SWE Counselor
Every Student Section must have a SWE
Counselor. The SWE Counselor of a Student
Section is selected by the Student Section. In
addition to assignment to a Section or to
Member-at-Large, the Counselor shall be
considered a non-voting member of the
Student Section. The Counselor is
responsible to the Board of Directors,
through the Student Activities Committee
Chair, for the Student Section's compliance
with these Bylaws and with the policies of
the Society.
Communication:
The strength of a Student Section is
dependent on the communication within it.
The Faculty Advisor and Counselor are to
help the Student Section, not to run it for the
students. For this reason it is strongly
encouraged that the Student Section
establish a clear line of communication with
the Faculty Advisor and Counselor and keep
the lines of communication open and
flowing. If a problem develops for the
Student Section, the Counselor and Faculty
Advisor work together with the Student
Section officers to help solve the problem.
Functions:

To serve as a source of information
about SWE and its goals

To serve as a liaison between industry,
local SWE Sections and the Student
Section

To arrange plant tours and locate
speakers from industry
Qualifications:
The SWE Counselor must be a member in
good standing of the Society. The Counselor
should be a voting member, but the Board of
Directors may be petitioned to approve a
qualified Associate in the event that a voting
member is not available.
Traits of a Good SWE Counselor:


To act as a trouble shooter as questions
and problems arise, utilizing the Student
Activities Committee and Headquarters
as needed
To act as a role model and source of
moral support
The Student Section chooses their Counselor
for their section. It is very important to
select the right person.
Here are some things to look for:
A SWE member


To attend Student Section meetings and
special events whenever possible
To provide advice and suggestions on
Student Section activities
Willing to do the job
Enthusiastic about SWE and the school
Good communication skills


To review and sign the Annual and
Financial Report for the Student Section
To attend Regional and National
Counselor and Faculty Advisor meetings
Previous Student Section member
Ties to local Section and industry
Where to Find a Counselor:
The Society’s Objectives:
If the Student Section needs assistance in
finding a Counselor, there are several
resources for you. First the Regional
Student Coordinator and the Student
Activities Committee should be
contacted to assist in matching a
potential volunteer with the section. The
local professional Section, Region
Director, MAL Representative, or the
Vice-President of Student Services could
also be contacted for assistance. The key
is to ask for help if needed.

To inform young women, their parents,
counselors, and the general public of the
qualifications and achievements of
women engineers and the opportunities
open to them.

To assist women engineers in readying
themselves for a return to active work
after temporary retirement.

To serve as a center of information on
women in engineering.
Changes:

SWE Headquarters, the Regional
Coordinator, the Faculty Advisor, and
the Region Director must be informed of
any changes made with regards to the
Counselor.
To encourage women engineers to attain
high levels of education and professional
achievement.
The Society’s Mission:

Stimulate women to achieve full
potential in careers as engineers and
leaders.

Expand the image of the engineering
profession as a positive force in
improving the quality of life.
NOTE:
The Society of Women Engineers
Faculty Advisor Guidelines Brochure is
also available and recommended as
accompanying material for this
brochure.

Demonstrate the value of diversity.
Rev. 5/98
Society of
Women Engineers
Counselor Guidelines
SOCIETY OF WOMEN ENGINEERS
120 Wall Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10005-3902
Tel: (212) 509-9577
FAX: (212) 509-0224
http://www.swe.org
E-mail: hq@swe.org