Student Senate Legislative Officer
Student Policy
Guide our efforts on the Student Senate.
The Student Senate Legislative Officer increases the transparency and clarity of the Student Senate for the student body by making legislation more accessible, clearly explaining the impact specific pieces of legislation will have on the student body, and maintaining a clear record of senator votes, party affiliations, and legislative history.
This individual needs to be comfortable with qualitative research, reading legislation, managing small teams, delegating tasks, and public speaking. In order to best fulfill the obligations of this position, the officer should be a skilled writer, have an ability to explain things in a clear and concise manner, possess an understanding of/experience with Student Senate, and be able to form professional networking relationships with others.
Knowledge
Student Senate Procedures (Structure, Statutes, Legislative Process)
Microsoft Office suite and collaboration tools
Torchlight operating procedures and output definitions
Skills
Interpersonal skills in delegating and following up on tasks among a small team
Editing the work of a small team for style, conciseness, and adherence to organizational procedures
Abilities
Strong discretion in deciding whether legislation and legislative processes should be covered, balancing limited human resources
Forming and maintaining professional relationships with Student Senate leaders, senators, and Committee chairs
Detecting or researching nuance behind Senate legislation
FSU Policy Officer
Student Policy
Update the student body on changes in FSU policy.
The FSU Policy Officer increases the transparency and clarity of the FSU administration for the student body by making any updates to major FSU policy more accessible and clearly explaining the impact decisions will have on the student body. Examples of recent major projects under this branch include the FSU Presidential Search Process and the changes that federal Title IX Policy updates had on Florida State.
This individual needs to be comfortable with qualitative research, reading formal minutes, managing small teams, delegating tasks, and public speaking. In order to best fulfill the obligations of this position, the officer should be a skilled writer, have an ability to explain things in a clear and concisely, possess an understanding of/experience with Florida State University administration, and be able to form professional networking relationships with others.
Knowledge
FSU administrative environment, structure, and organizational hierarchy
Microsoft Office suite and collaboration tools
Torchlight operating procedures and output definitions
Skills
Interpersonal skills in delegating and following up on tasks among a small team
Editing the work of a small team for style, conciseness, and adherence to organizational procedures
Abilities
Strong discretion in deciding whether legislation and legislative processes should be covered, balancing limited human resources
Forming and maintaining professional relationships with stakeholders within FSU administration
Accountability Officer
Student Policy
Uphold the our commitment to accountability.
The Accountability Officer increases the transparency and clarity of the Student Government Association and FSU administration. Primarily, this officer will work to improve transparency of the Student Government Executive Branch by making its powers, decisions, finances and overall impact more accessible and clearly explaining the impact decisions will have on the student body. Examples of responsibilities will include tracking the success of initiatives, recording relevant student calls to action, and producing an annual summary report on the progress of FSU initiatives.
This individual needs to be comfortable with both qualitative and quantitative research, have experience with Power BI, Microsoft Excel, or other formal data visualization software, possess an ability to manage small teams, and feel comfortable delegating tasks. In order to best fulfill the obligations of this position, the officer should be a skilled writer, have an ability to explain things in a clear and concisely, possess an understanding of/experience with Florida State University leadership, and be able to form professional networking relationships with others.
Knowledge
SGA Executive Branch and FSU administrative environment, structure, and organizational hierarchy
Microsoft Office suite and collaboration tools
Torchlight operating procedures and output definitions
Skills
Interpersonal skills in delegating and following up on tasks among a small team
Editing the work of a small team for style, conciseness, and adherence to organizational procedures
Abilities
Strong discretion in deciding whether policy and policy processes should be covered, balancing limited human resources
Strong discretion in delegating and approving checks on factual information and judgement of the completion of policy promises
Forming and maintaining professional relationships with stakeholders within FSU administration
Research Request Officer
Policy Research
Connect our research team with our audiences.
The Research Request Officer serves as a resource to both student leaders and the student body as a whole. Using an online form, students submit research requests to Torchlight, typically pertaining to relevant aspects of the student experience. As the Research Request Officer, this individual will need to assess each incoming request and determine the best way to fulfill it. Utilizing a team of researchers and analysts, it is the responsibility of this officer to manage, respond, delegate, and ultimately complete all requests.
