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What are the responsibilities of the different members of the Executive Committee?

If you are considering standing for one of these posts when they are due for election, please check the role descriptions below. To make contact with the current postholder, find their email addresses here.

Chair

The Chair provides leadership to the BALEAP executive committee and to the wider BALEAP community. The Chair has oversight of the various sub-committees and working parties and can attend meetings of these when required. The Chair is automatically a member of the BALEAP Accreditation Scheme Committee. The Chair, together with the treasurer, has responsibility to ensure that the legal requirements for reporting of BALEAP activity to Companies House and the Charity Commission are followed. The Chair manages the relationships between the consulting firms who provide BALEAP with administrative and web design services. The Chair liaises with external bodies as appropriate and maintains established links such as the link with The Journal of English for Academic Purposes.

 

Deputy Chair

Occupied by the incoming or outgoing chair, this role facilitates transitions to the chair role and assists in carrying out the duties listed above. Elections are for a chair for a five-year term, with the first and last years in deputy role.

 

Treasurer

All Executive Committee members have an equal share of responsibility for the financial health of the organisation. To facilitate key decision-making, the Treasurer collates financial management data from online systems (currently WooCommerce, Xero, Stripe and the BALEAP Bank Account) and provides the Executive Committee with financial information on a regular basis.

The Treasurer role is central to the running of BALEAP, as nearly all activities have some implications for the organisation’s finance. Therefore, the Treasurer should take an interest in the various activities and initiatives of the organization and provide financial information for the Exec to make joint decisions about spending priorities and fees, e.g. for membership or event attendance.

The Treasurer takes a strategic view and ensures that all expenditure falls within the charitable objectives of the organization. They work with the Chair to ensure that formal requirements are met. This includes ensuring that BALEAP has appropriate policies and insurance, and working with the accountant to prepare the annual report and accounts for the AGM, Companies House and the Charities Commission.

The Treasurer role also involves responsibility for the bank account and accounting system (currently Xero). While the Administrator processes all transactions and outgoing invoices in the system, the Treasurer holds overall responsibility and is the only person to make payments from the bank account (e.g. invoices, expense claims).

 

Events Officer

The main responsibility of the Events Officer is to organise three Professional Issues Meetings (PIMs) a year.  The Officer also provides support and guidance to the organisers of the Biennial Conference and liaises on other events that are organised by BALEAP providing a wide range of events to the EAP community.

Responsibilities include:

  • Soliciting local hosts and topics for PIMs (three per year) and biennial conference
  • Working together with local organisers on PIM/conference planning and administration, providing guidance on timing, costing, web information, etc.;
  • Agreeing a budget with local event organisers.
  • Updating and circulating as necessary:
    • Templates for Call for Papers; letter to publishers; registration form for publishers/exhibitors; late registrations form; Certificate of Attendance; feedback form
    • PIM checklist
    • Conference Handbook
  • Liaising between BALEAP Administrator, Web Officer and PIM organisers during registration of participants; liaise with delegates, Administrator and PIM organisers where queries arise over registrations, exhibitor bookings, accommodation, etc.
  • Liaising with Web Officer to ensure that registrations from website are working effectively
  • Acting as main contact for queries about events arising from the website
  • Working together with the Treasurer and Administrator to prepare a financial profit and loss report on every PIM or Conference
  • With Chair, visiting prospective conference venues to ensure that they are suitable for the biennial conference (if deemed necessary)

 

Web Officer

The main aim is to maintain an overview of the functionality of all areas of the BALEAP website including the online shop for membership subscriptions and event registrations, and trouble-shoot as required.

Responsibilities include:

  • Providing first-point-of-call for help, advice and guidance to content authors and users of the various sections of the site. This includes responding to technical queries by members and event delegates that go beyond the administrator’s remit.
  • Liaising with the Administrator, Events Officer and local events organisers regarding registrations, and Administrator regarding membership renewals.
  • Providing support to the administrator and the Executive in the use of BALEAP’s online systems (currently WooCommerce on the website, Xero, Stripe, G-Suite).
  • Researching, assessing the feasibility and managing the implementation of new systems and functionality where applicable.
  • Creating, editing and developing content for the site in liaison with BALEAP Executive, event organisers and other content authors.
  • Liaising directly with the web hosting company with regard to higher level troubleshooting and requests for added functionality.
  • Participating on behalf of the BALEAP Executive in negotiations/meetings with the website provider in order to best meet the interests of BALEAP.

 

Information and Publicity Officer

The IP Officer is responsible for the administration of the BALEAP jobs page and some public-facing aspects of BALEAP’s work, including the content of the website. This role works in conjunction with the Web Officer (who facilitates the technical aspects of our web presence).

Responsibilities include:

  • Administering jobs, sent via <jobs@baleap.org> or to the IP Officer on the EAP jobs page of the website, (approximately 250+ jobs are posted per year). Posting jobs on a daily/weekly basis, liaising with members and non-members regarding job submissions.
  • Liaising with the Web Officer with regard to the operation of the website, ensuring that not only is it functioning optimally but that changes are made to reflect the evolving nature of the organisation, the needs of its membership, and that of the wider EAP community.
  • Reviewing the use and application of the BALEAP identity. Producing copies of BALEAP literature and ensuring that this is formatted to a high standard and produced/printed at an acceptable price.
  • Responding to any enquiries directed to <information@baleap.org>, liaising with other members of the Executive Committee or general membership as and when necessary.
  • Identifying membership opportunities, conducting membership surveys.

 

Research and Publications Officer

The remit of the Research and Publications Officer position is to facilitate and promote research within BALEAP for the benefit of the BALEAP membership as a whole.  This includes stimulating and extending the research base amongst BALEAP members through encouraging research-based practice, supporting members in conducting their own research, maintaining networks for collaboration and data collection, and supporting the publication and dissemination of findings.

