Co-Presidents

Time Commitment: usually no more than 2-3 hr/wk per officer on average 

Number of officers: 1-2 (prefer 2)

  • Apply for organization status through UNC HeelLife system, maintain roster, and abide by the constitution  
  • Organize monthly BSA executive meetings and go through agenda items 
  • Promote BSA through student organization fairs and BIOS student listserv 
  • Present at orientation day and to faculty at departmental meetings
  • Delegate tasks to appropriate offices/officers 
  • You will be the department go-to’s for all prospective student things including presentations on student life and Q&A’s at virtual and in-person visit days.
  • Oversee: 
    • BSA office/officer placement
    • Qualifying exam student solution repository 
    • Big-Little Buddy Program 
    • Annual UNC BSA Spirit of Service Award 
    • HeelLife account, Gmail account, Facebook page, Slack, and BSA website (jointly with webmaster)  
    • BSA bank account (jointly with treasurers)
  • Assist: 
    • Treasurer with bank account access, applying for funds to UNC institutions, managing budget, organizing fundraising
    • Social chairs with organizing BSA social events 
    • Liaisons-to-the-chairs in communication and resolution of student concerns 
  • Communicate with: 
    • Student body, officers, and BSA advisor 
    • BIOS Communications to advertise BSA activities in BiosBeat and BiosJobs 
    • Student services with prospective student recruitment  
    • STOR department for joint event scheduling and coordination
    • Graduate Student Professional Government (GPSG) BIOS senator(s) 
    • Student Graduate Association (SGA) BIOS representative 
    • BIOS faculty and administration
    • Undergraduate BSA organization
  • Maintain smooth functioning of BSA operations – filling in any gaps in officer roles

Treasurer(s)

Time commitment: 5-6 hr/wk total (across all officers)

Number of officers: 1-2

  • Work with BSA president(s) & social chair(s) to determine general BSA budget for events and activities
  • Work with BSA social chair(s) to plan fundraiser(s)
  • Manage BSA funds and bank account 
  • Oversee department BSA budget (money directly allocated to BSA from dept) and use of department purchase card (p-card). 
  • Apply for funds from Graduate School and other sources. Track and follow up with reimbursements.
  • Must pass Treasurer certification test through Student Government
  • NOTE: this position can be difficult for students in their 2nd year of the PhD program (i.e. taking 762 in the fall), as the time commitment is consistent throughout the year

Social Chair(s)

Time commitment: 3-5 hr/wk per officer

Number of officers: 1-2 (prefer 2)

  • Obtain ideas of activities and create platforms for students to foster better connection and community.
  • Plan events including reaching out to different organizations to coordinate events, sending information to students, and arranging details to allow students to attend the events more conveniently.
  • Work with other BSA officers to create social activities to facilitate their events.
  • Gather feedback from students to improve social events.
  • Just have fun organizing events and hanging out with your peers!


Liaisons to the Chair

Time commitment: 2-4 hr/wk per person

Number of officers: 2

  • Gather student concerns, questions, and suggestions monthly through email and/or the anonymous online form linked on the BSA website. 
  • Keep a running list and create an agenda focused on a handful of items for monthly meetings with the BIOS Associate Chair.
  • Investigate ways to address student questions/concerns/ideas.
  • Follow-up with students on their submissions until resolution. 
  • Create bi-monthly (aka every other month) newsletters summarizing topics addressed in monthly meetings to distribute to the BIOS student body. 
  • Check submission form in case urgent matters are submitted.

International Student Liaison

Time commitment: 2-3 hr/wk

Number of officers: 1

The premise of this position is to act as a representative for international students in the department. 

Duties include:

  • Working with social chairs and/or president(s) to organize cultural events (e.g., the Lunar New Year celebration). Being responsible for securing funding for the events (GPSG, Gillings School Fund, or working with Treasurers to figure out).
  • Brainstorming and providing services for international students, such as giving recommendations for living in Chapel Hill, etc.
  • Channeling resources for international students, such as introducing students to department resources or contacting relevant personnel for information regarding off-campus internship, student visas, etc.
  • Promoting BSA communications to international students.
  • Working with the BSA president(s) to advise the department on issues regarding international students.

