2009 Tau Beta Pi National Convention
Advisor Information Session
Presented by:
Advisor Recruitment &
Development Committee
TBP WEBSITE
Midge Hill
TBP Websites
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National Website
Advisor Website
On-line reporting
Headquarters contact information
TBP Website: http://www.tbp.org
Advisor Website
Advisor Website cont’d
Reporting: On-Line
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Username/password
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Email: password@tbp.org
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Name
Chapter
Reports
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Membership
Other
Member Lookup
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look up any Tau Bate
Utilities
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Chapter Statistics: Number members
Member Statistics: Membership information
Online Reporting: Sign-in page
Membership
Within first 5 weeks
At least 2 weeks before initiation
Keys require 3-4 weeks
Due 2 weeks after initiation
Membership: Eligibility
Excel Spreadsheet
submit report
Other Reports
Other reports
Communication with National Office
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tbp@tbp.org – General National Office
contact
Rebecca@tbp.org - Handles chapter related
issues
1-800-TAU-BETA
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Normal hours are 8am-4pm Eastern Standard
Time
Extended hours on Thurs/Fri noon-8pm EST
during initiation “season”
TBP COMMUNICATION TOOLS
Dylan Lane
TBPCONNECT
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7,700 registered Tau Bates
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4,000 new registrants this year
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350 participants a month
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10 content creators a month
A group exists for each chapter. We need help
getting chapters to take ‘charge’ of groups and
use them as communication tool.
Using TBPCONNECT
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inCircle is similar to other social network
sites.
You can report glitches/bugs and you can
direct support issues to me as well.
inCircle only makes ‘large scale’ changes and
many requests will not be processed but worth
submitting.
Can we increase activity?
Other Communication Tools
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Linked-In - targets ‘professional’ members,
verification of membership, good discussions,
and frequent job opportunities.
AlumNet - mentoring program
Tau Beta Pi website;
Average of approx. 30,000 hits/week
Chapter website, Officials website, and main
web site
nuResume - Alerts and contests for internships
Benefits Old/New
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Hobsons GradView Widget - free resource to
search for graduate schools.
Women for Hire - free online membership
Kaplan - Discount on test materials
Long Term Financial Care Partners - long-term
care education and insurance carriers.
GIECO - additional discount for members in
most states.
Miscellaneous
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Chapter Image materials free from HQ:
Posters, brochures, and more
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Updated chapter website to come
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MindSET
AWARDS
Sally Steadman
Awards
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Secretary’s Commendation
 $100/$200/$300
 Can ask Dean to match this. Request can come from
HQ.
Project Awards
 $500 -- 3 consecutive years
National Awards: Outstanding Chapter & Most
Improved
 HQ screening / Sec-Treas & Asst. Sec-Treas
 (Most Improved) 3 year history
Award Criteria
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Reports: accuracy, completeness, promptness
 17 Graded Reports
 Constitutional Ratification Ballot (if needed)
Projects: extent, quality
Chapter Survey
Financial Status
Award Criteria: Chapter Projects
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Extensive activity in five diverse areas
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Community / Liberal Culture
University / College
Profession / Engineering
Chapter / Social
Education / Professional Development
Number of projects
Significant , Appropriate, Separate
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Does not include “required” projects (meetings)
Parts of larger projects are combined
Total points / Number of projects : Project average
Evaluation
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Project Points
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Awarded for quality, time & effort, success
Hosting Convention
Normalized for size of chapter
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Total points / Number of eligible students
Chapter Survey Book
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Table of Contents
Report Template – Download
Photographs / project documentation
Presentation – Awards Committee
Can include chapter documentation: minutes
(not included in evaluation)
Paper-Only Reports
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Forms are downloadable
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Officer Signatures
Voting Delegate Expense ($0.00)
Convention Credentials – 2 part
Ratification Ballot – if necessary
Most often missing, along with Officer Fall Address
Not updated: Advisors / terms
Report Status Page
Request
extension
CHAPTER FINANCES
Bob Efimba
DISCUSSION OUTLINE
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Chapter’s Financial Needs
Sources of Funding
Good Accounting Practices
Chapter Financial Management
Timely Reporting & Audit
Travel Expenses for Advisors
Chapter’s Financial Needs
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Need to develop a Budget to include Basic Expenses
such as:
 Dues to be paid to TBP/HQ for each new initiate.
 Cost of Initiation Activities
 Cost of Initiation Banquet
 Cost of refreshments at Chapter meetings
 Cost of transportation (to be reimbursed by DD) for
Chapter Delegation to attend TBP Regional
Conference
 Expenses for Voting Delegate to travel to the Annual
Convention (to be reimbursed by TBP)
Chapter’s Financial Needs cont’d
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The Budget should also include additional optional
Expenses such as:
 Cost of Certificates and Awards made by the
Chapter
 Expenses for an Alternate Delegate to travel to
the Annual Convention, with TBP reimbursing
only part (20%) of the airfare.
