Board Elections
The Gender Advocacy and Inclusion Network in Higher Education (GAIN) is accepting applications to join our Board of Directors.
We are eager to elect people into the following board positions and continue the great work of connecting higher education professionals within the Pacific Northwest, providing our members with professional development opportunities, and encouraging folks to lead change in higher education. If you are interested in this amazing opportunity to serve, please apply!
The application for the Board of Directors is due on May 1st, 2024
Director of Marketing (2-year appointment)
Responsible for providing communication to the general membership and developing marketing strategies for GAIN. Duties include but are not limited to:
Collaborate with the Board of Directors to maintain regular and consistent communication with members to promote growth, retention, and highlight the benefits of involvement in GAIN
Maintain the GAIN listserve and send out monthly newsletters and conference emails
Manage social media accounts (Facebook page/groups, Instagram, LinkedIn)
Maintain website content via Squarespace, including maintenance of the annual conference page
Create and execute an annual marketing plan for GAIN
Create and manage brand and marketing materials
Manage GAIN email inbox and communicate with Board in delegating email-response responsibilities
Collaborate with Directors of Annual Conference to acquire all conference speaker and presenter information for advertising and marketing purposes
Collaborate with the Director of Business Operations and Chair of the Board to design a sponsorship appeal packet
Prioritize and ensure all shared GAIN content is accessible for all members
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Director of Education (2-year appointment)
Responsible for identifying the continuing education needs of members and facilitating opportunities for personal and professional growth in the following ways:
Solicit and compile feedback on continuing education topics of interest.
Recruit, coordinate, facilitate, and distribute monthly webinars.
Lead the GAIN Education Committee which includes volunteers from across OWHE interested in shaping educational opportunities for GAIN.
Coordinate conference program proposal recruitment and review process.
Maintain the GAIN blog by soliciting members’ written contributions on topics and themes that coincide with our mission, vision, and values.
Organize and provide guidance for the GAIN Learning Community
Provide additional educational opportunities as needed.
Solicit calls for proposals for the annual conference. Oversee the process for accepting proposals and communicating with the presenters for the annual conference.
Co-Director of Conference (2-year appointment)
Responsible for the planning and oversight of the annual conference which provides our membership with the opportunity to come together, make meaningful connections, learn from one another and create a positive impact on our campuses and higher education in the Pacific Northwest.
Additionally, this role provides leadership for the following:
Conference vision and structure
Conference planning committee and sub-committees
Conference site selection for subsequent years
Conference site communication and negotiation
Conference details and logistics
Eligibility:
Any active GAIN member is eligible to apply for a position on the Board of Directors (BOD).
Active membership is defined as participation in GAIN activities within the 12 months prior to and including the annual conference.
Membership is open to individuals who meet the following criteria:
1) are affiliated with higher education
2) demonstrate a commitment to equity justice and inclusion
3) attend the annual conference or another GAIN/OWHE sponsored event such as webinars, meet-ups, etc.; and
4) are signed up on our mailing list.
Board members must be available to attend weekly Board Meetings at an agreed-upon meeting time based on the board availability, an in-person summer retreat on the Oregon coast (typically in June or July), and scheduled 1:1s with the Chairperson throughout the year. BOD members are also expected to attend the in-person annual conference in Seaside, OR, in April 2025. Funding will be available for members to travel to those commitments.
Representation: We encourage people who have been historically underrepresented in higher education and GAIN spaces to apply for the board! Specifically, we would like to extend an invitation to apply to People of Color, folks with marginalized genders, folks with disabilities, parents, LGBTQIA+ members, people from other countries, people who have experience working in other fields, folks at different stages of their careers, etc. GAIN is for all of us and we want our BOD to represent those intersections of identities. We believe that diversity in experience makes us a stronger community and we value diverse perspectives.
Participation:
ALL Board members are responsible for developing and executing GAIN's strategic plan and supporting the Directors of the Annual Conference in planning and execution of the annual conference. In addition to their Director responsibilities, all board members are expected to attend all BOD meetings (conference call once a month), a board retreat in June/July, regular check-in meetings with the Chair, and conference check-ins or subcommittee meetings as needed. This is a volunteer position, board members should be capable of executing their tasks and managing their time autonomously. If you are unable to fulfill your duties, you will be asked to step down. We highly encourage board members to have financial (and other forms of) support from their institution to serve on the board. Institutions will be asked to support board members' involvement through time release for meetings, participation in the annual conference, and costs related to traveling and attending the conference and summer board retreat. GAIN provides hardship grants for BOD members who cannot obtain institutional support to attend the annual conference and/or summer retreat.
Elections:
If there is more than one application for any available position, the Board will compile applications and distribute a ballot form to active GAIN members to cast electronic votes. New board members will be elected by a majority vote. You are welcome to submit an application for more than one position.