Student Chapters

Forming a Student Chapter

 Congratulations on taking the first step towards starting a graduate-student Chapter at your school! The process of registering a Chapter with COPRI is straightforward. Read more about the process and glean some tips to keep your Chapter active and operating effectively.   

• Starting a COPRI Student Chapter

  Starting a Chapter consists of six tasks:

  • Complete the COPRI Chapter application;
  • Make sure your fellow graduate students are student members of ASCE or COPRI (or both);
  • Register the Chapter with your university;
  • Set up leadership structure and establish key functions of your Chapter;
  • Sign COPRI Student Chapter Memorandum of Understanding (MOU); and,
  • Secure funding sources for operating your Chapter

• Chapter Application

  The Student Chapter Application requests standard information that is relevant to starting a student organization*. You can always amend the mission statement and the Chapter’s interests as your Chapter develops. Submit your completed application to [email protected]. 

  *COPRI Student Chapters should be registered Graduate Student Organizations formed per your university's requirements and must adhere to the Code of Ethics of ASCE and COPRI.

  Submit student chapter application

• Membership

  Members of a Chapter should be student members of ASCE and/or COPRI and be currently enrolled in a graduate program. Membership is FREE for all current students. It is usually a good idea to appoint someone in charge of making sure that everyone in your graduate program completes the ASCE membership process, there are excellent benefits to becoming a Student Member. While undergraduate students do not meet the official criteria for Chapter membership, many existing Chapters have found ways to incorporate undergrads in their activities. 

  Join ASCE/COPRI

• Register the Chapter with Your College or University  

  It is a good idea to formally register your Chapter with your college or university. Official registration may entitle you to student organization grants and funding sources.

  Additionally, most offices of student activities (or student organizations) have emailing lists that notify you of relevant university‐hosted activities, such as career fairs and outreach opportunities. Finally, depending on your institution, the use of university vehicles and coverage by university insurance may require official registration.

• Chapter Structure, Leadership & Objectives

  The governance procedures should be deliberated among chapter members alongside the faculty advisor. Typically, chapters serve to enrich the educational and social experience of graduate students by offering a centralized platform for coordinating activities. Another crucial role is to promote, and potentially financially support, chapter members' participation in COPRI specialty conferences. Additionally, many chapters aim to advance the engineering field through outreach initiatives involving undergraduate students and local schools.

  Ensuring effective management and sustained engagement within your chapter hinges on having officers comprising of both master's and Ph.D. students. Past experiences indicate six or seven officers for large chapters (greater than 15 members) and no less than four officers for small chapters (15 or less members) can mitigate the risk of overwhelming any single officer with management responsibilities.

• Funding

  The primary funding sources for Chapters are departmental funds and industry contributions. Other funding sources of existing Chapters include grants offered by universities to officially registered student organizations. The faculty advisor of your Chapter should be able to assist the student leadership with the process of establishing funding sources.

  When available, COPRI funds can help cover the cost of officer travel for meetings and the costs of activities such as guest speakers or specialty conferences.

• Ways to Use Your Chapter

  Chances are your graduate program already has extracurricular events such as visiting speakers, a prospective student weekend, field trips, and picnics. The Chapter provides a centralized way to organize and manage these types of events, participate in COPRI functions, and perform outreach activities. Chapter participation can help members feel more connected with their colleagues and broadened their view of what it means to be a member of a profession.

Browse COPRI Student Chapters

• Louisiana State University Chapter

  • Chapter Leadership Roster
  • Chapter Website

  
  

• North Carolina State University Chapter

  • Chapter Leadership Roster
  • Chapter Website

  
  

• Oregon State University Chapter

  • Chapter Leadership Roster
  • Chapter Website

  
  

• Stevens Institute of Technology Chapter

  • Chapter Leadership Roster

  
  

• Texas A&M University

  • Chapter Leadership Roster
    
    

  
  

• Universidade Federal Do Rio De Janeiro Chapter

  • Chapter Leadership Roster
  • Chapter Facebook Group

  
  

• University of Delaware Chapter

  • Chapter Leadership Roster
  • Chapter Website

  
  

• University of Florida Chapter

  • Chapter Leadership Roster
  • Chapter Website

  
  

• University of Maine Chapter

  • Chapter Leadership Roster

  
  

• University of North Florida Chapter

  • Chapter Leadership Roster
  • Chapter Website

  
  

• Virginia Tech Chapter

  • Chapter Leadership Roster
  • Chapter Facebook Group