ESA Elections 2018!

If you’re looking for a fun opportunity to get involved that looks great on a resume, then have we ever got an offer for you! We are officially seeking executives for next year’s ESA. This is a great way to develop new skills, meet new people, and have an influence on campus.

The executive team collaborates to plan everything from ice cream cake socials to The Colloquium, supports initiatives like The Garden Statuary, and connects with students, other clubs, and the department. New ideas are more than welcome, and this is a platform that can help you realize them.

What positions are available? We currently elect the following: President, VP Finance, VP Marketing, VP Events Programming, VP Operations, AUS Rep. Any UBC English student can run for any position.

When will elections be held? Elections will take place at our General Meeting on March 23. It’ll be informal, but we will ask to you to (briefly) say a few words. If you can’t make it to the General Meeting, you can still run. We’ll share your information with the attendees and will let you know the results of the vote.

How do I nominate myself? Please email us at president@ubcenglish.com by Sunday, March 21st at midnight. (Update: Extended deadline by Friday, April 6!) Let us know which position you are running for, as well as a little bit more about yourself. Why are you interested in the ESA? Do you have any relevant skills? What year are you in? What are your research interests? Can you think of any amazing cake puns?

What does each of these positions involve? Great question! Here are the job descriptions:

• President
  1. Oversee club operations
  2. Monitor the club email account
  3. Act as the first point of contact between the ESA and outside parties
  4. Co-write grant applications with the Treasurer
  5. Consult and update the constitution on an annual basis
  6. Call a General Meeting
  7. Act as a liaison to the Student Administrative Commission
  8. Act as one of the two Booking Representatives of the club
• VP Finance (VACANT)
  1. Prepare and update an annual club budget
  2. Maintain a record of all club expenditures
  3. Co-write grant applications with the President
  4. Maintain a record of all memberships purchased and membership fees collected
  5. Act as a liaison to the Finance Commission
  6. Act as one of two Booking Representatives of the club
  7. Act as the sole signing officer of the club
  8. Assist the President in overseeing regular club operations
• VP Marketing
  1. Creates and sources promotional materials and images for the club
  2. Maintains, updates and archives club website content
  3. Oversees blog contributions and operations
  4. Assist the President in overseeing regular club operations
• VP Events Programming (VACANT)
  1. Propose and plan club events and programming
  2. Consult with Treasurer regarding event budgets
  3. Communicates with other clubs for the purposes of event planning
  4. Assist the President in overseeing regular club operations
• VP Operations
  1. Coordinate regular meeting times
  2. Record and archive weekly club meeting minutes
  3. Communicate with the club membership via bi-monthly newsletter regarding events as well as club or departmental notes
  4. Assist in booking rooms and venues for meetings, events, and programming
• AUS Representative (VACANT)
  1. Attend bimonthly AUS Council meetings and report back to the executive team with meeting minutes
• We are also seeking a Minors Representative, Language Representative, and Honours Representative. These students will come from their respective programs within the English department, attend ESA meetings, represent their streams, provide feedback, and assist with event planning and outreach. They’re a slightly less intense way to get involved in the department!

FAQ

What does the ESA do anyways? We are a departmental club supported by the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) and Alma Mater Society (AMS). We provide specialized programming designed to engage English literature and language students at UBC. We host a variety of events, including: ice cream cake socials, trivia nights, Halloween parties, movie nights, board game parties, Letter Writing Club, and The Colloquium. We also support The Garden Statuary and collaborate with other on-campus groups. Don’t like what we’re currently doing? Become an executive and change it!

Do I need any particular skills? Not really. Other than a willingness to work with a team, we love having a wide variety of people collaborating on our projects. Having said that, if you have experience with event management, marketing, social media, graphic design, or are a WordPress wizard, do let us know.

This sounds like a lot of work. Is it a lot of work? That all depends! It is up to each year’s executives to decide how many events to organize and what initiatives to take part in. The main commitment is an hourly once-a-week executive meeting, during which you will plan said events and initiatives. Otherwise, you will be expected to attend some ESA events and contribute to their organization. Different positions have different time commitments as well. For example, the Treasurer is the only person qualified for financial matters, and the Secretary has some administrative duties. As such, those positions require a few extra hours a month. The most time-consuming position is likely President because you’ll be overseeing everything, but these positions are flexible and can catered to your schedule as need be.

I don’t want to run for an executive position this year, but are there other ways I can be involved? We love connecting with new people who want to collaborate, so yes! Bloggers and graphic designers are always welcome. If you’re involved with another initiative and want to collaborate, you’re always free to reach out from that perspective. Alternatively, if you have a specific idea in mind, don’t hesitate to contact us.