HOT TOPIC – “Making a Personal Connection to Members”

The quickest and most efficient way to build and retain membership is to make a personal connection with your members. My favorite part about SWE is not the professional development or service activities that it sponsors, but the time I get to spend with my SWEsters!! Most people can’t make a personal connection with others based on meetings once or twice a month- the REAL connection happens through social events where one on one interaction takes place. Next month, try integrating some get-to-know-you events into your calendar. How about a dinner where all there is to do is chit-chat (you may even come up with some discussion sparking questions)? What about a hands-on service activity where women have to work together to accomplish the project? Both of these are ways to get women talking and start those lifetime friendships!! Take some time from now on to focus on feeding the personal needs of your members as well as  the professional needs.

-Lauren Bialoskurski                                                                                                                                                                                                   RCCE

HOT TOPIC: Attracting and Retaining Membership

Hello fellow SWE Divas. My name is Allison Tuff and I am this year’s Region D Membership Chair. As active members in SWE we are always looking for ways to recruit more members into our local sections to share in both the benefits of SWE and to extend the reach of our local network and resources.

A section’s membership is what keeps it alive and thriving. The members are ultimately who provide the much needed support for successful events. So thank you SWE members, whether you are helping by offering your leadership skills, planning events, donating supplies, or simply going to meetings and bringing a friend =)

To me, the best method to attract and retain members is though involvement. Sections should entice new comers with the great opportunities they have for members to get involved. I believe that increasing membership involvement will have both a direct and positive influence on recruitment and retention numbers as members begin to take ownership of their local section and feel like they belong.

The University of Central Florida section implemented a great program called SWE Buddies to help recruit and retain new members. SWE Buddies is a mentoring program the section created to provide a support network to help students negotiate the difficulties of their first years in the engineering curriculum by getting to know SWE members that have gone though the same thing. This is a great opportunity for Seniors and Juniors to relay the volumes of information they’ve gathered over the years and make an underclassman fell welcome within the organization. It is a simple and rewarding program that helps get new comers involved!

As Region Membership Chair, one of my primary goals is to see a healthy increase in membership recruitment and retention numbers among all of the region’s local sections and MALs. Monthly membership reports will be posted on the Region D Community, so make sure you check them out. Should you have any questions regarding Membership, please feel free to email me at Allison.M.Tuff@usa-spaceops.com.

Hot Topic: Getting People Out When The Weather’s Rough

The original Hot Topic was “Getting People Out When It’s Cold Out”. This doesn’t normally affect all of Region D, I know that the sections in sunny Florida and sunnier still, in Puerto Rico, don’t have to worry too much, if at all, about the cold. On the other hand, rain… can rain on our parade, literally. So: how do you deal with the weather? How do you get people to come to your activities despite the weather?

(Last week, we went over three checkpoints to consider for a successful activity: promote the activity well, provide incentives to the attendees, and follow up. They hold true no matter what activity or hardship you come across. Read more here.)

One way to combat the weather is to, at least when the weather’s rough (bitter cold, raining), keep your activities indoors for a while. Take this time of year to hold seminars and host company info-sessions.

Since not many people are willing to drive/walk/bike long distances when the weather is harsh, you’ll also want keep your indoor activities local, preferably on campus. UNF’s Bingo-Night is one example; you can also host Karaoke Nights, Talent Shows… what works best on your campus.

You can also use the weather to your advantage. Is it too cold out? Hold a Hot-Cocoa Social! Too hot? Hold an ice-cream social, or plan a trip to the beach.

Not all can be fun and games, though. Sometimes the weather can be cruel, and your local community could be severely affected. Although we all hope this never happens, in the worst-case scenario that it does, it is our duty as an organized group of the community to do whatever we can to help. (Read: service project.)

What does your Section do when the weather’s rough? Let us know: leave a comment. You can also send in suggestions to rcne-d@swe.org.

Hot Topic: Making the Most of Regional Conference

For this Month’s Hot Topic, we’ll be focusing on how to make the most of the Region Conference. As you know, this year our Region D Conference will be held from March 6 to 8, in Atlanta, Georgia. Some of you have gone quite a few times already, for others, like me, this would be our first time.

So, how do you make the most of Region Conference? I asked this question to Martha Addison and Johnnie Waid, our Collegiate Representatives, and we’ve come up with the following.

Plan in Advance

To make the most of any trip, you’ve got to plan in advance. For one thing, you can register early. Not only do you save on registration fees, but you also secure a room. This year, when you register, there’s an option where you can pay a discounted hotel price along with the registration. It’s a wonderful way to hit two birds with one stone. Block the 6, 7 and 8 of March off your calendar; you know that you’re not going to be around, and make plans to work extra the week before, ask for time off that weekend, etcetera. On the early-bird-gets-the-worm topic, try to arrive as early as possible. Before the Conference, take some time to tour Atlanta, maybe take an hour to rest from the plane ride, and be prepared for a Friday evening and a Saturday of meeting people, learning, exchanging ideas, spreading knowledge and enthusiasm, finding opportunities and having fun.

Network!

Take the time you’re there and network with everyone you meet. Exchange ideas with other collegiate members; you’ll be surprised to learn new ways to improve your section. And many people will appreciate you sharing your Best Practices. Network with professionals, too – not only can they end up interviewing you, but they might also be willing to sponsor that outreach activity you’ve got planned next month! Finally, for those graduating Divas, take advantage of the recruiting opportunities. Actually: graduating or not, take advantage of these oportunities. Make sure you send your resume in to swe09dresume@gmail.com. Conference Sponsors will be looking at these Resumes, so don’t let any opportunity for advancement slip by.

More National Opportunities

Wednesday I forgot to mention that there are other ways to get involved in SWE at the National Level. Apart from nominating yourself to a Regional Collegiate Position (such as Senator, Representative and/or Newsletter Editor), you can also join a National Committee.  Most committees are open to Collegiates, and some, in fact, are actually in need of a couple of  students to provide their point of view.

There are a wide variety of committees, such as Outreach, Multicultural, Awards… you name it. You can see the complete list of committees here. To see if you can join a committee, all you have to do is write to the committee chair (their contact information is in the link). Not all committees are searching for collegiates, but you’ll never know until you ask.

Hot Topic: National Opportunities

If you’re looking to take your involvement in SWE to another level, you should definitely consider nominating yourself for a Regional Position.

The call for Regional Collegiate Senators (RCS) has already been made. There will be a second call on January 21st; but you can view the original call here.  Soon, January 9th to be exact, Region D will also be searching for collegiate leaders to take on the FY10 roles of Regional Collegiate Representatives and Newsletter Editor (RCR and RCNE, respectively).

In a nutshell, the RCS serves on the National Senate, representing your region’s collegiate views.  The RCR serves on the Region Council, representing the collegiates on a more local level. Finally, the RCNE keeps the Region Collegiate Blog updated, posting helpful information for collegiate sections.  The RCRs and the RCNEs work together on the Regional Collegiate Team (RCT) to enhance the Collegiate SWE experience.

For more details, visit this link. This was sent out in an e-mail to the members about a week ago; your Faculty Advisors and SWE Counselors should have also received this e-mail. If you know of people in your section interested in a position at the Regional/National Level, or if you know of anyone qualified, you might want to forward that link to them, and drive the message home.

You can also feel free to contact your RCRs, Martha and Johnnie, at rcr-d@swe.org, or me, your RCNE, at rcne-d@swe.org. We’d be more than glad to answer your questions.