What are the duties of a Phi Theta Kappa Executive Secretary?

by Heebeom Yang

This blog posting explains the Phi Theta Kappa nomination and election process and what it means to be the Executive Secretary. First, you must attend at least one general meeting prior to the election, speak with the current officer in the position you want, read the Alpha Theta Phi chapter bylaws, and speak with an advisor about your intention to run for an officer position. Second, a candidate can be nominated in several ways: at the Election meeting, you can nominate yourself or nominate someone else to run for an officer position.

            What are the Executive Secretary’s roles responsibilities and how do you get them done? If someone asked me what the Executive Secretary does, I would answer that the person takes minutes at all meetings and is responsible for communication with prospective and current chapter members. The minutes maintain an accurate record of all general and officers meetings. Secondly, this position requires a lot of communication with members, so writing and organizing are good ways to manage member email list. I create chapter contact lists by using Excel. I also create email blurbs and send emails to members about upcoming events. Finally, this position requires two mandatory office hours, so you should be prepared to work these hours into your schedule.

            To be successful in this officer position, you need to have organizational skills, listening skills clear and concise writing and record-keeping skills. I highly recommend that you use a daily planner, like Google calendar, where you can write down important dates and keep track of schedule meetings. 

            Actually, I struggled with composing email content and writing minutes for general and officers meetings. I continue to polish my English skills especially, writing and listening skills. In order to write concisely, I took extra English courses (Eng 110- Grammar and Syntax). Also, every time, my advisers would help me proofread the minutes.  Sometimes, I asked my officers to proofread and edit my writing.

            Nothing is easy. However, if you have a passion for it, you will achieve it.

            Good Luck!