IEEE Student Professional Awareness Rob Vice Past-Region 1 SPAC Coordinator 2012 R1 Training Workshop Downtown Marriott, Hartford, CT 10 March 2012

Agenda Professional Awareness S-PAC & S-PAVe Student Benefits and Involvement

3 As defined within IEEE Professional awareness is the emphasizing of the importance of the non-technical aspects of engineering to engineers and future engineers. What is Professional Awareness?

4 Career growth Continuing education Effective communication Working Balancing work with personal life Expectations versus reality Professional ethics and social responsibility Individual and corporate responsibility Coping with ethical dilemmas Professional Awareness Categories

5 Self-management Managing your career Time management Engineer and public policy Grassroots activism Understanding how government works Importance of the professional society Networking Benefits Professional Awareness Categories

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7 Student Professional Awareness Conferences (S-PAC) Students plan and run the event with consultation from SPAC Regional Coordinators The students do all project management Presentation or panel format related to the professional awareness categories Topics are selected by students in consultation with SPAC Regional Coordinators (Regions 1-6) who will advise on finding speakers What Are S-PACs?

8 Organizers of S-PACs gain project management experience (impressive on resumes) Attendees leave with a continuous consciousness of a non-technical aspect that will be useful for the rest of their lives Initial networking with someone in industry Successful S-PACs at a branch makes it easier for that branch to institute the event on a regular basis Student Benefits for S-PACs

9 Student Professional Awareness Ventures Venture can take on any form except presentation format Student branch submits proposal based on the professional awareness categories with budget and schedule The students do all project management Start-up funds are available to initiate venture Free flowing format enables creativity What Are S-PAVes?

10 Suggested formats Service CDs, videos Workshop Simulations Resource materials Can span days, weeks, months, within one semester/quarter S-PAVe Formats

11 Develop activities / materials to enhance professional awareness and provide service to members Enable student branches to gain experience in project conception, planning, and organization Increase student membership (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, graduate students) Student Benefits for S-PAVes

12 Comparison of S-PAC and S-PAVe

13 Steps for Organizing a Student Professional Awareness Conference

14 Website for planning guides, budget forms, contact information: Region 1 Coordinator and Support Coordinators Alias: Region 1 SPAC Coordinator Charles Step 1: Visit S-PAC Website & Contact your Regional Coordinators

15 Example topics Industry life as told by a survivor Grad school versus school of life Multitalented: the Swiss army engineer Pros and cons of large versus small companies Consulting - is it for me? SPAC will support travel expenses for 1 national speaker You may be able to use a 2nd national speaker if they are geographically local to your school Step 2: Decide on Topics (2 or 3) and Inform SPAC Coordinator

16 es/spac/speaker_topic.asp Step 3: Review List of Potential Speakers – Seek Approval from SPAC Coordinator to Invite

17 es/spac/files/NEW_spac_PlanGuide_ rev2.xls Step 4: Complete the Budget Sheet and to Your SPAC Coordinator

18 Step 4: Complete the Budget Sheet and to Your SPAC Coordinator

19 Potential Income Sources Ticket Sales Industry Donation University IEEE Local Section/Region MGA Subsidy (when needed as a safety net) IEEE Societies/Chapters Minimize Expenditures Forego spending on elaborate meals and refreshments No need for catering halls (large classrooms are fine) Note that the SPAC Committee will pay for the approved National Speakers travel expenses, and are off-budget to the students planning process S-PAC / S-PAVe Budget Considerations

20 STEP 5. Publicize the event STEP 6. Prepare for event STEP 7. After event, collect feedback from attendees and submit S-PAC Final Report to your Coordinator STEP 8. Document lessons learned for the next S-PAC Remaining Steps for Organizing the S-PAC or S-PAVe

21 Students gain insight into topics pertinent to their careers, such as financial planning and career growth Attendees leave with a continuous consciousness of non- technical aspects that will be useful for the rest of their lives Student conference committee members gain valuable management and planning skills Student Branches build momentum for holding regular events in the future S-PACs and S-PAVes Teach Students to be Leaders Benefits to Students

22 Get Started Visit the IEEE USA SPAC Web site at:

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24 Questions???

For additional information please contact: Charles Rubenstein Support Coordinators: Rob Vice (Past R1 SPAC Coordinator) Krenar Komoni SPAC Planning Guide & Resources for Students and Coordinators