So You've Volunteered...
...or perhaps you were volunteered because you did not show up to one of our quarterly IR dinners. There are only a few things members of the IR Group must do every year to keep the program running smoothly. If this is your first time performing any of these jobs, these pages can help a bit with planning. The jobs are as follows:
- Field Coordinator: ensure staffing of IR courses, organize and set agenda for dinners, compile the IR exam questions, run the IR section of the recruitment event. Carries no course credit, requires most charm in persuading colleagues to cooperate.
- Workshop Leader: organize the year-long IR workshop, set speaker schedule, run the meetings. Carries one course credit (but meetings only every other week, on average), very flexible, students often help out.
- Retreat Convener: plan, schedule, and run the annual IR Retreat. The department pays for part of it, so might need to raise money to cover the rest.
- Speaker Series Organizer: solicit names, make the final list, invite and host speakers. There is some money, but might need to raise more, especially if invitees have to fly from the East Coast.
And remember, all you have at your disposal to ensure cooperation of your fellow IR Group members is your smile and perhaps the occasional resort to public naming and shaming of slackers! You can also find (password-protected) lists of exam questions here.