 Cost executing community projects.
Sources of Funding
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The Chapter should tap these usual sources of funding:
 One-time Initiation fees by new initiates
 Annual Chapter dues (if any) paid by each active
Chapter member
 Reimbursement from the DD for the Chapter’s
Delegation to travel to the Regional Conference
 Reimbursement in full from TBP HQ for the Voting
Delegate’s travel expenses to the Annual Convention.
 The 20 % partial reimbursement for the airfare of the
Alternate delegate’s travel to the Convention
Sources of Funding cont’d
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The Chapter should also aggressively pursue some
usually overlooked sources:
 Allotments for each bona fide registered student
activity available from the College of
Engineering and from the University-wide
Student Council
 Donations from each Engineering Dept in the
College
 Fundraising activities such as sale of study guides
and review sessions for the FE (available at a
discount from NCEES).
Sources of Funding cont’d
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The Chapter should also work hard to earn
these “freebie” awards from TBP:
 Sec-Treasurer’s Commendation
 Outstanding Projects
 Greater Interest in Government (GIG)
Other sources can be tapped with the help of
the Director of Development – Individual
Alumni and Engineering Companies
Sources of Funding concluded
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The Chapter should also encourage its members
to apply for these sources of individual funding
from TBP:
 Scholarship for Juniors to use in their senior
year
 Fellowship for seniors to use in Graduate
School
 The Laureate Program
 Student Loans from TBP (6% per annum)
Good Accounting Practices
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A typical Chapter would have three accounts
with:
 TBP HQ
 The University Comptroller
 A local Bank
Chapter Financial Management
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The key Financial Personnel of Some Chapters are:
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The Treasurer
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Receives, keeps, and disburses Chapter Funds
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The President
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Oversees financial operations, authorizes
expenditures, and is co-signer of Chapter checks
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A Chapter Advisor
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Provides advice
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Serves as a resource on Chapter financial operations
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Chairs the Audit Committee
Timely Reporting & Audit
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The following financial Reports should be prepared
and filed:
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Bank signatures form
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IRS form 990N
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Chapter annual financial report to TBP/HQ
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Financial report at meetings of the Membership
and Advisory Board, stating expenses, receipts,
and balances in all three accounts
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Annual Chapter Audit
Travel Expenses for Advisors
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Every effort should be made NOT to burden a
Chapter with any expenses incurred by Advisors.
Some Districts cover the full expense for room and
board and travel for each Advisor who attends a
Regional Conference.
TBP/HQ provides room and board for each Advisor
at the Annual Convention, and pays for travel for
only a few (usually new) Advisors who are selected
by their DD.
Travel Expenses for Advisors
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Some other possible sources of funding for Advisor travel to
the Annual Convention:
 Travel allocation from a research or training grant, where
allowed
 Departmental or Engineering College discretionary travel
funds
In the future, we hope to be able to convince
Engineering Companies within a three to five hundred mile
radius of a Convention site to each sponsor and pay for all the
expenses of one Chapter Advisor to attend the Convention.
This way, we could perhaps increase Advisor attendance at the
Conventions by some 50 to 100 %.
LEADERSHIP OF LAST RESORT
Yu-Han Chen
Chapter is a learning experience
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It is a microcosm of what students will face
after graduation.
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Provides a “safe” place to develop leadership
skills.
Advisors play a part in this “safety net”.
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Help student officers recognize, manage, and
mitigate risks associated with trying new things.
Everything in Balance
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Be aware of how the chapter is being run by
the students.
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Sit in on officer meetings.
Mandatory once-per-semester advisory board
meeting is not enough.
Different Chapter/Advisor Types
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Role of an advisor varies with chapter type
and advisor type.
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Track A Chapters
Track B Chapters
Track C Chapters
Academic (on-campus) Advisor
Industry (off-campus) Advisor
Track A Chapter
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Struggling to initiate new members and elect new
officers.
Officer continuity is a problem.
Trouble attracting new members.
Track B Chapter
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Initiation of new members and election of officers is
going smoothly.
Much of the work is being done by a few officers.
Puts on one or two events.
Track C Chapter
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Initiation of new members going smoothly.
Officer continuity is self sustaining.
Has a set of “traditional” events and is developing
new events/programs.
BREAK INTO GROUPS
What do you see as your role as an Advisor?
Risk Management
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Example: Career Fair
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Name some of the risks involved.
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How does the chapter reduce or eliminate
these risks?
Summary
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Be familiar with how your chapter is run.
Encourage the officers in their leadership roles.
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Explore new ideas and take on new responsibilities.
Develop these new ideas to their end product.
Support the officers by providing contacts oncampus and in industry.
Help manage and mitigate the risks to prevent
serious damage to the chapter.
As a last resort, step in and help them resolve
problems.