EGSA Co-Chair
Position Description and Responsibilities
1. Overview
The Co-Chair is a member of the Education Graduate Student Association’s Executive
Team. There are two Chairs and generally both share the role of Chair (thus Co-Chairs).
Overall, the Co-Chair position includes the responsibility of ensuring the daily
functioning of the EGSA as an organization. Whereas the other members of the
Executive Team and Committee Representatives focus on their particular responsibilities
as they relate to the EGSA, the Co-Chair role is responsible to for keeping an eye on the
organization at large. This includes specifics and the bigger picture of how the EGSA is
situated within the Faculty of Education and among other graduate associations within
the Graduate Student Society (GSS).
2. Responsibilities Overview
This is difficult to summarize and a breakdown of the approximate time of tasks
depending on what sort of Co-Chair takes on the role. Here is a somewhat typical
breakdown:
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Call/announce and arrange monthly meetings
Assist/drive the setting of monthly meeting times to ensure opportunity for all
education graduate students to attend meetings (afternoon and evening
options)
Help facilitate the building of the agenda for meetings
As needed, Chair the monthly meetings
Step in to fulfill other roles/positions as needed throughout the term that might
include:
o Providing support for other positions
o Attending committee meetings
o Checking in and ensuring the flow of information and communications
between positions
Represent the EGSA at Faculty of Education functions, orientations, and other
public/internal events
Represent the EGSA at Faculty Council Meetings (FCM) every month (if Co-Chair
holds the FC Representative position)
EGSA: Co-Chair Position Description DRAFT
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3. Things to be Mindful of:
As the head of the EGSA, there are a number of things you need to be aware of. Here’s a
sampling.
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Know these websites inside and out
o https://www.sfu.ca/education/gs.html
o http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies.html
o http://sfugradsociety.ca/
Familiarize yourself with all leadership positions in the Faculty of Education – not
just the positions themselves, but the individuals who serve in those roles. Also
connect with the administrative assistants for each primary role. This includes:
o Dean
o Associate Deans: Academic, Graduate Studies
o Director of Graduate Programs
 Assistant Director, Community Grad Programs
 Susan Warren – Manager, Burnaby
 Karen Matthews – Admin Assistant, Burnaby
 Carley Krenn – Manager, Surrey
Types of Programs
o Professional versus Research
o Surrey versus Burnaby
Contacts
o Doctoral programs https://www.sfu.ca/education/gs/gscontacts/doctoral.html
o Masters programs https://www.sfu.ca/education/gs/gscontacts/masters.html
o Grad diploma - https://www.sfu.ca/education/gs/gscontacts/gde.html
o Other Admin - https://www.sfu.ca/education/gs/gscontacts/admin.html
“Face” – The EGSA needs a face – with faculty, other graduate students, and so
on. This often falls to the Co-Chair(s). Be mindful that this will be part of your
role. Your email and identity will be “out there” as a primary contact. If this is
troubling, do not take on this role.
Advocacy. In addition to being the Face of the EGSA for many, and providing
support for other EGSA Executive members, your primary role is to advocate for
the needs of the EGSA, education graduate students, and their interests – within
the Faculty, the university, and the GSS.
EGSA: Co-Chair Position Description DRAFT
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