction machine
• Lead recruitment of members
• Hold weekly or bi-weekly meetings as needed in classrooms or the Student Design Center, depending on the content of the meeting
• Acquire materials to create the most cost-effective machine
• Incorporate an element from each engineering discipline, if possible
• Become a Safety Steward (the chair who has taken EML2322L)
• Keep track of competition deadlines and ensure all requirements are met
• Coordinate with Student Design Center managers, Executive Board to arrange travel to Purdue University for the competition

Formal Directors (Fall Application)

• Book venue (and if possible, book the following year’s venue ahead of time)
• Seek sponsorships and/or hold fundraisers (coordinate with Treasurer)
• Determine if Student Government funds can/will be used
• Advertise event and Invite other organizations to attend
• Choose a theme
• Purchase supplies and make decorations
• Organize entertainment, catering
• Create and sell tickets (if not using Student Government funds)

Social Chairs (Fall Application)

• Hold at least one social event every three weeks (focus on low-cost events)
• Coordinate with Recording Secretary to advertise and keep a record of events
• Plan SWE Love You days once or twice per semester

Team Tech Chair (Spring Application)

• Lead team to create a prototype to present at SWE Annual Conference
• Work in the summer and beginning of Fall semester to find an industry partner
• Learn the details of the competition and manage deadlines, forms, and reports
• Advertise Team Tech to the general membership (and beyond)
• Ensure team contains at least three majors and half are active SWE members
• Hold weekly meetings once a project is determined
• Continue to work after the Spring semester ends (until the Final Design Report is finished and submitted along with draft presentation)
• If selected as a finalist, prepare for and present at SWE Annual Conference

Vice President of External Affairs & the External Committee

Vice President of External Affairs

• Attend all General Body Meetings and Executive Board Meetings
• Hold three office hours per week
• Respond to emails quickly and professionally
• Attend as many External events as possible
• Host one SWEek of Welcome event each semester
• Help to write award applications
• Write one agenda story per semester
• Meet with chairs frequently and assist them as needed
• Apply for the PDG Grant promptly (for Girl Scout Day)
• Work with Benton Engineering Council as needed (if still applicable)
• Coordinate participation in E-Week/E-Fair
• Coordinate with College of Engineering on any large events

Dance Marathon Chairs (Spring Application)

• Lead SWE’s Dance Marathon team and act as Dance Marathon Ambassador
• Organized fundraisers and advertise
• If applicable, coordinate with Benton Engineering Council team
• Encourage general membership to get involved
• Coordinate with Recording Secretary to advertise and keep a record of events

Graduate Liaison (Spring Application)

• Foster communication between GradSWE and undergraduate SWE members
• Help SWE members make informed decisions about graduate school
• Attend undergraduate and GradSWE General Body Meetings as much as possible
• Work with departments to hold joint undergrad/grad events
• Increase graduate student interest in SWE
• Attend Engineering Graduate Student Council meetings
• Coordinate with Recording Secretary to advertise and keep a record of events

Off-Campus Outreach Chair (Spring Application)

• Hold at least one outreach event every three weeks
• Hold bi-weekly EngiNear You events at local elementary schools
• Prepare fun science and engineering activities for various age groups
• Recruit volunteers and set up carpooling
• Coordinate with GRU for community outreach
• Coordinate with Recording Secretary to advertise and keep a record of events
• Participate in E-Week/E-Fair (set up a booth and create an activity)

On-Campus Outreach Chair (Spring Application)

• Hold events to reach out to young students in as many ways as possible and get them thinking about science and engineering as a career.
• Hold Girl Scout Day, High School Outreach Day, 3D Printing Day
• Plan, along with the College of Engineering, Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day
• Prepare activities and demonstrations for various age groups
• Work with professors and other societies to set up lab tours and demos
• Set a budget and make sure that supplies are ordered well in advance
• Recruit and schedule volunteers
• Coordinate with Recording Secretary to advertise and keep a record of events

Volunteering Chair (Fall Application)

• Increase SWE members’ involvement in the local community
• Work with organizations like Habitat for Humanity (Alachua Women’s Build), Humane Society, Ronald McDonald House, etc.
• Hold an event every four weeks
• Participate in university-wide charity events
• Coordinate with Recording Secretary to advertise and keep a record of events

Corresponding Secretary & the Corresponding Committee

Corresponding Secretary

• Attend all General Body Meetings and Executive Board Meetings
• Hold two office hours per week
• Respond to emails quickly and professionally
• Attend as many Corresponding events as possible
• Host one SWEek of Welcome event each semester
• Help to write award applications and write one agenda story per semester
• Meet with chairs frequently and assist them as needed
• Update and distribute the sponsorship packet to corporate contacts
• Secure sponsorship for major events (including General Body Meetings)
• Maintain relationships with corporate partners
• Coordinate with Treasurer to track sponsorships and donations
• Coordinate with Recording Secretary to give sponsors proper recognition

