EGSA Communications Officer
Position Description and Responsibilities
1. Overview
The Communications Officer is a member of the Education Graduate Student
Association’s Executive Team. This member is responsible for recording minutes of
meetings, circulating minutes through an approval process, and providing the minutes
to the GSS. In addition, this member collaborates with other members of the team to
ensure pertinent information is shared in a timely manner.
2. Responsibilities Overview
This is a breakdown of the approximate percentage of the role’s time spent on the main
categories below.
Area of responsibility
Percentage time allocated
Before Meeting: Meeting preparation
10%
During Meeting: Preparations, Record
35%
Minutes of Meetings
After Meeting: Editing minutes, Minutes
45%
Approval Process, Submitting Minutes
Other
10%
3. Introduction to Role
At the start of your appointment as the Communications Officer, familiarize yourself
with the following documents/processes:
1. EGSA Constitution
a. What: This document outlines the framework by which this caucus
operates.
b. How it impacts you: By reading and understanding this document, it helps
to better inform your own role as well as the role of the caucus.
c. Where to find this: This is located on Canvas.
2. Robert Rules of Order
a. What: This is a recognized guide to running meetings effectively.
b. How it impacts you: To understand how to best participate under the
guidance of this Order and to better take minutes at the meeting.
c. Where to find this: Search online and you can find a basic overview of
this.
3. SFU Canvas EGSA
EGSA: Communications Officer Position [DRAFT – LM Aug 19]
1
a. What: This is an online communication platform that the EGSA uses to
share agendas, meeting information, minutes, and non-urgent matters.
This is also a space used to continue discussions where necessary.
b. How it impacts you: This is where you will post meeting minutes. This is
the space where the approval of minutes also occur.
c. Where to find this: When you join the EGSA, you will receive an invitation
via email to join the EGSA Canvas space (canvas.sfu.ca).
4. Mailing list: edgsa-exec@sfu.ca
a. What: This is the email address used by executive members to
communicate more time-sensitive information to other executive
members. Only executive members can send to this list.
b. How it impacts you: You will use this when there is important information
to share with the group. You will also use this to copy emails sent to the
GSS regarding minutes, as appropriate.
c. Where to find this: When you join the EGSA, you will be added to this
mailing list.
4. Role & Responsibilities: Before Meeting
4.1. Meeting Preparation
Prepare for the meeting by setting up the appropriate documents.
1. Locate the template found on Canvas: Files->Meeting Minutes-> “EGSA Meeting
Minutes Template”
2. Prepare the template for the meeting by updating the following parts:
a. First page at the top: date, time, and location
b. First page, under number 5: the date of the last meeting/minutes
c. Under “Unfinished Business”: go to Canvas and locate the meeting
discussion from the previous meeting. Locate the summary of the
meeting as posted on Canvas and copy and paste the headings into the
meeting minutes document currently being prepared.
d. Footer: update this to reflect the date of the meeting
3. Save the file on the laptop that you will be using to take minutes at the meeting
by clicking ‘save as’ and changing the document to “EGSA Meeting Minutes
[insert full date Month/DD/YYYY] – DRAFT/FINAL”
5. Roles & Responsibilities: During the Meeting
4.1. Preparations
1. Open up the meeting minutes document you prepared
2. Open up the previous meeting minutes as a reference
EGSA: Communications Officer Position [DRAFT – LM Aug 19]
2
3. Open up the EGSA Canvas page as a reference. This is where the Treasurer
usually posts up the Treasurer Report so that you can copy and paste the
relevant information into the meeting minutes.
4.2. Taking Minutes
1. At the start of the meeting, take note of the members who are present or
regrets. If the member joined the meeting virtually, make a note of this next to
their name in the attendance table at the beginning of the document.
2. When motions occur, take note of the individuals who made the motion and
seconded the motion. Ensure that the executives identify the exact wording.
