Frequently Asked Questions
SOAC general
What does SOAC do?
As the name stands (Student Organization and Appointments Committee), the committee works and serves student organizations on campus; the committee is also responsible for appointing student representatives to various committees on campus. In addition, SOAC, in collaboration with other sources, puts on Presidents Tea in the spring, student organization fair (aka Fall Fling) and leadership conference in the fall. The committee meets weekly after senate. As a subcommittee of College Government, SOAC collaborate frequently with other subcommittees of College Government, Office of Student Activities, student organizations and various other resources on campus.
How can I join SOAC?
There are two ways to join SOAC. One is to become a college government senator and serve as a senatorial member of SOAC. Another way is simply to contact the chair of SOAC¡ªCollege Government Vice President¡ªand apply to be a member-at-large. All member of SOAC have equal voting power and share same responsibilities.
Student Organizations
Who can form a new student organization?
Any Wellesley student or a group of Wellesley students can form a new organization.
What does SOAC constituted mean?
¡°SOAC-constituted¡± is another way of saying ¡°officially recognized by Wellesley College.¡± A constitution status granted by SOAC also allows the organization to receive benefits from the college, such as receiving funding from Student Organization Funding Committee (SOFC).
What benefits will SOAC-constituted organizations receive?
According to SOAC constitution, official recognized organizations are allowed to have benefits listed below:
a. Application for funding from SOFC;
b. Official recognition in any College Government publications;
c. Use of College programming meeting facilities through Special Events Office, the Office of Student Activities, and the Schneider Board of Governors;
d. Participation in College Government¡¯s and Student Activities¡¯ Organizations Night.
e. Receive a locker in the Wang Campus Center.
What are SOAC-constituted organizations required to do?
SOAC-constituted (officially recognized organizations) are required to send their presidents to attend once-a-year presidents training. Every spring, SOAC-constituted organization is required to complete Spring Reactivation in order to continue receiving recognition from the college for next academic year. In addition, SOAC-constituted organizations are required to hold one heavily advertised open meeting per semester. If the SOAC-constituted organization chooses to also become SOFC-funded, it must comply with any SOFC regulations.
Are there organizations on campus that aren¡¯t SOAC-constituted?
YES, there are. Organizations without official college recognition can still exist on campus and be very active. SOAC and CG would like to work with any organization that wishes to contribute to Wellesley community.
Appointments
How can I become a student representative?
There are generally two rounds of student representative selections performed by SOAC each year, one in the beginning of fall semester (Fall Appointments) and one in the end of spring semester (Spring Appointments). Specific deadlines vary depending on the year. The deadlines and positions are heavily publicized on campus, mainly through on-campus electronic forums (i.e. FirstClass). Once the student determines which position she would like to apply to, she can fill out the application form (normally attached to the advertisement of that position) and submit before the deadline. Then the student will be notified of her interview time. SOAC conducts interview for every applicant. Once the student is interviewed, she will be scored and the applicants with top scores will be selected for the committee.
Where do I find out information regarding certain student representative positions and timelines?
Currently, information about all SOAC appointed committees are listed under "Job Descriptions!" conference on FirstClass. To find this conference, please go to Wellesley Conference>Student Forum>SOAC applications>Job descriptions! To view appointment deadlines, please see 2006-2007 SOAC calendar with its legend.
What are some of the committees SOAC appoints student representatives to?
SOAC is responsible for appointing student representatives to Academic Council (AC) committees, Student Committee to Board of Trustees (SCBT) and other campus committees.
What does being a student representatives mean?
Being a student representative means a lot. The student serves as a liaison between the student body and the committee. She represents the student body¡¯s voice, ideas and opinions. She must speak up for the student body when needed. Also, she is required to devote some of her time to attend committees and sometimes to outside research.
Is the interview serious?
YES. The interview team is trained and there are specific guidelines for the interview. The interview team puts a lot of time into the interview process and it is definitely expected that the applicant takes the interview seriously. It is just like any other interivew for a job or internship.