This individual needs to be comfortable with quantitative and qualitative research, managing small teams, delegating tasks, communicating with others, and learning new things. In order to best fulfill the obligations of this position, the officer should be a skilled writer, have an ability to explain things clearly and concisely, be highly organized, and be able to handle multiple tasks at once.
Knowledge
Resources and databases for gathering required information
Microsoft Office suite and collaboration tools
Torchlight operating procedures and output definitions
Skills
Interpersonal skills in delegating and following up on tasks among a small team
Editing the work of a small team for style, conciseness, and adherence to organizational procedures
Abilities
Strong discretion in deciding research requests should be fulfilled according to our mission and values, balancing limited human resources
Policy Assessment Officer
Policy Research
Spearhead effective assessment of past and present policy.
The Policy Assessment Officer increases the transparency and clarity of current or potential student government, administrative, state, or federal policies that impact the daily lives of students. Projects under this officer are typically the most extensive conducted by Torchlight, with finished projects requiring a high level of research to support them and often take months to complete.
This individual needs to be comfortable with qualitative research, managing small teams, delegating tasks, and be familiar with standard best research practices. In order to best fulfill the obligations of this position, the officer should be a skilled writer, have an ability to explain complex topics clearly, have the persistence to stick with projects for extensive periods of time, and have previous experience writing and formatting formal research publications.
Knowledge
Methods of analyzing and evaluating policy and programs
Quantitative and qualitative research methods
Microsoft Office suite and collaboration tools
Torchlight operating procedures and output definitions
Skills
Interpersonal skills in delegating and following up on tasks among a small team
Editing the work of a small team for style, conciseness, and adherence to organizational procedures
Writing skills and editing skills, in developing members’ work to a publishable standard
Abilities
Strong discretion in deciding whether policies should be covered, balancing limited human resources
State Senate Legislative Officer
Policy Research
Be a liaison between the student body and the Florida Senate.
The State Senate Legislative Officer increases the clarity of current or potential proposals of the Florida Legislature that impact the daily lives of students. Projects under this officer are often time-sensitive, and require an ability to synthesize and summarize information quickly. During the state legislative session, the workload for this position is expected to go over the normal amount.
This individual needs to be comfortable with qualitative research, managing small teams, delegating tasks, and be familiar with the structure and operations of the Florida Legislature. In order to best fulfill the obligations of this position, the officer should be a skilled writer, have an ability to identify and summarize important details, be comfortable working under time constraints, and have previous experience within the Florida Legislature or a relevant news organization/club.
Knowledge
Florida Senate legislative process, structure, and organizational hierarchy
Microsoft Office suite and collaboration tools
Torchlight operating procedures and output definitions
Context and nuance of legislation originating in the Florida Senate
Skills
Interpersonal skills in delegating and following up on tasks among a small team
Editing the work of a small team for style, conciseness, and adherence to organizational procedures
Reading and contextualizing legislation originating during the legislative session
Abilities
Strong discretion in deciding whether legislation and legislative processes should be covered, balancing limited human resources
Forming and maintaining professional relationships with stakeholders within the Florida Senate
Finance Officer
Operations
Ensure Torchlight's financial stability and commitment to transparency.
The Finance Officer is responsible for maintaining the budget of Torchlight, and finding new ways to increase the operating funds of the organization. This officer will be expected to research and complete grant applications, manage Torchlight’s bank account, provide the Executive Board with monthly budget updates, ensure that all events and proposed purchases are fiscally responsible, facilitate the collection of dues, present any FSU or Student Government funding requests, and oversee all fundraisers.
This individual needs to be comfortable maintaining a budget, organizing presentations, fundraising, filling out grant or other financial request forms, and communicating with others. In order to best fulfill the obligations of this position, the officer should have formal financial training, and have previous experience managing a bank account and raising money.
Knowledge
FSU SGA Financial processes, financial handbook, and general financial guidelines
Microsoft Office suite and collaboration tools
Skills
Managing, raising, and distributing money, under the scrutiny and transparency of FSU SGA standards
Researching funding sources and compiling grant proposals and funding proposals to outside stakeholders to raise funds
Abilities
A natural inclination towards handling funds in an accountable and transparent manner, embodying the trust of the organization
Event Officer
Operations
Connect Torchlight with our on-campus audience.
