General Guidelines
The College of Engineering Diversity Office provides funding to individual students participating in student organization activities and to student organizations that play a critical role in building community and enhancing the educational experience. In an effort to ensure that funds are allocated in a fair and equitable manner, the office accepts funding requests from students and minority student organizations in the early part of each academic semester. Student organization events that receive financial support from Diversity Office will propose activities that offer the greatest benefit.
Eligibility
To be eligible to receive funds as an individual, a student must hold official membership in the organization. Eligible organizations are those officially recognized by the College of Engineering and their national umbrella organizations (if applicable).
Because funding is limited, it is impossible to fully fund each request. Over the years, a set of criteria has been developed for the award of funds. Generally, the Office’s budget is reserved to support activities that could not go forward without the funding. General categories of such activities include speaker events open to the entire engineering community, community service projects, activities likely to enhance the educational experience of members of the student organization and/or a fairly significant sector of the minority engineering community, activities which provide opportunities for students to develop professional skills, unusual opportunities to learn more about the profession, and activities which promote a greater interaction, in a professional context, among members of different engineering school organizations or with alumni.
Other considerations include the size of the organization, its total anticipated budget for the academic year, amount of carry-over funds from the previous year, and the Diversity funds allocation for the year at issue. Given the limited funding, money for food, honoraria, recreational activities, and travel have become increasingly limited. None of the allocated funds may be used to purchase alcoholic beverages.
Funding Areas
Educational Programming – Funding preference will be given to panels and speaker events that further education outside the classroom, help students make informed decisions about career choices, and provide opportunities for students to share aspects of their culture and life experience with the engineering college community. Social mixers and networking programs will receive financial support on a limited basis.
Competitions – Engineering teams are eligible for financial assistance for registration fees, and reasonable travel and accommodation expenses. Competitors are required to report the results of the competition to the Minority Student Recruitment and Retention Coordinator.
Student Travel – Limited funds are available for reasonable travel expenses to conferences, national meetings, and special events. Students are expected to seek supplemental support and sponsorship from other sources.
Registration Fees – Limited funds are available for registration fees associated with conferences, retreats, etc. Student participants are required to share what they learn with their respective organizations and the engineering school community.
Speaker Expenses – Depending on availability, funds may be available for reasonable honoraria, travel, accommodation, and meal expenses incurred by out-of-town speakers.
Organizational Meetings/Food – Depending on availability, funds may be awarded for expenses related to organizational recruitment meetings. Limited funds may also be available for reasonable expenses related to lunch events. University funds may not be used directly or indirectly for the purchase of alcoholic beverages. Funds raised by student organizations may be used to defray the cost of hosting events.
Funding request procedures
Minority organizations that wish to receive full consideration for funding from the Minority Student Recruitment and Retention Coordinator complete the online funding request form by the designated deadline each fall term.
Important Deadlines
Funding Fall Deadline – November 15 – Funding requests are limited to events and activities. All funds awarded during this cycle are taken into account during the academic year budgeting process.
Funding Spring Deadline– March 15 – Funding requests is limited to events and activities. All funds awarded during this cycle are taken into account during the academic year budgeting process.
Funding will be limited and based on availability.