project based

University
of Nebraska
in the College
Medical
of Public
CenterHealth.
(UNMC) Service Learning Academy Legacy
EMPOWER is a student led, interprofessional initiative founded in 2009 as a University
of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) Service Learning Academy Legacy project based
in the College of Public Health.

EMPOWER has a twofold mission focused on awareness and education of domestic and
sexual violence. We achieve this through on-campus activities and community outreach
events.
EMPOWER seeks to provide opportunities for students, health care providers, and
community members to become involved in efforts to minimize domestic and sexual
violence in our community and beyond.
BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES 2015-2016
It is expected that all board members attend all EMPOWER board meetings and
events. If a schedule conflict arises (outside of emergent illness), the board member
will contact the secretary at least 24 hours prior to the event with a reason for absence.
It is expected that each board member regularly checks her or his email on a regular
basis for updates and responds in a timely manner if a response is requested.
President: This student will have a thorough understanding of the goals and direction of
EMPOWER. She or he will be in charge of directing the Board meetings and preparing
the meeting agendas. The president will also be in charge of delegating responsibility to
Board members as appropriate and ensuring that tasks are completed as expected. The
president will be the primary contact for the faculty sponsors and community partners.
Finally, this position will require commitment to furthering the EMPOWER mission and
meeting the boards set semester goals. This student will work closely with the vice
president to fill open board positions, conduct elections, and provide direction for the
groups future.
Vice President: This student will work closely with the president to fulfill EMPOWERs
mission and will cover during any times in which the president is unavailable. The Vice
President will work closely with the Student Representatives and work to improve
attendance and increased membership. Additionally, the Vice President will report
monthly activities in the College of Public CoPH Drops report.

Secretary: The secretary is responsible for reserving rooms for meetings and events,
sending out calendar reminders, and taking meeting minutes. The secretary will email
meeting minutes and other important updates to members within 24 hours of board
meetings. Additionally, the secretary will track student participation and maintain an
attendance log to be sent to necessary faculty at end of each semester. The secretary is
responsible for maintaining the member and board member lists as changes occur.
Public Relations/Social Media: This student will utilize various sources of media
(Facebook, Twitter, etc) to promote the organization within UNMC and the community.
This student will be in charge of developing and maintaining social media outlets for the
EMPOWER and performing regular updates (ie: at least weekly) such that the public is
aware of current activities. This student will also be in charge of creating promotional
materials such as t-shirts, flyers for events, and any other necessary materials. This
student will also send out campus wide emails advertising events at least one week prior
to the event.
Fundraising Chair/Treasurer: This student will be responsible for securing operating
funds for the current year. She or he will organize at least one fundraiser per semester and
ensure adequate Board participation for each event. This student will also track inventory
of all promotional materials such as brochures, flyers, and t-shirts, as well as track current
available funds, future financial goals, and future funding opportunities. In addition, this
student will serve as primary liaison between the SLA coordinator and the EMPOWER
board regarding available funds. This person, in conjunction with the Discussion Group
Coordinator, will secure funding for monthly discussion group lunches.
Project Evaluator: This student will be responsible for determining whether the
EMPOWER sessions and additional events are serving its clientele and meeting
objectives using various evaluation tools, including surveys. This student will summarize
received surveys in a standardized tracking document and will report to the results to the
Board with ideas on how to make improvements. The evaluator will update
surveys/evaluation forms as necessary and will work to develop other methods by which
to ascertain areas in need of improvement. This student will also be responsible for
making sign in sheets for each event, surveys, and relaying that information to the SLA in
a timely manner. With the Discussion Group Coordinator, this student will work to create
evaluation materials to assess the discussion group meetings.
Education Coordinators: These students will be responsible for working with
community partners to provide interactive education sessions. These students will be
responsible for creating and updating education materials accordingly. They are expected
to reach out to the Student Representatives and Members for help in creating the
materials and SLA faculty to approve all education related materials (powerpoints, flyers,
handouts, posters, etc). They will also be in charge of ensuring any necessary supplies for
sessions are obtained prior to the session. They will make sure student volunteer slots are
filled prior to education sessions, send out preparation information to all student
volunteers one week prior to scheduled volunteer date, and contact Board members if
there are openings or last-minute cancellations. These students are expected to facilitate
each session, and if they are unavailable, they are required to find a board member
substitute for that date. All of this will be done in close coordination with the community
contact person and Board.

Discussion Group Coordinator: This student will be responsible for creating monthly
interactive discussion group meetings. Each semester, this student will present a schedule
of topics and dates for upcoming discussion group meetings. This student is responsible
for creating all materials necessary for each discussion topic, securing guest speakers,,
working with Student Representatives to recruit student attendees, and facilitating each
discussion group. This student will work closely with the secretary to ensure meeting
rooms are reserved and calendar reminders are sent out appropriately. If this student is
unavailable for one of the discussion group meetings, this student must ascertain a board
member replacement to facilitate the meeting. The Discussion Group Coordinator is also
responsible for creating evaluation materials, in conjunction with the Project Evaluator, to
assess the discussion group meetings.
College Representative (COM, CON, COP, CoPH, SAHP): These board members are
responsible for recruiting students to become members and participating in events.
Student representatives will serve as an active outreach for additional opportunities
within the college and community to expand EMPOWER. Student representatives will be
responsible for developing and executing a recruitment plan each semester. These
students will also be responsible for disseminating event information to their respective
colleges via email in a timely manner. College representatives will also be involved in all
community awareness and fundraising activities.

EMPOWER Application for Board Position

Academic Year: 2015-2016
Return to: Jessica Semin, jessica.semin@unmc.edu by Friday, April 10th at 5pm CST
Applications will be reviewed by the current EMPOWER board and those selected will be notified via
email by April 17th.
Contact Information:
Name:

Email:

Year in school:

Graduation Date:

Phone Number:

Position(s) for which you would like to apply (rank your choices if multiple):

___ President

___Fundraising Chair/Treasurer

___ Vice President

___Project Evaluator

___Secretary

___Education Coordinator

___Public Relations/Social Media

___College Representative
(COM, CON, COP, CoPH, SAHP)

___Discussion Group Coordinator

Write a short paragraph explaining your interest in becoming an EMPOWER Board Member.

List any skills or experiences you have that would be of benefit.

Other positions applied for or held for the 2015-2016 academic year: