Mission: To develop a strategic academic support network for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in engineering and the physical sciences.
Purpose: To address the academic support needs of NSBE members, chapters and regions through researching, developing and implementing innovative programs, workshops and seminars.
Objectives: To increase the number of NSBE undergraduate members graduating in the fields of engineering and science; to increase the number of NSBE members seeking and completing graduate degrees in the fields of engineering and science; to increase the number of NSBE members taking advantage of research opportunities.
Achiever's Plus
Achievers Plus or A+ is NSBE’s signature program for improving the Academic and Technical aptitude of its members from PCI to PhD. The Achievers Plus program is implemented directly at the chapter level via
- Academic Workshops
- Collective and individual recognition
- Individual Assessment Guides
- Mentoring Activities
- Seminar Series
- Support Workshops/Activities-see appendix
The program will expand to include online tutoring and will also include research tools that are so critical to graduate student and professional researchers. Achiever plus has expanded to promote memberships in our technical partner organizations to improve technical aptitude. This program offers both individual and group incentives that encourage the members to achieve, and achieve more abundantly.
Additional Links: -Chapter GPA Collection Form (Word Doc) (Link to document in downloads section)
Monthly Workshop Series
The Achiever's Plus Workshop Series is geared toward helping students navigate through their undergraduate careers as well as prepare for possible graduate degrees. Achiever's Plus Members have the option of workshops to help them shape their vision, manage busy schedules, think about research, and take important tests for continuing education. These workshops can be carried out as a series during A+ Meetings or used individually.
Workshops include:
- Creating A Vision
- Time Management Strategies
- Considering & Applying to Graduate School
- Conducting Research
- Taking the GRE
- Achiever's Plus Online Tutoring & Resources
Academic Resources & Diversity
Academic Resource Diversity (ARD) is geared towards utilizing and discovering new and distinctive ways in which academic education resources can be leveraged. There are a lot of valuable educational programs and resources that are available throughout the world that can really help benefit NSBE in its pursuit to Excel Academically that we need to discover and take advantage of. One focus of ARD, is to seek out and discover these new and innovative ways of learning, research them, and determine if and how they can be used most effectively in fulfilling the NSBE mission. There are many programs that could enhance the Academic & Technical Excellence of our society that are under emphasized, under publicized, and ineffectively utilized. As the largest student run organization in the world, it is important as engineers and leaders that we stay on the cutting-edge academically and utilize every possible resource available. Being a non-profit organization that is full of students and volunteers, it is important that we effectively leverage the different tools that are available to us. Part of doing this is seeking out and finding out about unexplored educational areas of opportunity and bringing together different groups and resources to accomplish a goal.
Some of the goals for ARD this year include:
- Identifying community and institutional resources that will help to advance the NSBE mission
- Encourage partnerships with other organizations geared towards Academic Excellence.
- Teach Chapters and Regions how to establish mentorship programs promoting Academic Excellence
- Plan events and hold community forums to discuss education and Academic Excellence improvement
- Identify academically challenged institutions and help to set up programs for improvement
Just to name a few!
There will be many events and partnership ARD will be taking advantage of this year so please continue to check the calendar and find out how you can get involved.
Academic Pyramid of Excellence (APEx)
The Academic Pyramid of Excellence (APEx) initiative was developed to recognize members for outstanding academic achievement on the chapter, regional and national levels. In order to be rewarded for their academic achievements members must submit transcripts to NSBE World Headquarters each semester/quarter. Transcripts can be sent to scholarships@nsbe.org or uploaded in your IMPAK membership account. NSBE Jr. and Collegiate members, domestic and international, are eligible for APEx recognition.
APEx status is based on cumulative GPAs. APEx categories include:
- Excel (GPA requirement: 3.0 – 3.19)
- Torchbearer (GPA requirement: 3.2 – 3.59)
- Honors (GPA requirement: 3.6+)
The following is a list of potential benefits for confirmed APEx status:
- Recognized with APEx ribbons at Fall Regional Conference
- Discounted registration at Fall Regional Conference and Annual Convention
- Name included in Programs Book at Fall Regional Conference and Annual Convention Magazine
- APEx reception at Annual Convention with members of the Board of Corporate Affiliates (BCA)
- Recognized with pins during General Session at Annual Convention
- Reserved seating at the Golden Torch Awards (GTA) during Annual Convention
- VIP access to the Career Fair at Fall Regional Conference and Annual Convention
The Process
When completing your membership on IMPAK self-declare your current cumulative GPA. Once you have self-declared your GPA, you will then need to forward your most current transcript to the World Headquarters (WHQ) Programs Team in order for them to "confirm" your GPA. Once your transcript is received your CONFIRMED GPA will be entered in your membership record and your APEx status will become ACTIVE. You can self-check the status of your confirmed GPA and APEx status through your membership account- ‘My Account > Your Profile > Additional Information > Current GPA’.
That's it! There are no extra forms to complete-just ONE copy of your transcript. That same transcript can also be used for ALL of your scholarship submissions as well!
Sending transcripts
One copy of your current transcript should be emailed to scholarships@nsbe.org or uploaded in your membership account under ‘ MY ACCOUNTS > MEMBERSHIP INFO > UPDATE DOCUMENTS’
You need only send ONE official transcript to cover your Academic Pyramid of Excellence (APEx) GPA verification and ALL scholarship submissions. Please note: we will place your CONFIRMED CUMULATIVE GPA for each term in your membership record. The GPA we list will be the cumulative GPA as of the end of that term. You should only be listing cumulative GPAs per term in your record, not term GPAs.
PLEASE ALLOW 2 - 4 WEEKS for your APEx status and CONFIRMED GPAs to be posted to your account. You can check the status of your confirmed GPA and APEx status through your membership account- ‘My Account > Your Profile > Additional Information > Current GPA’.
If you should have any questions specific to the operation of IMPAK regarding scholarships, please forward questions to scholarships@nsbe.org.
Collegiate Freshmen should submit their Fall 2011 transcripts to verify APEx status once their grades are available.
NOTICE TO CONFERENCE/CONVENTION PARTICIPANTS: To select the APEx registration options for Fall Regional Conference and Annual Convention through IMPAK, members MUST have been confirmed for APEx status BEFORE registering for these events. Members who register for these events before obtaining APEx status are NOT eligible to receive a refund of the difference in rates paid and the APEx rate. PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR TRANSCRIPTS for Academic Pyramid of Excellence status NOW!
Academic Pyramid of Excellence (APEx) Wall of Fame
Congratulations to those on the 2010-2011 the APEx Wall of Fame: