The Student Assembly of the State University of New York

The Student Assembly of the State University of New York

CABINET APPLICATION

2018-2019 Executive Cabinet Application- DUE MAY 10th, 2018

1. Review qualifications
2. Complete the “Common Application”
3. Complete sample work (found below) for you first choice position only; additional sample work for other desired positions is optional
4. Attach Resume and email your completed application
5. Applicants may be asked to participate in an interview

COMMON APPLICATION

All applicants must fill out the following supplement

Contact Information

Name______Campus ______

Address ______

City______State ______Zip ______

Phone Number ______

Email ______Year of Graduation ______

Application Questions

1. What past leadership experiences and qualities most prepare you for a role on the Student Assembly Executive Cabinet?

1. What do you see as the role of the Student Assembly in enhancing the student experience?

1. What can you tell us about yourself to demonstrate your dedication, organization, and communication skills?

Once you have completed these questions to the best of your ability, please read through all of the available positions. You may list up to three positions for which you wish to be considered. You may choose to list only one choice as well. Only the sample work for your first choice position must be submitted with your application, but completing the sample work for other desired positions is optional. You must also attach a resume with your application.

Desired positions (in order of preference) –

1.______

2.______

3.______

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT-ELECT

Applicants-

On behalf of the entire Student Assembly Executive Board, it is an honor to present to you the 2018-2019 SUNY Student Assembly Cabinet Application. It is our hope that through this application process, we will successfully gather a team of the best and brightest in the system to lead the Student Assembly to success in the year to come.

Involvement in the Student Assembly is one of the most significant ways a SUNY student can make a difference. The Student Assembly offers an individual a tremendous platform to make their voice heard at the highest levels of authority in the system, state, and nation.

The Student Assembly’s core mission is enhancing the student experience on our sixty-four campuses through advocacy and programming. Playing a role in furthering that mission this past year as Student Assembly Treasurer has been one of the most impactful experiences of my life. I am so excited to help lead the charge to realize that mission as President in the year to come.

Applying to be a member of the Student Assembly Cabinet is a great decision for students of all interests, academic backgrounds, and from all campuses. There are positions on the Cabinet to meet the interests and talents of students across many different fields. I encourage you to read through the position descriptions carefully and choose a position that meets your interests and skills.

Thanks to an increase in the Student Assembly’s operating budget- for the first year ever we will be offering compensation to many of the members of the Cabinet. Positions with associated stipends have the rate of compensation listed next to the job title. It is our hope that this added incentive will allow more students the ability to devote their talents to the Student Assembly.

Should you have any questions about this application, any of the positions listed, or the Student Assembly at-large please do not hesitate to email us at .

I wish each applicant the best of luck- and looking forward to constructing the best possible team to work on behalf of all of SUNY’s 600,000 students.

Sincerely,

Michael Braun

Student Assembly President-Elect

EXECUTIVE CABINET SUPPLEMENT

Senior Staff

Director of Government Relations- $2,000(10-15 Hours per Week)

*Deputy may be appointed

The Director of Government Relations is the Chief Government Relations Officer for the Student Assembly. The Director is responsible for coordinating local, state, and federal advocacy. The Director will be responsible for crafting the Student Assembly’s annual legislative agenda- outlining the positions of the Student Assembly across federal and state policy areas. Following the approval of the legislative agenda by the Assembly, the Director will be responsible for coordinating advocacy in support of the agenda. A strong understanding of the mechanics of government and familiarity with the New York state budget process are essential for success in the position. Candidates should also have a strong understanding of the issues surrounding higher education public policy. Frequent travel, covered by the Student Assembly, to Albany will be required- as well as additional travel to Washington DC and a number of conferences across the state. A strong candidate should have previous lobbying, campaign or government work experience, as well as strong written and verbal communication skills.

Sample Work: In approximately 500 words- please outline three specific legislative priorities the Student Assembly should focus on in the coming year. Additionally please submit a writing sample relevant to any matter of public policy.

Director of Communications- $2,000(10-15 Hours per Week)

*Two deputies will be appointed

The Director of Communications is responsible for overseeing the Student Assembly’s public relations efforts, and for promoting our brand to students, campus administrations, system, and the state at-large. The Director will oversee SUNY’s various social media pages and is responsible for ensuring they are updated regularly with high quality content. The Director will also manage the Student Assembly website- ensuring it maintains high quality aesthetics and accurate up to date content. The Director will also play a key role in facilitating Student Assembly press relations- including but not limited to drafting press releases. A strong candidate should have well-developed writing skills, experience managing social media accounts, and an advanced understanding of public policy as it relates to higher education. Proficiency with graphic design software is also strongly preferred.

