Board Elections
What is the Spike Tape Board?
Spike Tape is run and organized by an elected group of Spike Tape members known as our Board. Each Board member holds a position responsible for overseeing and facilitating a facet of Spike Tape as an organization to ensure that each production is given the support and guidance that they need.
How do Spike Tape Board elections work?
Nomination forms for those interested in running for board positions will open toward the end of each semester. Nominees will be expected to write a brief statement describing how they plan to approach their respective position and how they are suited for this position.
The voting form listing each nominee and their statement will then be released, with the election results being publicized shortly after. Voting will be ranked choice, meaning you will rank nominees based on preference, rather than just voting for one nominee.
No person may hold multiple board positions. If someone runs for and is elected for multiple positions, they will be asked to choose one.
*More specific dates and information will be available toward the end of the semester.
What is expected of a Board member?
Anyone holding a board position (as well as anyone involved in Spike Tape) must read and follow the values of the mission statement.
Every member will maintain a mutual respect for one another.
Every member of the board will work with each other to some extent. It’s necessary that everybody clearly communicates with each other to ensure that certain tasks are being done.
When running for a position, club members should be aware of their own time management skills. Everyone is capable of taking on different levels of commitment. Members should be conscious of how many productions they intend on being a part of as well as outside commitments that they hold before running for a high commitment position.
Board members are expected to regularly attend Spike Tape events, weekly meetings, and committees. Maintaining a healthy and active Spike Tape community is important!
What are the responsibilities for each Board position?
Elected:
I. President
II. Vice President
III. Financial Manager
VI. Outreach Chair
VII. Events Chair
VIII. House Manager
IX. Archivist
Appointed:
President
I. Description: The President is the leader of Spike Tape, and will be the representative of the club to other departments and organizations. The President’s roles vary from helping produce individuals to productions to long term organizational projects.
* The President is the only year-long appointment, elected at the end of the spring semester to serve the following academic year. Please only run for this position if you intend on holding the position for Fall 2024 and Spring 2025.
II. Responsibilities:
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The President facilitates weekly Spike Tape meetings and sets the agenda.
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The President is the primary liaison between the Spike Tape and the CFA and Theater Department.
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The President books venues for productions’ tech rehearsals and performances.
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The President will ensure the internal organization is running effectively, delegate specific tasks to board members and subcommittees, and oversee the execution of long term goals.
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The President will serve as the chair of the Show Selection Committee.
III. Expected Weekly Commitment (Projection): 8-10 hours per week.
Vice President
I. Description: The Vice President is responsible for building and maintaining a set of internal and external programs to advance the organization. This role is also responsible for serving as a “Jr.” to the President, facilitating meetings and events in lieu of the President. This role is relatively internal facing, with little direct involvement in productions.
II. Responsibilities:
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The Vice President will participate in long-term strategic planning, with the aim of creating detailed action points to be executed by members of the board and subcommittees
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The Vice President will serve as a stand-in, or second, to the President, attending meetings and facilitating events alongside or in lieu of the President.
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The Vice President will manage the Board, ensuring all members are able to efficiently handle their workload and are in regular communication.
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Collaborate with the Financial Manager and Outreach Chair on creating and maintaining fundraising projects, alumni connections, and financial plans.
III. Expected Weekly Commitment (Projection): 6-8 hours per week.
Financial Manager
I. Description: The Financial Manager is responsible for overseeing the finances of Spike Tape, particularly working with individuals shows’ budgets and purchasing.
II. Responsibilities:
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The Financial Manager must complete the Financial Managers Quiz and Contract Request Training Quiz on Moodle (updated yearly)
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The Financial Manager will work with individual Production Managers to build detailed budgets for each show that follow all Spike Tape and SBC policies.
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The Financial Manager will submit budget requests via WesNest to the SBC, and communicate with the SBC about the status of the budget requests and make adjustments as needed.
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The Financial Manager will submit refund requests to WesNest after purchases have been made.
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The Financial Manager will collaborate on fundraising efforts and the internal spending of all money raised.
III. Expected Weekly Commitment (Projection): 6-8 hours per week.
Communications Director
I. Description: The Communications Director effectively communicates information about productions, social events, and any other relevant information to the members of Spike Tape. They are responsible for ensuring that this information is easily accessible and also should have in-depth knowledge about all productions happening so that they can answer any questions addressed to the Spike Tape email.
II. Responsibilities:
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The Communications Director is in charge of the Spike Tape email. This includes sending out all email communications, cultivating the email list, and updating Spike Tape contact lists
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The Communications Director will send out emails before every weekly meeting with the meeting agenda and after every weekly meeting with the meeting minutes as well as sending out any important information requested by other board members or other groups
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The Communications Director must regularly check email to address any questions that arise
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The Communications Director will handle the Spike Tape public image and collaborate closely with the Marketing Manager to ensure that how we’re presented represents our mission statement
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Regularly update relevant information on the website and promote the website to ensure that this information is accessible and explicit
III. Expected Weekly Commitment (Projection): 6-8 hours
Marketing Manager
I. Description: The Marketing Manager works to advertise Spike Tape and appeal to the broader campus. This includes managing social media, designing graphics for Instagram, physical posters, and merch, and collecting data on engagement.
