Call for New SWE Affinity Groups and call for AG Lead Elect applications for FY23

Starting September 15, 2022, you can submit an application to formally launch a new SWE Affinity Group (AG). The SWE Affinity Groups mission is to bring together communities that share similar interests and backgrounds that support the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategic goals of SWE. The SWE Affinity Groups framework includes Build Community, Professional Development, and Member Empowerment. AG leaders are available year-round to help SWE members develop their ideas for the launch of a new AG.

To prepare for application and launch of a new AG, groups should identify their leadership, goals and mission (aligned with SWE and Affinity Groups) and have critical mass and strong interest for long-term sustainability of the group. Applicants should review the mission of the current Affinity Groups to determine if their membership and mission is encompassed within an existing group. The first year of the new Affinity Group will be used to onboard the leadership, build the community, and further define the mission and goals.

Application information for proposing a new SWE Affinity Group includes:

• A description of the group’s membership
• Potential number of interested SWE members to join the Affinity Group, with Identification of a minimum of ten interested members
• Reason for requesting the Affinity Group
• Identification of the type of Affinity Group, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or Business and Interests, or Career Stages
• Description of how the proposed Affinity Group promotes the SWE Core Values
• A proposal for lead(s)/champion(s)/sponsor(s) for the first year

You can submit your application for a new Affinity Group here. Completed applications must be submitted by November 7, 2022, at 11:59 PM PST.

The Affinity Group applications will be reviewed by current Affinity Group Leads, the Chair, and SWE Board of Directors representative using the approved process. You can review the judges’ rubric here. Selected new Affinity Groups will then be submitted for approval by the SWE Board of Directors, followed by applicant notifications in January 2023. Any questions regarding the Affinity Groups or the creation of new Affinity Groups can be directed to affinitygroups@swe.org.

Thank you for your interest and continued support of the Affinity Groups!

What are SWE AGs?

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Affinity Groups (AGs) are communities of individuals who share the same interests and goals. These groups help build community, provide professional development opportunities, and empower and celebrate women from different paths of life.

SWE currently has 17 active Affinity Groups. Check out the different SWE online communities and find a way to connect that is best for you! To learn more about each group, click the following links:

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• African-American
• Asian Connections
• HeforSWE
• Indigenous Peoples
• Latinos
• LGBTQ+ and Allies

Business and Interests

• Entrepreneurs
• Global Women Engineers
• SWE Members in Small Businesses
• Technical Career Path
• Public Policy – New
• Women in Government

Career Stages

• Community Colleges – New
• GradSWE Community – New
• Early Career Professionals
• Mid-Career Professionals – New
• Late Career and Retiree

To learn more about the activities and membership of the individual affinity groups, visit their websites at https://affinitygroups.swe.org/.

Call for AG Work Group Lead Applicants

The AGs are categorized into 3 groups: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Business & Interests; & Career Stages. (You can see the table below.) The committee is new in FY23, and thus we have this special mid-year call for Lead-Elects for DEI, BI, and CS.

The committee is seeking applicants for the Lead-Elects for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Business and Interests and Career Stage AG Work Group Lead positions.

AG Work Group Leads report to the AG Committee Chair. They are responsible for coaching the AG leaders and overseeing operations for their assigned AGs. Jayashree Chakravarty is the FY23 AG Work Group Lead for the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion AG Work Group, Katherine Culbert is the FY23 AG Work Group Lead for the Business and Interests AG Work Group, and Sarah Koenig is the FY23 AG Work Group Lead for the Career Stage AG Work Group. We are seeking applicants to be the Lead-Elect for these 3 positions for the remainder of FY23; and these people will be the work group Leads for FY24.

Email affinitygroups@swe.org to show your interest and request an application. Applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM Central Standard Time on November 7th. For questions, contact the leadership team at affinitygroups@swe.org.

AG Committee Lead Work Group Structure