Mentoring Chairs (Spring Application)

• One chair will focus on collegiate mentoring
• The other chair will focus on corporate and alumni mentoring
• Advertise the mentoring programs, collect applications, and pair mentors/mentees
• Collaborate with eSwamp Directors to advertise the mentoring programs
• Hold a collegiate mentoring welcome event
• Hold at least 2 collegiate mentoring events each semester
• Develop collegiate mentoring event ideas
• Hold weekly/monthly collegiate mentoring challenges
• Manage Facebook groups and Slack channels
• Work with Corresponding Secretary to coordinate corporate mentoring
• Work with VP of External Affairs to coordinate Alumni mentoring
• Maintain Alumni ListServ and foster communication with SWE alumni

Career Development Chair (Spring Application)

• Help to prepare SWE members for life outside of college
• Plan and hold events related to professional, career, and academic development
• Emphasize how to land your first internship or job as well as how to be successful
• Host Professional Development Workshop series
• Collaborate with Career Connections Center (CCC) on their events
• Help members get involved in research or design teams to get experience  
• Plan and host Spring Tea
• Stay updated on CCC events and info sessions to advertise to members

Talk & Tour Coordinator (Spring Application)

• Plan and hold info sessions, talks, and tours throughout the year
• Plan the logistics of information sessions (rooms, catering, Zoom links, etc.)
• Hold the SWEet Talk Series
• Write thank you letters to companies
• Contact companies for facility tours
• Organize carpools and schedule tours for members

Evening with Industry Directors (Spring Application)

• Connect SWE members with recruiters and exciting career opportunities
• Plan and hold Fall and Spring Evening with Industry (EWI)
• Potentially collaborate with NSBE for Evening with Corporate joint event in the Fall or other clubs such as SHPE
• Connect recruiters with our members
• Maintain relationships with current company partners
• Send invitations and thank you letters to companies
• Organize guests for EWI
• Contact companies from a variety of industries
• Coordinate and plan logistics of EWI

Recording Secretary & the Recording Committee

Recording Secretary

• Attend all General Body Meetings and Executive Board Meetings
• Hold two office hours per week
• Respond to emails quickly and professionally
• Attend as many Internal events as possible
• Host one SWEek of Welcome event each semester
• Help to write award applications
• Write one agenda story per semester
• Meet with chairs frequently and assist them as needed
• Manage points database and UF SWE ListServ
• Coordinate all of UF SWE’s marketing efforts in conjunction with chairs
• Manage UF SWE’s public image
• Send SWEekly Update
• Create General Body Meeting agendas and slides
• Moderate Facebook page and group along with Social Media chair
• Maintain website and public calendar of events (and Slack reminders)

Graphic Designer (Spring Application)

• Make weekly graphics with common themes/elements for Facebook events, flyers, T-Shirts, merchandise, etc.
• Manage deadlines to be assigned as needed throughout the semester
• Help plan events run by Recording Committee
• Participate in Paint the Wall event

Historians (Fall Application)

• Attend and take pictures of as many SWE events as possible
• Designate someone to attend and photograph for you if you can’t make it
• Capture videos of big events
• Make End of Year scrapbook
• Update Facebook with pictures
• Maintain Instagram account
• Create a commemorative slideshow for the end of the year banquet
• Care for and maintain SWE’s camera equipment
• Help plan events run by Recording Committee

Public Relations Chair (Fall Application)

• Table at various College of Engineering events and around campus (e.g. GEE Day, Preview, Homecoming)
• Submit our GBM’s and any other events to other ListServs and Facebook pages
• Improve, maintain, and create tabling equipment (tri-fold board, etc.)
• Advertise our events to other societies
• Must attend two other societies’ general body meetings (NSBE, WECE, ASME, AIAA, SHPE, etc) to advertise SWE events
• Pass out agendas during GBM’s and encourage dialogue among members
• Help plan events run by Recording Committee

Social Media Chair (Fall Application)

• Maintain social media accounts
• Post announcements and details of upcoming events
• Post in Slack opportunities channel
• Help plan events run by Recording Committee

Treasurer & the Treasurer’s Committee

Treasurer

• Attend all General Body Meetings and Executive Board Meetings
• Hold two office hours per week
• Respond to emails quickly and professionally
• Attend as many events as possible
• Host one SWEek of Welcome event each semester
• Help to write award applications
• Write one agenda story per semester
• Meet with assistant treasurer frequently and assist them as needed
• Manage all of SWE’s financial accounts
• Create and submit budgets to Student Government, College of Engineering
• Fill out Student Activities Requests and Travel Activities Requests as needed
• Coordinate Annual Conference travel in conjunction with President
• Coordinate with Corresponding Secretary to manage sponsorships
• Oversee all reimbursements
• Submit the Annual Financial Report

