Officer Election and Service
New officers will take over in the spring quarter. This model allows for the new leadership to get situated before fall quarter begins. Undergraduate seniors and second-year graduate students with one quarter remaining in the fall are ineligible.
You must be enrolled as a full-time DePaul student and be a member of SPJ National and SPJ DePaul to be eligible for a position. Officers should be available for weekly or biweekly board meetings as well as chapter events.
All executive board members are eligible to attend the SPJ national and regional conferences. Past regional conferences have been held in Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Louisville. We do not know yet whether SPJ will be holding its national conference in person on Sept. 10-12 in Washington, DC. Most travel and event registration expenses are paid for by the chapter’s budget.
To apply, email a cover letter describing your interest in and ideas for the position, and a resume, to chapter adviser Amy Merrick, amerric1@depaul.edu, by Friday, May 8.
Job Descriptions: Vacant Officer Positions
President
The president is responsible for overseeing the overall operations for the DePaul chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists/Online News Association. Candidates should be organized, creative and resourceful. The president is expected to attend regional and national SPJ conferences. The president will help plan events that will be useful for our members; develop ways to increase chapter membership; and network with professional journalists, student organization leaders and others to expand our presence on campus and throughout Chicago.
Vice President/Events Coordinator
The vice president will assist in coordinating all functions of the organization and will perform the duties of the president in the president’s absence. The vice president also will oversee the secretary/treasurer, membership coordinator and social media coordinator. The vice president/events coordinator also will handle these responsibilities:
- Track progress of events and have coordinators send weekly updates
- Assist chapter president and adviser to schedule speakers, meeting rooms and event logistics
- Design promotional materials for SPJ events
- Help recruit new members
Secretary/Treasurer
The person filling this position will handle the duties of both the secretary and treasurer.
The secretary will keep minutes of all meetings, maintain the organization website and chapter calendar, and complete the chapter annual report. The secretary also will handle these responsibilities:
- Set chapter meeting agendas with the president
- Assist the president with administrative duties for meetings and events
- Help recruit new members
The treasurer will coordinate the chapter’s funds, in cooperation with the DePaul Office of Student Involvement and the chapter president and adviser. The treasurer also will handle these responsibilities:
- Assist with travel arrangements for the SPJ regional and national conferences
- Work with the chapter president and adviser to track the budget
- Help recruit new members
Membership/ONA Coordinator
The membership/ONA coordinator shall serve as the coordinator of the chapter’s members and develop the chapter’s relationship with the Online News Association. The membership/ONA coordinator will handle these responsibilities:
- Recruit new members at the beginning of each quarter and throughout the year
- Book tables at the campus undergraduate and graduate involvement fairs
- Contact SPJ/ONA DePaul members and keep them updated on chapter news
- Act as the liaison with the Online News Association, and develop events related to online journalism and technology
Social Media/Publicity Coordinator
The social media coordinator will handle these responsibilities:
- Maintain the @spjonadepaul social media accounts
- Work with the secretary/treasurer and membership coordinator to publicize events to chapter members and DePaul students
- Promote upcoming events to campus and mainstream media
- Foster conversation about DePaul student media and about journalism topics such as major stories and ethics
DePaul University Society of Professional Journalists 