The Event Officer is responsible for overseeing all official Torchlight events, and facilitating any partnerships with other organizations within the Florida State University community. This officer will be expected to create and present event proposals to the Executive Board, book venues, generate program plans, purchase and organize necessary supplies, lead a small team in order to set up and clean up an event space, and generate an advertising plan.
This individual needs to be comfortable formally communicating with other organizations and vendors, working within a budget, and delegating responsibilities to create well-run events. In order to best fulfill the obligations of this position, the officer should have past experience leading small teams, be able to adapt to changing circumstances, and have previous experience planning and implementing programs.
Knowledge
Event planning practices and experience
Experience with FSU space request process preferred, but can be taught
Skills
Delegating tasks to a small team and taking final ownership of event procedures
Coordinating with the Finance Officer to manage expense expectations and requests for events
Abilities
Ability to maintain professional relationships with campus stakeholders to host joint events and collaborative events
Marketing Officer
Communications
Boost Torchlight's readership by implementing our brand identity.
The Marketing Officer is responsible for maintaining all of Torchlight’s social media accounts and determining the design of Torchlight publications. This officer will be expected to manage the creation of all informational graphics and social media posts, create design templates for the various types of Torchlight’s publications, and oversee the creation of Torchlight’s annual report.
This individual needs to be comfortable leading a small team, adapting to feedback from others, able to complete time sensitive projects, operate Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn or similar social media accounts, and be comfortable with data visualization tools and graphic design software. In order to best fulfill the obligations of this position, the officer should have past experience in social media management and graphic design.
Knowledge
Canva, Adobe products, or other illustrative software of choice
Data visualization knowledge preferred, such as Tableau or Microsoft PowerBI
Skills
Create templates for social media outputs and adhere to existing templates when creating media outputs
Communicating with Director of Communications to execute their outreach and media strategy alongside the Promotional Officer
Abilities
Eye for design and readability of outputs by all audiences
Distilling complex information to succinct materials used in media outputs
Web Officer
Communications
Maintain our most important platform using databases and dynamic webpage design.
The Web Officer is responsible for maintaining Torchlight’s website. This officer will be expected to update the website regularly, train members on how to navigate the website, and work with other members to constantly improve functionality and design.
This individual needs to be comfortable working independently, adapting to the needs of the organization, have a knowledge of Wix or a similar web design software, and be comfortable integrating data visualization tools into web design. In order to best fulfill the obligations of this position, the officer should have past experience in website management, computer programming, design, or another related field.
Knowledge
Website and user interface design principles
Experience with Wix preferred
Experience with simple relational databases preferred
Skills
Strong computer competency skills
Assessing user engagement using Google Analytics and the built-in Wix analytics platform
Abilities
Ability to work with multiple stakeholders within Torchlight to implement their desired ideas in a user-friendly and accessible way
Eye for design and user interface, including meeting accessibility guidelines
Promotional Officer
Communications
Visually document our progress through our growth and development.
The Promotional Officer is responsible for overseeing Torchlight’s photography and videography. This officer will be expected to prepare formal headshots for all members of Torchlight, attend and document all official Torchlight events and partnerships, coordinate with the Web Officer and Marketing Officer to create finished products and promotional material, provide insight and assistance in completing the annual report, and create promotional videos for the organization. During weeks in which Torchlight has a formal event, time commitments will be higher.
This individual needs to be comfortable working independently, taking and editing photos and videos, and have a talent for graphic design. In order to best fulfill the obligations of this position, the officer should have past experience in videography and photography.
Knowledge
Past experience in videography and photography preferred
Microsoft Office, knowledge of styles, templates, document organization, and collaborative tools
Skills
Coordinating and executing efforts to document Torchlight’s progress
Composing and publishing promotional videos and photos for use by other members in fundraising and promotional efforts
Composing, revising, and enforcing style guides for outputs
Abilities
Following up on participation in activities that include all members (headshots)
Ability to create and drive narratives about members’ experiences within Torchlight