We are hiring! Join the 2021/2022 GOPHER Board! *Deadline extended to September 19th*
How do I become a member of the Gopher board?
Every year, the current Gopher board starts looking for new prospective members. If you feel like you can bring something new to the life of Groningen PhD students (and have lots of fun in the meantime), you can send us an application via the form on this page. The application deadline is extended to September 19th.
After we receive your application, we set up an interview with you and a couple of current board members. If the interview goes well - welcome aboard! :)
What will my responsibilities be as a board member?
Basically, you will be in charge of organizing the events, all the way from coming up with ideas to making it actually happen. All board members participate in this aspect of our work - no doubt, the most interesting one!
Apart from that, each member has a distinct role and additional responsibilities that come with it:
Chair - You will be coordinating the board and the organization in general. You will chair the meetings of Gopher and together with the PR and Research Communication Manager represent Gopher inside and outside the University. You will have to maintain an overview of the progress of the board and the organization, and will direct and redirect where needed.
Secretary - Keeping up the administration of the organization and coordinating the communication, as the Secretary you are the central administrative person of the board.
Treasurer - The financial management of Gopher is in your hands. The budget allocation for Gopher events, managing participant fees, etc.; anything financial you can imagine is yours.
PR and Research Communication manager - Together with the Chair you will promote and represent Gopher inside and outside the University. Not only will you promote Gopher, you will also help PhD students that want to communicate their research or PhD life to the general public.
Website and Social Media manager - The Gopher website and all the social media channels are your domain. The online communication to PhDs and the rest of the world is in your hands. You are the creative poster and promoter of the board and make sure Gopher and its events are visible to all.
Manager of recreational events - Help PhDs meet other PhDs to network, relax and have fun. You will be organizing various recreational and social events to get PhDs out of their office or lab and to explore great events and activities together.
Manager of educational events - Coordinating with the University and with companies and partners, you will be organizing events which are more formal and educative in nature. You will help your fellow PhDs have a good time while learning something extra.
I have no experience as an organizer. Can I still join the board?
Of course! Don't worry, you will get a lot of help from fellow organizers and the board members of previous years. There is also a collection of the organizers' experience with the events over the last 7 years, which will become available for you as an organizer. Moreover, in October, you will participate in the board transition period, when the members of the old and the new board work together.
I want to join the board, but I'm not sure about the exact position...
It is in no way mandatory to know that beforehand - try and see for yourself! You will also have to work with other board members and be somewhat flexible about the exact responsibilities of each person. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and it is up to you as a team to find out the best way to use those.
What do I get out of it?
Massive organizational experience, exponential growth of your network (both among the students and the University administration), 6 ECTS, a unique ability to get things done in an efficient way, a chance to make a difference, friends for life - and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
We hope to hear from you soon!