Role Responsibilities

The class vice president serves as class leadership and a resource for the class president. While the vice president’s primary responsibility is to organize mini reunions, they may be called upon to help the president perform portions of their duties. Presidents may delegate tasks to vice presidents as they see fit.

As a leader of the class, vice presidents assume the following responsibilities:

• Support the president in providing leadership and direction to the class organization. 

• Together with the president and other class officers, establish and communicate goals and priorities for the class.

• Plan mini reunions for the class. Vice presidents may plan and host mini reunions themselves, but the best way to engage classmates is to recruit volunteers across the country (and globe) to host events in their areas. A mini reunion is a gathering of 3 or more classmates and can range from brunch to international tours. There does not need to be a theme or activity, but these can help attract attendees. 

• Organize and keep track of mini reunions for the class as well as ideas and suggestions for new mini reunions. 

• Work with the secretary to publicize mini reunions to the class via the class website’s email function and build enthusiasm.

• After every mini reunion complete and send the post-event form to your point of contact at WCAA. This is important data that helps us to keep track of events and boost our alumnae engagement metrics. We love to hear feedback about what made your event successful. 

• Attend board meetings.

• Help to recognize potential and future volunteers for class leadership which will represent the diversity within the Wellesley alumnae community by providing and fostering opportunities for new leadership to develop.

• Attend training sponsored by WCAA.

Board Meetings

The purpose of a board meeting is to plan, discuss, organize, and make decisions for the class. With this in mind, class vice-presidents are asked to attend all board meetings and to work with the president to consider the following information when organizing a class board meeting:

• Set meeting dates in advance. Discuss the regularity of meetings needed to keep goals on track. 

• If you plan multiple meetings, vary times of day and days of the week to offer flexibility and allow more members the opportunities to participate.

• Determine if participating in a meeting via phone or Skype is a viable alternative. Decide if there are any requirements for in-person attendance versus calling-in. Communicate these expectations to all board members and ensure your bylaws reflect your practice.

• Set an agenda and timeline and keep to it. 

Prior to Each Meeting

• Work with the president to create an agenda; compile necessary factual information, etc.

• Plan the order of business strategically by placing items in order of importance.

• Allocate an appropriate amount of time for committee reports and include it on the agenda. Inform committee chairs in advance how much time they will have for their presentation and set an end time to follow-up discussion.

• Distribute the agenda and minutes of previous meeting one to two weeks ahead of the meeting to serve as incentive to think about items before the meeting.

The Meeting

• Start on time. 

• Be familiar with simple parliamentary procedure—it provides confidence to help run the meeting, and will assist the flow of business.

• Give everyone a chance to be heard, but do not let any single person monopolize the discussion.

• Set meeting goals and be sure that the meeting accomplishes something. Even if a decision is postponed to await further research, the meeting has started the decision process. Don’t let items drift on inconclusively.

• With the president, set next steps and assign them clearly.

• End the meeting on time.

Follow-up

• Call/email board members tasked with next steps to encourage and remind them of next steps and deadlines.

Volunteers

Every organization is as strong as the people involved in making it work. The effort to recruit and retain volunteers is worthwhile. Volunteering is rewarding, and many people make time to do it, even when faced with a busy schedule. There are many alumnae who would be happy to volunteer for Wellesley and your class. The challenge lies in finding them and determining the jobs that will provide the best “fit” for each volunteer. 

Recruiting Volunteers

• The first rule of finding volunteers is…ask! 

• Talk about volunteering for the class in conversation at events.

• Provide your members an opportunity to sign-up to volunteer anywhere you can think of—on forms, at mini reunions, on the website, through social media, etc.

• Break jobs into smaller, concrete pieces; alumnae are often more willing to volunteer for a job if it is a specific task with a defined amount of time. After success, volunteers are often willing to take on tasks and roles with more responsibility.

• Make sure the class nominating committee is comprised of alumnae of diverse geography, interests, socio-economic, ethnic, and religious backgrounds.

• Let volunteers know that serving in a volunteer position is an honor and will be looked upon with high regard.