Responsibilities include:

  • Overseeing the work of the Research and Publications sub-committee which includes the Conference Publication Editor, chairs of any existing working parties, the book reviews editor, the MA Dissertation Award Coordinator and any ordinary members.
  • Facilitating members’ access to EAP research and scholarly activity and encourage its application to practice
  • Developing methods of supporting research within the BALEAP community (including the MA Dissertation award)
  • Encouraging the development and use of valid, reliable and ethical research methods within the BALEAP community of practitioners through the ResTES workshops or similar style workshops
  • Liaising with the treasurer and the events officer about the organisation and finances when planning ResTES or other similar events
  • Ensuring the delivery of conference proceedings which reflect the theme and quality of the biennial conference for distribution at the following conference
  • Maintaining and extending research networks for both practising EAP teachers and researchers. The aim of such networks is to enable career EAP practitioners and post-graduate students to share good practice and experience.

 

BAS Chair

The BALEAP Accreditation Scheme (BAS) is designed to establish and sustain the standard required of specialist courses in English for Academic Purposes to enhance the student experience. The Chair manages the scheme and supports BAS assessors to visit institutions applying for accreditation and to write reports which assess the EAP provision against the agreed criteria for the scheme. Because of the complex nature of BAS the role of Chair is only open to BAS assessors with experience of the scheme.

Responsibilities include:

  • Managing and overseeing the BALEAP Accreditation Scheme for courses within member institutions and working with the TEAP Officer to manage and oversee the TEAP Portfolio accreditation for individual members
  • Actively promoting the scheme to attract new members through conference and workshop presentations
  • Visiting institutions that are interested in seeking accreditation for the first time, to provide training and answer questions (can also be done by more experienced Assessors)
  • Engaging with other accreditation/QA bodies, especially AUK/ British Council / Eaquals
  • Managing the selection of Assessors, their training/ development and their allocation for assessment visits
  • Scrutinising all reports, as part of the BAS, also acting as mentor for report writers
  • Managing the quality and consistency of all reports
  • Chairing at least 2 BAS Committee meetings a year (usually May and October) an assessors’ day and a ratification meeting to review and approve accreditation reports
  • Running a BAS Assessors’ Day, and an associated Accreditation event once a year, in May
  • Ensuring the Scheme is constantly reviewed and updated, using feedback following visits and the Assessors’ Day to develop the Scheme
  • Revising the Handbooks every few years (as necessary) with the support of a working group of volunteers from the BAS
  • Responding to queries about the Scheme and providing information for the BAELAP web pages
  • Working with the BALEAP Administrator and Treasurer to set up meetings and visits, monitor finances and manage production of reports
  • Providing support to Assessors, as required
  • Providing advice to institutions, as required
  • Attending and reporting to BALEAP Exec committee meetings

 

TEAP Officer

The TEAP Officer is responsible for ensuring BALEAP encourages and contributes to the professional development of EAP teachers, and to developing teaching quality across the sector, thus enhancing the student academic experience.

Owing to the complex nature of the Individual Accreditation (TEAP) Scheme, this role is only open to those who have engaged with the Scheme and who have been recognised as a BALEAP Fellow or Senior Fellow.

Responsibilities include:

The TEAP Individual Accreditation Scheme

  • Overseeing the ongoing development of the scheme and promoting the Scheme through events and contact with institutions and individuals
  • Responding to enquiries about the TEAP scheme, CPD and EAP education & training through the website contact form, TEAP email, Facebook group and at events.
  • Coordinating and supporting institutional TEAP Mentors and participants; and ensuring the provision of support for all TEAP participants (e.g. by allocating mentors, giving access to resources answering questions)
  • Recruiting, developing and coordinating a team of TEAP Assessors; ensuring that assessment is fair and maintains agreed standards, and that records of assessments are kept
  • Working closely with the BAS Chair and chairing at least one BAS Committee meeting per annum.
  • Updating the content of the TEAP section of the website
  • Working within an agreed budget

Development (current and potential):

  • Leading the TEAP scheme CPD website resources project
  • Recruiting, coordinating, supporting and facilitating a TEAP working party to work on revisions to the TEAP Handbook and criteria and alignment of the BALEAP Scheme to the HEA Fellowship Scheme
  • Integrating the TEAP competency framework and TEAP Scheme with TEAP education and training providers

 

Testing Officer

The Testing Officer is responsible for promoting assessment literacy among BALEAP members and BALEAP member institutions.

Responsibilities include:

  • Promoting good practice in the use and development of assessments for EAP.
  • Developing and maintaining links between BALEAP and assessment organisations whose work relates to HE entry and EAP more generally.
  • Keeping the membership apprised of changes to testing practices related to Home Office Immigration requirements.

The role involves oversight of the Testing Special Interest Group as well as heading any working parties that emerge form that SIG for short term projects.

Ordinary Member (three posts)

An elected ordinary member helps to progress the business of the exec committee, attending exec meetings and taking on appropriate responsibilities as they arise in accordance with their special interests.   The three ordinary members share the responsibility for taking the minutes at executive committee meetings and AGMs. They also have a networking role at conferences and PIMs, seeking the views of the wider membership in order to bring these to the attention of the executive committee.  Ordinary members can also shadow exec positions which they might be interested in being nominated for in due course.

 

Note

All BALEAP Executive Committee roles are voluntary. Executive committee members are named as trustees of the charity on the Charity Commission website. Certain officer roles may also claim an annual recharge of hours. This is a payment to their institution for the hours that they spend on BALEAP business while at work. These roles are:

Chair -£3500

Treasurer- £2000

BAS Chair – £2500

TEAP Officer – £2500

Information Officer – £1000

Events Officer – £2500

Web Officer – £2500

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