Candidate Information
Current Candidates
Candidate Progress Tracker
Want to see your progress towards becoming a member of TBP? Take a look at the Fall 2024 Candidate Progress Tracker. Please expect up to 48 hours for updates following events.
Want to see your progress towards becoming a member of TBP? Take a look at the Fall 2024 Candidate Progress Tracker. Please expect up to 48 hours for updates following events.
Eligibility
Candidates are students that are academically eligible to join Tau Beta Pi, but have not yet been elected by the Chapter. To be considered a candidate, the following requirements must be met:
The GPA requirements will change from semester to semester.
- Most majors offered by the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering are accepted courses of study, however, Digital Arts & Sciences, Nuclear and Radiological Sciences, and Undecided - Engineering are not eligible majors.
- Only upperclassmen (juniors, seniors, and graduate students) are eligible to join Tau Beta Pi.
- Juniors are those undergraduate students who have completed at least two years (but less than three years) of an eligible engineering degree.
- Seniors are those undergraduate students who have completed at least three years of an eligible engineering degree.
- Transfer students are not eligible until they have completed one year at the University of Florida; once they have completed one year, they will be considered seniors.
- Graduate students must have completed at least 50% of coursework and research to be eligible. Contact the Graduate Coordinator with questions.
The GPA requirements will change from semester to semester.
- Juniors: Top 1/8th of their class
- Seniors: Top 1/5th of their class
- Graduate: Top 1/5th of their class (Classification of 7EG, 8EG, or 9EG)
- Distance Learning/EDGE Students are eligible to join, please contact the VP of Electees for more information on the process.
Requirements
In order for our chapter members to get to know you better, we require you to complete or participate in the following activities. These may be completed before or after election, but must be completed prior to initiation. It is strongly recommended that you participate in social or service activities prior to election, so that chapter members know you are interested in joining.
The following requirements must be completed prior to election:
The following requirements must be complete after election for electees to be eligible for initiation.
- Attend at least 2 out of the 4 general body meetings
- Note that only initiated members will attend the Members Only Meeting and Candidate Election Meeting.
- Attend at least two socials
- Complete 6 hours of community service with Tau Beta Pi
- Attend one GatorTRAX session (counts for 3 of the 6 hours). Any additional session attended will also count towards the service hour requirement.
The following requirements must be completed prior to election:
- Informal interview
- Sign up for an interview
- Candidates that do not interview prior to Meeting 3 will not be eligible for election
- Interviews are informal, non-technical, and must be completed by a member of the interview committee
- Graduate students only:
- The form and instructions can be found on the Instructions page. Undergraduates do NOT fill out this form.
- Accompanying the form must be a signed letter from your primary academic advisor stating that you are in the top 1/5 of your class and have completed at least 50% of your coursework and research. Sample letters can also be found on the instructions page. For non-thesis Master's students not writing a thesis, you are still required to turn in a letter, stating that you are not required to do research and are 50% of the way done with coursework.
- For students studying abroad:
- Because we believe that distance should not prevent exceptional electees from being recognized, we offer an adapted set of requirements for students studying abroad:
- Complete 9 total service hours
- In lieu of an in-person interview, participate in a virtual informal interview
- In lieu of attending socials, record and submit a 2-3 minute presentation introducing yourself, your study abroad experience, research experience, etc... that will be played during one of our general body meetings.
- Pay modified chapter dues—contact the VP of Electees for more details.
- Note: Study abroad students still need to physically attend a TBP initiation ceremony.
The following requirements must be complete after election for electees to be eligible for initiation.
- Attend the Electee Only social
- Fill out Catalog Card - link will be sent out from National Headquarters after Meeting 3
- Pay one-time $110 dues by Meeting 4
- Dues are non-refundable, and may be paid via cash or check and made out to "Tau Beta Pi"
- Attend Initiation!
Election Process
To uphold the Association's character standards, candidates must be evaluated and elected by the active members of the Chapter to become members. To evaluate character of candidates, the active members will consider the following points:
As listed above, prior to election, candidates are required to complete the following paperwork:
Once a candidate has been elected, he or she is an electee and must complete his or her remaining requirements prior to initiation.
Electees are not required to polish their bent. The meaning of Bent is explained at Initiation, but you can read about its origins in the following passage which is an excerpt from the Tau Beta Pi Information Book.
Contact the VP of Electees with questions about the electee requirements.
- Attendance at all Chapter meetings prior to election
- Answers to the interview questions
- If the candidate has completed some service hours and/or attended a social
- Keep in mind, if the active members don't know who you are, they can't evaluate your character
- If the candidate has any "red flags."
