Board Governance University of Illinois Alumni Association

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Leadership Board Roles and Responsibilities

Below, you will find a suggested list of positions and associated duties for your alumni club. Please note that the University of Illinois Alumni Association (UIAA) encourages your club to delegate responsibilities based on your current number of volunteers in leadership positions.

If you have any questions about ways to combine positions or delegate responsibilities, please contact Tyler Gagai, Director of Alumni Clubs, at gagai@uillinois.edu.

Supervises all alumni club affairs
Establishes short- and long-term goals
Organizes and runs board meetings
Serves as primary liaison to the alumni association
Responsible for communicating crucial and relevant information provided by the Director of Alumni Clubs
Oversees strategic direction of the club
Provides recognition for the positive efforts and contributions of fellow board members and holds them accountable for duties otherwise

Performs the duties of the president when the current president is absent from meetings and events
Willing to assume or assist with other board responsibilities when a position is unexpectedly vacated (secretary, treasurer, etc)
Assist the alumni club president with succession planning and volunteer recruitment
The UIAA strongly encourages that an alumni club’s vice president is also the club’s president-elect

Responsible for the recording and reporting of the club’s board meeting minutes to the volunteer board and the UIAA Director of Alumni Clubs
Responsible for submitting any post-event documentation, including attendance reporting and reimbursement requests (when applicable)
If the club does not have a communications chairperson, the UIAA recommends that the Secretary assumes the duties of the vacant communication chair.

Creates and maintains bank account ledger for club (when applicable)
Provides financial report updates at club board meetings
Works with club president on budgets for alumni club events and initiatives
Files annual tax form with IRS (990-N) when applicable
Maintains income and expenditures related to club’s scholarship fundraising efforts (when applicable)

Oversees creation and content for club’s social media accounts
Responsible for managing alumni club’s Alumni Magnet node/website with responsibilities included by not limited to uploading event registration information, sending event promotion e-mails, and club newsletter.
Ensure that club is using proper branding resources in web presence and marketing efforts
Responds to e-mails sent to club’s official e-mail account
Oversees any print marketing undertaken by alumni club.

Serves as primary point of contact at club gamewatch events
Responsible for welcoming alumni guests and encouraging them to sign-in using the provided QR code signage
Oversees game day raffles (when applicable)
Responsible for arriving early to set-up decorations and swag items for alumni guests
Responsible for working with gamewatch venues on any game day food or drink discounts for Illini guests

Oversees club’s membership ledger and responsible for coordinating annual membership campaigns
Works with club’s communications chair on e-mail and social media campaigns related to membership renewal and new member recruitment
Properly stewards alumni club members through recognition
Submit an annual club membership roster to the UIAA Director of Alumni Clubs

Serves as the official liaison between the club and the UIAA Director of Alumni Clubs and any relevant University of Illinois staff member (admissions or foundation)
Works with club president and treasurer to identify amount(s) available for scholarship opportunities annually
Identifies opportunities to recognize club scholarship recipients
Oversees selection process (if applicable)

Involved alumni club initiatives at the direction of the club president
Recommended that these board of directors members offer to host an event that meets club engagement goals
Willing to regularly attend club board meetings and provide volunteer assistance at alumni club events
At-Large/Ad-Hoc members could be assigned to oversee specific club events and initiatives, included by not limited to: arts and cultural events, lifelong learning opportunities, community service, networking, and golf outings.

Best Practices for Succession Planning

The UIAA encourages all alumni clubs to properly plan for club leadership succession on an annual basis. Leadership succession is vital for alumni clubs and allows for current or new club volunteers to either increase their commitment to their club or take a step back when life becomes too hectic to continue their volunteerism and leadership to the club.

Identifying future club leaders is the responsibility of each club, but the UIAA can aid in recruitment efforts by sending a survey to your region or constituency to solicit interest from potential alumni club volunteers. From there, the Director of Alumni Clubs will provide you with your survey data, and you and your club’s leadership board will coordinate outreach to those interested in volunteering with your club. We recommend that your club utilizes the board position descriptions included above on this webpage to help educate potential volunteers on the demands related to alumni club leadership.

The UIAA also encourages your club to leverage your social media accounts and your Alumni Magnet node to communicate potential club leadership and volunteer opportunities directly to your alumni.

Suggested best practices:

Assign a “board buddy” to a volunteer who is looking to step into an increased role within club leadership. For example, if a current volunteer is interested in serving as the club’s treasurer, the current club treasurer would be instrumental in providing mentorship to the alum who is seeking to become treasurer.
The UIAA recommends that the Vice President for each club is the “president-elect” to help with the club’s leadership transition year-over-year
Be up-front with the time commitment associated with each position. Try your best to assign an “hours-per-month” value to each of your club’s positions to help interested volunteers better understand the time commitment.
Upload all club documents to a Google Drive (or similar platform) folder to ensure continuity and annual club activity