Roles and Staffing

Prepared by Shaheen Farjo, Founder & President.

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How SAL is organised

Four layers, each with a clear job. Members hold the power, the Council runs the work, departments carry it out, and programmes are where the art happens.

1. The General Assembly. Every member. Meets at least once a semester. Elects the four officers, changes the Constitution, receives the accounts and can remove anyone who abuses a role.
2. The Council. Four elected officers (the Executive Board) and six appointed directors. Meets every two weeks, adopts the budget, greenlights programmes, makes the Bylaws and Policies.
3. Six departments. Letters · Stage & Arts · Programmes & Events · Media · Partnerships & Outreach · Membership & Community. Each director leads a small team of coordinators.
4. Programmes. The things people see: Waraq, Side Quest, Second Chapter, the Typewriter Tour, the Majlis and more. Each has a lead, a charter and a budget, and the big ones have their own handbook.

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The organisation chart

The full structure at scale. In the founding term some boxes are combined, as the Constitution allows.

• General Assembly (all members)
  • President (chairs the Council), advised by the Faculty Advisor (advises · signs), with the Founder (honorary)
    • Vice President (directors · conduct) · General Secretary (records · Student Life) · Treasurer (budget · ledger)
      • Letters: Majlis · Open Pages · Book Circle · Prizes
      • Stage & Arts: Scratch Night · Theatre · Gallery
      • Programmes & Events: Calendar · Venues · Volunteers
      • Media: Social · Design · Photo & Video
      • Partnerships: Clubs · Charities · Sponsors
      • Membership: Welcome · Records · Alumni
• Programmes, each with a chair and a charter: Waraq (journal · via the Publisher) · Side Quest (series · via Media) · Second Chapter (charity · via Partnerships) · Typewriter Tour (pop-up · via Letters) · new programmes pitched by any member
• Committees: Elections Committee (each spring) · Conduct Panel (VP + 2) · Audit (each semester)

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Growing in stages

We staff for the Society we are, not the one we hope to be. Each stage adds roles only when the work and the people are there.

• Move up a stage when… Voting Members pass the next band for a full semester, and every existing seat has been filled for that semester.
• Hold back when… Seats sit empty, deadlines slip, or the same five people do everything. Fill and train before adding.
• Who decides. The Council, at the start of each semester, recorded in the minutes. Stages are a guide, not a rule.

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Who’s who

The founding term, as far as we know it on September 28, 2026. Fill the brackets before Charter Day; the live version is the Roster tab in the Operations Tracker.

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Staffing principles

1. Two roles at most, one leadership role. Nobody holds more than two Society roles, and only one of them may be officer, director or programme chair (B5.5). The founding term is the only exception.
2. Every role has a backup. Each role card names a deputy. If you are ill during an event week, the work still happens.
3. Honest hours. Each role says how many hours it needs. Applicants tell us their other commitments. We would rather fill a role late than burn someone out.
4. Open doors, fair choices. Every role is advertised in the Open Call to every student, SAL member or not, and chosen by a panel with a score sheet.
5. Try before you commit. Team roles start with a three-week Apprenticeship: one real task with a mentor, then a free choice on both sides.
6. Write it down, hand it on. Every role keeps a handover dossier from its first week, not its last.
7. Credit is part of the job. Names in programmes and mastheads, certificates of service, and Fellowships for those who give the most.

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The Executive Board

The four elected officers. Together they prepare every Council meeting and carry the Society between them.

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President

Elected · Reports to the General Assembly · Backup: Vice President · Time: 8–10 h/week · Term: one year; two terms max Leads the Society, keeps it true to its mission, and makes sure the right people have what they need to do their work. Responsibilities

• Chairs the Council and the General Assembly; sets the agenda with the General Secretary
• Represents SAL to the Office of Student Life, faculty and partners; signs letters and agreements
• Holds each officer and director to their work plan through a monthly one-to-one
• Serves ex officio as Publisher of Waraq: approvals, budget, editorial independence
• Approves spending up to 250,000 IQD with the Treasurer
• Keeps the Society Typewriter; opens Charter Night and the AGM
• Writes the Annual Report and leads the handover to the next President

Decides: Council agenda and meeting chair rulings · Who speaks for SAL in public · Emergency suspension (with the VP) where safety is at risk Doing well looks like: Every Council seat filled or covered · Every programme has a charter and a lead · Annual Report delivered at the AGM · A successor ready: at least two credible candidates Hands on: Student Life contacts and open requests · Partner agreements and their renewal dates · The Society Typewriter and its ribbon Founding term: Shaheen Farjo (Founder; founding term)