- Red flags include, but are not limited to, being arrested, cheating, behavioral misconduct, and breaking commitments with the Chapter. Please contact us ASAP if you have any questions about red flags.
As listed above, prior to election, candidates are required to complete the following paperwork:
- Graduate students only: complete eligibility paperwork
- Complete short online application and interview form prior to informal interview
Once a candidate has been elected, he or she is an electee and must complete his or her remaining requirements prior to initiation.
Electees are not required to polish their bent. The meaning of Bent is explained at Initiation, but you can read about its origins in the following passage which is an excerpt from the Tau Beta Pi Information Book.
- The official badge of the Association is a watch key in the form of the bent of a trestle. The word key describes the insignia of many organizations. It comes from the fact that it was first designed, in the late eighteenth century, to include a pocketwatch winding feature, hence key. The bottom stem, added to the basic insignia, had a tapered square hole fitting the common sizes of watch-winding shafts. The top stem and ring were added so that the key could be worn as a pendant from a chain, rather than as a pin or badge, thus easily used to wind watches. When the "stem-winder" watch was introduced in the late nineteenth century, it replaced the key-winder. But the insignia key remained, although with a vestigial hole now round for manufacturing ease and economy.
Contact the VP of Electees with questions about the electee requirements.
Make-Up for Missed Events
If you cannot complete one of the electee requirements or cannot make a meeting due to an exam, class, or emergency, we are happy to work with you to accommodate your situation. For any missed event, you must notify the VP of Electees within 24 hours prior to the start of the event (or as soon as possible for emergencies). Additionally, you must make up the missed event before initiation.
- More than 1 meeting: 2 additional hours community service for each meeting missed
- Cannot attend any socials: 2 additional hours of community service for each required social
- Cannot attend Electee Only social: 2 additional hours of community service
- GatorTRAX Session: 2 additional hours community service
- If you are unable to complete all service hours through Tau Beta Pi, up to half may be completed through another organization. You must submit the external service hour form to the VPs of Electees and get approval prior to election.
Distinguished Electees and Electee Awards
Only distinguished electees are eligible for Best Electee. To be a distinguished electee, you must complete the following additional requirements:
The "Best Electee" is chosen by the VP of Electees. The winner must have completed the additional requirements for distinguished electee status and is not required to attend the banquet.
The "Best Bent" is awarded to an electee who chooses to polish their bent. (Note that electees are not required to polish their bents.) Officers present at the banquet will vote on this award, the Best Electee is not excluded from consideration, and the winner must attend the banquet.
- Attend at least one Engineering Futures session
- Complete three additional service hours
- Attend any additional social
The "Best Electee" is chosen by the VP of Electees. The winner must have completed the additional requirements for distinguished electee status and is not required to attend the banquet.
The "Best Bent" is awarded to an electee who chooses to polish their bent. (Note that electees are not required to polish their bents.) Officers present at the banquet will vote on this award, the Best Electee is not excluded from consideration, and the winner must attend the banquet.
Initiation
To become a member of Tau Beta Pi, an electee MUST attend initiation, with no exceptions. Dress is business formal, meaning no jeans, sneakers, mini-skirts, polos, or t-shirts. Be sure to bring your bent with you, whether you choose to polish it or not.
If you are unable to attend our chapter's initiation ceremony, please contact the VP of Electees or President ASAP. You may be eligible to attend another Florida chapter's ceremony or be postponed to the following semester if you complete the requirements this semester.
There will be a dinner banquet following initiation where awards are distributed.
If you are unable to attend our chapter's initiation ceremony, please contact the VP of Electees or President ASAP. You may be eligible to attend another Florida chapter's ceremony or be postponed to the following semester if you complete the requirements this semester.
There will be a dinner banquet following initiation where awards are distributed.
FAQ
Q. How do I join Tau Beta Pi?
A. If you are academically eligible, you should receive a letter and email within the first month of the semester. To be eligible you must meet the GPA and classification requirements listed above under Eligibility. For those who are academically eligible, please also review our schedule to find important information sessions and meetings.
Q. What's the difference between a candidate and an electee?
A. A candidate is a student academically eligible to join Tau Beta Pi. This means he or she has met the current semester's GPA requirement for his or her classification (junior, senior, or graduate student). After a candidate has been elected by the active membership of the chapter, he or she is considered an electee. For more information about Election, see the Election Process section above.
Q. What do I do if I can't make a meeting?
A. Attendance at meetings is required, but we do allow you to miss one meeting without penalty. If you miss more than one meeting, you must complete two make-up service hours. Contact the VPs of Electees if you have major conflicts.
