Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications (WLUSP) is looking for two Student Directors to fill vacancies on our organization’s Board of Directors. While it is encouraged that these directors come from current members of eight of our publications (The Cord, The Sputnik, The Community Edition, Blueprint Magazine, Radio Laurier, Keystone, The Carnegie, and Laurier Student Poll), as a WLU student, any currently-registered students are qualified to become Student Directors.
*For more information on how to apply, please go to the bottom of the page.
**From the Government of Canada website, to qualify as a Director, an applicant must “be at least 18 years old … not have been declared incapable under the laws of a Canadian province or territory, or by a court in a jurisdiction outside Canada … be an individual (that is, a corporation cannot be a director) … [and] not be in bankrupt status.”
What is the Board of Directors, and what do they do?
The Board’s responsibilities include representing the needs of all members, developing high-level policy and strategic goals, and ensuring successful organizational performance by maintaining legal and financial compliance, as well as utilizing and maintaining Robert’s Rules of Order during meetings.
Issues that fall under the board’s jurisdiction include maintaining and monitoring the accountability of senior-level staff, creating or updating WLUSP policy, and the creation and observation of an operating budget for the organization. In addition to those duties, a Board of Directors is responsible for helping WLUSP set broad goals, supporting and keeping accountable the duties of the Executive Director and President & Publisher, and ensuring the company has adequate, well-managed resources at its disposal.
As a not-for-profit corporation, WLUSP requires a Board of Directors (BoD): a collection of individuals who, collectively, make up the highest governing body for the organization. Ideally, the collective size of WLUSP’s Board of Directors is eight voting members.
The voting members of WLUSP’s Board includes the President & Publisher, who acts as the Board’s Chair; up to four Student Directors, who act as representatives of WLU and WLUSP’s ownership, and often reflect the interests of specific publications to ensure there is fair treatment of each department; and up to three Community Member Directors, who act in a position of organizational and internal memory, experience and industry perspective, and who are usually former members or affiliates of WLUSP.
Of these Student and Community Member Directors, two members are elected as Vice-Chair and Treasurer, to maintain important board functions. These roles are not currently vacant.
What does a Student Director do as a member of the Board of Directors?
First, and foremost, Board members will remain committed to overseeing and
implementing the mission, vision and values of WLUSP’s strategic plan. They will review strategic milestones to determine organizational value and benefit. They will solicit member feedback on strategic goals, and will ensure that all corporate operations are fiscally prudent.
As a Student Director, you will help inform the high-level decisions that Student Publications makes as an organization, including financial and operational matters. Directors of the Board are asked to thoughtfully review the budget, which guides our entire organization and ask questions regarding what is and is not possible for the upcoming year, including:
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- Why is one line so low or so high?
- Can we save money in ways we haven’t thought of yet?
- Are certain fundraising goals achievable or attainable?
Any questions you have are valuable contributions to
the conversation. The Board gets the final say on the budget and can make any amendments that WLUSP must follow. After reviewing the budget and making amendments, the Board can decide to approve or not approve the budget.
What is the time commitment of being a Student Director?
Being a Student Director is a relatively small time commitment: the Board is required to have a minimum of two meetings per term, with each meeting lasting between 1-2 hours in length. Directors are expected to stay up-to-date on any relevant information that may impact or become necessary for the organization to be aware of, and have an interest in student media and its operations.
However, don’t feel the need to be intimidated by the position. More than anything, we’re looking for people who want to learn how to succeed in this kind of role, and want experience in the fields of governance, collective decision-making, higher-level operations, and student media! We will teach you the skills that you need to thrive in this environment.
How can I become a Student Director?
If you are interested in being a Student Director, please send a copy of your resume and a two-page application explaining your relevant experience to the position (as it pertains to either your interest/experience in student media or governance), your interest in the position, and what you feel you may bring to the Board, to president@wlusp.com and lakyn.barton@wlusp.com.
Due to the nature of the position, and due to a high number of applications, only applicants who are being considered for positions on the Board will be notified.
*Applications for Student Directors are due by Friday, September 20, 2019, at 5:00 p.m., and the decision for electing a new Student Director will be made at the following Board meeting, at which point the successful candidate will be formally notified.
For more information on being a Student Director, the Board of Directors, and WLUSP’s operating policy, visit https://wlusp.com/about/policy-and-procedures/, email president@wlusp.com, or lakyn.barton@wlusp.com.
For more information on our current list of Directors, click here.
