Recommended Board Structure/Sample Position Descriptions

or, the People Who Call the Shots (and Do the Work!)

At this point, you might be thinking this chapter business sounds like a lot of work. But with a little help from other Badgers, you’ll be hosting blowout events in no time. This is where committees come in — not the kind of committees that sit around talking forever and not actually making things happen, but teams that roll up their red-and-white sleeves to get the job done.

Committee members agree to chair events or manage the publication of mailings, rather than agree to multi-year terms of responsibility. You can also follow a more traditional chapter leadership format with a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer, plus the establishment of select committees. (See below.) Regardless of the leadership style your chapter chooses, the chapter must determine a board of directors and supply WAA with a contact person.

There are four officers in most chapters: the president, vice president, secretary and treasurer.

The general duties of these officers are:

• Serve as chairperson of the board of directors.
• Serve as primary contact with WAA.
• Serve as an ex-officio member on all chapter committees.
• Preside over all chapter and board meetings.
• Assume responsibility for the success of each activity and project the chapter sponsors.
• Adequately prepare and mentor a successor for the position of president.

• Perform the duties of the president when he or she is absent.
• Heads at least one major committee.
• Assist the president, secretary, and treasurer at chapter functions in order to become familiar with and promote all chapter operations.
• Succeed the president.

The secretary is an important link between the chapter, its board of directors and membership, and WAA. The secretary may have the following duties:

• Keep the minutes of board and chapter meetings, and promptly supply copies to board members and WAA.
• Help prepare notices of meetings and events. Contact board members at least two weeks in advance of meetings.
• Remain informed about committee work, especially that of the program committee.
• Keep WAA informed of meetings, nominations, elections and changes in the board and membership.
• Help prepare meeting agendas.
• Provide WAA with an annual report on chapter activities.
• Submit, in conjunction with the treasurer, a financial report in June and January. The secretary may oversee the following on his or her own or in conjunction with the membership coordinator or committee:
• Maintain the chapter membership records and coordinate all address information and changes with WAA.
• Maintain mailing lists.
• Assume the responsibility for maintaining the ZIP code list for the chapter's geographical area.
• Order an alumni roster annually from WAA

At the annual meeting of the chapter, a complete accounting of chapter funds should be made by the treasurer to the chapter membership. The report of receipts and disbursements should also be given to an auditing committee and the chapter secretary. In addition, the treasurer has the following duties:

• Serve as the custodian of all chapter funds.
• Be the principal disbursing agent for the chapter.
• Collect and record receipt of annual dues (if applicable).
• Insist on board authorization of expenditures.
• Handle banking operations.
• Report on chapter finances at every board meeting.
• Assume responsibility for complete accounting of funds.
• Initiate action for the chapter budget.
• File annual tax report.
• Prepare year-end financial statement.

Regardless of which leadership structure your chapter adopts, it will be accountable to a board of directors who meet to determine the chapter's program goals and make major decisions. The board should be large enough (nine to eighteen members) to represent a cross-section of alumni by age, gender, geographic area, and interests. Elect only those who are genuinely interested and have the time to serve.

In order to retain the experience of a leader and at the same time prevent burn out, a three-year term is suggested for members of the board. An established length of service will bring about a definite period of commitment and allow leaders to serve without fear of a “for life” reign. Staggered terms will foster continuity on the board. Elect chapter officers from the board, with officer rotations occurring in July.

he remaining directors then become your advisers and assist in formulating policies, stimulating events and carrying out the chapter's programs.

Committees are often the people who take a project from concept (e.g., let’s host a Marching Band concert!) to completion (e.g., how the heck are we supposed to pull this off?). A large task, like planning a major event, is less worrisome when handled by a committee, but often a smaller task, such as a picnic, is better handled by just a few volunteers.

ome projects may only require one person dedicated to the task. Regardless of your chapter’s leadership structure, the following are examples of committees that have worked:

• Program Committee: arranges the content of the year’s meetings in cooperation with the officers and directors; is responsible for executing the plans for each meeting, including arranging a location, reservations, set-up, and registration.
• Membership Committee: is responsible for conducting an annual, multifaceted campaign to tell all area alumni about the chapter and to encourage their involvement.
• Young Alumni Committee: welcomes recent graduates to the area; organizes events geared to their interests, including job networking and social events; ensures their representation on the board and in committees.
• Scholarship Committee: directs chapter activities that provide scholarship funds for students to attend UW-Madison, selects and awards scholarships to deserving area students who are or will be attending UW-Madison. The UW Foundation, through the Matching Dollar Scholarship Program, will match funds raised by the local chapter up to $8,000 per year.
• Executive Committee: consists of chapter officers; besides leading the chapter on the local level, communicates and interacts with the alumni association by sending delegates to meetings and nominating members for WAA offices.
• Publicity Committee: responsible for maintaining, handling and publicizing all chapter news; is familiar with local media resources.
• Special Events Committee: arranges a variety of events and programs throughout the year; may be divided into subcommittees for different types of events, such as sports outings, community service projects, cultural/lifelong learning events and family events, etc.
• Newsletter Committee: solicits and coordinates newsletter content, works with WAA to publish newsletter (if hard copy).

• Web Coordinator: responsible for updating the chapter Web page, sending out electronic announcements, and working with various other committees (e.g., with Executive Committee to submit annual report, or with the Membership and Scholarship committees to update individual member involvement information).
• Volunteer Coordinator: serves as contact for individuals interested in volunteering, determines interest level and matches people to volunteer assignments, works with committees to determine volunteer needs for different events and services, and maintains volunteer interest inventory database.