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Vice President

Elected · Reports to the President · Backup: General Secretary · Time: 5–6 h/week · Term: one year The Society’s second engine: runs the directors day to day, keeps projects on schedule, and chairs the Conduct Panel so that fairness has an owner. Responsibilities

• Acts for the President when absent and chairs items the President speaks on
• Collects each director’s semester work plan and checks progress every two weeks
• Chairs the Conduct Panel; keeps concerns confidential and on time
• Leads the Open Call and the appointment panels with the President
• Owns the semester calendar and resolves clashes between programmes
• Covers Partnerships & Outreach while that seat is vacant in the founding term

Decides: Programme calendar clashes · Conduct Panel procedure (with the Panel) Doing well looks like: Directors’ work plans in by week 3 · 90% of dated actions done on time · Conduct cases closed within 14 days of hearing Hands on: Calendar, work plans and progress log · Open conduct matters (restricted) Founding term: to be appointed by Charter Day

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General Secretary

Elected · Reports to the President · Backup: Vice President · Time: 4–5 h/week · Term: one year The memory of the Society: minutes, records, the register, the archive, and every letter to the University. Responsibilities

• Sends agendas 48 hours before and minutes within 72 hours; keeps the Decisions Log
• Single point of contact for the Office of Student Life: room bookings, approvals, all-student emails
• Keeps the Constitution, Bylaws and Policies current, with version records
• Runs election administration unless standing; supports the Elections Committee
• Keeps the archive and the Book of Members with the Archivist
• Holds the Society Drive structure and access permissions with the Media Director

Decides: Drive structure and file naming · What is archived permanently Doing well looks like: Minutes out within 72 hours, every time · Every Student Life request filed on the lead times in the Playbook · Archive complete for each semester Hands on: Drive admin rights · Register and archive · Student Life request log Founding term: to be appointed by Charter Day

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Treasurer

Elected · Reports to the President and Council · Backup: President (Deputy Treasurer from Stage 3) · Time: 3–4 h/week; more in event weeks · Term: one year Keeps every dinar honest and visible, so that the University, partners and members can trust the Society with money. Responsibilities

• Drafts the semester budget from directors’ requests; brings it to Council by week 4
• Keeps the ledger in the Operations Tracker; files every receipt within 48 hours
• Co-approves spending up to 50,000 IQD with directors, and up to 250,000 IQD with the President
• Trains cashiers and enforces the two-person cash rule at every event
• Pays reimbursements within 14 days of a complete claim
• Reports to Council every other meeting and to the AGM each year; prepares the Audit

Decides: Whether a claim is complete · Cash procedure at events Doing well looks like: Ledger matches receipts at the Audit · Spending within 10% of budget · Charity handovers witnessed and receipted Hands on: Ledger and receipts folder · Cash box, float log and keys · Open claims and pledges Founding term: to be appointed by Charter Day

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The Directors

Six appointed directors, each leading a department and a small team of coordinators.

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Director of Letters

Appointed · Reports to the Vice President · Backup: a coordinator named each semester · Time: 4–6 h/week · Term: one year Keeps reading and writing at the heart of the Society: the salon, the workshops, the book circle and the prizes. Responsibilities

• Runs the Majlis (monthly salon), Open Pages (writing workshops) and the Book Circle, through their hosts
• Liaises with Waraq’s Editor-in-Chief; the journal stays editorially independent
• Designs the SAL Prizes for writing in Arabic and English (from Year 2)
• Invites guest writers with the Director of Partnerships
• Keeps the Society’s reading list and book-swap shelf
• Covers Stage & Arts while that seat is vacant in the founding term

Decides: Salon and workshop themes and guests (within budget) · Book Circle titles, alternating Arabic and English Doing well looks like: One Majlis a month in term · Two Open Pages workshops a semester · Average attendance rising semester on semester Hands on: Guest writer contacts · Reading list and shelf inventory Founding term: open · SAL Open Call, Oct 18

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Director of Stage & Arts

Appointed · Reports to the Vice President · Backup: Stage Manager · Time: 4–6 h/week; more in production weeks · Term: one year Builds SAL’s theatre and visual arts, step by step, from a first staged reading to a full production. Responsibilities