Q. How can I make-up initiation?
A. Initiation is mandatory for TBP membership. If you are unable to make it to Initiation, but have fulfilled all other requirements, you may be initiated the following semester or by a neighboring chapter. Please let us know ASAP if you cannot attend our initiation ceremony so we can make other arrangements.
Q. Can I get a refund of my dues?
A. We suggest not paying dues until after election (Meeting 3), since there is a possibility you may not be elected. We will not return your check if you are not elected. Dues go toward paying for various service projects and socials that we have during the semester.
Q. What is election?
A. Election is where the active members of the Chapter decide if you've demonstrated the character required to be a member of Tau Beta Pi. Each candidate must receive a three-fourths "Elect" vote to become an electee.
Q. How do I know when events are?
A. Our larger events have their own pages linked off the "Events" menu, and all events will be posted on the schedule.
Q. What in the world is a bent!?!?
A. The bent is the official badge of Tau Beta Pi. As a part of the electee process, you are given the opportunity to polish one if you choose.
Q. How should I prepare for the interview?
A. Before your interview, you must fill out the application and the interview form. The in-person portion of the interview is casual and non-technical, and you do not need to prepare.
Q. What's the benefit of being a distinguished electee?
A. Only distinguished electees are eligible to be the Best Electee chosen at the end of the semester.
To earn the distinction of distinguished electee, you must do the following:
A. If you are academically eligible, you should receive a letter and email within the first month of the semester. To be eligible you must meet the GPA and classification requirements listed above under Eligibility. For those who are academically eligible, please also review our schedule to find important information sessions and meetings.
Q. What's the difference between a candidate and an electee?
A. A candidate is a student academically eligible to join Tau Beta Pi. This means he or she has met the current semester's GPA requirement for his or her classification (junior, senior, or graduate student). After a candidate has been elected by the active membership of the chapter, he or she is considered an electee. For more information about Election, see the Election Process section above.
Q. What do I do if I can't make a meeting?
A. Attendance at meetings is required, but we do allow you to miss one meeting without penalty. If you miss more than one meeting, you must complete two make-up service hours. Contact the VPs of Electees if you have major conflicts.
Q. How can I make-up initiation?
A. Initiation is mandatory for TBP membership. If you are unable to make it to Initiation, but have fulfilled all other requirements, you may be initiated the following semester or by a neighboring chapter. Please let us know ASAP if you cannot attend our initiation ceremony so we can make other arrangements.
Q. Can I get a refund of my dues?
A. We suggest not paying dues until after election (Meeting 3), since there is a possibility you may not be elected. We will not return your check if you are not elected. Dues go toward paying for various service projects and socials that we have during the semester.
Q. What is election?
A. Election is where the active members of the Chapter decide if you've demonstrated the character required to be a member of Tau Beta Pi. Each candidate must receive a three-fourths "Elect" vote to become an electee.
Q. How do I know when events are?
A. Our larger events have their own pages linked off the "Events" menu, and all events will be posted on the schedule.
Q. What in the world is a bent!?!?
A. The bent is the official badge of Tau Beta Pi. As a part of the electee process, you are given the opportunity to polish one if you choose.
Q. How should I prepare for the interview?
A. Before your interview, you must fill out the application and the interview form. The in-person portion of the interview is casual and non-technical, and you do not need to prepare.
Q. What's the benefit of being a distinguished electee?
A. Only distinguished electees are eligible to be the Best Electee chosen at the end of the semester.
To earn the distinction of distinguished electee, you must do the following:
- Attend at least one Engineering Futures session
- Complete three additional service hours
- Attend any additional social
Membership Fee Allocation
National Fees
Membership Key $10.00
Membership Certificate $4.00
Official Membership Card $1.00
Constitution, Information Booklet, and the Bulletin $2.00
Four-year BENT Subscription $12.00
Expenses of the Association $16.00
National Convention Assessment $10.00
Total National Fees $55.00
Local Fees
Interest Forum
Electee Process (Includes one Sandcast Bent)
Service Projects
Socials
Induction & Banquet - Dining & Room
Local Operating Expenses
Total Local Fees $55.00
Membership Key $10.00
Membership Certificate $4.00
Official Membership Card $1.00
Constitution, Information Booklet, and the Bulletin $2.00
Four-year BENT Subscription $12.00
Expenses of the Association $16.00
National Convention Assessment $10.00
Total National Fees $55.00
Local Fees
Interest Forum
Electee Process (Includes one Sandcast Bent)
Service Projects
Socials
Induction & Banquet - Dining & Room
Local Operating Expenses
Total Local Fees $55.00