II. Responsibilities:
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The Marketing Manager is in charge of running all Spike Tape social media.
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The Marketing Manager will create graphics for Spike Tape announcing important meetings, shows, fundraisers, and any other events.
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The Marketing Manager is in charge of curating the visual aesthetic of Spike Tape’s online presence – this can entail looking for a graphic designer to work with, or designing graphics themself.
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The Marketing Manager will collaborate with the Communications Manager in designing and maintaining the Spike Tape website.
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The Marketing Manager will track engagement data to gauge the most effective means of releasing and promoting important information, and give that engagement data to the Archivist to help supplement their research.
III. Expected Weekly Commitment (Projection): 5 hours
Outreach Chair
I. Description: The Outreach Chair is responsible for external fundraising and communication mainly with parents and alumni.
II. Responsibilities:
1. The Outreach Chair and Vice President manage the donation and store page to oversee fundraising.
2. Depending on the needs of the semester, the Outreach Chair can spearhead fundraising efforts (including bake sales, program advertisements, and donation efforts) to provide funding for show budgets or longer term investments (such as equipment/storage options)
3. The Outreach chair maintains the external mailing and regularly sends out information to parents and alumni about show seasons and events
4. Overall, this position aims to build a strong connection with the larger Wesleyan theater network
III. Expected Weekly Commitment (Projection): 5-8 hours
Events Chair
I. Description: The Events Chair is responsible for fostering the Spike Tape community by facilitating, planning, and executing sponsored events. The Chair has a breadth of discretion to plan events and professional development workshops.
II. Responsibilities:
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The Events Chair is responsible for scheduling, planning, and coordinating all extra-curricular Spike Tape activities.
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The Events Chair will coordinate the venue, and theme of the event. The Marketing Manager will help the Events Chair raise awareness for the event.
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The Events Chair is responsible for coordinating technical workshops, round tables, and training sessions alongside the Technical Director.
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The Events Chair will work with the Financial Manager to coordinate reimbursement for event costs and/or organizing fundraising events.
III. Expected Weekly Commitment (Projection): 2-5 hours per week.
House Manager
I. Description: The House Manager will be responsible for creating the process and overseeing how audience members purchase tickets and are let into shows. The House Manager will have total discretion to organize Ushers, concessions, and ticketing systems.
II. Responsibilities:
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The House Manager will be responsible for cultivating and fostering a community of Spike Tape Ushers.
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The House Manager will be responsible for creating, setting, and updating policies for all Front of House operations, and clearly communicating procedures with individual shows and ushers.
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The House Manager will be responsible for ticketing and ticket sales. This includes online ticketing management, working closely with productions on their ticket sale timeline, and maintaining records of all reservations.
III. Expected Weekly Commitment (Projection): 4 Hours a week, as needed during tech week and performances
Archivist
I. Description: The Spike Tape Archivist is responsible for curating and maintaining all Spike Tape documentation and literature. They will maintain an active archive of the respective year’s Spike Tape happenings by performing continual upkeep and organization of Spike Tape historical records, and collecting documentation from each production.
II. Responsibilities:
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The Archivist will take meeting minutes at each weekly meeting and board meeting.
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The Archivist will collect post-mortem notes from each show and create a perspective report.
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The Archivist will organize the Spike Tape Drive.
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The Archivist will write a “state of the union” report at the end of each semester that synthesizes all of their work for the season.
III. Expected Weekly Commitment (Projection): 5-8 hours per week
Technical Director
I. Description: The Technical Director is the technical point person for a production to address any technical questions from designers and production teams.
II. Responsibilities:
1. The Tech Director will be assigned to 1-2 productions and will be responsible for overseeing technical needs and queries for these productions
2. The Tech Director will meet with the production team at the beginning of the semester to go through what the technical expectations for that production are to ensure that their respective technical needs are feasible, and then communicate these needs to the '92 venue manager.
3. The Tech Director will oversee the tech proceedings of a production and ensure everything is being run safely, and all checkouts/returns are being scheduled and managed appropriately. They will serve as a source of guidance during tech week to troubleshoot any issues and direct production teams to appropriate resources, but are NOT expected to serve as a crew member for a production.
4. The Tech Directors will oversee technical training at the beginning of each semester.
Wellbeing Board Liaison
I. Description: The Wellbeing Board consists of a group of liaisons who serve as unbiased mediators for individual productions and ensure that the rehearsal environment is safe and comfortable for cast and crew members.
II. Responsibilities:
1. Wellbeing Board Liaisons will be responsible for showing up to at least one full-cast rehearsal and full-design team production meeting for their assigned production and informing cast and crew of their rights, as well as leading a post-mortem after each production.
2. Wellbeing Board Liaisons will be responsible for checking in on productions to ensure the needs of production members are being met.
3. If there are issues within a production regarding interpersonal conflict or violations of the bill of rights, cast and crew members will express these concerns to the Wellbeing Board Liaison to help resolve these issues.
4. Wellbeing Board Liaisons will be responsible for facilitating a post-mortem sometime after closing night of their assigned production, in which they will gather cast and crew to have a discussion about what went well and what could have been improved in the production process. An anonymous and general summary report will be written up to be documented and read through by the Spike Tape Board so that Spike Tape can track any improvements that can be made to our organization in response to any production issues.