Brandeis Students & Alumni Association (BSAA)

A full-stack web application built with Node.js, Express, MongoDB, and Socket.IO that connects Brandeis University students and alumni through job postings, events, and real-time chat functionality.

🎯 Features

• User Authentication & Authorization: Secure registration and login system with role-based access control (students, alumni, and admin)
• Job Board: Post, browse, edit, and delete job opportunities with validation and filtering
• Event Management: Create and manage campus events with RSVP functionality and real-time updates via modal interface
• Real-time Chat: Socket.IO-powered chat room for logged-in users to communicate instantly
• RESTful API: Token-based API endpoints for event data with user-specific filtering
• Responsive Design: Clean, accessible interface with custom CSS styling and Bootstrap integration

🛠️ Tech Stack

Backend:

• Node.js & Express.js
• MongoDB with Mongoose ODM
• Passport.js for authentication
• Socket.IO for real-time communication
• Express Validator for input validation

Frontend:

• EJS templating engine
• jQuery for AJAX requests and DOM manipulation
• Bootstrap for responsive modals
• Custom CSS with modern design patterns

Security & Best Practices:

• Password hashing with passport-local-mongoose
• API token authentication
• Input sanitization and validation
• Method override for RESTful routing

📁 Project Structure

├── controllers/          # Business logic for routes
│   ├── chatController.js
│   ├── eventsController.js
│   ├── jobsController.js
│   └── usersController.js
├── models/              # MongoDB schemas
│   ├── event.js
│   ├── job.js
│   ├── message.js
│   └── user.js
├── routes/              # Express route definitions
├── views/               # EJS templates
│   ├── events/
│   ├── jobs/
│   └── users/
├── public/              # Static assets (CSS, JS, images)
└── index.js             # Application entry point

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14 or higher)
• MongoDB (running locally on port 27017)

Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone <repository-url>
cd brandeis-saa

2. Install dependencies

npm install

3. Start MongoDB

mongod

4. Run the application

node index.js

5. Access the application at http://localhost:8080

💡 Key Functionalities

Event Management with RSVP System

• Users can create events with detailed information (title, description, location, dates, registration links)
• RSVP functionality allows users to join events
• API endpoint filters events based on user's RSVP status
• Real-time modal interface for quick event browsing

Job Posting Platform

• Create, read, update, and delete job listings
• Validation for salary (integer), email format, and required fields
• Only job creators and admins can edit/delete posts
• Automatic tracking of post creation date

Real-time Communication

• Socket.IO-powered chat room
• Message persistence in MongoDB
• User identification in chat messages
• Visual notifications for new messages

Access Control

• Role-based permissions (student, alumni, admin)
• Users can only edit/delete their own content
• Admin users have full CRUD access
• Protected routes require authentication

🔐 Security Features

• Passport.js authentication with local strategy
• Password hashing and salting
• API token generation for secure endpoint access
• Input validation and sanitization
• CSRF protection through method override

📝 API Endpoints

GET  /api/events              # Get all events (requires API token)
GET  /api/events/:id/join     # RSVP to an event (requires API token)

🎨 Design Highlights

• Custom CSS with CSS variables for consistent theming
• Responsive layout with flexbox
• Clean typography using Google Fonts (Roboto & Lora)
• Accessible color contrast (primary dark blue, light gray backgrounds)
• Hover effects and transitions for better UX

👥 User Roles

• Students: Can create jobs/events, RSVP, and participate in chat
• Alumni: Same permissions as students
• Admin: Full access to edit/delete any content

📊 Database Models

User Schema

• Authentication fields (email, password)
• Profile information (name, major, graduation year)
• Location data (city, state, country, zipCode)
• Professional info (job, company, bio, interests)
• RSVP tracking (events array)

Event Schema

• Event details (title, description, location, dates)
• Organizer and attendee references
• RSVP list with populated user data
• Creator tracking for permissions

Job Schema

• Job information (title, company, location, description)
• Requirements and salary
• Contact details
• Active status and deadline tracking

Message Schema

• Chat message content
• User reference and username
• Timestamp for message ordering