Assistant Treasurer (Fall Application)

• Assist with SWE financial affairs
• Help Treasurer and President with Annual Conference reimbursements
• Research local restaurant details about group ordering
• Order and pick up food for all GBMs
• Maintain a spreadsheet of restaurants, quantities, and prices
• Help input receipt data and organize financial documentation
• Keep an accurate tally of SWE merchandise
• Come up with ideas for new merchandise
• Schedule fundraisers at restaurants when needed
• Assist Treasurer as needed

PROCEDURES

Executive Board Election Procedure

The nomination and candidate selection process is outlined in the Collegiate Section Bylaws. Further details are included here and describe the processes more thoroughly.

The Nominating Process

• The nominating committee shall include all Executive Board members that are not running for office. Additionally, one to three general members must be selected for the committee by the Executive Board.
• The nominating committee should be assembled by the first February General Body Meeting.
• At the second February General Body Meeting, the nominating committee will issue a call for nominations. Nominations will be collected via an electronic form.
• Nominations will be accepted until the last non-election General Body Meeting, wherein the verified candidates will be announced.

The Election General Body Meeting

• Positions will be elected in the following order: President, Vice President of Internal Affairs, Vice President of External Affairs, Corresponding Secretary, Recording Secretary, and Treasurer. Within each category, the candidates will speak in alphabetical order by last name.
• The chair of the nominating committee will preside over the election.
• After a winner is chosen, the runners-up will be offered the opportunity to slate down to any of the positions yet to be voted on. They must slate in accordance with the order listed above.
• Each candidate will give a speech up to three minutes in length. Other candidates for the position may stay in the room and vote along with the general members who are present.
• After each speech, the candidates will be asked a series of questions by the present voting members. Five questions will be general, for all candidates running for a position. These will be followed by a maximum of three questions specific to the candidate.
• After the questions are answered, the voting members will vote via secret ballot.
• Ballots will be tallied by the chair of the nominating committee.
• The plurality shall elect the winner. Ties will be determined by lot.

Chair Selection Procedure

        Spring Semester Selection

• Around March, a chair application should be distributed to the general membership. Members should have at least 2 weeks to apply.
• At the transition meeting between the new and existing Executive Board, the chairs will be selected from the applicant pool. Higher weight goes to the new Executive Board and the final decision falls to the incoming President.
• Executive Board members send out congratulatory emails to each of their newly chosen chairs at a coordinated time. The President sends the rejection emails.
• Each Executive Board member should meet with their chairs before the end of the Spring semester, if possible.

        Fall Semester Selection

• At the first General Body Meeting, a chair application should be distributed to the general membership. Members should have at least 2 weeks to apply.
• Upon the close of the application, chairs should be chosen at an Executive Board meeting as soon as possible, so that the chairs have maximum time to get started. The final decision falls to the President.
• Executive Board members send out congratulatory emails to each of their newly chosen chairs at a coordinated time. The President sends the rejection emails.
• If applicable, each Executive Board member should meet with their Fall and Spring chairs together and introduce them to one another.

General Body Meeting Procedure

Each Fall and Spring semester should have approximately six General Body Meetings, with the final one being reserved for Elections. They should be every other Tuesday, with possible exceptions for holidays, school breaks, and major events (SWE Annual Conference, UF Career Showcase, etc.). and The first General Body Meeting should be during the first official week of classes, during the SWEek of Welcome. The General Body Meeting begins with a short introduction to SWE for any new members in attendance. This should be followed by a presentation of upcoming events and announcements. At the conclusion of the presentation, if applicable, the corporate sponsor will present. Afterward, the meeting will be adjourned for food (catered by the corporate sponsor or Student Government funding).

Executive Board Meeting Procedure

Executive Board Meetings are held on the alternate week from General Body Meetings during the Spring and Fall semesters. Some Executive Board Meetings should be held during the Summer, as needed. Each Executive Board Member will provide an update on behalf of themselves and their chair(s). Additionally, an Executive Board Meeting should consist of any miscellaneous tasks and discussions that pertain to the Executive Board’s responsibilities. By the end of each Executive Board Meetings, the President should have compiled a list of actions to be reviewed at the next meeting.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Additional information about the operations of the University of Florida Society of Women Engineers can be found in our SWE Collegiate Section Bylaws and University of Florida Student Organization Constitution. Additionally, an Office Handbook is provided to those in leadership positions with more detailed instructions and advice from previous leaders.