WPIRG

Open positions on the WPIRG Board of Directors!

The Waterloo Public Interest Research Group (WPIRG) is looking for 1 or 2 interim Board members to serve from November 2011 until April 2012.

Do you want to…

- Support other students and community members in creating social and environmental change?

- Gain governing experience in a non-profit organization?

- Learn in-depth consensus decision-making?

- Apply anti-oppression in programming, policy and other WPIRG activities?

- Become an employer – support, work with, and appreciate staff?

- Participate in decision-making & visioning of the organization?

Then APPLY NOW to join the WPIRG Board of Directors!

What are we looking for in a Board member?

We are looking for enthusiastic, motivated, positive, organized, group-oriented individuals with a commitment to WPIRG.

WPIRG promotes learning through leadership and will help you acquire the skills you need to be a great Board member, even if you haven’t developed them all yet! The ideal candidate, however, would have experience in some, or all, of the following areas…

- knowledge of WPIRG

- facilitation and consensus building

- policy development

- financial management

- project management

- principles of anti-oppression

- hiring, staff evaluation and supervision

The WPIRG Board of Directors is committed to the principles of anti-oppression and seeks diverse experiences and identities in its leadership. We welcome and encourage individuals from marginalized communities to participate in directing the organization, including people who identify as aboriginal, people of colour, multi-racial/multi-cultural, queer, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, trans-sexual, intersexed, as well as women, single parents, immigrants and people with disabilities. WPIRG is committed to makings its leadership as accessible as possible. We encourage applications from both regular and co-op students, as well as members of the community.

What exactly is the Board, anyway?

The Board of Directors is vital to the functioning of WPIRG. The Board represents the WPIRG’s membership and ensures accountability to members. Board members work closely with WPIRG staff to: establish organizational priorities, guide the organization in long-term decision-making, and administer funding and policies.

What is the expected time commitment?

Board members elected at the AGM have a two year commitment and interim board members serve until the next AGM. Both should be prepared to dedicate between 8-10 hours per week, including attending Board meetings, reading emails and documents, participating in Committee work and attending training and professional development workshops.

How do you apply?

The application deadline is Friday October 14, 2011 at 12 pm (noon). Submit your resume and a brief cover letter describing your experience, your knowledge of anti-oppression and consensus principles, why you would make a good member of the WPIRG Board of Directors to info@wpirg.org. In your application, please specify whether or not you are a full-time undergraduate student studying at the University of Waterloo.

Selected candidate/s will be notified by October 18th. Candidates will then be asked to make a short presentation at the Board meeting on Thursday October 20th at 4pm. Alternate arrangements will be considered for candidates who are unable to be in Waterloo on that date. Chosen candidates will be notified the following week.

If you are interested in applying, you are invited to attend an information session on Wednesday October 12 at 4:00pm in the WPIRG office (SLC 2139) to find out more about the role of the Board and ask any questions you may have about the application process.

To become a Board member, you must be a WPIRG member in good standing (a University of Waterloo full-time undergraduate student who has not obtained a refund, or a community member who has purchased a WPIRG membership).

Please note that while up to 2 positions will be available, one open position will be reserved for a community member, while the other position has no restrictions. A community member is defined as anyone who is NOT a full-time University of Waterloo undergraduate student and who has purchased a WPIRG membership, including graduate students.

The interim Board positions will run from November 2011 until April 2012, at which time interim Board members will be eligible to run for re-election.

For more information about the Board or the application process, come talk to us in the WPIRG office (SLC 2139), email info@wpirg.org, or call 519-888-4882!

Please circulate widely to anyone that may be interested in applying for the WPIRG Board of Directors. This information is also available on the WPIRG website.

More information about the Board of Directors:

A bit about WPIRG:

Based at the University of Waterloo, the Waterloo Public Interest Research Group (WPIRG) provides support for students and community members to research, educate and take action on environmental and social justice issues. WPIRG operates on an anti-oppression framework and is also committed to the consensus decision-making process. Please see wpirg.org for more information about our past and current initiatives as well as our mission statement and decision-making process.

How does WPIRG work?

WPIRG’s organizational structure includes two to three full-time staff, other supporting and contract staff, volunteers in action groups, project volunteers, and the Board of Directions. Staff members support the day-to-day operations of WPIRG, enabling volunteers to work on specific social justice and environmental issues through both action groups and projects.

The Board of Directors is responsible for the long-term visioning and priority setting of the organization, as well as overseeing its administration. The Board develops and oversees the budget, which funds WPIRG’s initiatives. All Board decisions are made through the consensus process. Board members are expected to represent WPIRG at events throughout the year and in networking with other campus and community organizations.

What do Board members actually do?

-         Participate in decision-making at regular (usually bi-weekly) Board meetings

-         Participate in committees of the Board working on specific issues, such as outreach and engagement, AGM planning, developing policies and activist development

-         Ensure that all activities are consistent with our anti-oppression mandate

-         Collaborate with staff to set daily and annual priorities through extensive visioning processes

-         Track the needs, challenges and successes of WPIRG throughout the year

-         Conduct regular evaluations of staff, events, projects and priorities

-         Support staff in their work with projects and action groups, and their work in organizational development

-         Recruit, hire and support new staff when necessary

-         Develop annual budgets and monitor spending through the Treasurer

-         Recruit and train new Board members, and hold annual elections and general meetings

-         Monitor organizational policies and By-laws and update them when necessary

Board members can also:

-         Represent WPIRG at OPIRG network meetings, and work to strengthen the Provincial network

-         Conduct research for new WPIRG initiatives and projects

-         Work with staff to apply for grants, plan events, and network with other groups

-         Participate in volunteer orientation, training and appreciation

-         Represent WPIRG at events and meetings

-         Identify and participate in opportunities for Board and staff development

Most of these tasks are done in collaboration with staff, who provide valuable knowledge, support and institutional memory.