Role Statements

All office bearers must be financial members of SLAQ

President | Vice-President (State-wide Professional Learning) | Vice-President (Members) | Immediate Past President | Secretary | Treasurer | State Councillor | Newsletter Editor | Web Manager | Coordinator, Products | Executive Officer | SLAQ representation on and liaison with other committees | Subcommittees | Subcommittee Treasurer

President

The President will:

  • chair all meetings of the SLAQ Council
  • be the public spokesperson on issues involving SLAQ and represent the association at  relevant forums and education sectors
  • provide leadership and direction in long term policy and planning for SLAQ
  • oversee the preparation of the agenda for any meetings called by the state association
  • monitor the role of the Executive Officer
  • oversee revision of the Strategic plan of the association as required
  • facilitate selection of award nominees
  • report regularly to the membership through the newsletter and other communication formats including the Buzz section of the national journal
  • maintain liaison at an executive level with other relevant professional associations
  • be one of the legal  signatories of the association
  • maintain current knowledge of issues facing Queensland teacher-librarians and resource centre services at the school, district and state level
  • be the Director for Queensland  on the Australian School Library Association (ASLA) board, and          
  • attend all ASLA board meetings
  • chair an ASLA project team
  • report regularly to SLAQ council on the ASLA national agenda and outcomes of meetings
  • write reports for the SLAQ newsletter on ASLA issues

[Back to role statement menu]

 

Vice-president (Members)

The Vice-president (Members) will:

  • act for the president in their absence
  • liaise with councillors and presidents of  SLAQ subcommittees to maintain open communication between the association and its members
  • liaise with the Web Manager to monitor member services available on the web site
  • advise members seeking to establish a subcommittee of SLAQ
  • liaise with the president and executive officer of SLAQ
  • attend SLAQ council meetings and facilitate sessions at face-to-face meetings
  • officially welcome new members of SLAQ through a letter of welcome each year
  • facilitate an induction program for new councillors each year.

[Back to role statement menu]

 

Vice-president (State-wide Professional Learning)

This role relates to the organisation of professional learning that is being offered on a state-wide basis

The Vice-president (State-wide Professional development) will:

  • act for the president in their absence
  • attend all  meetings  of council and report on matters relating to professional learning

Liaise with the President, and in consultation with SLAQ council, source:

  • suggestions for professional learning activities
  • speakers for professional learning activities
  • liaise with the Newsletter Editor and Web Manager to promote  proposed professional learning through the newsletter and web site
  • promote professional learning through other appropriate channels.

Liaise with the Treasurer and Executive Officer to:

  • oversee all submissions for state-wide professional learning activities
  • provide budgets for any planned professional learning activities

Direct the Executive Officer to:

  • provide registration forms, tax invoices and other relevant materials for distribution
  • maintain records containing evaluations of professional learning activities.

[Back to role statement menu]

 

Immediate Past President

The Immediate Past President will:

  • be a member of the SLAQ management committee for one year
  • represent the President, if required
  • undertake agreed tasks or projects after consultation with the President

[Back to role statement menu]

 

Secretary

The Secretary will:

  • record the minutes of meetings of the management committee and circulate to the listserv for distribution
  • retain possession of SLAQ council records at the official office of the association
  • be official signatory to legal documents.

[Back to role statement menu]

 

Treasurer

The Treasurer will:

  • be responsible for the financial management of SLAQ
  • prepare an annual budget for council in consultation with the President and Executive Officer
  • prepare and present a financial report at each state council meeting
  • prepare and submit the quarterly Business Activity Statements of the association
  • in consultation with the council’s auditor and the Executive Officer, initiate the preparation of SLAQ’s annual audited report for presentation at the annual general meeting
  • liaise with, delegate duties to and supervise the work of the Executive Officer in relation to the financial matters of SLAQ
  • be one of the legal signatories of the association.

In relation to the provision of funding for locally organized professional learning activities, the Treasurer will:

  • coordinate the periodic review of the policy document for financial support for professional learning activities
  • coordinate the approval or otherwise of subcommittee or group submissions for financial support
  • ensure that the professional learning activities subsidized by SLAQ adhere to the current policy document.

[Back to role statement menu]

 

State Councillor

The State Councillor, as a member of the management committee will:

  • attend local SLAQ subcommittee meetings and where there is no subcommittee maintain contact with local SLAQ members
  • participate in SLAQ council meetings and vote on behalf of subcommittee members or where there is no subcommittee the local members of SLAQ
  • act as a two-way communication link between local members and the state association
  • promote SLAQ activities, programs, objectives and policy to SLAQ subcommittees, local teacher-librarians and other library staff, the community
  • provide proxy vote when absent from SLAQ council meetings
  • encourage local teacher-librarians to become observers at teleconference meetings of council
  • seek nominations from SLAQ members for awards such as the Brian Bahnisch Award and Australian Teacher-librarian of the Year Award.

[Back to role statement menu]

 

Newsletter Editor

The Newsletter Editor will produce a quarterly newsletter using the following process:

  • maintain close liaison with SLAQ members, subcommittees and the management committee  to gather content
  • edit material and prepare a hard copy of the initial draft of the newsletter for proofing before submitting to the desktop publisher
  • be responsible for the final copy
  • be responsible for  organising  printing and distribution of the newsletter
  • after distribution provide the Web Manager with an electronic copy in PDF format
  • be responsible for the annual review of newsletter editorial policy and procedures
  • report to the council on a regular basis.

