Programs
On Campus Support
Scholarships/Awards
WEP maintains a scholarship file, which provides engineering students the opportunity to apply for both industry and SWE sponsored scholarships. This file contains information about scholarships and grants that are available to women engineering students. Cal Poly SWE (with industry support) provides $30,000 - $50,000 a year in scholarships. Additionally, WEP honors three to five senior engineering students each year as Outstanding Women in Engineering. These women, who are nominated by Cal Poly faculty members, represent Cal Poly's "best of the best." Scholarship recipients and award winners are announced during the annual SWE Evening With Industry (EWI) banquet. Learn more about the Outstanding Women in Engineering award winners!
Counseling
As various issues arise, personal, academic and career counseling is available, either with the Director or through referral. Such support can be one-on-one or in a small support group atmosphere. Pre-registration counseling is generally provided through Director-guided peer education. Each quarter after new class schedules have been issued and before class registration is open, a pre-registration meeting is held for any interested students. At this meeting students can obtain peer and Director advice regarding class and instructor scheduling.
Open House
The Women in Engineering panel is held on the Friday of Open House. The first hour of the event includes a panel of Cal Poly female engineering students and professionals. This allows admitted students the opportunity to hear experiences from female engineers at Cal Poly. The second half includes a reception where admitted students can meet female students and faculty in each major. The event is both informative and interactive for students and parents. Watch the 2020 Open House Women's Engineering Program Panel Discussion here.
Big Sibling Program
The big sibling program is designed to pair students new to Cal Poly with upper division Cal Poly students. This mentoring program provides new students with a knowledgeable friend to help them successfully transition to university life and is available through Cal Poly SWE. The events with information can be found at the Cal Poly SWE website.
Cal Poly Society of Women Engineers
About the Section
The Cal Poly section of SWE is a student section of the national professional organization. SWE's mission is to "stimulate women to achieve full potential in careers as engineers and leaders, expand the image of the engineering profession as a positive force in improving the quality of life, and demonstrate the value of diversity." The Cal Poly SWE section is one of the largest professional organizations on campus with over 400 members. The chapter has been recognized as one of the top in the nation since 2002. See this article for recent highlights and check out the Cal Poly SWE section past presidents.
Cal Poly SWE section meetings are held twice a month and feature company representatives or faculty members speaking on a variety of student selected topics. General meetings also offer important opportunities for students to participate in dynamic group interaction while learning from and sharing ideas with other SWE members.
SWE Awards