Developing collaboration and leadership within minority engineering student societies

The creation of the Coalition of Engineering Minority Societies (CEMS) for developing collaboration and leadership within minority engineering students is discussed. The CEMS is comprised of the three minority engineering student organizations: the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES); the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE); and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). Through their collaboration with the Office of the Minority Engineering Programs (OMEP) the students recognized the importance of an information exchange from the outgoing executive board members to the incoming and the need to share experience. They also recognized that the stability and continuity provided by the OMEP.