190.250 – STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES

190.250 – Student Representatives

Updated: February 2018

RESPONSIBILITIES
The two student representatives of the MFA student body are responsible for communications between the student body and the administration of Maine Media College. Three major areas of responsibility include: (1) fostering productive dialogue between the student body and MFA administration to continually improve the program to best fit the needs of its students; (2) relaying specific issues, ideas, and questions from the student body to the administration of Maine Media College; and (3) working to uphold the sense of community and inclusion among students with special attention to the orientation and integration of new students into the program. The student representatives help to sustain the special culture of the MFA program and core values of the school.

The specific roles of the student representatives are

  • Communicate with the student body
    • Representatives should send a recap of the student meeting and their report to the MFA Committee out to the student body after the retreat/intensive
    • Representatives should reach out around mid-term to check in with students
    • Representatives’ emails will be sent to all MFA students and representatives should be available throughout the semester to answer student questions or to refer student questions/concerns to the administration as most appropriate
  • Communicate with the MFA Administrator/administration
    • Representatives will work with the MFA administrator to match incoming students with a “buddy” before the retreat (the MFA administrator will send the representatives a list of new students at least one month before the upcoming retreat)
    • Work with MFA administration on student policies and orientation procedures to continually improve the program
  • Lead the student meeting during MFA retreats and report student concerns and suggestions to the MFA Committee
    • Agenda items should include: retreat feedback, new student feedback, other, election results (if applicable)
    • Report concerns and suggestions brought up by students during the meeting to the MFA Committee during their Saturday evening meeting at the end of each retreat
  • Together with the MFA Administrator, Lead an orientation/welcome conversation with new students at the beginning of each retreat It is up to the two student representatives to share these duties evenly and efficiently in concert with one another.

TERM LENGTH
A student representative is elected to a one year term (two semesters). Students are eligible to serve as a student representative for up to two years (four semesters), given they are elected twice. All students who have completed their first semester in the program are eligible to serve as representative.

LEAVES OF ABSENCE
If a student representative must take a semester-long leave of absence, the MFA Administrator will organize a web-based election with the help of the other student representative to elect an interim student representative (the interim term will last only a semester).

ELECTION PROCEDURE
At the beginning of any retreat during which a student representative’s term will be ending, the MFA Administrator will send out an email announcing the election. Eligible students (any student who has completed their first semester in the program) who wish to run for a student representative position should self-nominate themselves by sending an email to the MFA Administrator with a short paragraph about why they’d like to serve as student representative. Others may also nominate a candidate by emailing the MFA Administrator, who will then reach out to the nominee for a short paragraph if they are willing to enter the election.The MFA Administrator will set up an anonymous voting system online that includes the paragraphs submitted by those running. Times and deadlines for voting will be clearly announced and the new student representative will be announced via email on the Friday of the retreat. The student with the majority of votes will be elected. If both student representative positions are opening at the same time, the two students with the most votes will be elected. The sitting student representative(s)’s term will ends the Sunday of the retreat. This means that the sitting representatives will run the Student Meeting and attend the MFA Committee Meeting to report any student concerns.

EVALUATION
The roles and responsibilities of the student representatives will be evaluated by students each semester through questions on the Retreat Evaluation form. Students may also bring complaints about individual representatives to the attention of the MFA Administrator if they feel the representative is not upholding the duties of the office. Such complaints will be kept anonymous and will be addressed with the representative by the MFA administration.