UTSC Officer and Standing Committee Chair Job Descriptions
Additional information can be found in the UTSC Bylaws. Nominations for the elected positions will open during the January or April meeting and elected officers will begin serving after the close of the May meeting. Standing Committee chair positions are generally appointed by the Chair of Vice Chair of Staff Council.
Officer and Committee Chair positions are excellent opportunities for leadership positions in Staff Council, and they can lead to new doors being opened. But they take a fair amount of time commitment and easy access to email. If needed, please talk with your supervisor before taking on additional duties. All positions are up for re-election or re-appointment after 1 year.
Elected Officer positions:
Appointed Standing Committee Chair positions:
Chair (elected Officer position)
Monthly time commitment: 15-20 hours in slow months, 40+ hours in busy months (May, June, July, August)
Work as a complementary team with the Vice Chair. Divide duties up according to your relative strengths and weaknesses. For example, if the Chair is better at political stuff and the Vice Chair is better at organizing, let the Vice Chair organize the meetings and let the Chair do the talking at meetings.
Responsibilities include:
Act as liaison to the Office of the President
Serve as primary media relations person
Appoint (with the assistance of other officers) chairs for the standing committee positions (Communications, Issues, Resources, Elections)
Regularly communicate with Representatives
Occasionally communicate with campus at-large (~11,000 staff members)
Act as principle steering official of the Council, lead general meetings and ExComm meetings
Meet regularly with executive leadership at the university (President, CFO, AVP of HR, etc.) and ensure they are aware of issues effecting staff
Speak publicly on behalf of staff in awards ceremonies, UT remembers, and other events as needed
Coordinate annual retreat for representatives
Other duties as required
Qualities desired:
Minimum of 1 year as a Representative by the time of taking office
Strong desire for advocacy on behalf of staff
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
Professional demeanor
Leadership and facilitation skills
Ready access to email
Strong computer skills
Knowledge of university's inner workings, awareness of departments/groups on campus and their leadership
Vice Chair (elected Officer position)
Monthly time commitment: 10-15 hours in slow months, 40+ hours in busy months (May, July, August)
Assist and fill in for the UTSC Chair as needed. Divide duties up according to your relative strengths and weaknesses. For example, if the Chair is better at political stuff and the Vice Chair is better at organizing, let the Vice Chair organize the meetings and let the Chair do the talking at meetings.
Responsibilities include:
Serve as overseer of all subcommittees in Staff Council, including getting regular updates from them and ensuring chairs are doing what they're supposed to be doing (meeting regularly, fulfilling their assigned tasks for the benefit of UTSC, etc.)
Assist filling campus-wide committee positions
Call special meetings with subcommittees as needed to get them back on track
Create distribution lists for subcommittee members
Create annual survey for reps or campus that helps UTSC gather data for project ideas
Provide regular updates during the general meetings (public speaking)
Serve as representative of UTSC officers during executive level meetings
Assist and fill in for the UTSC Chair as needed
Qualities desired:
Minimum of 1 year as a Representative by the time of taking office
Strong desire for advocacy on behalf of staff
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
Professional demeanor
Leadership and facilitation skills
Ready access to email
Basic computer skills
Knowledge of university's inner workings preferred
Recording Secretary (elected Officer position)
Monthly time commitment: 10 hours, +2 hours in February, March, August, and September
Responsibilities include:
Arrive early and take minutes for general sessions, Executive Committee meetings, and other meetings (President, VP of HR, CFO, etc.)
Send minutes and executive summary to Executive Committee for review within 1 week of meeting
Distribute minutes from general session to Representatives within 2 weeks of meeting
Post approved minutes on website
Record attendance for general and Executive Committee meetings
Certify quorum (or not) at each general meeting
Generate reports of unexcused absences and work with Nominations and Elections Chair for follow-up
Maintain records related to the position
Attend monthly meetings with UT Austin President, Associate VP of HR, and other high level officials
Serve as interim Chair/Vice Chair if a vacancy occurs mid-term
Qualities desired:
Minimum of 1 year as a Representative by the time of taking office
Accuracy and impartiality while taking minutes
Timely turnaround of minutes and summary
Ready access to email
Basic computer skills
Professional demeanor
Parliamentarian (elected Officer position)
Monthly time commitment: 10-15 hours; 30+ during busy months (February, April, May, August, September)
Responsibilities include:
Attend General Meetings and Executive Committee meetings and ensure they follow the Staff Council Bylaws, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and Rosenberg’s Rules of Order
Provide the Executive Committee and UTSC Chair with advice or explanations, as related to historical information, Staff Council precedent, Bylaws, SOP and/or Rosenberg’s Rules of Order
Serve as timekeeper during meetings as needed
Chair the Ad Hoc committee to review and revise Bylaws and SOP, in even numbered years, or as needed
Chair the Ad Hoc committee to review UTSC District composition in odd numbered years, or as needed
Assist with orientation of new members, officers, and committee chairs, as needed
Assist Issues and Research Committee Chair and Communications Committee Chair, as needed
Assist choosing At-Large Representatives as vacancies occur
Attend monthly meetings with UT Austin President, Senior Vice President/Chief Financial Officer, Associate VP for HR, and other high level officials
Elections-Communicate with districts about upcoming elections (regular and officer)
Understand and apply the rules relating to eligibility, nominations, voting, and certification of elections
Select panel of vote counters to assist during regular and mid-term elections (these are trusted, non-Staff Council Representatives)
Work with Recording Secretary to follow up on representative absences
Work with tech support group to webpage with names and emails of newly elected officers, committee chairs, and representatives