• Runs Scratch Night: an informal showcase where anyone tries a scene, poem or sketch
• Leads the theatre ladder: staged readings, then a one-act festival, then a full production
• Curates the Gallery Wall of student art and photography
• Works with the Director of Programmes on venues, rehearsal rooms and technical needs
• Keeps rights clear: permission for any published play, credit for every artist

Decides: Casting (with each director of a piece) · Gallery selection Doing well looks like: One Scratch Night a semester · First one-act festival in Year 2 · Every performance has a stage manager and a risk check Hands on: Scripts and rights file · Props and costume inventory Founding term: covered by the Director of Letters

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Director of Programmes & Events

Appointed · Reports to the Vice President · Backup: Event Coordinator · Time: 5–6 h/week · Term: one year Turns ideas into events that happen on time, safely, in the right room, with the right approvals. Responsibilities

• Keeps the events calendar and the Term Card; checks every event against exams and other clubs
• Runs the event process in the Playbook: proposal, approvals, rooms, run sheet, debrief
• Books rooms and equipment through the General Secretary and Student Life
• Leads the volunteer rota and briefings with the Director of Membership
• Owns the risk check (Form F-11) for every event over 30 people
• Runs Charter Night each October and the AGM logistics each April

Decides: Run sheets and on-the-day decisions (safety first) · Whether an event is ready to go ahead at the T–7 check Doing well looks like: Every event filed on the Playbook lead times · A debrief within three days of each event · No event cancelled for missing approvals Hands on: Venue contacts and booking log · Event kit inventory Founding term: open · SAL Open Call, Oct 18

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Media Director

Appointed · Reports to the Vice President · Backup: Social Media Lead · Time: 5–6 h/week · Term: one year Owns how SAL looks and sounds everywhere: Instagram, Telegram, video, design and photography. Responsibilities

• Runs @auibsal and The Common Room with the Social Media Lead; keeps a two-week content calendar
• Guards the brand: the design system, templates and sub-brands
• Leads photo and video at every event, with consent and the camera-shy rules
• Serves as Creative Director of Side Quest in the founding term
• Approves routine posts; escalates sensitive content to the President
• Keeps the media archive backed up in two places

Decides: Routine posts and the content calendar · Design of Society materials within the brand guide Doing well looks like: Posting at least three times a week in term · Every event photographed and archived within a week · Follower growth and saves tracked monthly Hands on: Account admin rights (two admins minimum) · Brand files and templates · Media archive locations Founding term: Ali Hayder

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Director of Partnerships & Outreach

Appointed · Reports to the President · Backup: Club Relations Lead · Time: 3–5 h/week · Term: one year Connects SAL to other clubs, departments, charities and cultural institutions, and makes sure every partnership is written down and kept. Responsibilities

• Keeps the partners register and renewal dates
• Drafts memoranda of understanding (Form F-26) for the President to sign
• Leads charity programmes with partners such as Natrok Athar (نترك اثر)
• Invites faculty, staff and guest writers with the Director of Letters
• From Year 2: sponsorship under the Partnerships Policy
• From Year 3: links with literary societies at other Baghdad universities

Decides: Which partners to approach (within the Partnerships Policy) · Co-branding on joint events, with the Media Director Doing well looks like: Five active club partners by the end of Year 1 · Every partnership has a signed MoU and a thank-you · Charity money handed over in full, on time Hands on: Partner register and MoUs · Contact list with permissions Founding term: covered by the Vice President

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Director of Membership & Community

Appointed · Reports to the Vice President · Backup: Onboarding Lead · Time: 3–5 h/week · Term: one year Makes SAL easy to join and hard to leave: the register, the welcome, the recognition and the traditions. Responsibilities

• Keeps the register and the attendance record from which voting rights are calculated
• Runs the Welcome: new-member evenings, the six words on the typewriter, the first-month buddy
• Runs the Apprenticeship for team roles with each director
• Tracks volunteer hours; prepares Fellow nominations and certificates of service
• Surveys members each semester and reports what they say
• Builds the Alumni Circle from Year 2

Decides: Welcome programme and member communications (with Media) · Who is in good standing, from the record Doing well looks like: Registered members and share who are active · Two-semester retention · Member satisfaction survey score Hands on: Register and attendance data (restricted) · Hours log and recognition records Founding term: open · SAL Open Call, Oct 18

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Advisors

Two roles that sit beside the Council without a vote.

