Sonora Region Weekly Notes

January 25- January 31, 2009

 

Upcoming Events

 

Hot News!!

 COR Information

 Region Resources & Links

 Upcoming Events

 FY09- Section Reports #2 Due January 30, 2009

The first of three section reports will be due on Friday January 30th. The section report form is attached. One of the goals for the region this year is to have all of the section reports completed on time. If you have any questions about how to complete the report or what information to include, please contact any of the region officers

 

FY09 Region Conference- January 30- February 1, 2009

As the Conference Planning Chair, let me start by saying THANK YOU for signing up to attend the 2009 Sonora Region Conference and Career Fair!  With just one week to go, the excitement is really setting in!  I thought I’d send a quick email with some logistical information for your trip to Albuquerque for the Conference.  If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to ask!  I can be reached via email at B09Conference@swe.org.

HOTEL/CHECK-IN- All Conference events (except the off-site activities) will be held at the “Marriott Uptown.”  The Marriott is located at the northwest corner of Louisiana Boulevard and I-40 in the “Uptown” area of Albuquerque.  Their contact information: 2101 Louisiana Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110, Phone: 505.837.6631.

Be sure to stop by the Registration Desk (lower level of the Marriott) to check-in.  Admission tickets will be required for every Conference event.  Registration will be open:

·       Thursday, January 29, 2009 from 5:00 p.m to 8:00 p.m.

·       Friday, January 30, 2009 from 7:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m.

·       Saturday, January 31, 2009 from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Note: There is still space available for the Tours, Career Fair, and Meals.  However, if you’re planning on signing up for a Saturday meal (breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner) or are unsure if you’ve signed up, PLEASE let me know before Monday 9AM MST (B09Conference@swe.org)!  To keep within our budget, we have very little overage planned for the food, and will be turning in our final head-count to the Marriott at 10AM MST on Monday.

TRANSPORTATION- Whether you’re flying, driving, taking a taxi, etc. to the Conference, we’ve prepared a transportation “cheat-sheet” for you!  It’s attached to this email (and will be posted to the Conference website (http://www.swecnm.org/RegionBConference) so you can print and go!

WEATHER- Albuquerque is known for its sunny, yet variable weather and often it’s warm during the day and then chilly at night this time of year.  According to the current forecast, we’re expecting sunny skies with highs in the mid-50’s during the day, with lows in the high-20’s at night.  This means you can usually get by with a light jacket during the day and a warmer coat at night.  However, if the winds pick up, it may be a little chillier, so dressing in layers is wise. Note to those that are attending the Sandia Peak Tram Tour: Please be sure to dress warmly.  I have been atop Sandia Peak with winds in the 20 mph range and temperatures below 20.  So a hat, gloves, scarf, etc. might be necessary (and maybe some hot cocoa when you get to the top)!

DRESS CODE

The dress code for the Conference:

·       Friday Tours: Casual Attire

·       Saturday: Business Attire

·       Career Fair: Business Attire

·       Saturday Evening Banquet: Dressy Business to Semi-Formal Attire

·       Sunday: Business Attire

ALBUQUERQUE FAQ’s- If this is your first visit to Albuquerque, please remember that we’re located over a mile above sea level.  Albuquerque is also considered a “high desert” climate, so you’ll need to drink more water while visiting.  If you plan on imbibing, note that you’ll feel the effects of alcoholic beverages sooner here than at sea level!  More fun Albuquerque FAQ’s, including information about the arts and culture, can be found here: www.itsatrip.org.  Be sure to bring your walking shoes, as there are several shopping centers located in the Uptown area!  More information can be found here: http://www.abquptown.com/directory. 

ADDITIONAL CONFERENCE INFORMATION- Be sure to check the Conference website (http://www.swecnm.org/RegionBConference) for any last minute information. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you in Albuquerque!

FY09 Region Meeting #3- February 1, 2009

Attached is the Agenda for the third region meeting of FY09 in conjunction with the Region Conference in Albuquerque.

 

FY10 Region Election Nominations Due- January 31, 2009

Attached is the announcement for the FY10 Region Elections. The region is soliciting candidates for Lt. Governor, Secretary, Treasurer, Senator, Alternate Senator, Region Nominating Committee Chair, Region National Nominating Committee. All nominations should be submitted by January 31, 2009 to Joy Bell at joyabell_az@yahoo.com.

 

Hot News!!!

 

FY10 Region Conference Bid Packet

For the FY10 Region Conference only one section submitted a completed interest from and bid packet. The FY10 Region Conference Bid Packet submit by Phoenix is attached for your review. The packet will be presented at the Region Meeting #3 in Albuquerque, NM. Please read the bid packet and be prepared to ask any questions you may have during the meeting. We will conduct a vote at the meeting for the location of the FY10 Region Conference.

