Have you listened to SWE's Diverse Podcast?  The Diverse Podcast is available on Soundcloud, Apple, and Android devices free to listeners who want to learn more about SWE or women in engineering and technology. 

Recent episodes of the podcast have been dedicated to topics around the changes taking place in the Society governance structure including collegiate voting rights.

Society election voting begins on April 1st, and this year, collegiates will be voting in the election of Society level leaders including Senators and the Board of Directors.  The Senate encourages all members to learn about the candidates and vote in this election. 

Links to the governance specific podcasts are posted on the governance website and available here:

Governance Update March 2018, Diverse Episode 39 Penny Wirsing, SWE’s FY19 President, talks with Mary Beth Biddle, FY18 SWE Faculty Advisor/Counselor-Elect, about collegiate voting rights under SWE’s Governance Update.

Governance Update March 2018, Diverse Episode 38 with FY19 SWE President Penny Wirsing Penny Wirsing who talks with Mary Beth Biddle, FY18 SWE Faculty Advisor/Counselor-Elect, about how Collegiate Faculty Advisors and Counselors will be helping with SWE’s Governance Update.

Governance Update Januray 2018, Diverse Episode 29 with FY19 SWE President Penny Wirsing talks with FY18 Collegiate Director Ingrid Arambula about SWE's Governance Update for Collegiate Members.

Governance Update May 2017, Diverse Episode 18 with Karen Roth on Section Support
Governance Update October 2016, Diverse Episode 7 with Natalie Vanderspiegel on Senate perspectives

Please download and listen to learn more about the changes taking place this year. 

By Kelsey Harper, FY18 Region H Collegiate Senator

SWE members from around the Midwest converged in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in early March for a WE Local conference. The weekend was a great experience for all to learn more about SWE, share best practices, and attend professional development seminars. Two Senators, Lynn Davenport and Kelsey Harper attended WE Local Milwaukee. We had the opportunity to present about Society Committee opportunities to attendees, including many Region H leaders; with a specific focus on encouraging collegiate leaders to consider committee positions as we transition away from regions. We discussed the different committees and who to contact if interested. Particular encouragement to join committees was given to collegiate members who might be on co-op, graduating in the near future, or looking for additional leadership positions.

WE Local conferences are a more intimate setting than Society Conference and allow leaders to talk in smaller groups with constituents. Talking with members at meals and networking hours about their ideas and concerns is a great way to learn more about what strategic issues the Senate will need to consider going forward. As the last few WE Locals of the year wind down we look forward to meeting more SWE members.

Pictured: Senators, Lynn Davenport and Kelsey Harper, with the Region H Leadership Team

By Pamela Buzzetta, FY18 Region I Professional Senator

The Annual Strategic Planning Sub-Team led by Deputy Speaker, Natalie Vanderspiegel, convened again last week to conduct the Annual Strategic Plan Review (ASPR). The team is responsible for reviewing and revising the Society’s strategic objectives as needed to align with the vision and strategic goals. This year, the meeting also included special guests from the 5-Year Strategic Plan Task Force led by Special Senator, Dianne Beever. 

The 5-Year Strategic Plan Task Force investigated the changing landscape of engineering and technology professions and the needs of our membership with a longer outlook. Using the Strategic Planning Assessment (SPA), environmental scans, competitive analysis, reports from the NSF on engineering and diversity, and input from senior leadership, this team discussed and reviewed the Society’s mission, vision, and strategic goals. The team presented proposed updates for FY19 and beyond to the Board of Directors and the Annual Strategic Planning Sub-Team at ASPR.

Together, the teams reaffirmed the mission and vision of SWE while providing recommendations to update the strategic goals within Professional Excellence, Globalization, and Advocacy. The group also spent a portion of the meeting discussing Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) within SWE and in the engineering profession. Special Director Cheri Chappelle used her extensive corporate experience in leading D&I objectives to set the basis for the discussion during the ASPR.

Both, the sub-team and task force are now busy at work making the final changes and putting together the recommendations for the new strategic plan to present to the board next month. Look for the new approved strategic plan in the coming months!

Photo of ASPR attendees in Minneapolis, MN on February 9, 2018. Photo credit: Natalie Vanderspiegel