Officer Roles
Organization Structure
Traditional
The structure you might be most familiar with for organizations is a hierarchy. This structure includes a leader at the top, like a president, with everyone, including officers, committee heads, and general body members below them in the order. While common, this structure may suggest that only the president's opinions or suggestions should be enacted.
Since we believe that all members of your organization can contribute to its mission, if your club is organized this way, make sure that your members know that their contributions are important and wanted too! Check out our #NoTitleNeeded guide for more information on how to support non-positional leaders in your organization.
Flexible
Another model is "flat" model, meaning that the president is an executive board member on the same level as other executive officers, and all officers make decisions together.
Committee Structure
Large organizations often use either the traditional or flexible model, but also form committees for events, recruitment, marketing, service, or other needs.
Officer roles
Student organizations have the freedom to decide their own officer roles. None besides President and Treasurer are strictly required by the Center for Student Leadership & Engagement. Therefore, you can customize officer roles to exactly match your organization's functions. You can also create custom roles in TigerQuest's roster feature. The roles below are examples that may be expanded into additional roles or condensed under one role.
General Officer Eligibility Requirements
What do you want the baseline requirements to be for your officers? Only incorporate requirements like these if your organization's mission specifically requires it. Putting unnecessary barriers to entry to your organization may make it seem exclusive and exciting, but more often than not, you may miss out on members who may have otherwise been wonderful additions to your organization.
If needed, requirements may include:
Full-time or part-time students?
Minimum GPA?
Specific major/interest?
Questions to answer:
When will officers be elected?
Who sets up the elections on TigerQuest?
How will officers campaign? Many present at general body meetings, and members can vote immediately and secretly through TigerQuest's election feature.
Who will attend training sessions offered by the Center for Student Leadership & Engagement and other Clemson departments? All officers and members are welcome!
Formalize the expectations for these roles by including them in your organization's Constitution and reviewing them often!
President
Please note that only the president can re-register the organization on TigerQuest, which must be completed each spring for your organization to remain registered with Clemson. Check out our Registration Checklist for more information.
Communicate with your organization's advisor, if your organization has one
Attend training sessions offered by the Center for Student Leadership & Engagement and other Clemson departments
Vice-President
Send regular messaging to members & executive board
Set up elections on TigerQuest when needed, which are secret and instantaneous
Attend training sessions offered by the Center for Student Leadership & Engagement and other Clemson departments
Treasurer
If needed, open an off-campus bank account
Keep detailed records & manage organization funds, typically in off-campus bank accounts
Report to the executive board and general body about funds, typically quarterly or biannually
Attend training sessions offered by the Center for Student Leadership & Engagement and other Clemson departments
Marketing Director
Create a brand for your student organization & use it to curate and update social media pages
Update the visual side of the organization's TigerQuest Page
Create physical marketing for around Clemson's campus and the local area
Events Chair
Upload Meetings to TigerQuest
Upload Events to TigerQuest, our involvement portal, using our TigerQuest Guide
Creating, facilitating, and evaluating events
Events may be social, educational, for professional development, or for many other reasons
Take attendance at meetings & events, to track completion if your organization has a points system for officers and/or general body members
Public Relations or Recruitment Chair
Recruit new members through TigerProwl and other recruitment events like Grill & Greet or individual recruitment events
Promote and advertise the organization’s mission and activities
Reach out to other organizations with similar missions and Clemson departments for collaboration
Historian
The historian develops a record of your organization's highlights throughout the year, including key events, marking transitions, celebrating achievements, and keeping important information for future members.
Record the activities of the year through video, photos, written reports, and other materials
Prepare a historical document such as a website, slideshow, video, social media posts, or ISSU . Cross-post these documents to TigerQuest and send them to CSLE!
What unique parts about your student organization would you want your historian to capture? How often would you want them to publish updates (yearly, twice a year, etc.)?
Additional Positions
What other roles will your organization need as it grows?
General Body Members
When you suggest new members to join, how will you explain their membership to them?
Your organization can suggest new members join one or more committees, include them in a mentoring program, and/or let them self-select their path.
How can you support non-positional leadership in your general body members?