If your institution does not currently have a Tau Alpha Pi chapter, and does have an accredited Engineering Technology program, Tau Alpha Pi welcomes requests to form a new chapter. Please note that you must get permission to apply from the school, and the application process requires a named adviser from the faculty.
To apply to form a chapter, the following materials must be sent to the Tau Alpha Pi National Office in Washington, DC prior to the annual meeting of the Board of Directors in late June:
- Petition addressed to the Board of Directors signed by the proposed chapter adviser and at least 5 charter members
- Local by-laws describing the requirements for membership in the affiliate chapter, including GPA and eligible programs (sample by-laws may be found here)
- Course catalog from the institution describing the eligible programs
- Proof of accreditation by the Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (TAC/ABET) and the institution’s local accreditation board
- Names, addresses, email addresses, and majors of the charter members and the proposed adviser
- Check or money order for the affiliate chapter initiation fee ($100.00)
- Checks or money orders for each charter member’s initiation fee ($35.00 per member)
The National Office’s address is:
Tau Alpha Pi
c/o ASEE
1818 N Street NW
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Once your chapter is granted a charter, your chapter should conduct a Chartering Ceremony. This consists of two parts, namely, (a) the installation of the officers of the local chapter, and (b) the induction of the charter members. Instructions for the installation of the officer may be found in this document. Instructions for the induction of members will be sent upon the charter being granted, and are available upon request for advisers.
If you have any questions about the process of starting an affiliate chapter, or about Tau Alpha Pi in general, please contact Tom Walker by e-mail at tap@asee.org or by phone at (202) 331-3531.