Committees

PRESIDENTIAL CELL

President
The President oversees the day-to-day running of the Association. He/She is expected to set policies and directions for the Management Committee for the immediate term and, to ensure the long-term continued development of the Association. The President is the representative for the Association, is expected to possess good public relations, and to maintain close relations with the NUS Students’ Union and its constituent clubs. He/she may have to work closely with the various Ministries, NUS administrative offices and the media.

Vice-President (Policy)
The Vice-President (Policy) supervises the directors in the Policy branch. This branch consists of the Undergraduate Feedback Committee, Policy Studies Committee and Publications Committee. He/She has to coordinate the activities of the branch to achieve the following objectives:
• increase the awareness and interest of NUS undergraduates in national issues and politics
• encourage constructive feedback on national issues and local politics He/She need to ensure that the activities organised by the branch are reflective of the current needs of the NUS undergraduate population: issues discussed/examined are relevant; channels for expression/feedback on different levels are adequate; activities interest “politically apathetic” undergraduates and acquaint them to national issues. He/She also manages membership issues of the Association.

Vice-President (Projects)
The Vice-President (Projects) assists the President in overseeing and ensuring the smooth execution of all projects of the Association in line with the Association’s objectives as well as the directions set by the President. As head of the Association’s Projects Branch, all projects, major or otherwise, during the term of the Management Committee are under his/her purview. It is mandatory for him/her to form and supervise organising committees for the execution of such projects as and when the need arises.

Honorary General Secretary
The Honorary General Secretary plays a pivotal role in ensuring the proper management of the Association. Apart from secretarial duties like taking down the minutes of meetings, archiving of documents, liaison for general enquiries, he/she supervises the Support Branch of the Association. The updating of the Constitution is also an ongoing process undertaken by the Honorary General Secretary, along with the Constitution Review Committee. He/she is also the de facto disciplinary officer of the Association.

Honorary Financial Secretary
The Honorary Financial Secretary is tasked with maintaining the accounts of the Association. He/She must ensure proper accounting procedures are strictly adhered to and that the Association maintains an excellent financial state of health. As the guardian of sizeable undergraduate subscription fees, he/she must be of the highest integrity, meticulous and transparent in the discharge of his/her duties. Besides the monetary issues for the Association, he/she also oversees the Financial Branch which provides logistical support as well as the garnering of sponsors.

POLICY BRANCH

Policy Studies Director
The Policy Studies Director heads the Policy Studies Committee. He/she coordinates on-going research on national policies and issues. The data gathered will be organised into reports that can be used by the relevant authorities for feedback/ policy recommendations. He/She may organise any other activities that allow Policy Studies members to learn more about the processes/ skills required in policy research, e.g. workshops, debates and seminars.

Undergraduate Feedback Director
The Undergraduate Feedback Director heads a committee that:
• Encourages and gathers feedback on national issues and policies from the NUS undergraduate population through various channels (ie. focus group discussions)
• Channels this feedback to relevant authorities such as the REACH, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and National Youth Council (NYC). He/She helps to voice out the opinions of the NUS undergraduate population on current national issues are heard.

Publications Director
The Publications Director heads a committee that:
• Produces regular print and online publications that encourage undergraduate interest in political/socio-economic/ national policy issues
• Disseminates these publications to the NUS Student population e.g. via website, notice board, etc.
• Encourages undergraduates to contribute written commentaries/ feedback on political/socio-economic/ national policy issues, which can be published or channelled to relevant authorities He/She is the Chief Editor of all the Association’s print/online publications.

PROJECTS BRANCH

Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum
The Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum is a keynote event of the Political Association. The Project Director (Ministerial Forum) is tasked with organising forums in which the guest speaker / guest of honour is a Minister. He is assisted by a committee which carries out the execution of the project in accordance to proper protocols and objectives of the Association.

NUSPA Forum
The Project Director (NUSPA Forum) is given the flexibility to organise events that are in accordance to proper protocols and objectives of the Association. He/She can be tasked to organise forums in which the guest speaker / guest of honour is not a Minister, for example, lectures by Members of Parliament or prominent personalities, for the student population. He/She forms a committee which carries out the execution of the project(s).

Chancellor’s Challenge Shield
The Project Director (Chancellor’s Challenge Shield) is tasked with organising the Association’s current affairs and general knowledge quiz that would cater not only to the university population but also to other tertiary and secondary schools. The type and style of competition will be left to the discretionary of the Management Committee, at the end of a feasibility assessment. He/she forms a committee which carries out the execution of the project in accordance to proper protocols and objectives of the Association.

SUPPORT BRANCH

Members Relations Director
The Director is responsible for the membership affairs of the association. Apart from handling recruitment activities and induction seminars for new members, he/she will also maintain a database of the entire association’s active membership list. In addition he/she will also be in-charge of coordinating the Association’s involvement in the Open House, Matriculation Week, Welcome Tea and on-going Recruitment drives. He/She, with the Internal Events Director, will also take on the responsibility of promoting the welfare of the Association’s members through organisation of welfare events. Some examples of welfare events which could be organised include festival celebrations and personal development courses for members, such as Wine Appreciation and Grooming courses.

Internal Events Director
The main duties of the Internal Events Director are to organise value-added social events for the welfare and benefit of the Association’s members. Some examples include informal visits to various places of interest, such as the MediaCorp Studios in 2002, the NeWater Treatment Plant in 2003, the Parliament House in 2005, Supreme Court in 2009. The Director will also be tasked with the annual Appreciation Dinner held around early August of each year. The Internal Events director will work together with the Member Relations director in promoting and spreading publicity for events to the associate members.

External Relations Director
He/she is the Association’s chief director of the textual contents and layout of the Association’s website, who will work closely with the IT Director. In addition, he/she will also be the central co-ordinator of the association’s events publicity. To achieve a consistent, professional and credible public image for the Association is the objective of this position. A person who is comfortable in conversing in English and Mandarin and an enthusiastic mind for marketing and corporate branding is ideal for this position. He/she will coordinate all marketing efforts of the Association to ensure consistency in reaching out to corporate entities.

Information Technology Director
The IT Director is chiefly in-charge of maintaining the Association’s website (http://www.nuspa.org), and to assist in creating visually-stimulating web space for the Association’s events and activities. He/she will work closely with the External Relations Director in ensuring a consistent, professional and credible public image for the Association. The IT Director is also encouraged to lend his/her IT expertise to visually enhance the presentation of the Association’s many events. The IT Director will also be responsible for the overall well-being of our IT resources which include maintenance and upgrading of the association’s IT facilities.

FINANCIAL BRANCH

Assets & Logistics Director
The Director will chiefly assist the Honorary Treasurer in maintaining the accounts of the Association. In addition, all assets and logistics issues are handled by the Assets & Logistics Director. He/she will be the key person in-charge of procuring assets and expendables for the Association.

Sponsorship Director
The Sponsorship Director will assist the Association’s effort in garnering healthy sponsorships for her various events. In many of the events held and organised by the Association, he/she can assist in leveraging the benefits and publicity of the events in attracting new sponsors. The Association will be able to provide a channel for the sponsors to reach out to undergraduates via advertisements. A person with a feel and a passion for marketing and corporate branding is sought for this position. He/she will coordinate all marketing efforts of the Association to ensure consistency in reaching out to corporate entities.