AdInk operates using a lean leadership model: There is an Executive Board, and that’s about it. We all help each other. Volunteers who take on specific responsibilities, but only as the roles match a member’s willingness to help out. Essentially, we develop a team that makes sense for the people who are willing to participate; often the projects we take on are done by a cohesive team of volunteers, and everyone pitches in.
Some years we choose co-presidents who oversee all of the volunteers/members/others. In those years, co-president candidates should meet the qualifications listed below, and voting happens online.
The new leaders are trained by the current leaders, and they begin their roles immediately with the following activities:
- Planning the final AdInk meetings of the year
- Planning any potential summer activities
- Planning participation in the fall Organizational Fair
- Securing our meeting rooms for the following academic year
- Planning promotional materials for fall recruitment
- Planning the first AdInk meeting of the fall semester
During the academic year, co-presidents work on the following activities, plus a lot more that comes up that we can’t possibly list here:
- Prepare every weekly meeting with a PowerPoint showing examples of upcoming (or sometimes past) activities.
- Prepare abundant forms of publicity about upcoming meetings and activities: flyers, handouts, social posts, class announcements, Union monitor announcements, etc.
- Ensure a list of all AdInk members is closely monitored so that no member gets “lost.” Update the list regularly (particularly for the first 5 weeks of each semester) and communicate often and directly with members via email and social.
- Seek roles to engage AdInk members, such as the weekly “Ad Minute,” weekly ice breakers, social media roles such as SnapChat creators, event photographers who document all activities, volunteers to assist with event planning, and so on.
- Seek to engage members via ongoing roles of assisting with social posting, meeting setup, meeting minutes, etc.
- Coordinate meeting activities, such as guest speakers.
- Resolve issues related to securing meeting rooms, and meeting room audio/video and logistics.
- Coordinate requests for AdInk to help other clubs with promotional items.
- Coordinate activities that uphold AdInk’s mission of helping students learn and network in the vast fields of advertising and marketing.
Interested in being a co-president candidate? If so, you should schedule a meeting with Jacquie Lamer (check her office hours here) to discuss the fit.
To be considered, you should meet these requirements:
- Your academic standing must be secure: You should have a GPA that is at least 2.75, but higher is better.
- You should have a solid grip on your 4-year-plan: that is, you need to know that your final semesters are completely plotted out, and you know exactly what your commitments will be for the fall and spring terms.
- Often, co-presidents are headed into their senior year. This is not a requirement, just a tendency.
- It’s best if your fall and spring semesters are not too crowded: 18 credit hours is probably too much; if you work more than 20 hours a week, that’s probably too much. The role of co-president takes time, and you need to commit up front to spend the time necessary to keep AdInk running smoothly.
- You’ll spend a lot of time with Deb Toomey in the fall term and Jacquie Lamer in the spring term, so it helps if you like them!
- These requirements are somewhat flexible, depending on circumstances. But please consider them seriously so that you fully understand the scope of the role of co-president.
AdInk 