Intent to Run for Regional Officer Form

2017-2018 Wisconsin Region

Intent to Run for Regional Officer Form

Chapter ______College ______

Office Sought ______

Note: Elections for both the Wisconsin Region will be held at the Wisconsin Regional Convention. Any chapter in Wisconsin is eligible to run for a position. Chapters who choose to run for office should have some notion of which student would be selected to represent the chapter if the chapter is elected.

Campaign Components & Guidelines

Chapters who intend to run for a Regional Office should plan to prepare and a short speech (4-6 minutes) to be presented at the Regional Convention. The speech should explain the office being/sought and the chapter/individual’s qualifications and experiences that will help the candidate be successful.

Although the Regional Officer position will be sought after by a chapter, the chapter will choose one person as its Regional Officer Representative. It is preferred that a chapter have a designee selected by the time the campaign takes place and that the designee lead the chapter’s campaign during the Regional Convention. The “campaign team” may consist of up to three representatives from each chapter.

Required Regional Officer Training

All chapters who are elected must plan to send their Regional Officer Representatives to the first round of Regional Officer training to take place prior to the Regional Summer Chapter Leadership Academy. This training is required; it is not optional. (For 2017, the summer Regional Officer training will be held on May 31 – June 1, with the Chapter Leadership Academy running from June 2-3.)

Potential Financial Commitment for College/Chapter

The Regional budget covers the cost of the officers’ food and lodging for an intense leadership training before the summer Regional conference, as well as additional training and meetings during the year. In addition, the Region is responsible for the registration fees for all Regional Conferences/Conventions, the costs of distributing a Regional newsletter, and other Region-wide communications. The Region may also reimburse officers for costs associated with chapter visits, travel, training opportunities, and other miscellaneous expenses when they are pre-approved by the Regional Coordinator.

Regional Officers are expected to develop relationships with officers of chapters in the Region by initiating contact through email and telephone and then continuing as opportunity arises by visiting the chapters, speaking at inductions, etc. To effectively plan and work together, the officers may choose to meet in person before each Regional event, which entails travel and food expenses.

Although most costs are covered by the Region, there may be occasional costs that are not. Since, according to our by-laws, the chapter officially holds the Regional Office, these students are representing their chapters and should be working with and be supported by the chapter in their efforts. The “appropriate financial commitment” to which chapters and colleges agree on the Officer Application Form is an attempt to address this situation.

Since serving in this position is a unique leadership opportunity for the students in the officer chapters, as well as a good public relations opportunity for the college, our hope is that the college leadership will be pleased to agree to a reasonable financial commitment. Most often, there is no financial obligation on the part of the chapter, but as our Region grows and opportunities increase, estimates could range from $0.00 to $150 (per year) for supplies, travel, food, or expenses (if applicable). As part of responsible leadership training, the expectation would be that the Officer Designee would present a request and cost estimate for in writing for approval prior to the travel, so there should be no surprises. In addition, advisors may contact the Regional Coordinator at any time to discuss and confirm any requests.

Thank you for taking this part of the responsibility of Regional Office seriously. If we are willing to support the students who want to step up to this next level of leadership, both our students and the Region will benefit greatly.

Regional Office Candidate Intent to Run

We have read the proposed plans of the Phi Theta Kappa Chapter on our campus. We are willing to provide the necessary guidance and accept the appropriate financial commitment (if applicable) if the chapter is elected to this office.

______

Signature of advisor date

______

Signature of College President or designee date

Return this form to: Linda Duffy, Wisconsin Regional Coordinator

Western Technical College

400 Seventh Street South

La Crosse, WI 54601

or fax: 608-789-6250

This form must be received one week prior to the convention in order for the chapter to be placed on the ballot. A chapter must have this form completed (with appropriate signatures) in order to be nominated from the floor at the convention. Open positions will be filled by interview and Regional Coordinator/Advisory Committee approval.

Excerpt from Regional By-Laws Outlining Election Process & Regional Officer Positions:

Chapter III. Election of Regional Officers

Section 1. Officer Positions

The officers for the organization shall be a President, a Vice President, a Communications Director, and an Administrative Director (formerly Secretary/Historian).

Section 2. Election Requirements

Chapters choosing to run for office must complete an “Intent to Run for Regional Office” form (available from the Regional Coordinator or in the Regional Handbook) and submit it by the due date prior to the Regional Convention.
Nominations for officers may also be made from the floor at the Regional Convention provided the chapter has a completed officer “Intent to Run” form that has been signed by an advisor and a college representative/President.
Chapters may be a candidate for only one Regional Office per year.