Sample Work: Please draft a 300-500 word press release in response to the following prompt: [The Governor, citing a need to keep spending down, proposes a $10 million dollar cut in funding for the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). The Student Assembly would like to put out a statement opposing the cut and articulating why the EOP program is so important.] In addition please submit any sample work which demonstrates your strong writing skills.

Senior Director of Student Affairs- $2,000(10-15 Hours per Week)

The Senior Director of Student Affairs will directly oversee the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the Director of Sustainability and the Director of Campus Safety. The Senior Director should have a strong understanding of the various policy areas relating to those three fields. The Senior Director should be prepared to substantively contribute to the work and vision of the directors they oversee. The Senior Director should also have a broad understanding of the various student issues that do not necessarily fit under the purview of the directors they oversee- and be ready to take the lead on initiatives relating to those areas of student concern. This includes quality of life issues on our campuses. The SeniorDirector will work with the Coordinator of Campus Engagement to ensure that campus student governments have the resources they need to enhance the student experience on their campuses. Previous managerial experience, and/or experience working in student affairs are preferred for this role.

Sample Work: Please respond to the following prompt in 300-500 words: [The Director of Sustainability routinely fails to submit work on time and is becoming unresponsive to emails and general inquiries. How would you ensure that this member of your staff is properly supported and held accountable?] Additionally please submit a writing sample demonstrating your strong written communication skills.

Student and Academic Affairs

Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion- $1,000(7-10 Hours per Week)

*Deputy may be appointed

The Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is the Student Assembly’s point person on promoting initiatives and addressing student concerns related to DEI. The Director will directly oversee the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee, where they will lead discussions on how to ensure the SUNY is a welcoming place to study for students of all backgrounds. The Director will also oversee a series of subcommittees, which will work to support various demographic groups in our system, including but not limited to veterans and international students. The Director of DEI will represent students on a series of SUNY taskforces and working groups throughout the year, and should feel comfortable engaging with administrators and faculty. A strong candidate for Director of DEI should have experience promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and a strong understanding of how those issues relate to policy on campus and at the governmental level. Strong writing skills are also preferred.

Sample Work: Please respond to the following in 300-500 words: What do you see as the greatest threats to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion on our campuses in the coming year? How can the Student Assembly play a role in combatting those threats?

Director of Sustainability- $1,000(7-10 Hours per Week)

*Deputy may be appointed

The Director of Sustainability is responsible for coordinating Student Assembly policy as it relates to environmental sustainability. The Director will directly oversee the Sustainability committee- where issues relating to the promotion of environmental sustainability will be discussed. The Director will represent students in conversations at the campus, system and state level on promoting environmental sustainability. The Director will disseminate information to students on sustainability initiatives and work with campus student governments to develop their own initiatives. Theywill work with other members of the staff, including the Director of Government Relations and Director of Communications regularly to lobby successfully in support of sustainability initiatives and to share information on them with students. A strong candidate should have an advanced understanding of the policy areas relating to environmental sustainability. Previous experience advocating for sustainability initiatives is strongly preferred.

Sample Work: Please respond to the following prompt in 300-500 words: How can SUNY have a significant impact on environmental sustainability? What role should the Student Assembly play in promoting sustainability initiatives?

Director of Campus Safety- $1,000(7-10 Hours per Week)

*Deputy may be appointed

The Director of Campus Safety will be the Student Assembly’s point person on issues related to safety on campus and student health and well-being. These issues include sexual violence, domestic violence, promoting mental health, and combatting addiction. The Director will serve as a representative for all students on multiple working groups and taskforces at the system level relating to these issues and others. The Director will oversee the Campus Safety committee and use it discuss campus safety issues and potential initiatives. A strong candidate should have a thorough understanding of Title IX policy and public policy as it relates to issues of student well-being on campus. Previous experience working with any of the aforementioned issues is also strongly preferred.

Sample Work: Please respond to the following prompt in 300-500 words: What are the greatest threats to student well-being and safety on campus? How can the Student Assembly work to combat these threats and promote student safety?

Director of Academic Affairs- $1,000(7-10 Hours per Week)

*Deputy may be appointed

The Director of Academic Affairs is responsible for promoting the student interest on matters of academic policy and for communicating student academic concerns to the Student Assembly and SUNY System Administration. The Director will serve on a number of SUNY working groups and taskforces, including subcommittees of the University Faculty Senate and Faculty Council of Community Colleges. The Director will coordinate the development of Student Assembly positions on areas of academic policy- and propose academic initiatives and policy changes to system. The Director will also serve as an advisor on SUNY Board policy to the President and Chief of Staff. A strong candidate should have a deep understanding of academic policy and the frequent areas of concern with said policy raised by students. Previous experience working with academic policy is preferred.