Maintain records related to the position
Although this is listed as a "committee", often this is a committee of one
Qualities desired:
Minimum of 1 year as a Representative by the time of taking office
Accuracy and impartiality while giving advice
Ready access to email
Organizational skills and attention to detail
Professional demeanor
Intermediate computer skills
Issues and Research Committee Chair (appointed position)
Monthly time commitment: 10-20 hours
Responsibilities include:
Attend general sessions and Executive Committee meetings
Serve as primary contact for Issues email account, which takes in general questions relating to Staff Council and assists unrepresented districts, and work to solve the issue or question
Respond to issues within 1 business day, even if you don’t have an answer or solution
Escalate issues to Chair and/or Executive Committee, as needed
Report to Executive Committee types of issues submitted each month
Assist Chair in assigning issues to committees for research and recommendations, as needed
Track issue proposals and their status
Maintain records related to the position
Periodically update the UTSC Representatives on committee progress
Compile an end-of-term written report for the UT Austin President about committee progress
Be prepared to make an end-of-term presentation to the UT community
Qualities desired:
Ready access to email
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Openness and responsiveness to ideas and feedback
Problem-solving ability and persistence
Interpersonal skills and professional demeanor
Communications Committee Chair (appointed position)
Monthly time commitment: 10 hours
Responsibilities include:
Attend general sessions and Executive Committee meetings
Assist Recording Secretary as needed with meeting minutes and/or executive meeting summary
Lead committee members who are responsible for maintaining the UTSC website, wiki, and social media
Monitor webcast tool and social media sites during general meetings for incoming questions
Maintain records related to the position
Assist Chair in drafting email that details previous meeting summary and tentative agenda for general meeting, if needed
Assist Chair during general meetings with getting microphones to audience members with questions, if needed
Periodically update the UTSC Representatives on committee progress
Compile an end-of-term written report for the UT Austin President about committee progress
Be prepared to make an end-of-term presentation to the UT community
Qualities desired:
Ready access to email
Above average computer skills
Excellent written communication skills
Website maintenance experience, social media experience a plus
Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chair (appointed position)
Monthly time commitment: 10 hours
Responsibilities include:
Attend general sessions and Executive Committee meetings
Lead committee members who are responsible for creating or partnering on diversity and inclusion initiatives for campus
Facilitate committee meetings, including setting an agenda
Maintain records related to the position
Periodically update the UTSC Representatives on committee progress
Compile an end-of-term written report for the UT Austin President about committee progress
Be prepared to make an end-of-term presentation to the UT community
Qualities desired:
Ready access to email
Organizational skills and attention to detail
Presentation/public speaking skills preferred
Interpersonal skills, including passion for fostering open and inclusive environments
Global and cultural awareness
Health and Wellness Committee Chair (appointed position)
Monthly time commitment: 10 hours
Responsibilities include:
Attend general sessions and Executive Committee meetings
Lead committee members who are responsible for creating or partnering on health and wellness initiatives for campus
Facilitate committee meetings, including setting an agenda
Maintain records related to the position
Promote Wellness Champions
Co-coordinate Staff Council participation at the Annual Health and Wellness Expo
Keep abreast of current wellness initiatives and activities
Compile an end-of-term written report for the UT Austin President about committee progress
Be prepared to make an end-of-term presentation to the UT community
Qualities desired:
Ready access to email
Organizational skills and attention to detail
Presentation/public speaking skills preferred
Interpersonal and collaboration skills
Creative thinker
Professional Development Committee Chair (appointed position)
Monthly time commitment: 10 hours
Responsibilities include:
Attend general sessions and Executive Committee meetings
Facilitate committee meetings, including setting an agenda
Maintain records related to the position
Identify, promote, and propose professional development solutions and training opportunities for all staff
Manage and promote the UTSC Professional Development Grant Program, including collecting grant submissions, overseeing the voting process among the Professional Development Committee, and working with HR and FAS to transfer funds
Promote the Staff Educational Benefit, Lynda.com, CareerSmart Programs and other existing professional development opportunities
Co-coordinate Staff Council participation at the Annual Health and Wellness Expo
Investigate the feasibility of a campus-wide staff mentorship program
Compile an end-of-term written report for the UT Austin President about committee progress
Be prepared to make an end-of-term presentation to the UT community
Qualities desired:
Ready access to email
Organizational skills and attention to detail
Presentation/public speaking skills preferred
Interpersonal skills
Passion for adult education, professional development, training, mentorship, and coaching
Sustainability Committee Chair (appointed position)
Monthly time commitment: 10 hours
Responsibilities include:
Attend general sessions and Executive Committee meetings
Lead committee members who are responsible for creating or partnering on sustainability initiatives for campus
Facilitate committee meetings, including setting an agenda
Maintain records related to the position
Promote current sustainability projects or campus committees, including partnering with the Office of Sustainability on their annual luncheon
Collect metrics and/or benchmark other programs to determine success
Compile an end-of-term written report for the UT Austin President about committee progress
Be prepared to make an end-of-term presentation to the UT community
Qualities desired:
Ready access to email
Organizational skills and attention to detail
Presentation/public speaking skills preferred
Interpersonal and collaboration skills
Passion for sustainable policies, practices, and opportunities