Role Responsibilities

The SIG president sets the tone for the board and the SIG leadership. Presidents collaborate with a strong board of dedicated volunteers who will be thought-partners to advance the goals of the SIG. 

*In instances where co-presidents lead the SIG, the same responsibilities are expected, although some may be divided at the discretion of the SIG. 

As leader of the SIG, presidents assume the following responsibilities:

• Provide overall leadership and direction to the SIG organization.

• Call and lead board meetings at least three times per year, including one SIG annual meeting.

• Together with the SIG board, establish and communicate goals and priorities for the SIG.

• Structure the SIG board and leadership roles to ensure continuity by providing and fostering opportunities for new leadership to develop.

• Oversee SIG activities with board officers, especially programming and membership.

• Communicate regularly with board officers to ensure that they are fulfilling their role responsibilities and offer guidance as needed. 

• Approve communication plans for the SIG; together with the communications officers (secretary, website chair, newsletter chair) review all SIG press releases, newsletters, electronic communications, and other publications to ensure they reflect the SIG’s goals and priorities.

• Maintain regular contact with the WCAA on SIG activities and goals.

• Attend any training sponsored by WCAA to which you are invited, if at all possible.

Submit the annual report requested by the WCAA of the SIG’s activities by mid-July or immediately following the SIG annual meeting.

Board Meetings

The purpose of a board meeting is to plan, discuss, organize, and make decisions for the SIG. With this in mind, SIG presidents are asked to consider the following information when organizing a board meeting:

• Set meeting dates for the full year in advance. Discuss the regularity of meetings to determine what will achieve the goals of the group. 

• Vary times of day, days of the week to offer flexibility and allow more members the opportunities to participate.

• Arrange for various methods to participate in a meeting, for example via phone, Skype, Zoom, Google Hangout, FaceTime, etc.

• Set an agenda and timeline and keep to it. 

Prior to Each Meeting

• The president should contact chairs who are responsible for presenting reports well ahead of the meeting to allow for preparation. 

• Create an agenda; compile necessary factual information, etc.

• Plan the order of business strategically 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 the 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 board, set next steps and assign them clearly.

• End the meeting on time.

Follow-Up

• Appoint appropriate chairs/committees as necessary.

• 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 SIG. 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 SIG in conversation at events.

• Provide your members an opportunity to sign-up for volunteering anywhere you can think of—on SIG forms, at events, 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 that come with additional responsibilities. 

• For board positions, consider offering co-chair roles—it splits the job in half. (Even the presidency can be a shared position.)

• Make sure your nominating committee is comprised of alumnae of diverse ages, geography, interests, and socio-economic backgrounds.

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

Motivating Volunteers

• Leaders set an example by their enthusiasm for the SIG and SIG activities.

• Delegate responsibilities, especially to the board. One person cannot do it all. 

• Your board is invested in the SIG; when people feel they are an important part of the project they feel an increased commitment to it.

• Pair experienced volunteers with new ones.

• Try to give volunteers assignments for which they have an aptitude and will enjoy.

• Encourage volunteers to take on more SIG responsibilities in areas in which they have personal connection or interest.

• As president, support SIG volunteers in what they are trying to do. Praise and thank them personally and at board meetings.

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.  

• Working with the board and regional representatives, brainstorm possible events for the year. Determine if they will be pilot events, SIG specific events, or collaborations with a single club or across several clubs. 

• Aside from an annual meeting, the SIG is not required to have any specific type of event.

• There is no defined minimum number of events a SIG must hold. If it is challenging to find support for the number of planned events, do fewer and do them well.

• Ask for program interest and specific topics/ideas from your board or conduct a survey asking what type of events your SIG’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 SIGs, club and class leaders, decade reps, geographic reps to share ideas and do programming together.

• 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 SIG 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. 

• The WCAA’s Zoom account is available for your use, for both events and board meetings. Please contact the Alumnae Association for more information on accessing the account.

Communications and Social Media 

You have the power to connect—and build excitement about all the connections that are possible through the SIG. Let alums learn about upcoming events and share photos of past ones! Add personal touches as you introduce the board—what are their favorite books/movies/restaurants? Or perhaps a spotlight on one in each newsletter—how did they come to volunteer and why?

Newsletters/Emails

• Together with the communications leader, establish a timeline for regular communication to the SIG via email newsletters including deadlines for members to submit information.

• Be consistent in the information you include in newsletters.

• Send all SIG emails, newsletters, and invitations through the SIG website (alum.wellesley.edu). Training for communications volunteers is available online. If your email 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 alums with no email on file. If a print mailing is necessary, be sure to include a way for alums 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 a welcome letter, information about upcoming events, list your officers, include photos to highlight events. If you and your website chair need assistance, request it here or view our video tutorials.

 

Social Media

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

• Ensure 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 members use and the discussions taking place. These groups can be a great source of positive connection for your members 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.