1. Chapter Specific Programming
Academic excellence
NSBE region VI
Southwest Zone Summit

2. Introductions Name, School Major, Year
One word to describe how your day was yesterday.
To start, let’s go around and introduce ourselves.
I will start!

3. Academic Excellence in Our Society
Community and Culture of academic excellence
Accountability
Support
Celebration
We’re the national SOCIETY of Black Engineers, not a program to which members passively enroll; we’re an organization, a network, a collection of people- a community
Academic excellence in NSBE is not to provide your primary academic content, but to create a community of academic excellence; it’s our mission and a national directive.
We do this through programming that empowers us and requires us to hold each other accountable. We support each other and celebrate each other. Let’s make academic excellence something that people talk about it a sincerely positive sense, an expectation, not just a surprising occasional accomplishment
In order for these programs to impact membership; we as regional & national leaders need your help as chapter leaders. It’s a two way thing, we need you to tell us what works and doesn’t when you implement on campus- that’s how we refine and improve the resources we provide each year.

4. Academic Excellence Vision
Provide a community
Build skills and learn new skills
Provide context
Build confidence
Motivate each other
Academic Excellence in NSBE should compliment your academic experience at school; not replace it– we don’t give degrees, we just make earning them easier. These are the guiding principles behind the NSBE Academic Excellence programs that run year round, at conferences and the resources your national academic excellence committee-including your regional aex chair are working to provide you
We provide a support community; engineering is hard we all need that
NSBE programs help you build skills through workshops and practice- NSBE leadership- that help you in the classroom
NSBE programs should help provide context for what you learn in technical expos, or workshops won’t replace the theory you learn, but should help make it more concrete- NSBE connects you to companies with lots of internships available
NSBE programs can help you learn new skills, we’re working to bring to conferences, but you can on campus as well host software tutorials for example, like the NSBE hackathon at convention
NSBE programming can help you build confidence as a student; tutoring your peers, mentoring under classmen, competing in technical competitions
But most importantly NSBE Academic Excellence is about us motivating each other

5. Academic Excellence Programming
NSBE Retention Program
Scholarships
Measure academic performance
Technical Competitions
Academic Excellence Month
Technical Research Exhibition
Under academic excellence are the following programs.
Retention program- Retention focuses on building basic skills to help members succeed and stay in Engineering and STEM
TRE is an opportunity to build confidence in presenting technical material
We provide over $100,000 in scholarships every 6 months- take this free money and encourage your members to as well- this should be some extra motivation– not all have a 3.0 GPA requirement
In order to assess our performance, we need to know how you do academically.
Academic excellence month is a call to action for all of us

6. Why Verify GPAs? Scholarship eligibility
Academic Pyramid of Excellence (APEx perks)
Chapter Benefits:
chapter awards
Retention program funding
The best metric in the retention program is GPA. We have a great way to make your lives easier in submitting these metrics. We have created a GPA Collection form. The form is for your chapter advisor to fill out. It is ultimately up to the chapter leaders to make sure that the form is sent into WHQ. This form allows your chapter to submit all members’ GPAs in one sweep. no need for official transcripts, less waiting time, no fees!
All scholarships require that you send in an official document with your GPA.
APEx perks include a special career fair, cool ribbons, and a special reception party.
So how can you verify your GPA?

7. What’s New This Year in GPA Submission?
GPA Collection form
This document is new this year and we want you guys to utilize it. It will help your chapter a LOT!
the document allows all of your members to submit their GPAs ALL at once, together!
This takes care of everyone in the chapter.
only the registrar or your chapter advisor may sign off on it.

8. Technical Research Exhibition
Eligibility: technical internship, year/summer research
Where: FRC
Who: Undergrad & Grad students
Why: Show off, compete, win,
Attend and learn about potential research
grad school prep
For anyone to participate; you can share and get feedback on any technical work
or use it as an opportunity to see what types of research other people do
It’s also a great place to see why to go to graduate school and choose a certain major
You can do undergraduate research yourself or even get ideas for your senior design project.
TRE is an opportunity to practice technical presentation skills and demonstrate what you learn, this isn’t just a poster session you’d find anywhere; NSBE is a broad, but still technical audience a great place to practice and share ideas

9. Academic Excellence Month
November
Make academic excellence a conversation
Celebrate achievements
Build a community of academic support
social media
This month is going towards changing the culture of NSBE to one of academic excellence. This will be a national conversation about a multitude of topics concerning academics, engineering, and minorities.
Participate using multiple social media platforms. This year NSBE is doing it big especially with twitter.
Now on to the retention program!

