Student Organization Handbook

General Information

The Following are the procedures and guidelines our department expects you to follow. As a disclaimer, these guidelines are in alignment with appropriate University policies and processes for students. 

Objectives

 

Our student professional development and outreach activities attract nearly all of the department’s graduate and undergraduate students more than once during their educational experience at UCSD. These student and department activities are listed below along with the name of the Bioengineering student organizations.

 

Funding

 

The Department may provide supplemental funding (subject to the availability of sponsorships) through Student Awards, Student Travel, Student Organizations, and Department Outreach Activities. 

The Department currently manages two funds for this purpose:

1. Bioengineering Undergraduate Enrichment Fund 
2. Bioengineering Excellence and Innovation Fund

The Department also partners with the Institute of Engineering in Medicine whereas IEMs provides outreach activities for mutual interest. Year‐end report provides a summary of approved and supported activities and to comply with funding regulations. Donors receive acknowledgement, and thank you letters. Note that aside from the departmental supplements, student orgs raise sponsorship funding to sustain activities. All expenses follow University policy and guidelines. 

Students should consult the Department of Bioengineering’s Student Outreach Committee Policies and Procedures Manual on the process of requesting funding.

All student orgs are set-up to receive outside sponsorship through a dedicated “gift account”, list of accounts are found here. Please consult the Department Financial Manager for more information.

 

Student Awards

 

Undergraduate student awards are provided (subject to the availability of funds) for excellence in research and education. These are given yearly as selected by the Faculty  @ ~$75.00‐$100.00 each.

 

Student Travel

 

Student travel awards @ ~$500.00 are given (subject to the availability of funds) for professional development/training.

• Bioengineering Undergrad Travel Award Information and Guidelines
• Students submit a travel award application found here 
• Awarded students are asked to prepare and submit to Dr. John Watson (jtwatson@eng.ucsd.edu) a summary of their participation (oral presentation sessions you choose to attend) such as in the BMES Annual Meeting and the benefit(s) received through participation.

Graduate students should consult their PI/Faculty advisor  for travel support to research conferences associated with thesis/training work.

 

Student Organization Facilities and Safety Training Requirements

 

All student org officers are required to attend training on how to use the Fung Auditorium (or other PFBH facilities and/or BE controlled spaces) audio-visual system controls and alarm system. They are also required to attend a safety training on emergency and evacuation procedures for after hours events (a shortened version of the Emergency Action Plan training).

 

Student Organizations Event Approvals and Funding Requirements

 

Bioengineering student organizations may request  $300.00‐$500.00 each academic year to subsidize student activities that serve to augment training and outreach activities.

Student orgs are encouraged to build a Student Outreach Budget at the beginning of each academic year, listing all of  funding resources and outlining  entire projected expenses for the year to discuss entire plans through the Outreach Committee. Student orgs should create their own budget spreadsheet and send it to Department MSO Irene Hom, and Fiscal Manager Helder C. Balelo.

Student orgs should work out a sponsorship plan and seek guidance through the Outreach Committee to discuss strategies on how best to fund activities given the limited availability of Departmental University resources.

All events must be endorsed by the Chair of the Outreach Committee, and approved by the department through a Student Org Events Approval Process, highlighted in the Policies and Procedures Manual.

Student orgs are also asked to work collaboratively on producing a sponsorship handout that can be used through a variety of ways to execute their sponsorship plan.

 

Impact Report

 

All activities are subject to University policy and student org will be required to produce a “key takeaway” Impact Report that describes how funds made possible training/outreach. This provides important information that is reported to our donors.

Students should keep a personal log of their events, as they will be asked to provide summaries for the Impact Report in Spring quarter.

 

Bioengineering Student Org List

 

Biomedical Engineering Graduate Society (BEGS) spreads awareness of and inspires involvement in Bioengineering through Graduate Student outreach activities. Assist members in developing collaborative skill sets by working with both industry and academia. Helps foster greater sense of community in the Department of Bioengineering. Activities include: Bioengineering Bear Hug, Breakfast with Industry, Bioengineering Graduate Town Hall, San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering, USA Festival of Science & Engineering, and Bioengineering Day.

