Starting a Chapter

Why Develop and Join a University Chapter?

• Meet other individuals with similar professionals. These people may become your co-workers and/or life-long friends.
• Learn more about biological engineering outside the classroom. Discover what opportunities await you after graduation.
• Have an outlet to exercise leadership experience within your own field of study.
• Develop relationships with faculty members, people from industry, government, and even other universities.
• Participate in events held at the local (that's your chapter!) and national level.
• Fun and camaraderie

Getting Off on the "Right" Foot

• Most universities have their own policies and requirements for becoming an official student organization. Do not forget to find out what they are for your campus. They may require a copy of your accepted Bylaws and a Constitution. It should be OK for you to submit the National Constitution for this purpose.
• If you develop an interesting and involving program it will help to make having a University Chapter a fun and memorable experience. In addition to the regular business meetings, you may want to have social gatherings like a "Meet the New Members" party in the beginning of the school year, a holiday or random luncheon (this can even be a fund-raiser), a spring picnic with games for members and guests, or even a spring banquet. Educational and informative meetings can also be arranged. You may want to invite a guest speaker from your University or other universities, industry, and/or government agencies. Topics of discussion could range from "what opportunities are out there?" to "what do you do for a living?" In the near future, IBE will be able to provide a speaker's bureau for you to incorporate into your program. Other ideas you may want to consider include having an intramural sport team, fund-raisers, field trips, or joint meetings with other campus organizations.
• Spread the word! Tell your friends, peers, and faculty about what you are trying to get started (and don't forget to mention IBE).
• Do not forget to hold office elections. This is a democracy!
• The IBE web page is a key means of communication between you and your parent society. In most cases it will provide answers to your questions and concerns and keep you current on what is up with IBE.