application
- How important is the application?
- What if I am considering studying abroad or taking time off?
- Can I apply if I am currently studying abroad?
- I am (or will be) a senior. Can I apply?
- How can I contact current members of a committee?
- How many committees can I apply to?
interview
- How important is the interview? Who will be there?
- Why did I not get an interview?
- I cannot make my interview! (Or) I missed my interview!
appointments
- When will I hear back?
- Why am I not appointed?
- I have not heard back from the chair of the committee I was appointed to. What do I do?
- I am concerned about something that is happening in my committee. What do I do?
- What are my rights and responsibilities?
- When do I start and stop assuming responsibilities as a member of a committee?
responses
How important is the application? top
The application is our first impression of you. While you may find yourself having much to say about some committees and not a lot for others, please give us all the relevant information that you can. If you do not tell us that you have relevant experience or expertise, we will not know about it. Further, in cases where we do not give interviews, the application is the only information we have about you and the sole thing we base our decision on. For committees which we always give interviews, we invite applicants to interviews based upon the quality of the application.
What if I am considering studying abroad or taking time off? top
If you are considering study abroad or taking time off during an appointment, please do not apply for the appointment. Even if we find a replacement for you in the middle of your term, your committee suffers. We understand that this situation is going to occur from time to time. However, if you are already seriously considering studying abroad or taking time off before you apply, please wait to apply at the appropriate round of appointments.
Can I apply if I am currently studying abroad? top
Yes. Please submit a thorough application because we will not be able to interview you. If you have any special requests, we shall try our best to honor them.
I am (or will be) a senior. Can I apply? top
You may apply so long as the term expires when or before you graduate from Swarthmore College.
How can I contact current members of a committee? top
The e-mail of the chairs are on the committees section of this website. Feel free to contact the chairs for more information.
How many committees can I apply to? top
You can apply for as many committees as you want. Do not expect to be appointed to all of them. We may not appoint people to committees if we feel they are already over-committed. We also do not take requests for your first, second, or whatever choices of committees to be appointed to.
How important is the interview? Who will be there? top
If you have been invited to an interview, then you have submitted a good application. The interview becomes the most important part of the application process. The interview will be attended by at least three members of the Appointments Committee, including the Appointments Chair, usually all five members are present. We may also have a representative from the committee you are applying for present. The committee representative does not have a vote, but the representative can help us evaluate applicants in terms of that committee's current needs.
There is no reason to be nervous for your interview. Our interviews are formal but familiar. We are all students and we will see each other in Sharples later.
Why did I not get an interview? top
There are several reasons you may not have been given an interview. The first is that we are not giving interviews for that particular committee. The second reason is that you gave us such an amazing application that you are a clear choice and we do not feel the need to interview you. The third reason is that we chose not to interview you because we can only interview a handful amongst the overwhelming number of applicants.
I cannot make my interview! (Or) I missed my interview! top
The interview is scheduled by the Appointments Committee. We realize how busy Swarthmore student schedules are. For that reason, we have made the decision not to consider applicants' schedules beforehand. You have to make your schedule fit ours. That seems unfair, but there are three to six of our schedules to coordinate and we may do dozens of interviews on a long day. Trying to coordinate the schedules of all of our applicants is nigh impossible.
You have several options if you cannot make your interview. First, notify the Appointments Chair if you absolutely cannot make your interview. Ask if you can write an extension to your application. Then, the Appointments Chair will send you a list of questions that would have been asked in the interview. Answer these questions and tell us anything else that you would have liked to say in the interview, then submit your response to the Appointments Chair who will pass it on to the other committee members. We understand that since we are not taking your schedule into account beforehand, we cannot expect everyone to be able to make the interview.
Another option is to try to reschedule the interview. You may contact someone else who is applying for the same position that you are and ask to switch interview times. If you are successful, please notify the Appointments Chair of the switch. The reason you cannot switch times with someone applying for a different position than you is that the interviews are often attended by a representative of the committee for which you are applying and that representative will only be present for the interviews for his or her committee.
When will I hear back? top
You probably will not hear back immediately after your interview (if there is one). Give us at least a week after the application deadline, then contact the Appointments Chair. For more information, please consult the Appointments Committee bylaws.
Why am I not appointed? top
Appointments are mainly based on capacity to contribute to the committee as presented during the application process. If the committee has particular requests (e.g., a new member with web design experience), that may influence appointments decisions. Contribution to the diversity of a committee is also considered. There are few positions and many highly qualified applicants are not appointed. We appreciate your time and interest. If you are still interested in being part of the committee, please save your application and apply again next time.
I have not heard back from the chair of the committee I was appointed to. What do I do? top
If you have contacted the chair of the committee and not received a response within a week, contact the Appointments Chair immediately.
I am concerned about something that is happening in my committee. What do I do? top
There are several reasons to be concerned. The first is inactivity. If your committee never meets, or is very inactive, you can talk with your committee chair about your concerns. Or, if you are uncomfortable talking to the chair of your committee, you can talk with the Appointments Chair. The Appointments Chair definitely wants to know if a committee never meets.
If you are concerned about the content of your committee meetings and they are not confidential, please contact the Appointments Chair with your concerns. As an appointed committee member, you are representing the whole student body. If you think other students will be concerned also, the Appointments Chair can relay your concerns to the entire Student Council. Student Council needs to know about the good things as well as the bad, so contact the Appointments Chair whenever anything you think is important or noteworthy occurs.
What are my rights and responsibilities? top
In order to contribute to your committee, first, you must attend as many committee meetings as possible. Second, you ought to listen to as well as advise your committee. Keep in mind that you represent the interest of the entire student body. Do us proud!
You have the right to be treated as equal to every other committee member as much as this is possible. In some college committees, different members may have different powers. Please consult your committee chair about their committee bylaws. If you do not think you are being treated as fairly or as equally as possible, please notify the Appointments Chair immediately.
When do I start and stop assuming responsibilities as a member of a committee? top
For Spring Appointments your term begins on the first day of classes in the Fall semester and end the last day of final examinations in the Spring semester. For Fall Appointments your term begins on the first day of classes in the Spring semester and end the last day of final examinations in the Fall semester. Special appointments and appointments left over from prior rounds of appointments may differ. If you have any question, contact the Appointments Chair to confirm your appointment.