Motivating Volunteers

• Leaders set an example with their enthusiasm for the class and, when possible, by attending mini reunions.

• Pair experienced volunteers with new ones, older with younger.

• Coach volunteers to take on responsibilities in areas in which they have a personal connection or interest.

• Support class volunteers in what they are trying to do. Thank them personally.

Events 

The magic happens when Wellesley alumnae get together to share meals, celebrate, learn, connect, embody Sed Ministrare, and pass Wellesley spirit to new generations of Wellesley alums. There are so many possibilities for gatherings, and some ideas are listed below. 

• Together with the president and the board, determine the mini reunions for the year.

• Aside from an annual meeting, you are not required to have any specific type of event unless it is your Reunion year, but a few mini reunions each year is a good goal.

• There is no defined minimum number of mini reunions a class must hold. If it is challenging to find support for the number of planned events, do fewer and do them well. Find where your classmates are concentrated and focus on efforts there, with virtual events for those in areas without fellow alumnae.

• Be sure to vary program content, times, and locations.

• Ask for program interest and specific topics/ideas from your board or conduct a survey asking what type of events your class’s constituency is interested in and would support. Don’t forget to ask if an alum would help with an event they have suggested!

• Collaborate with other classes, and geographic reps to share ideas.

• Try piloting new ideas for mini reunions regionally and expanding them as there is interest.

• Virtual platforms like Zoom now allow for mini reunions to happen anytime and any place. Leverage these technologies to connect classmates who might otherwise not be able to gather. Events can be similar to in-person (book clubs, tea times) or might take on a new format, like inviting one classmate to share their career experience before a group discussion or Q&A. The WCAA has an exclusive Zoom account that we offer to all class volunteers for this purpose. For info on how to access the account, please visit our Zoom instructions.

• Keep timing in mind. Make sure there is enough time for planning and publicizing the event, and that it will take place at a time that is convenient for class members. 

• Use the registration system provided by WCAA on alum.wellesley.edu to help the WCAA record accurate attendance and engagement metrics. For more information on creating events on your website, view our video tutorials and Website FAQ.

• Be sure to keep track of event attendance and report to the WCAA using this form. 

 

Communications and Social Media 

Newsletters/Emails

• Send all class emails, newsletters, and invitations through the class website.Training for communications volunteers is available online- please visit our our video tutorials and Website FAQ.

• If your emails requires additional technological assistance, you may use this form to request an email blast, newsletter, labels, or list.

• The WCAA encourages email and e-newsletters for sustainability and suggests mailing only to alumnae with no email on file. If a print mailing is necessary, be sure to include a way for alumnae to update their information: “Update your contact information at alum.wellesley.edu or email recordupdates@wellesley.edu.”

Website

• Ensure your website has current content on it. Post information about upcoming mini reunions and include photos! Use the site for alums to register for mini reunions. If you and your website chair need assistance, request it here or view our video tutorials and Website FAQ.

Social Media

• Please post the WCAA social media guidelines on the class website and any social media platform your class uses. 

• Ensure that there are moderators for each platform, and that they understand and adhere to the social media guidelines.

• The WCAA does not own and therefore cannot manage or moderate online groups and pages outside of our official channels. Be aware of the groups your class uses and the discussions taking place. These groups can be a great source of positive connection for your class when used responsibly!

Access to Contact Information

• WCAA strongly encourages use of the online alumnae directory. The online alumnae directory is behind a Wellesley firewall that requires signing in. If alumnae have difficulty logging in, they can call the help desk at 781.283.7777 or email them at helpdesk@wellesley.edu. They can also use the password reset feature.

• If you wish to do individual outreach to alumnae to encourage attendance and other participation, you can request a class list here. A class list will include: name, addresses, and phone number. A lost list will include a name and a “last known address.” A do-not-contact list will include names only. The WCAA requires the most recent Annual and Financial Reports to be submitted before we will provide lists. For several reasons, we are unable to provide you with email addresses. For more information, please review our email policy.