[Back to role statement menu]

 

SLAQ Web Manager

The Web Manager will:

  • work with SLAQ subcommittees and Executive Officer  to gather, review and edit material for the SLAQ web site
  • ensure currency of material
  •  together with the President and Executive Officer be responsible for  annual review of web site editorial policy and procedures
  • maintain web site using SLAQ guidelines and procedures to ensure continuity throughout the site
  • report to the council on a regular basis.

[Back to role statement menu]

 

Coordinator, Products

The Coordinator will:

  • identify materials appropriate for publication and liaise with the Treasurer to establish pricing of products
  • coordinate the preparation and production of publications for sale, including copyright permission
  • promote published materials through appropriate channels
  • liaise with the Executive Officer to organize the storage and distribution of ‘for sale’ products
  • report to the council on a regular basis.

[Back to role statement menu]

 

Executive Officer

The Executive Officer is responsible to and reports to the President in the first instance and to the Treasurer on all financial matters. The Executive Officer carries out duties, as directed by the President and Treasurer to ensure the smooth operation of the association and will:

  • maintain membership records
  • update membership records for distribution of the SLAQ newsletter and Access
  • assist the Vice-president (Members) as required in communicating with members and potential members
  • arrange teleconferences, online forums, meetings and the annual general meeting as directed by the President
  • in conjunction with the President, prepare and circulate the agenda of council meetings
  • attend council  teleconferences, online forums  and face-to-face meetings
  • provide a clearing house function for the association
  • monitor in-coming correspondence and reply on behalf of council as required or directed
  • alert the council  of tasks requiring attention between meetings
  • research issues of concern to the association, as directed
  • keep custody of the financial records of SLAQ for a period of five years to meet legislative requirements
  • be responsible for the SLAQ seal

Assist the Treasurer to manage the financial records on behalf of SLAQ by:

  • operating the bank account/s
  • ensuring payment deadlines are met by preparing cheques ready for payment to be co-signed by the Treasurer, or in their absence the other account signatory, upon receipt.
  • provide the Treasurer with the documentation required to maintain the financial records on a fortnightly basis

In relation to state conferences:

  • be responsible to the organising committee for the maintenance of the conference database, the receipt and banking of monies from participants, sponsors and trade exhibitors and the preparation of regular reports in both areas, for the conference committee, and will attend the state conferences in a supporting role
  • ensure payment deadlines are met by preparing cheques ready for payment to be co-signed by the Treasurer, or in their absence the other account signatory, upon receipt.
  • provide the Treasurer with the documentation required to maintain the financial records on a fortnightly basis

In relation to state-wide professional learning:

  • accept and process all registrations and monies
  • acknowledge registrations by e-mail with a confirmation letter for the school or participant
  • provide each coordinator, on request, with any information relating to their centre and update that information as required
  • consult with the organising person/committee to produce flyers and advertising material to be distributed to each centre
  • ensure payment deadlines are met by preparing cheques ready for payment to be co-signed by the Treasurer, or in their absence the other account signatory
  • provide the Treasurer with the documentation required to maintain the financial records and prepare financial statements as required
  • perform any other tasks for the Vice-president, State-wide Professional Learning, as required.

[Back to role statement menu]

 

SLAQ representation on and liaison with other committees

From time to time a member may volunteer or be elected to act as a SLAQ representative on an association or other committee.

The role of a SLAQ representative is to:

  • attend all meetings of the association or group
  • provide council  with reports of the association’s or group’s meetings
  • keep the council informed of the outcomes of any actions that may affect SLAQ objectives
  • respond on behalf of SLAQ, as directed by council, to the association or group
  • seek out expertise from SLAQ members in relation to any identified projects
  • facilitate relationships with the association or group that support the objectives of  SLAQ.

[Back to role statement menu]

 

Subcommittees

A subcommittee will support and implement SLAQ’s objectives in the local area by:

  • organising local professional learning
  • providing a response, through its local council member, to national/state educational issues on which the association is providing comment
  • taking responsibility for project development that has a statewide focus, eg mentoring programs
  • liaising with the local state councillor in promotional and advocacy activities at the local and district level
  • assuming responsibility for the organisation of SLAQ biennial state conferences on a rotational basis
  • keeping records of activities and reporting for the benefit of collegiate groups via the state teleconferences, newsletters or website
  •  promoting SLAQ activities, programs, objectives and policy to local teacher-librarians and other school library staff, district schools and the community
  • taking responsibility for making available to teacher-librarians outside a subcommittee area information about the availability of SLAQ activities and planned professional learning.

[Back to role statement menu]

 

Subcommittee Treasurers

Subcommittee Treasurers have a responsibility not only to the local subcommittee but also to the state association in relation to the keeping of records from which accurate figures can be obtained for the quarterly Business Activity Statement (BAS).

Subcommittee Treasurers will:

  • operate the subcommittee bank account
  • maintain the records of all financial transactions in the format approved by the state association auditor
  • reconcile bank statements with records of financial transactions
  • provide to the Executive Officer of SLAQ the information required to complete the quarterly BAS by the 7th day of January, April, July, October in each year. (The submission of the BAS to the Australian Tax Office on time is a legal requirement and can only be achieved if the timeline given is adhered to)
  • by the date of the annual general meeting of the association return to the Executive Officer the  statement of the receipts and payments for the year signed by the President and Treasurer of the subcommittee in the format provided.

[Back to role statement menu]

Last updated 14 December 2011