The BioEngineering Newsletter (BEN) is a student run publication that covers the people, the research and the events that occur within the U.C. San Diego Bioengineering Department. They examine the way in which education inspires students to discover their passion and interest. 

Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) is dedicated to enriching the undergraduate experience for the Department of Bioengineering and those interested in Bioengineering by fostering personal growth and professional development along with a vibrant community of similar passionate students.
Activities include: Bioengineering Day, Lab Expo, Industry & Academic Panels, Translational Medicine, Mentor‐Mentee Program, Lunch by the Bear

Engineering World Health (EWH) focuses on improving the state of global healthcare by spreading awareness and developing members’ interdisciplinary engineering skills required to develop low-cost medical devices. They offer students the opportunity to develop engineering research and design skills, communication skills, and the chance to contribute to solving international medical problems. Students can work on year-long student-led projects, each addressing specific medical needs found in low-resource communities. EWH hosts a variety of events including EWH 101s, workshops, and socials. Students can attain essential technical skills from CAD to coding at our workshops, and EWH 101s are a great opportunity to learn about global health and engineering research. At the end of the year, project teams present their work and final designs at Design Showcase. 

International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineers (ISPE) strives to develop the next generation of professionals for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and biomedical industries by connecting UCSD students with members and opportunities in the industry and collaborating with other pre-professional organizations at UCSD to host events. SPE trains students in the Leadership Rotation Program (LRP) on developing leadership experience and will host events including but not limited to Professor Panels, Lab Recruitment Sessions, Student Poster Competition, and the Ideathon.

The Big BENG strives to empower bioengineering undergraduate students with educational resources to succeed in their courses through educational videos on bioengineering topics. We want students to spend less time searching for resources and more time learning bioengineering concepts. Our mission is to provide bioengineering students with the opportunity to unlock their potential in this growing field.

Undergraduate Bioinformatics Club (UBIC) and Graduate Bioinformatics Club (GBIC) are student-run to serve bioinformatics students by providing resources for students entering the growing discipline; furthering access to job, internship, and research opportunities; facilitating an open forum for discussion, collaboration, and socialization; holding events, programs, and meetings; and acting as a collective voice for bioinformatics students at UCSD.

Gender Minorities in Bioengineering (GMBE) is a non-profit, student-run organization committed to advancing the academic and professional careers of gender minorities at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-doc-levels affiliated with the Department of Bioengineering at UC San Diego. We provide opportunities in outreach, mentorship, and professional development to best serve the interests of our members and the broader scientific community. 

 

Policies and Procedures Manual

As of 9/23/2022

This document provides the policies and procedures for the BE Student Outreach Committee related to the below that are under the umbrella of UC San Diego’s Department of Bioengineering. As policies or procedures change, we will announce them in the weekly committee meetings and update this document accordingly. 

• Student Org Events Approval Process
• General Policies and Procedures
  • Borrowing Equipment (Equipment reservation is only for Bioengineering affiliated events.)
• Advertising to Faculty, Staff, and Students
• Ordering Supplies
• PFBH Room Reservation Requests
• Reimbursement Requests
• Student Travel
  • Before Travel
  • After Travel
• Student Events and Meetings

I. Student Org Events Approval Process

 

Requests will be reviewed and student orgs will be notified of any funding approval. Student orgs should not assume funds will be made available and should not incur personal expenses for outreach events as funding is not guaranteed.

