Get to know what it’s like to be part of the board through the role descriptions below.
Chair
The chair’s main task is to ensure that the board functions and works smoothly. The chair monitors the activities of the board members and keeps the entire board informed of what is happening in the association.
The chairperson also leads the association’s activities, both at board meetings and outside of them. Among other things, they are responsible for the association’s administrative matters and ensure that the association’s paperwork is up to date. One of the chairperson’s most important tasks is to ensure that the board operates in accordance with the rules and laws.
Vice-chair
The Vice-Chair acts as the right hand of the Chair and assists the Chair in their duties as needed. The Vice-Chair also stands in for the Chair when they are unable to attend. Like the chairperson, the vice-chairperson keeps abreast of the association’s affairs and helps the chairperson to ensure that the board’s work runs smoothly. The vice-chairperson communicates closely with the chairperson on matters concerning the association.
The vice-chair has traditionally also been responsible for organizing and/or coordinating various internal board events, such as planning the board’s recreational weekend.
Business cooperation
As their name suggests, business cooperation coordinators maintain contact with companies in our field, collaborate with them, and conclude cooperation agreements. Such cooperation may include, for example, event sponsorship and excursions, i.e., company visits.
During company visits, cooperation coordinators are primarily responsible for organizing the event on behalf of KaMA and ensuring that the cooperating company is aware of the event’s schedule and requirements.
Events
Event coordinators are primarily responsible for various student events organized by the association. They assemble and lead working groups for events, ensuring that everything runs according to schedule. They are responsible for managing the event venues, contacting any bars, making agreements related to the event, and preparing the event budget. They can also plan new events if necessary and if they have the energy to do so.
Because organizing events is laborious and KaMA organizes many events each year, the association has several event managers. One of them is always primarily responsible for the event, with each event manager being primarily responsible for a few events during the year.
Traditional events organized by KaMA include, for example, Leppävaara-approt, Gambina-sitsit, the association’s anniversary celebration, Appresso organized with MysteRy, and the association’s members’ Christmas party.
Treasurer
The treasurer is responsible for managing the association’s finances. They keep track of all the association’s financial transactions, handle the association’s invoices, and manage the association’s accounts. The treasurer also prepares the association’s budgets, handles the bookkeeping, and takes care of other documentation related to financial transactions.
The treasurer works closely with the other board members and ensures that financial transactions are handled smoothly and appropriately.
Secretary
The secretary acts as secretary at board meetings and records the matters discussed at the meetings in the minutes. The secretary is also responsible for preparing the minutes for the meetings. The secretary is also responsible for other meeting preparations, such as taking care of the voting ballots. The secretary also handles the signatures on the minutes.
The secretary is also responsible for internal communication within the board and keeps the board calendar up to date.
Graphics
The graphics manager is responsible for designing and implementing the visual appearance of the association’s events and communications. They also design the appropasses and song sheets for the sitz. The graphics manager communicates with the event managers and communications team and takes care of the necessary graphics on schedule. The graphics manager also designs the association’s overall badges for events and sales.
Procurement
The procurement manager orders the association’s sales products and materials for events, and takes care of the progress and collection of orders. The products to be procured include overalls, overall badges, appropasses, board jerseys, and any sales products. The procurement manager works closely with the treasurer and the graphics manager and has recently been separated from the role of graphics manager.
Communications
The communications manager is responsible for the association’s external communications using KaMA’s official channels. The main communication channels are Instagram and Discord, and communications are primarily conducted in English, with Finnish as a secondary language.
The communications officer’s tasks include publishing and scheduling social media content, promoting upcoming events, communicating current issues, and providing information about the association’s meetings.
If necessary, the communications officer also responds to general questions sent to the board’s email address that do not fall directly under the responsibility of other areas.
Advocacy
Advocates help association members with issues that concern them and promote student well-being. For example, they can contact teachers, degree coordinators, or decision-makers on behalf of students. They keep in touch with other well-being actors on campus and make sure things are going well for students.
Advocates also organize small-scale events or campaigns promoting student well-being. These include, for example, implementing the Ketutuskeksit concept on our campus in collaboration with HTO, where students’ concerns and feedback are collected over cookies.
For more information on advocacy and contact details, click this link: https://www.kamary.fi/en/advocacy/
Tutoring
The board member responsible for tutoring is in close contact with the campus tutors and tutor coordinators and ensures that communication flows between the association and the tutors. He or she makes sure that KaMA is visible to tutors and new students. He or she is responsible for organizing small-scale events for new students, such as the traditional Karakaste and possible sewing workshops.
Internationality
The role of the international representative includes promoting the interests and well-being of international students on our campus. They make sure to stay up to date on international students’ concerns and current issues, and strive to facilitate their integration.
ICT
The ICT manager is responsible for developing and maintaining KaMA’s Discord and website. They also ensure that board members receive their email addresses and cloud accounts and that these function properly. They also ensure that the board has the necessary rights, e.g., for printing.
Active contact
The active member contact invites and approves active members to the association and keeps in touch with them. Active members can, for example, help out at events or man stands when needed. The Active Member Coordinator’s task is to inform them of any needs and recruit them for the association’s use.
Being an active member of KaMA is an easy way to get involved in the association’s activities: https://forms.gle/CQMpLXD6o4qKv9AVA
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Deputy
Deputy members do not have any specific responsibilities on the board, but they generally assist other board members as needed and according to their interests. Deputy members substitute for regular board members when they are unable to attend. Deputy members attend board meetings and are entitled to vote at meetings if the regular members are unable to attend.
Serving as a deputy member is a smooth, low-threshold way to learn about board activities and is a good way to get started.