Department Rep. Positions available for 2010-2011

The following biology graduate student representative positions are available for next year (2010-2011):

• Green Committee
• Safety Committee
• Curriculum Committee
• Organismal Seminar Committee (CEEB)
• Molecular Seminar Committee
• PGSS Councillor (2 positions)

There are also many BGSA council spaces still available, so please consider making a small commitment and participate in decisions that affect grad students in this department. It doesn't have to take a lot of time, but it makes a big difference (and looks good on your CV).

If you are interested in running for any of these positions, please submit a candidate form and support forms from 3 other BGSA members to BGSAelections@gmail.com, or bring them to next General Meeting (Monday March 8, 11 AM, location TBA).

2010-2011 BGSA Elections

Be a 2010-11 BGSA Councilor! Be a Graduate Rep!
- Help plan social and professional dev't events (feed your megalomania)
- Sit on a committee that you're interested in (e.g. Green Committee, AGSEM etc.)
- Looks good on your CV (90% of BGSA Councilors become tenure track professors)

* Is it difficult? No.
* Is it fun? Yes (mandated).
* Will it take up too much of my time? No, i.e. 1-2 meetings/term and help plan 1-2 events/year for BGSA Councilors, anywhere from 1 meeting/month - 1 meeting/year for the Graduate Reps.

Sound good? Darn tootin' it does. Here's what you do:

1) Want to be a BGSA Councilor and/or a Graduate Rep? Open the attached 'Candidate Form', fill in your name and position and the names of three current BGSA members (grad students, postdocs) who will support your nomination -- use a separate Candidate Form for each position. Email this to bgsaelections@gmail.com by Sun Feb 28. You don't have to be a BGSA Councilor to be a Dept Rep, but hey, you could be!!

2) Ask those three people to fill in the attached 'Support form' with your name and their name and email it to bgsaelections@gmail.com by Sun Feb 28. The same people can support you for multiple positions (e.g. BGSA Council and AGSEM Rep), but need to send two versions of the Support Form each position.

3) There are positions for 18 Councilors on BGSA Council, plus 2 spots for new students in September 2010. If there are >18 nominations, then we have an election (or thumb wrestling) at the BGSA General Meeting on Mon March 8. If not, those people are acclaimed to Council and we still have the General Meeting. The Executive (President, VP, Treasurer and Secretary) are elected from Council -- so you have to be a BGSA Councilor to run for an Executive position.

** STORY TIME EXAMPLE **

Charles Darwin wants to be a BGSA Councilor and is thinking about being VP. He learns to use email and sends his Candidate Form to bgsaelections@gmail.com at the stroke of midnight on Feb 28. He asks 3 friends to support his nomination, and they come back from the dead to email his Support Form. At the BGSA General Meeting (March 8), Chuck is acclaimed to BGSA Council -- but his nemesis Alfred Wallace decides that he also wants to run for VP (revenge for the whole 'you stole my natural selection' scandal). They thumb wrestle for the position, Chuck loses becaues he's been dead longer, and Alfie becomes VP. However, in a twisted turn of events Chuck is acclaimed as President and once again usurps poor Alfred. Sucks to be you, Alfie.

Yes, BGSA Council really is this exciting.

Please feel free to email me, Jon, Rich or Caitlin (2009-10 BGSA Exec) if you have questions about the process or any of the positions.

Cheers,
Aerin, John, Caitlin & Rich