Below is the process for requesting approval/funds for events throughout the academic year: 

1. Each student org should propose events for approval by including them on the “2022-23 Student Org Events Tracker” found here.
   • Major events must be proposed one quarter in advance.
   • Non-major events (with a budget of less than $250) must be proposed 3 weeks in advance.
   • All events for which student orgs request BE departmental sponsorship, should be entered on the Request for Funds Form (RFF) per step 6. 
2. After an event is logged in the tracker, the Outreach Committee Chair must be notified during a weekly Outreach Committee. After review/discussion of the event details, the chair may elect to “endorse” the event, and indicate the endorsement on the tracker. 
3. If the event is endorsed by the Outreach Committee, it will be forwarded for departmental approval. After departmental review, the Outreach Committee’s Administrative Liaison (Sandra Marqas) will notify the student org of the approval/denial, as well as the next steps.
4. If approved, the student org must request a Budget meeting with Department MSO, Irene Hom, and Fiscal Manager, Helder C. Balelo. Meetings can be requested via Gabriela Moreira at gmoreira@eng.ucsd.edu. 
5. If funding is being requested, a Request for Funds Form (RFF) must be submitted by the student org. 
   • Once reviewed, the student org will be notified of approval via email. 

 

II. General Policies and Procedures

 

BE Registered student orgs may check-out for use of general items, for approved student outreach activities that include carts, easels, poster boards, etc.  

Items on loan must be returned within 1 business day to the Business Office-PFBH.

Damaged items will be charged to the student orgs up to the value of the item. For checking out items, please contact Gabriela Moreira at gmoreira@eng.ucsd.edu.

 

III. Advertising to Faculty, Staff, and Students

 

Send to Faculty, Post-Docs, and Administrative and Research Staff

All requests for email event announcements/ advertisements to Bioengineering faculty, postdocs, and admin/ research staff should be sent via email to the Student Affairs Representative (“SA Rep”). The SA Rep will only consider requests sent from student orgs, NOT ones sent from company reps/ ambassadors who work with student orgs. In the email to the SA Rep make sure to include:

• Your name
• Your student organization’s name
• Who the intended audience of the email announcement is, e.g. undergrads, grads, both, faculty, etc.
• The exact subject line of the email you would like sent
• The exact email body text 
  • The email body should also include the contact information for the org or event chair so people have someone to reach out to if they have questions
  • Make sure to proofread the text and check that all day, time, and location information is all correct
  • Any applicable attachments/ flyers

All requests received by the SA Rep can generally be sent out the same day if the request is sent during normal business hours and contains all of the above information. If sent after normal business hours or over the weekend, the SA Rep can send it the next business day. If the SA Rep is out of the office for a day, there may be an additional delay of one business day. 

 

Send to Graduate Students

Email announcements/ advertising may be sent directly to graduate students. The email must be sent directly to be-grads@eng.ucsd.edu. The email will be in a queue for the Student Affairs Manager, Coordinator of Graduate Affairs, and/ or Facilities Manager to review/ approve and be released to students when approved. An approvable email includes:

• Exact subject line
• Exact email body text 
  • The email body should also include the contact information for the org or event chair so people have someone to reach out to if they have questions
  • Make sure to proofread the text and check that all day, time, and location information is all correct
  • Any applicable attachments/ flyers

If the email meets these standards, the Student Affairs Manager, Coordinator of Graduate Affairs, and/ or Facilities Manager will approve it, and it will be released to the students.

Important - If any of the above information is missing, then email will be denied. A denied email does not get sent nor is the sender notified of the denial (unfortunately these are the limitations of Google group listserv). 

 

Send to Undergraduate Students

Email announcements/ advertising may be sent directly to undergraduate students. The email must be sent directly to be-ugrads@eng.ucsd.edu. The email will be in a queue for the Student Affairs Manager, Coordinator of Graduate Affairs, and/ or Facilities Manager to review/ approve and be released to students when approved. An approvable email includes:

• Exact subject line
• Exact email body text 
  • The email body should also include the contact information for the org or event chair so people have someone to reach out to if they have questions
  • Make sure to proofread the text and check that all day, time, and location information is all correct
  • Any applicable attachments/ flyers

If the email meets these standards, the Student Affairs Manager, Coordinator of Graduate Affairs, and/ or Facilities Manager will approve it, and it will be released to the students.

Important - If any of the above information is missing, then email will be denied. A denied email does not get sent nor is the sender notified of the denial (unfortunately these are the limitations of Google group listserv). 
 