Sample Work: In approximately 500 words, please outline three specific areas of academic policy the Student Assembly should address in the coming year. What position should the Student Assembly take in relation to them and how should we attempt to influence change? Additionally please provide an academic writing sample.

Committee Leadership

Director of Rules- $500(10 Hours per Month)

The Director of Rules serves as the Student Assembly’s parliamentarian and is responsible for ensuring the Student Assembly is compliant with its bylaws, SUNY Board policy, Student Assembly policy, and Roberts Rules of Order. The Director of Rules will serve as a principle advisor to the Chief of Staff and the President on matters of procedure. Expertise in Roberts Rules of Order is required to serve in the position. Prior experience serving as a parliamentarian for a student government or other organization is strongly preferred. Strong writing and reading comprehension skills are also preferred. Candidates should be prepared to have their understanding of Roberts Rules evaluated prior to appointment.

Sample Work: Please outline any prior experience with parliamentary procedure you may have and attach a writing sample.

Chair of State-Operated Campuses (5 Hours per Week)

*Must be an elected Representative for State-OperatedCampuses to apply

The Chair of State-Operated Campuses serves as the leader of the State-Operated Campuses committee, which will consist of the elected Representatives from SUNY’s Doctoral-Granting Institutions, University Colleges, and Agricultural and Technical Colleges. The State-Ops Chair is responsible for ensuring the Representatives in each sector are fulfilling their job responsibilities adequately, and regularly communicating with the campuses they represent. The Chair will also serve as an advocate for the specific issues faced by students on State-Operated campuses throughout the year. A strong candidate should be an effective manager with experience holding others accountable for their responsibilities. Familiarity with SUNY’s structure and the ways in which state-operated campuses are unique is preferred.

Sample Work: Please respond to the following prompt in 300-500 words: The student government president at Binghamton University emails you in November saying she has never heard from her Representative. When you reach out to the Representative, he is unresponsive and keeps delaying a conversation with you about the situation. How do you proceed?

Chair of Community Colleges (5 Hours per Week)

*Must be an elected Representative for Community Colleges to apply

The Chair of Community Colleges serves as the leader of the Community Colleges Committee, which will consist of the elected Representatives representing SUNY’s thirty community colleges. The Community Colleges Chair is responsible for ensuring the Representatives on his or her committee are fulfilling their job responsibilities adequately, and regularly communicating with the campuses they represent. The Chair will also serve as an advocate for the specific issues faced by students on Community College campuses throughout the year. A strong candidate should be an effective manager with experience holding others accountable for their responsibilities. Familiarity with SUNY’s structure and the ways in which community colleges are unique is preferred.

Sample Work: Please respond to the following prompt in 300-500 words: The SGA president at Westchester Community College emails you in November saying she has never heard from her Representative. When you reach out to the Representative, he is unresponsive and keeps delaying a conversation with you about the situation. How do youproceed?

Communications Staff

Deputy Director of Communications for Graphic Design (5 Hours per Week)

The Deputy Director of Communications for Graphic Design will be responsible for maintaining the Student Assembly website and will assist with the creation of a Student Assembly newsletter. The Deputy Director will assist both with the graphic design of the website and the newsletter and with developing and soliciting content. The Deputy Director will also assist with the creation of marketing and promotional material for the Student Assembly. The Deputy Director will report to the Director of Communications and will work collaboratively with the Deputy Director of Communications for Public Relations. A strong candidate will demonstrate proficiency with graphic design software and will have previous experience with website maintenance.

Sample Work: Please attach any graphic design work you have previously done. Please also attach a writing sample.

Deputy Director of Communications for Public Relations (5 Hours per Week)

The Deputy Director of Communications for Public Relations will be responsible for maintaining the Student Assembly’s social media pages, including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. The Deputy Director will report to the Director of Communications and work collaboratively with the Deputy Director of Communications for Public Relations. A strong candidate should have prior experience managing professional social media pages and strong writing skills.

Sample Work: Please compose three tweets (No more than 280 characters each). The first should be to announce the Student Assembly Fall Conference; the second should announcing the release of this cabinet application, the third should respond to proposed cuts to the Pell Grant Program. Additionally, please outline any prior work you have done with professional social media pages and attach a writing sample.

Finance and Development

Director of Development- $1,000(7-10 Hours per Week)

The Director of Development will be responsible for coordinating Student Assembly solicitations for sponsorships and our overall development program. The Director’s responsibilities include maintaining communication with previous sponsors, obtaining new sponsors for our conferences, continuing to develop our sponsorship database, and plan to host fundraising events. The Director will be required to attend monthly Finance and Development Committee meeting calls, and stay in regular communication with the Treasurer. It is preferred that candidates have prior experience in grant writing and development outreach.