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Faculty Advisor

Invited · Reports to the Office of Student Life · Time: about 2 h/month · Term: one year, renewable A trusted adult in the room: advice, signatures and a steady hand on sensitive matters, without directing the art. Responsibilities

• Joins one Council meeting a month and the General Assemblies
• Signs the approvals the University requires
• Reviews the accounts each semester, or names the Audit
• First contact for sensitive issues; hears appeals under B10.6 and B6.10
• Signs certificates of service

Decides: Appeals on conduct and elections (final) Doing well looks like: Approvals signed on time · Audit complete each semester Hands on: Briefing for the next Advisor Founding term: to be confirmed by Oct 8

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Founder

Honorary, permanent · Time: as agreed · Term: for life The person who started the Society. Serves as President through the founding term, then as Founding Advisor for one year, then as a friend of the Society. Responsibilities

• Founding term: President, with all the duties above
• Appoints the founding officers and directors for confirmation
• After office: Founding Advisor to the Council for one year, without a vote
• Opens Charter Night each year if able

Decides: Nothing beyond any office held Doing well looks like: A Society that runs well without its Founder Hands on: The founding story, written down for the archive Founding term: Shaheen Farjo

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Programme Chairs

Standing Programmes are led by a chair who reports to a department, keeps their programme’s handbook, and attends the Council when their programme is discussed. What every chair does

• Keeps a one-page Programme Charter (Form F-29) current
• Recruits their team through the Open Call
• Submits the programme budget to the Treasurer by week 2
• Reports within three weeks of each edition (Form F-25 B)
• Keeps a handover dossier and trains a successor

What the Council promises chairs

• Editorial and creative independence within the charter (Constitution 10.3)
• Room bookings and approvals through the General Secretary
• A budget decided before the work starts
• Media and volunteer support on request
• Written reasons for any decision that overrules them

Full programme teams are defined in each programme’s own package: the Waraq Masthead Handbook (about 25 roles), the Side Quest Production Bible (crew of 7–12) and the Second Chapter Operations Kit (core team plus volunteers). This handbook does not repeat them.

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Coordinators and teams

Team roles below director level. Each begins with the three-week Apprenticeship. Roles marked Stage 1 are the ones to fill first, in the founding term.

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Committees

Three standing committees keep the Society fair. They are small on purpose. What every role holder signs up to

• The Member Pledge and the Code of Conduct
• The Conflict of Interest Declaration (Form F-18), each semester
• Attend your meetings, or send apologies and an update
• Answer Society messages within two working days in term
• Keep Society files in the Society Drive, not on personal devices
• Never share member data or unpublished work outside the team
• Keep a handover dossier from week one
• Tell your director early if you need to step back. That is always allowed.

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Who decides what

A approves (one per row) · R does the work · C consulted first · I informed after Director = the director whose department the decision belongs to. Chair = the relevant Programme Chair. Where this table and the Constitution differ, the Constitution prevails.

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Succession and backup

Student societies usually die in the year after their founders graduate. Ours is designed to survive that year. The founder’s year. The first election is in April 2027. From then, the Founder holds office only if elected, and may sit with the Council for one year as Founding Advisor, without a vote. By Charter Night 2027, the Society should be run entirely by people who joined after it was founded. Shadow, then hand over. Newly elected officers shadow their predecessors from the AGM (April 20) to handover (May 13). Every role keeps a handover dossier (F-24), and access to every account moves within seven days.

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Pathways

Nobody needs permission to get more involved. This is the usual path, but any member may apply for any role.

1. Friend: follows @auibsal, comes to a Majlis
2. Member: registers, signs the Pledge, types six words
3. Voting Member: two recorded activities in a semester
4. Apprentice: three weeks, one real task, a mentor
5. Coordinator: owns a piece of a department
6. Director or Chair: leads a department or a programme
7. Officer: elected by the members
8. Fellow: honoured for service; for life

What members take away. A named role on a real publication, production or event; a certificate of service signed by the Faculty Advisor; a reference from the President on request; and, for those who give the most, a Fellowship for life.

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The first Open Call

One call, opening Sunday, October 18, for every open role in the Society and its programmes. Director applications close Monday, October 26; interviews October 27–29; the Council is announced Saturday, October 31. The all-student email and posts are in the Templates & Forms Pack (L-04) and the printables. The application form is F-03; the interview score sheet is F-04.