Secondly, we build networks. ... by utilising social media and creating easy pathways to get started as a volunteer ...
Guild Volunteering Chair This is an opportunity for a self-starting and passionate student to have a positive impact on student culture at UWA. In this role you will work directly with Guild Volunteering, the UWA Student Guild, Volunteering Western Australia, the University, and a variety of community organisations to promote student engagement on campus. You will work with dozens of inspiring student volunteers to help create a better campus culture at UWA. You will have access to opportunities to run events, speak in public, and attend conferences. Above all else, you will have the opportunity to shape and influence the strategic direction of student engagement on campus. The role involves working closely with elected student representatives and Guild Volunteering’s staff. It is a high-responsibility role, but also a lot of fun, with many opportunities to test out new ideas and ensure that your personal mark on campus is felt. In the past, our Chair has been involved in a variety of roles. Sitting on a number of committees is really just the start – it’s what you do with your time outside of being an armchair hero that counts. Our former Chair, Adnan Visram, has accomplished a number of things in his time in the role. He runs National Student Volunteer Week, our largest volunteer-involving event each year bringing together over 100 volunteers from every University in WA. He helped run our regional trip to Albany, a volunteer trip that received national acclaim in the form of a senate adjournment speech. This year he will present at IAVE2014, the international conference on volunteering, on student leadership.
About Guild Volunteering The mission of Guild Volunteering is to create a culture of student community engagement on campus by forging sustainable relationships with community organisations. We believe that students have the opportunity to not only learn at University, but to help promote the common good through service learning and volunteering. We do this in a variety of ways. Firstly, we are student-driven. Our core volunteering opportunities are driven by our student interns, clubs, and faculty societies. People volunteer to meet people, and to spend time with friends they’ve already got: So the best volunteering opportunity is one created by students, for students. Secondly, we build networks. Guild Volunteering is a Frankenstein monster of support. We’re no stranger to strange bedfellows, and realise that many groups on campus have an interest in volunteering. Finally, we promote intentionally. We realise that volunteering doesn’t just happen by nature. We do this by utilising social media and creating easy pathways to get started as a volunteer
About the role:
The role is what you make it. None of these duties are passive: You have the opportunity to shape and control each one. If you feel they aren’t making a difference effectively you can remove or change them (but give them a go first!). •
Chair the Guild’s Volunteering and Community Engagement Committee and provide reports on these meetings to Guild Council.
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Attend the Tertiary Engagement Committee meetings (a cross-University volunteering group).
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Attend the Guild Volunteering Steering Committee meetings (a high-level strategic group that meets occasionally).
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Assist and/or run major volunteering events on campus, particularly National Volunteer Week (May), National Student Volunteer Week (August), and Thank a Volunteer Day (December).
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Support our student intern(s) (peak period March – May).
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Meet regularly with the Manager of Guild Volunteering to discuss strategy, planning, and new initiatives.
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Attend conferences, luncheons, etc. as the student face of Guild Volunteering (NB: You will not be required to incur any costs).
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About you:
Drive your own initiatives! Guild Volunteering is your sandpit
The most important thing is a passion for the role and a willingness to learn. All of the below criteria are flexible and entirely contingent upon being open and sharing your own vision. •
An Ordinary Guild Member (i.e. NOT Guild Council or a member of an Guild party) (this criteria is inflexible).
What you get:
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Passionate about volunteering, social justice, and service learning.
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Able to deal with big picture strategic thinking.
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A good communicator and public speaker.
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Personable and relatable.
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Diligent, able to set goals, follow a timeline, and measure progress.
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Hard working and able to balance these commitments with your existing study load.
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Have a demonstrated history of leadership in the non-profit/voluntary sector.
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Be working towards a career in the non-profit sector.
The role positions you in a senior leadership position in an award-winning student engagement programme. •
Have the opportunity to leave your unique fingerprint on campus – changing student culture and education for years to come.
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Enter a network of amazing change makers in WA.
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Join a tight-knit team of social justice and volunteering warriors working to make the world (and campus) a better place.
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Attend national and international conferences.
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Receive a high level of support from Guild Volunteering (staff time and financial) to drive your own creative ideas.
Commitment:
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Develop professional skills and increase your employability.
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Be changed personally.
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The role is a (1) year term commencing in October, with potential to do another year if you feel you’ve got unfinished business.
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The workload varies, but we try to keep it stable. We anticipate 5 hours a week is the minimum needed to get by, and it’s probably 10-15 if you want to be great at it.
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Reports to:
Being regularly on campus is a huge plus.
Guild Council
Keen? We value passion over padding, determination over distinctions, and excitement over experience. Even if this is a bold new step for you, we encourage you to apply. To apply, please send through your CV with a cover letter to
[email protected]. In your cover letter, please address what got you interested in the family of volunteering (inclusive of social justice, advocacy, and service learning) and what got you interested in the chair position specifically. Your cover letter should be no more than a page. Key dates: •
Please submit your CV & Cover Letter by November 17th.
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We will start interviews shortly thereafter with a view to appointing the new Chair by December 1st.
Any questions? Just e-mail
[email protected]. We like people who ask questions, so don’t be shy.