10. The Retention Program THIS WAS US!
In terms of the Retention Program, here is what our region looked like pre-RLC. Only had ONE chapter.

11. The Retention Program Keepin it SIXY!! Currently at 20 Chapters
Since RLC , we have reached 20 chapters!! Congrats to us as a region! (clap clap clap!)
Let’s see what it looks like by zone.

12. Let’s See it by Zone!
So as you can see, although the southwest zone is not the lowest, we are also not the highest.
Let’s see what some of the challenges are to attaining and keeping retention chapters in our zone.

13. Our Zone’s Challenges Distance
Communication (REB Chapter leaders  members)
Accountability among board members
GPA submissions 
We are one of the most geographically separated zones.  A six hour drive separates the Arizona schools from the NM schools and a 4 hour drive separates the Arizona schools from UNLV   
Due to the distance it is very hard to bring members together; especially for zone summits but even for regional and national conferences.  Some chapters do not even attend FRC because it is too far to drive and too expensive to fly.
NSBE is not a big name at many of the schools in the region so getting members is always a struggle.  Attending conferences is one way to show new members the real benefits of NSBE but since not all chapters in the zone even attend it makes it that much more difficult.
Internal issues has been a reported problem.  Some chapters have cliques that prevents the NSBE chapter as a whole from feeling like a family.  Other schools have issues with elected CEB members not doing their share of work.
GPA submissions are always difficult to secure
and lastly Southern Nevada and Arizona are extremely hot, so it’s hard to get work done sometimes.

14. Collaborative Brainstorming
Getting You Started with the Retention Program NOW!

15. What are your Chapter Goals?
Share two main goals you have for your chapter
So! Doe everyone have a writing utensil and paper?
(If not, provide for them a blank sheet of paper and pen)
Each person, please write down two goals you have for your chapter. (2 minutes)
Now Get into groups with your chapter and share your goals with your chapter members (4 minutes)
Working together, figure our specific examples of how we can use the retention program to fulfill your goals. How can we use study halls, skill development, and mentorship for fulfill your goals?
Have 2 people share their answer to last question.
Great! Now to help even more with getting you all started with the retention program, let’s think collaboratively through a few more questions.

16. How to Introduce the Retention Program to my Chapter?
Getting Started
How to Introduce the Retention Program to my Chapter?
Read the question. Give them some time to think about it
Discussion amongst chapters. Call people out to share.
One way is to do a presentation just like this one. Our regional AEx Chair, Eden Aklile will help you customize the presentation to your chapter. Please contact her requesting the slides and schedule a meeting for the customization.

17. How will our progress with the program be measured?
Getting Started
How will our progress with the program be measured?
Read the question. Give them some time to think about it
Discussion amongst chapters. Call people out to share.
How do you guys think you can measure the success of your study halls? How can you keep track?
How can you measure the usefulness of your skill development workshops?
always have sign up sheets
take surveys at each meeting you have. Surveys already exist. contact AEX requesting surveys.

18. How can Study Halls be made more effective?
Getting Started
How can Study Halls be made more effective?
With your study halls, what do you guys already do? (have chapter representative answer, one from each chapter)
Read the question. Give them some time to think about it
Discussion amongst chapters. Call people out to share.
How can we improve to make sure people are getting the best study hall session?
Collaborative discussion until conclusive.

19. How can we start/improve a Test Bank?
Getting Started
How can we start/improve a Test Bank?
Read the question. Give them some time to think about it
So how many chapters have test banks? (raise of hands)
If you are not familiar with test banks, a test bank is a collection of past exams and quizzes from students or professors.
How to start:
FIRST: check to make sure your school allows it. If not, you will get in trouble, so if not, then you cannot have it.
If allowed, start by collecting what your members already have. Use one binder and have one person in charge of the binder.
make the binder only available at study sessions so it draws more people.
dont allow people to make copies or take pictures.

20. Region 6 Academic Excellence Chair
Thank you. questions?
Eden Aklile
Region 6 Academic Excellence Chair
(619)
Thank you and please contact our regional AEX chair, Eden Aklile if you have more in depth questions~