Webmaster

Time commitment: 30 min/wk per officer

Number of officers: 1

  • Manage and update BSA website as needed, including officer list and responsibilities  
  • Post/update student profiles, workshop materials, and seminar fliers
  • Work with president(s) during the summer to prepare the website for incoming students

 

Student Workshop Chair 

Time commitment: 2 hr/wk

Number of officers: 1

  • Run at least 1 workshop a semester. Workshop topics should include material/subjects not explicitly covered in any core class but that may be useful for (bio)statisticians.  

Student Seminar Chair

Time commitment: 1 hr/wk

Number of officers: 1

  • Plan and host Student Seminars: Seminars by the students for the students 
    • Plan BIOS student seminars: (as many as you choose, for whenever you choose)
      • Book rooms on campus for seminars
      • Gauge interest via email or talking to potential presenters in person
      • Set up schedule for seminars
      • Create flyers for seminar 
      • Advertise seminars in the department to both undergraduate and graduate BIOS students. 
      • Potentially advertise seminars to other departments in Gillings or STOR
    • Host
      • Organize snacks and drinks for each seminar
      • Attend seminars
      • Introduce the speakers, keep time, help moderate audience questions 
    • Plan Joint seminar with STOR department 
      • Coordinate who books a room for joint seminar (1 BIOS speaker, 1 STOR speaker)
      • Coordinate who makes flyer
      • Coordinate pizza for the seminar (each department pays for half) 
      • Advertise the event in both departments
      • Happy hour typically at Tru Deli immediately afterwards (no reservation needed, nothing to plan for this)

Professional Service Chair(s)

Time commitment: 1-2 hr/wk per officer

Number of officers: 1-2 (prefer 2)

    • Foster connections with UNC BIOS alumni
      • Maintain a running list of alumni job placements and contact info (this was not done for AY 2024-2025). Any previous such list was never shared with Sylvia and Lauren.
      • Organize and advertise opportunities for current students to connect with alumni
        • Solicit summer internship and permanent job placement opportunities with alumni
        • Coordinate, with the department, alumni meetups at statistical conferences
        • Organize, in coordination with current student seminar chair, an annual seminar inviting alumni to present their current work
    • Developing connections with external organizations that hire statisticians or biostatisticians
      • Organize, in coordination with the current student seminar chair, an annual seminar inviting interested companies to advertise internships or job opportunities.
      • (or) Organize a BIOS job fair where we invite interested companies to participate and advertise internships or job opportunities 

Community Service Chair

Time commitment: 1-2 hr/wk

Number of officers: 1-2

  • Gather feedback from students on local service organizations/non-profits which they would enjoy volunteering with
  • Coordinate with local nonprofits/service organizations to organize 1+ volunteer events for BIOS/STOR students, faculty, and staff each semester
  • Collaborate with Gillings SGA on Gillings wide community service events, and facilitate BIOS student participation in these events
  • Coordinate with Social Chairs to pair volunteering events with social events (for example, post volunteering dinner)

STOR Liaison

Time commitment: 1 hr/wk

Number of officers: 1

Requirements: Must be STOR student

  • Help plan cross-departmental events
    • Academic (student seminar)
    • Social (happy hour after seminar)
  • Inform the STOR department about activities hosted by the BIOS department.
  • Be a general hype person in the STOR department about the BIOS department.

PHDS Liaison

Time commitment: 1 hr/wk

Number of officers: 1

Requirements: Must be MPH student

  • Help plan events involving all BIOS grad students
    • Academic (student seminar)
    • Social (happy hour after seminar)
  • Inform MPH students about activities hosted by the BIOS department.

Big/Little Buddy Chair

Time commitment: 1 hr/wk (most work will likely be in late summer / early fall)

Number of officers: 1

  • Match Big and Little Buddies before beginning of Fall semester (ideally in ~mid-July)
  • Plan and host Big / Little Buddies events
    • Mixer in the ~ first week of classes
    • Continuous smaller events to keep little and big buddies connected throughout the academic year
  • Provide brief training to big buddies at beginning of academic year