Minerva Governance & Leadership

The Minerva Council is comprised of the Faculty and Student Representative of each House, the Assistant/Associate Director of Minerva Programs, and two members at large (usually a faculty or staff member and a student). It is chaired by the Director of Minerva Programs. The group currently meets every two weeks. The Council is considered the steering committee for the program; it is primarily involved with:

• bringing issues to the table which impact the direction of the Minerva Program
• introducing and considering new programs
• creating policy and making changes to existing policy
• stewarding the use of House funds
• discussing successes or challenges that arise in particular houses
• serving as advisors to the central office staff

The Faculty and Student Representative are responsible for bringing information back to their House Councils, as well as bringing issues concerning the Houses to the Minerva Council.

The House Council Co-Chairs need to have a good sense for how their Minerva House is functioning on an everyday basis. The House Council Chairs will chair House Council meetings and work with other House Council members, the general membership, and the Assistant/Associate Director for Minerva Programs to advance House energy, spirit, interaction and reputation on campus. The House Council Chair will facilitate discussion on the House Council on issues ranging from how the House is used, to involving members in House events, to how it spends its funding. House Council Co-Chairs are elected by a vote of the general house membership during the winter term and serve in the position for one year beginning in the spring term.

Students interested in running for their House Council should email the Minerva Office (minervaprogram@union.edu) by 2/3 at 5:00pm to indicate their interest. Students must run in pairs and should have attended their House Council meetings during the fall or winter term.

The Student Representative sits on both the Minerva Council and his/her House Council and is responsible for serving as a liaison between these two Councils. This position works on the overall direction of the Minerva Program and plays a key role in developing policies across all Minerva Houses. Student Reps serve one year terms (spring-fall-winter) and have the option to serve one additional year if approved by the Chair of the Minerva Council. They must apply and are selected by the current Faculty Rep and Student Rep of their respective House Council.

• Applications due to the Minerva Office via email (minervaprogram@union.edu) by Friday, 2/3 at 5pm
  • If you are interested in applying to be the Student Representative of your Minerva House, please submit a letter of interest that addresses the following points to the Minerva Office (minervaprogram@union.edu). Once applications are collected, the current Faculty Rep and Student Rep for your house will conduct interviews with applicants and select the best applicant for the position.
    • Why you are interested in the position
    • What qualities and/or ideas you will bring to the Minerva Council
    • Your involvement in your Minerva House or your contribution to its ideals through other schools/groups you have participated in
• Interviews will occur during Week 6 & 7
• Positions are available for 2023 in Breazzano, Messa, Sorum & Wold

Each Minerva House has a Faculty Representative who, along with the Student Representative, serves on both the House Council (which oversees the life of the House) and the Minerva Council (which oversees the whole Minerva system). Faculty Reps serve a term of three years (renewable up to two more times).

House Coordinators play a very important role in their Minerva - supporting residents and the House in general. There is an expectation to affect positively the appearance and presentation of their Minerva on campus, as well as help create a sense of shared community within the House.

Being a House Coordinator (HC) is not only a fun experience, it’s an opportunity to be a positive role model and a student leader with students living in their Minerva House. The HC position is an opportunity to learn essential skills and responsibilities that will be valuable in your education and in your professional career.

General Responsibilities

• Develop a sense of community and respectful environment for students living in the House.
• At the beginning and end of each year, Room Condition Reports for each room in your house must be completed.
• Verify a roster for Residential Life for who is living in each room within the first week
• Report minor damages to facilities (online work order). If life-safety equipment is damaged, or if a potentially dangerous situation arises call campus safety and let the Central Office know as soon as possible.
• Assist with all safety and security procedures (fire alarms, inspections) and conduct life safety inspections and paperwork each term.
• Assist with the Minerva Housing Selection process.
• Attend your council’s weekly meetings and be an active member on the council, aiming to be a conduit between the council and your house residents.
• Plan and implement 1 program per term in the house that facilitates engagement by residents.

Think of your Minerva like a real house. Everyone is renting a room, so everyone shares part of the responsibility for the entire house. You are there to remind residents about this sense of community, sharing the living space, and respecting others.

APPLY HERE - Applications available on Handshake for the 2023-2024 academic year

Timeline for applying

• Sunday, January 8th - Application will be open and available at 1pm
• Sunday, January 29th - Application and all supporting materials due by 5pm
• Winter Term Week 5/6 - Selected applicants will be contacted to set up an interview
• Friday, February 17th - Latest date by which applicants will be notified of their status

• Communications Chair - The Communications Chair is responsible for keeping House membership abreast of House activities, news, and important announcements. This position is responsible for letting the Union community know what is new and noteworthy within the Minervas.
• Finance Chair - Each house will have a budget of approximately $16,000, and the person in this position will lead the House Council in developing a budget and tracking expenses. The person holding this seat must be familiar with Minerva funding guidelines, ensuring that the House account is kept up to date, all expenditures follow the budget lines originally allocated for the Minerva Houses, and enough money remains in the House budget to assure its continues operation for the remainder of the academic year. The person in this position also works closely with the Assistant Director for Minerva Programs, periodically reviewing budgets and verifying the use of funds by House members.
• Elections for Finance Chair, Communications Chair and various other positions will be conducted within each House during Week 7 - Contact your House Council or go to a Council meeting for more information!