 

Take the “Why SWE Survey”- Win a Prize for Participating

Take a moment to tell SWE why you are a member and what is important to you to continue your membership. We are looking for 500 participants to take the survey to tell us “Why SWE”. The results will be made into bookmarks and given to the region members as promotional material. The bookmarks can be used as a tool to inform others about SWE, promote membership, explain the benefits of SWE and gain additional participation in your section. Prizes will be given out to 5 members drawn at random from the participants. The survey link can be found at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=bcAo7ibTfqKCeEti5JikbA_3d_3d

  

Join the Sonora Region- B Community

Have you joined the SWE Sonora Region- B Community yet? The Sonora Region Community is a place to find information on upcoming region events, minutes from the region meetings, information on the region focus groups, and much more information. The community also offers a place to post discussions, ask questions, or take polls. To join the Sonora Region – B Community, logon on to My Communities from www.swe.org.  On the blue header titled My Communities, choose Manage Communities, choose Browse Communites S-Z, scroll down and click on the check box next to Sonora Region- B, then choose the join button. You will then be able to view all of the information for the Sonora Region.

  

Region Outreach Program- A SWEeter Future

Today we begin the SWEeter Future Program for Region B!  Throughout FY09, the Sonora Region is tracking the impact we have on the future of engineering. Our goal for the Region is to impact 2000 children in grades K through 12.  With all of the sections throughout Region B participating, it should be easy to meet our goal!

We have set up a SWEeter Future Program Tracker, which can be found by visiting the following link:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=i4M41sM6rK_2fLhHZH4IUU3Q_3d_3d

We ask that you visit this survey throughout the year to report all of the outreach activities of your section.  This simple survey simply asks for the name/date of your event, how many professional members attended, and how many K-12 attendees participated.  We've also included a "comments" box in case you'd like to include any lessons learned, best practices to share, etc.  All of the Program data will be collected by Lt. Governor, Kerrie Greenfelder, and a summary will be provided at the end of the fiscal year. Now for the best part….The section(s) having the most outreach impact by the end of the fiscal year will be rewarded with a stipend to provide a scholarship!  It's a win-win for everyone! If you have any questions about the Program, please do not hesitate to contact Kerrie.  We're looking forward to meeting our outreach goals for FY09!

  

COR Information

 

Senator Elections

The decision has been made by the GFIG that all Senators, collegiate and professionals, will be elected through the national election process this year.  The regional nominating committee will be responsible for providing HQ the names of the Senator candidates to place on the national ballot.  Thus, you'll only need to elect your RCR(s) and RCNE at region conference. Please see the attached documentation for additional details. Per the Region B nominations calendar, the Call for Nominations will open on January 2, 2009 and the Call for Nominations will end on February 28, 2009. As a Region, we will discuss the Senator Election Process at the Region Meeting #3 in Albuquerque, NM.

  

Information on Senators

  1. Professional (professional, senior or fellow members) senators from each region serve 2 year terms.  One shall be elected each year by and from the professional members of that region.  For the first election held, 2 senators will be elected.  The nominee having the highest number of votes will serve a two-year term and the member having the next highest number of votes will serve a one-year term.

 

  1. Collegiate members from each region serve 1 year terms.  They are elected by and from all collegiate members in the region (this is different from RCRs that are elected only by collegiate section presidents)

 

  1. International member senators serve 2 year terms.  One shall be elected each year by and from the international members.  For the first election held, 2 senators will be elected.  The nominee having the highest number of votes will serve a two-year term and the member having the next highest number of votes will serve a one-year term.

 

  1. Special senators serve 1 year terms (or the remainder of a 1 year term if elected after July 1).  They are nominated by the speaker and elected by the senators.  We do not anticipate electing special senators in FY10. 

 

  1. Alternates must be elected.  They serve 1 year terms.  (full details are in the recommendations document and will be incorporated into the Senate procedures)

 

Other items:

Professional senators and professional alternates must be voting members of the Society

 

No two representatives may be from the same section or MALs per region.

 

Election shall be by plurality vote. In case of a tie, the winner shall be chosen by lot.

 

 Region Resources & Link

 

FY09 Calendar

The FY09 Calendar has been posted on the Region Websites. The calendar includes all of the Section Report due dates (September 5, 2008, January 30, 2009, and May 20, 2009) and the dates of the four region meetings. Any new events will be added to the website, so be sure to visit weekly. http://www.swe.org/regionB/events.html

  

Changing your SWE User ID

It is very helpful to people managing communities to be able to identify contributors.  Having users names 938863 and 773940 make it difficult for community leaders in the course of managing membership to a given community.  Therefore, here are instructions on how to change your SWE user id. Please go to the database at https://www.swe.org/MSC-SWE/directory.aspx. After you sign in, update your information and then scroll down.  In the lower left hand corner there is a link entitled Edit My Profile!  The second major heading below your preferred address is Member Service Center Login.  This is where you can change your User ID. Please choose something so people will be able to identify you like your first and last name. The kicker is that once you change your user ID, that is how you will have to sign in from now on.  Funny how that works, but then when you enter a discussion, people will know who you are . . . . . You may also want to take this opportunity to create a SWE alias for your e-mail.