New York Kappa is the University of Rochester's Tau Beta Pi chapter. It is one of 232 collegiate chapters scattered across the nation.The Kappa Chapter of New York was founded on December 13, 1947, and since that time has inducted over 1,000 new members.

Eligibility

The New York Kappa Chapter elects men and women who distinguish themselves with outstanding scholarship and character.

Tau Beta Pi requires electees to achieve high academic standing. To receive an application and invitation, juniors must rank in the top eighth of their respective engineering class. Seniors in the top fifth of their classes are also considered for membership. All courses taken, required or supplemental, weigh equally in the determination of academic qualification. These academic requirements for eligibility encourage students to strive for success in all of their coursework.

The Rochester chapter of Tau Beta Pi also requires that each inductee possess outstanding character. A Tau Bate has personal integrity, a wide range of interests, and an unselfish desire to participate in community and volunteer activities. The New York Kappa Chapter examines these qualities in several ways. Each Tau Bate electee writes an essay about character and submits a resume to the initiation committee, as well as a recommendation from a professor, advisor, employer, or supervisor describing his or her moral character. Finally, to evaluate personal interaction, current Tau Beta Pi members interview each electee. By these methods, the initiation committee assesses an electee's fulfillment of the character requirements.

Through the academic and character requirements, Tau Beta Pi establishes that each member is honest, flexible, and driven to excellence in every endeavor.