3. Take as many notes as you can during the meeting, which will later be edited.
4. At the end of the meeting, take note of the time the meeting adjourned.
6. Roles & Responsibilities: After the Meeting
6.1. Editing the Minutes
Key areas to edit include
1. The individuals who were present/regrets.
2. The names of those who moved or seconded a motion.
3. Motions must start with “BIRT that the EGSA…”
Recommendations
1. Start each topic with a very brief history (1 to 2 lines) to provide context. Then,
summarize the discussion (1 to 2 lines) that occurred at the meeting. Lastly,
highlight any action items or key decisions that were mentioned at the end of
the topic section.
2. Include a website link when possible.
3. Use third person when possible (ie. The EGSA decided…), unless there is a need
to identify the individual.
4. Keep it short and simple.
5. Format the document to make it more reader-friendly.
6.2. Minutes Approval Process
1. It is recommended to edit the minutes a day or two after the meeting. After the
minutes are edited, ensure the file name contains the word ‘draft’.
2. Go to Canvas and upload the minutes in the appropriate section (everything is
categorized by month) in Word document format. Leave a comment along with
the minutes to indicate the time period in which edits to the draft version can
occur, which is usually from the day the draft minutes are posted to the Tuesday
of the following week.
EGSA: Communications Officer Position [DRAFT – LM Aug 19]
3
3. Executive members will review the draft minutes and provide comments within
Canvas on recommendations for amending the minutes.
4. On the night of the deadline (Tuesday), go into Canvas and reviews the
comments/recommendations and updates the draft minutes accordingly.
5. Once this is done, save the file as a new file by changing the word ‘draft’ to
‘final’:
a. The name of the file
b. The footer of the document
6. Save the file as a PDF.
7. Upload both files to Canvas in the same section. Leave a comment along with the
minutes to indicate the time period in which approvals can occur (usually 3 days
after the deadline for the edits).
8. Five executives need to approve the final version of the minutes by commenting
on Canvas.
Sample schedule
Sunday
Monday
1
2
8
Execs can
review
and edit
draft
minutes
9
Execs can
review
and edit
draft
minutes
15
16
C.O. sends
a copy of
final
minutes
to GSS
Tuesday
3
Wednesday
4
EGSA
Meeting
10
Deadline
for execs
to edit
draft
minutes
C.O.
uploads
final
version on
Canvas
11
Execs can
approve
minutes on
Canvas
Thursday
5
C.O. edits
and
uploads
minutes
on Canvas
12
Execs can
approve
minutes
on Canvas
EGSA: Communications Officer Position [DRAFT – LM Aug 19]
Friday
6
Execs can
review
and edit
draft
minutes
13
Deadline
for execs
to
approve
minutes
Saturday
7
Execs can
review
and edit
draft
minutes
14
C.O.
checks for
5
approvals
or emails
reminder
4
6.3. Submitting Minutes
1. After it has been approved, submit the minutes to the Graduate Student Society
(GSS) by attaching the PDF format of the final minutes in an email addressed to
the Academic and Internal Relations Officer (airo@sfugradsociety.ca) of the GSS.
Copy the Office Administrator (help@sfugradsociety.ca) and the EGSA Executive
team (edgsa-exec@sfu.ca)
2. Upload a copy of both the Word and PDF formats of the document into the ‘File’>’Meeting Minutes’ folder on Canvas, for record-keeping purposes.
3. Print a copy of the minutes and file it away in the appropriate folder in the EGSA
Office located at the Education Building.
6.4. Finishing
1. Go to the minutes and extract the key points under ‘Unfinished Business’ or
‘New Business’ that need further discussion or items that require action.
2. Copy and paste these points in Canvas in the discussion section for the next
meeting, to be taken in consideration when the agenda is being drafted.
7. Other
Participate in other discussions, projects, and initiatives as needed.
EGSA: Communications Officer Position [DRAFT – LM Aug 19]
5