History

The society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) was founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1974 by a group of engineers employed by the City of Los Angeles. Their objective was to form a national organization of professional engineers to serve as role models in the Hispanic community.

The concept of Networking was the key basis for the organization. SHPE quickly established two student chapters to begin the network that would grow to encompass the nation as well as reach countries outside the United States. Today, SHPE is the largest and most influential national organization for Hispanic professionals and students in engineering, math and science. SHPE is comprised of over 8,500 members, afiliated with 38 professional chapters and has over 190 student chapters in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Mexico.

The Kansas State University (KSU) chapter of SHPE was founded in 1989 by the efforts of four members. Since the beginning, the chapter was characterized by an uphill battle. It experienced changes in advisors, low and inconsistent membership, and lack of direction. The chapter got to a point of decision between having SHPE inactive or trying to revitalize it. By 1991, SHPE relied on its leadership and faculty support to create motivation and expand the membership of the chapter. The academic year of 1991-92 focused to build a strong foundation of leadership.

KSU SHPE continued with its strong leadership and membership recruitment, which contributed to host the 1993 Region III Retreat in Kansas City, MO.

After achieving a better internal organization, by the end of 1993 the chapter began to look outwards to the campus and community. The purpose was to make the chapter more self-sufficient. Through that process, in 1995-96 the members were able to accomplish many things like high school visitations, introduced students to the corporate world, planned events within the campus, and became member of the Engineering Advisory Council, among others.

The academic years of 2001-02 and 2002-03 have been characterized by a significant increment of the members; changing its size from a Small Chapter (with 10-15 members) to a Medium Chapter (with 35-40 members). Those academic years also increased the activity of the chapter. The members accomplished a better relationship in the region with the 2002 Region III Student Leadership Conference, hosted by KSU and the University of Kansas at both campuses. This was the first time that both chapters co-host a SHPE event. The motivation of the members became higher with a good participation in the different activities of the chapter and the Multicultural Engineering Program.

Objectives

The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers endeavors to:

· Promote the advancement of Hispanic engineers and Scientists in employment and education.
· Increase the number of Hispanics entering the engineering, math, and science fields.
· Provide scholarships and educational grants to students and support programs that enhance the Hispanic student's educational goals.
· Encourage improvement in the quality of education and promote programs that prepare students for technical careers.
· Develop an effective early outreach recruitment mechanism to advise and encourage Hispanic students to pursue higher education in the engineering and science fields.
· Develop a retention program at the university and college level to assist students completing their engineering degree programs.
· Develop within established SHPE student chapters, peer work/study programs to guide, counsel, and tutor lower division engineering and science students.
· Work closely with the community to promote career awareness, self-esteem, and national pride. SHPE members are encouraged to participate in local activities, advisory boards, and to serve the community in general.
· Inform the general public of technical contributions and achievements of Hispanic Americans.
· Develop and participate in programs with industry and educational institutions that benefit professionals and students seeking technical careers.
· Provide members with the opportunities to expand their career abilities through conferences and workshops. Members are encouraged to join and participate with professional associations in their respective fields of expertise. Many members serve on the boards of these professional associations.

Mission

SHPE promotes the development of Hispanics in enginering, science and other technical professions to achieve educational excellence, economic opportunity and social equity.

Vision

SHPE is the leading social-technical organization whose primary function is to enhance and achieve the potential of Hispanics in engineering, math and science.

Membership Benefits

• Membership certificate and pin
• Complimentary subscription to the SHPE Magazine
• Complimentary subscription to Hispanic Business Magazine
• Local Chapter Benefits - discounts at meetings
• Elegible for national awards
• Elegible to nominate recipients for national awards
• Receive registration discounts at our annual National Technical and Career Conference (NTCC)
• Leadership training and career and professional development
• Networking opportunities at conferences and seminars
• Information on employment and professional advancement
• Resume referral service and job posting service
• Resume available to all SHPE event corporate sponsors
• Access to Internships and Scholarships
• Opportunity to enter Technical competitions
• Registration discounts at regional events (ETCC/WCCE/ME)

Code of Ethics

Members of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers shall uphold and advance the integrity, honor, and dignity of SHPE by: being honest and impartial and serving with fidelity our organization and our community; striving to increase the development of Hispanics in engineering, math, science, and other technical professions; and using their knowledge and skills for the advancement of Hispanics to achieve educational excellence, economic opportunity and social equity. To achieve these goals, members shall:

1. Act in a professional manner maintaining integrity and truthfulness and avoiding conflicts of interest.
2. Respect and protect the privacy, rights, and dignity of others and maintain confidentiality when required.
3. Issue statements or present information only in an objective and truthful manner.
4. Treat fairly all colleagues and co-members, recognizing their unique contributions and capabilities.
5. Present a professional image in dress as well as behavior at all SHPE functions or while wearing the SHPE name and/or logo.
6. Call attention to unprofessional, unethical or inappropriate behavior and notify the appropriate leadership or authority if such behavior continues or threatens the safety or welfare of others.
7. Accept responsibility for their actions and recognize the contributions of others; seek critical review of their work and offer objective criticism of the work of others.
8. Continue their professional development throughout their careers, and provide opportunities for the professional development of those that follow them.
9. Be fiscally responsible with SHPE funds by spending within approved budgets and following financial guidelines set by the SHPE Inc. National Board of Directors, Local Region, Local Chapter, etc., as appropriate.
10. Abide by the National Bylaws, policies, procedures and guidelines as established by SHPE Inc.

Please visit http://www.shpe.org for more information on the SHPE Code of Ethics and Judiciary Process.

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This site was last updated on September 30, 2010