The many roles of the CGSS in graduate student activities here in the Department of Chemistry at UBC require contributions from many individuals who volunteer their time to make sure that all of our fun events go smoothly throughout the school year. Each member of the CGSS is elected to a position with specific roles and responsibilities. Listed here are these roles and the duties expected of the elected individuals who fill those roles.
President*
- Act as the official representative of the CGSS to the faculty, staff, post doctoral fellows and undergraduate students
- Conduct CGSS meetings ensuring that all issues and concerns of chemistry graduate students are heard and discussed
- Attend faculty meetings and express the issues and concerns of chemistry graduate students (alternate with VP)
- Ensure that the charity fundraiser bake sale in Nov/Dec is organized (choose charity, publicize sales, arrange volunteer bakers, sellers and volunteers to set up coffee)
- Ensure that the lab manuals for which CGSS is responsible are printed on time
- Obtain a Serving-It-Right license (license to serve alcoholic beverages)
- Ensure graduate student representation on departmental committees (e.g. graduate student recruiting, NMR/MS facilities, building and space)
Advisor*
- Attend CGSS meetings
- Provide advice, based on past experience, for council members when planning and running annual events
Vice-President*
- Conduct the yearly CGSS election (executive and council)
- Attend faculty meetings and express the issues and concerns of chemistry graduate students (alternate with President)
- Promote and organize CGSS events
- Act as primary organizer for December Holiday Festivities (skits)
- Obtain a Serving-It-Right license (license to serve alcoholic beverages)
Secretary*
- Assist in the yearly CGSS election
- Organize the agenda for CGSS council meetings and record the minutes of these
meetings - Handle departmental room bookings for the CGSS
- Make coffee time schedule for the calendar year
- Email the supervisor and group members of the next coffee time group with a reminder and instructions
Treasurer*
- Manage CGSS finances by collecting receipts, reimbursing costs and keeping track of incoming and outgoing funds
- Organize laboratory manual sales (with the Undergraduate Chemistry Society)
- Maintain an inventory of CGSS-owned materials
Social Coordinators*
- Coordinate all CGSS social events (not execute, coordinate!)
- Plan a wide variety of social events to appeal to all chemistry graduate students
- Promote all CGSS and departmental social events (e.g. ensure e-mails have been sent, posters are up)
- Assist with the December Holiday Festivities (skits)
- Obtain the appropriate liquor licenses for CGSS events and ensure that alcohol is served only by chemistry graduate students holding Serving-It-Right licenses
- Obtain a Serving-It-Right license (license to serve alcoholic beverages)
- Organize (through other members of the CGSS and graduate students) the purchase and transport of any supplies needed for CGSS-sponsored events
Webmaster
- Keep the CGSS website up-to-date
- Work closely with the Secretary to ensure proper access to and preservation of CGSS records
- Upload pictures and posts pertaining to or resulting from CGSS-sponsored events in a timely manner
- Act as the official representative for the CGSS to the computer and electronic services
Sports Representative
- Inform chemistry graduate students of upcoming sporting events and how to get
involved well in advance of any registration deadlines - Work closely with the Treasurer to administer CGSS rebates for sporting events (for any CGSS-sponsored team registration, e.g. Day of the Longboat, Storm the Wall)
Union Representatives
- Be a Teaching Assistant of the Department of Chemistry
- Act as liaison between the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 2278 (CUPE 2278) and chemistry graduate students
- Represent chemistry graduate students at CUPE 2278 meetings
- Keep chemistry graduate students informed of all pertinent information regarding union membership and labour issues (e.g. negotiations, contract changes, strikes)
- Inform CUPE 2278 of any graduate student concerns about violations of the current collective agreement (e.g. overtime without pay, inappropriate scheduling practices, late payment, abusive behaviour, inappropriate communication between teaching supervisor and research supervisor)
- Educate new (or old) graduate students about their rights as members of CUPE 2278
GSS Representatives
- Attend monthly Graduate Student Society (GSS) meetings
- Advocate the concerns of chemistry graduate students to the GSS
- Inform chemistry graduate students of important issues (e.g. referendums, changes to health plan/U-pass)
- Working with the Social Coordinators and the GSS, plan and obtain funding for events in the GSS building
- Act as liaison to other graduate students societies at UBC (e.g. PHAS)
Divisional Representatives (Analytical, Theoretical/Physical, Organic, Inorganic)
- Promote CGSS-sponsored events within your division
- Ensure that issues and concerns of a particular division are brought forth to the council for discussion
- Work to build a strong sense of community and camaraderie among the chemistry graduate students as well as between chemistry graduates students, faculty and staff
- Write the Christmas skits and find participants to perform them
International Representative
- Act as the official representative to the CGSS and the department of all chemistry graduate students who have an undergraduate degree from a university outside of Canada or hold student visas to study in Canada
- Assist international chemistry graduate students with their integration into the department by encouraging participation in CGSS and departmental activities and committees
- Act as a source of information and referral for international chemistry graduate students (e.g. program and course registration, program requirements, renewing visas)
- Act as the contact for international chemistry students who have applied/been accepted to UBC with any questions or concerns they may have
First-year Representative
- Act as the official representative of all first year chemistry graduate students to the CGSS and the department
- Introduce first year graduate students to the CGSS and assist their integration into the department by encouraging participation in CGSS and departmental activities and committees
- Keep the CGSS council informed of issues important to first year graduate students (e.g. course content, scheduling and requirements; instrument training; supervisor selection process)
- Plan Welcome Week events for new graduate students in January and September
- Educate new graduate students on the resources available to them
All CGSS Council Members
- Attend CGSS council meetings (Monthly)
- Volunteer for lab manual sales (largest income for the CGSS)
- Support the activities of the CGSS by participation and/or volunteering at CGSS events and activities
- Promote and inform the department of CGSS activities and issues concerning chemistry graduate students
- Take pictures and put together summaries of events run by the CGSS to be posted on the website to promote future events
* These roles will be filled by past CGSS members preferentially