A Glimpse into a Possible Future with your Student Leadership Committee
by Kelsey Hixson-Bowles
Student Advisor, 2012-2014
Kansas State University
As one of the two Student Advisors, I want to tell everyone about the chance to run for Student Leadership. Think of this post as a brief FAQ about Student Leadership, and how and why you should consider getting involved. If I’ve missed any of your burning questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]. I look forward to seeing you in Portland!
Who makes up Student Leadership?
The Student Leadership members are the students elected and appointed to represent the interests and perspectives of students to Sigma Tau Delta’s Board of Directors. The Student Leadership Committee consists of two student-elected representatives from each region–a Student Representative (SR) and an Associate Student Representative (ASR)–as well as the two Board-appointed Student Advisors (SA), who chair the committee and hold voting powers.
What do Student Leaders do?
- Provide the student voice to the Board of Directors
- Advise and support student members through blog posts, newsletter articles, Facebook postings, convention workshops, and other means
- Develop and encourage regional networking and collaboration
- Host fun and informative events in our regions and at the international convention
- SAs and SRs attend the fall and spring Board meetings; ASRs are encouraged to attend the convention
What exciting things is Student Leadership planning?
Perhaps the most exciting thing is helping SRs and ASRs better connect their regions so that individual chapters can partner up on service projects, submit collaborative workshop proposals to the convention, create regional conferences, etc. Having a well-connected region provides individual members more opportunities to contribute to projects in their areas of interest, as well as learn about other chapters, members, and schools.
In September, the SRs and SAs will meet the rest of the Board at the fall Board Meeting. This is a crucial chance for us to make plans for the school year and to learn first hand what all of the other committees are working on. It also gives us an opportunity to scope out the site of next year’s convention in order to tell our readers all about it on our blog.
I could go on and on about the work we hope to do in the next year, but I think it’s safe to say that we are always thinking about how to serve the membership at large and provide opportunities to get involved.
Sounds kinda cool…how will Student Leadership benefit me?
Student Leadership is one of those things where the more you put in, the more you get out. Some SRs and ASRs have put together regional literary magazines, gaining experience in publication and editing beyond what can be done at the chapter level. Others have organized regional conferences which honed their event planning and networking skills. Leaders who put their energies into writing for WORDY by Nature have found online followings, which led to the creation of personal blogs.
In addition to these irresistible intrinsic benefits, there are also extrinsic benefits to being a part of Student Leadership. To help offset the cost of travel, SRs (who keep up with their duties) receive travel reimbursements for the fall and spring Board meetings. ASRs (who keep up with their duties) are often offered travel support to the convention.
Awesome! How do I apply?
You must attend the 2013 Convention in Portland to apply and run for Student Representative or Associate Student Representative. Fill out an application form and turn it in by email, or in person to your Regent, or at the convention registration desk before the Regional Caucus (Friday). At the caucus you will have the opportunity to address your region and tell them why they should vote for you. Each chapter gets one vote (so don’t worry about those big chapters outweighing the smaller ones) and you find out right away if you’ve won! If you are elected, you will need to attend training sessions during the lunch breaks on Friday and Saturday, where you will learn everything you need to know to get started.
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