Hey Class of 2018!
We are Peter Robertson and Kevin McNamara, the Vice-Presidents Finance (VPF) of Engineering Society ‘B’ and ‘A’, respectively. Our main jobs include allocating the $15.01 Engineering Society Fee that every undergraduate engineering student pays per term (“the budget”), allocating EngSoc Sponsorship for student teams and clubs, allocating the Engineering Society Capital Improvement Fund (ECIF), and managing the Engineering swag store, Novelties. All of you will get to know Peter in the Fall term, as VPF of ‘B’ Society, and for those of you in 8-stream programs, you will meet Kevin in the Winter as VPF of ‘A’ Society.
The primary goal of the VP-Finance is to manage all of the Engineering Societies funds, which includes creating a termly operating budget based on the Engineering Society Fee. This budget goes towards running all of the awesome events and services that we have to offer, many of which are outlined in this newspaper. Each term, directors (the people who run all of our events and services), submit budget proposals to us, and it is then our job to create a budget that will allow all of these events and services to run smoothly. This budget is typically presented at EngSoc Meeting 2, and must be approved by our Council.
Another thing that the VP-Finance is in charge of is Sponsorship. Each term, a certain percentage of the operating budget is allocated towards Sponsorship. Any student club or team on campus is able to apply for sponsorship. This can be for just about anything, such as parts to build a cool robot, or money to purchase a stage package for a conference event. The teams and clubs present to a committee made up of the VP-Finance, and six undergraduate students at large. Following these presentations, the committee decides how to allocate the money, and it is then approved by our Council, typically at meeting four or five.
We also chair the Engineering Capital Improvements Fund (ECIF) Committee each term. ECIF is a fund that has a termly amount contributed to it from the EngSoc budget, which is then used to make purchases to improve engineering student life at Waterloo. Items such as new furniture for POETS (our student lounge), or upgrading supplies in the Engineering Society Office have been purchased through this fund. The fund is always taking applications, so if you have something that you think we should purchase, let us know!
Another large part of our portfolios is managing the Engineering Novelties Shop, which is located in the Carl Pollock Hall Foyer, right beside POETS. This shop is open from 11:30-1:30 on weekdays, and is the only place on campus to get Waterloo Engineering swag. Everything from sweaters, mugs, patches, belt buckles, and even pajama pants can be purchased, and there’s lots of selection, so make sure to drop by on your lunch one day. (Note: the shop is cash only, so be sure to stop at the ATM before you come by!).
There are a ton of awesome events and services that the Engineering Society runs each term, and without the $15.01 EngSoc Fee that every undergraduate engineer pays, a lot of them would not be possible. We encourage you to check out some of the awesome services that we offer. Head over to POETS on your first day of class, grab a coffee at the Coffee and Donut Shop (CnD), come to the Beginning of Term (BOT) Party, or stop by the Engineering Society Office to see everything that is going on.
Don’t forget to check out our website, engsoc.uwaterloo.ca to see all that we have to offer. If you ever have any questions or ideas about anything related to finances, or EngSoc in general, don’t hesitate to ask one of us. To contact us you can email Kevin at vpfinance.a@engsoc.uwaterloo.ca, or Peter at vpfinance.b@engsoc.uwaterloo.ca. We hope that you have an awesome Orientation Week, and we hope to see you at EngSoc Meeting #1!
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