Leadership Roles
Guidelines for Class Volunteer Roles
We encourage all roles to recruit co-chairs in order to alleviate the workload. These descriptions are suggestions, as we recognize that one size does not fit all and that different classes have different needs.
Some classes are more comfortable in using a non-hierarchical committee structure similar to that used for reunion committee work. If you prefer to work in this way and would rather assign tasks to different committee members, we are happy to accommodate this. In this case, we ask that a committee member is chosen to act as the main point of contact with the volunteer engagement team.
President
Advises and works with College personnel on the management of, advocacy for, and support of the class leadership team in achieving annual class-based engagement goals. Duties include recognizing and celebrating the work of volunteer counterparts and serving as chief liaison between class committees and Engagement staff.
Suggestions
- 5-year term (starting July 1 of the reunion year to June 30th of the next reunion year).
- Provide overall leadership and direction to your class slate of officers. Familiarize yourself with each role.
- Together with your other class officers, establish goals and priorities for your class.
- How frequently do you want to reach out to your classmates with communications?
- What is the best way to reach most of your classmates (email, USPS, class FB)?
- How many mini-reunions do you want to have each year?
- Communicate with your fellow class volunteers regularly (we suggest quarterly) to ensure they are fulfilling their role responsibilities and offer guidance if needed. Set up a zoom meeting, conference call or in person meeting with your class volunteers. Check in with each volunteer to gauge the level of their commitment and work towards the responsibilities in their role. Do they need more support from their class or the college? Do they understand their role?
- Ensure a nominating chair is appointed in order to maintain objectivity and transparency in the nomination of new officers after a reunion year.
- Attend training sponsored by Vassar.
Nominating Chair
Works with college personnel to identify and recruit the best individual(s) for each class volunteer position based upon their particular skill set(s) and strengths. A desire to be inclusive and a commitment to recruit volunteers who represent the breadth and depth of the diversity in that class is a requirement for this position.
Suggestions
- 5-year term (starting July 1 of the reunion year to June 30th of the next reunion year).
- Years one through three: Communicate with your class and fellow class officers during your first three years to make note of potential volunteers.
- Consider the amount of time and expertise each role involves when recruiting. Also think about the diversity of your class. Do the volunteers represent the class? College personnel will provide the demographic analysis of the class.
- Year four: As you enter the planning phase of your upcoming reunion, gather your class volunteers to touch base on recruiting for the next class slate and future volunteers.
- Recruit one or two classmates, outside of current volunteers, to help with this work.
- Continue to communicate with your reunion committee and class volunteers how the new slate is developing. Be sure to include input from all current volunteers.
- Year five: Decide if a call to action for more volunteers is needed before the end of calendar year or before the summer of your reunion. The Engagement team can help with this effort by sending an email broadcast to your classmates.
- Transparency of the recruitment process is key to the implementation of a new slate from reunion to reunion, so a communication about this process may be key.
- Propose the new slate to your current volunteers. Allow one week time to respond to the proposed slate with any concerns.
- Ratify the new slate of officers via a vote by voice or email with your class committee by the end of April in your reunion year. Share with the Engagement team by May 15 of your reunion year.
- Thank your current class officers and volunteers at the Saturday dinner of reunion weekend and welcome your new slate and class volunteers.
Best Practices to Consider
- Classmates only take on one role if possible.
- Encourage co-chairs for the more time-consuming roles, i.e., president, class correspondent, event chair.
- Ensure volunteers reflect the diversity of the class (race, gender, region, major, dorm, affinity).
- Consider allowing different classmates to fill the roles each term. Avoid one person remaining in any role for consecutive terms.
- After Reunion weekend is over, ask the new class president to send a communication to the class thanking the past volunteers and welcoming the new volunteers. This letter could also come from all of the new class volunteers.
Process for a volunteer ending their term early
- If a volunteer decides they are unable to fulfill the five-year commitment:
- Send a communication telling current volunteers that someone has stepped down.
- Send a communication to the class that there is a volunteer vacancy, thank the classmate that has stepped down, and ask if other classmates are interested in filling the vacant role.
- Work with current volunteers to discuss nominations and a recruitment plan if needed. If requested, the Engagement, Annual Giving, or Individual Giving teams can assist with the recruitment plan.
- Once a classmate is identified, ratify the nomination with a voice or email vote with current volunteers. If the nominee is approved, officially offer the nominee the role, and inform the Engagement team.
Class Event Chair
Partners with staff and fellow class officers to oversee the planning of class-specific events, including Reunion (on-campus) and regional mini-reunions, as appropriate. Depending on the number and complexity of activities, event chairs may wish to recruit additional committee members to manage specific events.
Suggestions
- 5-year term (starting July 1 of the reunion year to June 30th of the next reunion year).
- Assist and support the Class Correspondent and FB administrator.
- Together with your other class officers, establish a strategic communication plan leading up to the next reunion.
- Establish how often to communicate with your classmates.
- What is the best way to communicate with classmates (email, USPS letter, FB)?
- What should you communicate with your classmates?
Class Correspondent
Requests, compiles, writes, and edits Class Notes that appear in the VQ (3x per year). Class Correspondents work with College staff (the Class Notes Coordinator) to ensure the timely production of Class Notes that meet appropriate word count limits and follow the College’s style guide.
Suggestions
- Work and communicate with Nada Glick and Liz Randolph. Training and onboarding for new correspondents take place with Nada.
- Familiarize yourself with submitting an email broadcast.
Social Media Coordinator
Manages class social media content, ex., Facebook (FB) page, Instagram, and works closely with the class volunteers to strategize about and coordinate content for these platforms. Class social media should comprise of active spaces, both leading up to and between reunions.
Suggestions
- Check your class social media frequently.
- Acknowledge posts to recognize classmates’ efforts to engage.
Class Fund Chair
Works in partnership with the Annual Giving team throughout the year to promote class engagement and financial support to the College. Primary responsibilities include helping to recruit and manage a team of Class Agents, authoring class appeals, and joining the Class Agents in contacting a portfolio of classmates year-over-year.
Class Agents
Work in partnership with their Class Fund Chair(s) to inspire gifts to the Vassar Fund through peer-to-peer solicitation. The two key goals of Class Agents are to increase class participation and to keep individual classmates connected to each other and to the College. Throughout the fiscal year, Class Agents reach out to a portfolio of classmates to share campus news, to promote fundraising initiatives/class events, and to encourage financial support of Vassar’s highest priorities.
Committee Member
Supports class activities, supporting class leaders as they work to advance specific strategic objectives
Suggestions
- Term limit 1-5 years.
- Volunteer for special projects between reunion years.
- Organize and host a mini-reunion in your region.
- Participate in reunion planning and fundraising.