 

IV. Ordering Supplies 

 

• Email approval chain from the student org’s VP of Finance (or equivalent) and BE’s Fiscal Manager. 
• Approved amount
• Contact information for the Student Org Representative in charge of order (person to receive product).
• Sandra Marqas will be liaison between the Student Org Representative and the BE Fiscal Manager and/or MSO on how best to process requests. 

 

V. PFBH Room Reservation Requests

 

All room reservation requests must be sent via email only to be-reservations@eng.ucsd.edu. In the email make sure to include:

• Your name
• Your student organization’s name
• Requested day and time
• Purpose of the reservation or title of your event

You can find information about PFBH conference rooms here: Conference Room Information, and information on how to book the Fung Auditorium here: How to reserve the Fung Auditorium.

Please note - Fung reservation requests require you to also fill out an additional request form, and may require additional department approval depending on the event.

 

VI. Reimbursement Requests

 

All reimbursement requests must be sent via email only to be-reimburse@eng.ucsd.edu. See “Student Travel” and “Student Events & Meetings” sections for instructions on reimbursements related to those topics.

**Reimbursement requests should only be submitted if approval of reimbursement has been secured via the Request for Funds Form found here.

 

VII. Student Travel

 

The following policies and procedures pertain to undergraduate student travel. Graduate students should seek support from their PIs/Faculty Advisors.
 
**Before Travel:

• Send an email to be-reimburse@eng.ucsd.edu  including the below necessary information:
  • Completed and signed Form Student Certification for Business-Related Travel 
  • Student Traveler name
  • PI name (If PI is not from Bioengineering please also add a fiscal contact)
  • Destination
  • Dates of Travel
  • Purpose of the trip
  • Registration - Please provide the registration link
•  Students are asked to submit a summary of key takeaways from conferences attended.  This provides important information that is reported to our donors.

 
**Reimbursement requests for undergraduate student travel should only be submitted if approval of reimbursement has been secured via the Undergraduate Travel Request Form found here.
 
Important Information:

• Student travelers will book their own travel and use their own credit card for payment.
• Student travelers will then be reimbursed after the trip. UC San Diego prefers that all travel costs be purchased separately.  Do not use a website that packages airfare with hotels.

 
The business office may be able to prepay the following with at least 4 weeks advanced notice:
 
Hotel - a check or direct payment will be sent to the hotel for your stay.  Please note: Your credit card will be needed to secure your reservation and for any extra charges during your stay.
Registration - Please provide the registration link.
 
After Travel:
Email all required receipts and include your travel event number to be-reimburse@eng.ucsd.edu. Recipes required:
 

• Airfare
• Hotel
• Ground Transportation
• Meals
• Registration
• Any miscellaneous receipts (internet access, excess baggage)

 

Reimbursement Request Instructions

 

UCSD Employees  (if you have an employee ID with UCSD)

Non-UCSD Employees  (if you do not have an employee ID with UCSD)

Provide the following information in your email request:  Index Purpose Receipts/Invoices  Add Katia Vallejo and Patricia Vu as your delegates on Concur  Go to Blink > Blink Resources > List of Tools  Click on “Business Tools” and choose “Concur Travel & Expense”  Log in with SSO  Click on Profile > Profile settings  Left menu bar: click Request Settings > Request Delegates > Add appropriate delegate by name or email  Check all permission boxes and hit save

Provide the following information in your email request:  Index  Purpose Receipts/Invoices  Provide your @ucsd.edu e-mail or your student ID number  An invite will be sent to you to register on Payment Compass  Follow the instructions for self-registration

 

 

VIII. Student Events & Meetings

 

Reimbursement requests should only be submitted if approval of reimbursement has been secured by the Request for Funds Form found here.
 
Reimbursement requests must include an email approval chain from the student org’s VP of Finance (or equivalent) and BE’s Fiscal Manager. 
 
Necessary Information:

• Purpose of Event or Meeting
• Location
• Person to reimburse
• Project Task/chart string to charge expenses
• List of all attendees

 
Email above information to be-reimburse@eng.ucsd.edu. Please be mindful of UCSD's policy on per person meal costs: Meetings and Entertainment: Maximum Meal Expenses.