Guide to Responsibilities
To the new AA: Welcome!
The job of an AA, or Administrative Assistant, is an interesting and multifaceted one.
Broadly, the AA supports the committee and protects the legislative process. The AA (in conjunction with the chair) makes sure that all the committee members have the information that they need in a format they can use, that the decisions of the committee are recorded and respected, and that the committee itself is accountable to the larger structure of which it is a part. The AA and the committee chair should take the time to establish a close working relationship--it takes a lot of work to run a committee and two people are quite a bit smarter than one.
A good AA has the potential to support a committee and help it have a very positive impact on the organization. A bad AA can bog things down, waste a lot of time, and cause endless frustration. Be good!
Here are your general areas of responsibility:
Before committee meetings
- Consult with the Chair about the agenda, and go over all the agenda items and information that the committee will need.
- Make copies of all the documents that the committee will be reviewing at their meetings. This includes drafts of proposals, reports, charts, applications... (it will vary based on the nature of the committee).
- Make enough copies for everyone!!
During committee meetings
- Take minutes, following this guide
After committee meetings
- Prepare the minutes for the chair.
- Make any changes to proposals! This is really important. The AA is the keeper of the committee's records. Very often people will submit proposals that the committee will review, discuss, amend, etc. In most cases, the committee will send the person back to make some changes. In those cases, they'll bring it back themselves (so you don't need to worry about it). However, if the committee passes a proposal AND makes small changes in the process, then it's your responsibility to make sure those changes get made before the proposal actually gets sent to the next committee or gets put into policy. Don't drop this ball!
Between committee meetings
- Update the committee's Google Site. It's a good place to archive documents, proposals, minutes, etc for ease of access. The AA and Chair share responsibility for the Google Site, and you have a lot of room for creativity in what you do with it.
- Relax. You're doing great.
- Check in with the chair. Talk about how the committee is going, how the Google site is looking.
Created by Daniel Kronovet, Summer 2011