Section 3. Election Process

A. Officers shall be elected annually at the Regional Convention to serve during the following academic year.

Officers shall be elected by receiving a plurality of the votes cast at the Regional Convention. In case of a tie, a random drawing will determine the selection.
Any chapter may run for any position.
The officers of the organization shall be elected as chapters. Either before the election or no later than April 1, the officer chapters shall select an individual member to fulfill the officer duties and shall inform the Regional Coordinator of the name of the selected individual. The individual must be able to attend the Regional Officer Training sessions organized by the Regional Coordinator. The first training session takes place during the two days before the summer regional meeting. If the selected individual is unable to continue in his/her capacity for any reason, the chapter shall inform the Regional Coordinator of the change in writing immediately. (Depending on the timing of the withdrawal, the chapter may be asked to appoint a replacement.)

If no chapter runs for and is elected to a given officer position, resulting in an open position, the Regional Coordinator and Advisory Council may work together to appoint a chapter to fill the position.
The member selected to fulfill the officer duties for an elected chapter must be a member in good standing of the officer chapter. The chapter officers and advisor must feel confident that the individual selected will live up to the Regional Officer Honor Code.
The members selected to fulfill the officer duties shall be installed at the Regional summer conference and shall assume the duties of their offices immediately.

Section 4. Officer Duties

In addition to fulfilling the specific goals outlined (below) for each officer position, all members selected to represent their chapter as a Regional Officer must agree to fulfill these general duties:

The member designated to fulfill the officer duties must be enrolled in a minimum of six credits at his/her college during the time he/she is serving as a Regional Officer.
The member designee must agree to abide by the Regional Officer's Honor Code.
In the rare case that the Honor Code is violated, the designee will be removed by the Regional Coordinator. A replacement designee will only be selected if he/she can participate in the Regional Officer Training. If the Regional Officer Training is complete, no replacement will be selected, and the position will remain unfilled for the remainder of the term.
A Regional Officer may also be removed from a position if he/she has missed more than three team meetings or does not otherwise fulfill the tasks agreed upon by the Regional Officer Team during Regional Officer Training.
The member designated to represent his/her chapter agrees to assist the Regional Coordinator when called upon, perform additional duties as delegated, and report all activities to the rest of the chapter, its officers, and its advisors.
The member designated to represent his/her chapter as a Regional Officer will attend all regional conferences (including the, Fall Honors in Action Conference, Regional Convention, and Summer Chapter Leadership Academy).
Additionally, each member designated to represent his/her chapter as a Regional Officer will promote positive, respectful, and effective communication among the Regional Officer team, the Regional Coordinator, and the Regional Advisory Council of Chapter Advisors.

Duties of Each Position

A. President

1. Preside over the general sessions (in conjunction with other Regional Officers) during all regional meetings by opening/closing each session and by assisting the host chapter(s) as needed for introductions, announcements, etc.

2. Assist the Regional Coordinator in promoting chapters’ participation in the International Programs such as Five-Star Chapter Development, Pinnacle Program, Honors in Action, as well as all regional projects and initiatives.

3. Help the Regional Officer team achieve any goals the team sets, including any possible Regional Honors in Action projects.

4. Take a leadership role in promoting/maintaining communication between Regional Officers and leading Regional team meetings.

5. Work with Chapter, Chapter Advisors, Regional Coordinator, and Regional Officer Team to plan and host (or co-host) the spring Regional Convention.

B. Vice President

3. Help the Regional Officer team achieve any goals the team sets, including any possible Regional Honors in Action projects.

4. Work with Chapter, Chapter Advisors, Regional Coordinator, and Regional Officer Team to plan and host (or co-host) the Fall Leadership Conference.

C. Communications Director

3. Help the Regional Officer team achieve any goals the team sets, including any possible Regional Honors in Action projects.

4. Coordinate the production and publication of a periodic Regional newsletter that promotes communication, regional meetings, and participation in Phi Theta Kappa programming.

5. Assist the Regional Coordinator in keeping the Regional web site updated.

D. Administrative Director (Secretary/Historian)

3. Help the Regional Officer team achieve any goals the team sets, including any possible Regional Honors in Action projects.

4. Take notes at all meetings of the Regional Officers and at all regional meetings.

5. Submit summaries of Regional events to the Communications Director and the Regional Coordinator for inclusion in the newsletter and web site.

6. Submit notes from officer meetings and the Regional Convention, along with photographs (if applicable) to Regional Coordinator for archiving.