About Us

Who We Are

The Society of Software Engineers (SSE) is a student-run organization for RIT Software Engineers, including students, alumni, and faculty. By staying active with incoming students, the current members of SSE can ensure that future generations of Software Engineering (SE) students will have all the benefits that they have reaped from the work of the upperclassmen. Alumni and employers also stay active with the Software Engineering department and its students by contributing to SSE and using it as a recruitment area for talented software developers.

What We Do

The primary purpose of the society is to further the education and careers of software engineering students and professionals through the events we hold and programs we offer. The goals and ambitions of the society can be found in the three pillars of SSE:

Mentoring

SSE aims to further the education of SE undergraduates through our mentoring program. The society runs a mentoring lab, open throughout the week, in which students can receive walk-in academic assistance for all courses in the Software Engineering department's curriculum and many courses in the department of Computer Science. Designated student mentors are available during the week, but mentoring help is often given by many others in the lab as well.

Our mentoring committee holds review sessions before many software engineering and computer science course exams, giving students the opportunity to review and prepare for their exams. Students who attend the review sessions receive a practice exam which is taken and then thoroughly reviewed. We provide one-on-one assistance on individual topics. Students leave the review sessions with a strong confidence in their abilities and well prepared for their exams.

Networking

We maintain strong relationships with many companies, alumni, and professional organizations; they're looking for bright, talented software engineers, and we're here to help students and employers find each other. Companies know that SSE members are among the brightest and most ambitious students in the department, and it's no accident: many of our relationships with companies exist through the many alumni and co-op employees who are and have been SSE members while at RIT.

But we're not all work and no play. SSE holds a plethora of events throughout the year. Our annual Winter Ball is always a big hit on campus, and other weekend events such as camping, hiking, video game competitions, canoeing, movie nights, and many others keep us busy throughout the year. Our events are intended to bring together SSE members and to foster personal and professional relationships within the society.

Professional Programs

The society runs two professional programs, each with the intent to broaden the educational and professional experience of students at RIT.

Voices in Software Engineering (ViSE) is an effort led by the Society in conjunction with the Department of Software Engineering with the goal of bringing exciting and influential leaders in the field of Software Engineering to RIT in order to engage with students and to promote academic and industrial progress in the field.

Thursday Night Tech Talks are brief presentations given by undergraduate students about a software-related topic—languages, technologies, frameworks, applications, etc.—that they've encountered while on co-op or elsewhere in the industry. Tech Talks give these students a chance to share such topics with others and give other students the chance to familiarize themselves with topics they may not encounter in their regular curriculum.

Where You Can Find Us

The SSE has its own lab in the Software Engineering department that we use as a place to study, mentor, and casually hang out with other SSE members. Come visit us in building 70, room 1670.