Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the Frequently Asked Questions that we have received. Have more questions for us? Please do not hesitate to contact us.
- Engineers Without Borders — is that just for engineers?
- Do I have to be a student to take part in Engineers Without Borders?
- I would like to go overseas to do development work. Can I do that through EWB?
- Conference in Mississauga? I thought the University of Waterloo chapter was hosting this year.
- I would like to volunteer for the conference. How do I do this?
- Why do members of some student chapters pay more than others?
- Why have the delegate fees increased this year?
- Why are they called “coupons” now? What happened to subsidies?
- Why do student chapters only get 10 coupons each? We may need to bring many more members than that!
- OK, I understand why the fees have changed. Still, that’s a pretty expensive conference.
1. Engineers Without Borders — is that just for engineers?
No! Talented individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds help further EWB’s work, both here in Canada and overseas. At the student level, EWB attracts students from psychology, sociology, science, global studies, international development, business, and a whole host of others. A wide range of professionals also get involved in EWB’s efforts, from educators to professional engineers.
2. Do I have to be a student to take part in Engineers Without Borders?
No! EWB has both professional and student chapters across the country. A number of professionals contribute to EWB through workplace campaigns, fundraising and participating in the local professional chapter. A small number of professionals also volunteer with EWB overseas.
3. I would like to go overseas to do development work. Can I do that through EWB?
Yes, although EWB activities reach out both here in Canada and overseas. We have acclaimed school outreach programs, public advocacy campaigns, fundraising initiatives and other Canada-based programs that involve the majority of EWB members. We also have an increasing number of Junior Fellows and Long Term Overseas Volunteers who work with our partners in developing nations.
4. Conference in Mississauga? I thought the University of Waterloo chapter was hosting this year.
The University of Waterloo is the host chapter of the 2009 Annual Conference, though currently there are no venues in Waterloo, Ontario large enough to host our exciting event. We have chosen the Delta Meadowvale in Mississauga because of their outstanding hospitality, as well as its proximity to Waterloo, Toronto and Pearson International Airport.
5. I would like to volunteer for the conference. How do I do this?
The EWB National Conference relies greatly on the strength of dozens of volunteers. In order to ensure that we are best able to train our volunteers, we are currently focusing on working with people the Waterloo professional and student chapters. If you are interested in volunteering you are welcome to drop us a line at volunteer@uwaterloo.ewb.ca, letting us know your name, your chapter, and your skills that you believe would contribute to a successful conference. However, all volunteers must still register and pay for the conference, so please make sure that you do this before the conference fills up!
6. Why do members of some student chapters pay more than others?
The base fee for all student chapters is actually same: $450 for quad room accommodation. However, starting this year, we have begun to take the true cost of attendance into account when determining “coupon” rates (what we used to call “subsidies”). Without coupons, members from UBC might pay nearly $1000 per person to attend conference, including travel costs, while member from the GTA would pay $450 for the same event. Coupons of different values help to decrease the costs more for those with greater travel needs. This is the same reason that Aeroplan miles have been arranged for many student chapters, to help decrease the cost of flights further.
7. Why have the delegate fees increased this year?
Each delegate with quad-room accommodation costs approximately $750 to the conference, yet we charge much less than that in delegate fees. We are able to do this thanks to support from our generous corporate sponsors, and in previous years this had included considerable support from the National Office as well. However, due to the current economic conditions, we are not relying on the National Office for financial support for this conference, although we have a sponsorship target that has increased by more than 30% over previous years to help keep these costs low.
8. Why are they called “coupons” now? What happened to subsidies?
We now use the term “coupons” since ALL delegate spots are heavily subsidized. Taking into account the costs of accommodation, meals, facility rentals, presenters and the gala, it costs nearly $750 per delegate to attend conference. Delegate fees, as you can see, are much lower. Still, to help promote engagement even further, we are offering more than 400 “coupons” (value from $100 - 200) to students across the country, to help make the conference more affordable. These come as the result of hard work from the conference team, who are raising more than $200,000 this year to sponsor the conference.
9. Why do student chapters only get 10 coupons each? We may need to bring many more members than that!
Please remember that 10 coupons are only available during the first round of registration. On November 3, a second round of registration will begin that will see 145 coupons made available to student chapters across the country. Chapter presidents are to email Jon Fishbein at the national office (jonfishbein@ewb.ca) by 11:59pm on October 31 with the number of coupons requested in the second round, as well as the rationale supporting the request.
10. OK, I understand why the fees have changed. Still, that’s a pretty expensive conference.
We do understand that fees of even a few hundred dollars can be expensive to our delegates. Universities and companies can both offer financial support through student unions, endowment funds or other financial resources, and we strongly suggest that delegates look into these resources to help support their attendance. We have done our best to open up conference registration as early as possible to allow interested delegates to pursue additional funding sources.