At educational institutions above

primary education Primary education is the first stage of Education, formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary education. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first schools and middle s ...

, each grade level or year of study is a

class Class, Classes, or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used d ...

, referenced by the year of graduation, i.e., "Class of 2011". The official activities of these groups are generally organized and led by class officers, who are elected in the late spring of each year for the term beginning in the fall, or early in the fall term. After graduation, the class officers are typically responsible for organizing their class reunion.

Composition

Like a

student council A student council (also known as a student union, associated student body or student parliament) is an administrative organization of students in different educational institutes ranging from elementary schools to universities and research or ...

, their leadership model is loosely based on either the

parliamentary system A parliamentary system, or parliamentary democracy, is a form of government where the head of government (chief executive) derives their Election, democratic legitimacy from their ability to command the support ("confidence") of a majority of t ...

or the

executive branch The executive branch is the part of government which executes or enforces the law. Function The scope of executive power varies greatly depending on the political context in which it emerges, and it can change over time in a given country. In ...

of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Unlike a student council, which represents the students of an entire school, class officers typically represent only a single class."Student Government Association Officers' Petition"
DUVAL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS website Whereas the purpose of student council is to learn about democracy and leadership, and to work in partnership with school management for the benefit of the school, the goal of class officers is to organize and facilitate activities for the enjoyment of their classmates. The following positions are common to nearly all groups of class officers: *

Class president A class president, also known as a class representative, is usually the leader of a student body class, and presides over its class cabinet or organization within a student council. In a grade school, class presidents are generally elected by ...

- ultimately responsible for all class activities; creates agenda and presides over meetings; delegates duties and acts as the representative for the class *

Vice-president A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

- fulfills the duties of the president when the president is absent; performs duties assigned by the president *

Secretary A secretary, administrative assistant, executive assistant, personal secretary, or other similar titles is an individual whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, program evalu ...

- takes meeting minutes; maintains correspondence & attendance records; keeps class activity calendar/webpage; responsible for all sign-up sheets *

Treasurer A treasurer is a person responsible for the financial operations of a government, business, or other organization. Government The treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The treasure ...

- establishes budget; records all financial transactions; gives status report at class meetings; authorizes expenditures; inventories fundraising items; and collects/deposits fundraising money earned *

Historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

- writes a narrative of activities and events; maintains a scrapbook of documents & memorabilia; coordinates activities with newspaper and yearbook teams; and publicizes activities The responsibilities of the secretary and treasurer are sometimes combined into a ''secretary/treasurer'' position. Some schools have multiple vice presidents, each responsible for an activity, such as decorating or fundraising. Typically, class officers are automatically members of the

student government A students' union or student union, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, organizatio ...

group at their school, but that is not their primary responsibility. After graduation, the secretary reports classmate name and address changes to the school's alumni office, and submits class news to be included in the alumni publication.

Other jobs

If the class is large or very active, other officers may be specified: *

Sergeant at arms A serjeant-at-arms or sergeant-at-arms is an officer appointed by a deliberative body, usually a legislature, to keep order during its meetings. The word "serjeant" is derived from the Latin , which means "servant". Historically, serjeants-at-a ...

- maintains order and decorum at meetings. * Fundraising officer (high school) - solicits donations from businesses, organizes activities to earn money for class needs * Stewardship agent (college) - solicits class members for donations to both the institution and the class's fund; promotes & implements class projects * Webmaster - keeps the website/webpage current * Homecoming/Reunion chair - responsible for planning and executing associated activities *

Peace officer A law enforcement officer (LEO), or police officer or peace officer in North American English, is a public-sector or private-sector employee whose duties primarily involve the enforcement of laws, protecting life & property, keeping the peace, ...

- maintains silence in the class. * Public Information Officer - informs the class of any incoming activities or matters needed to be done. * Auditor- Maintains payment records done by the treasurer in case of future usage. The individuals who fill these positions may be selected by the other officers or elected with them.

Advisor

Institutions of

secondary education Secondary education is the education level following primary education and preceding tertiary education. Level 2 or ''lower secondary education'' (less commonly ''junior secondary education'') is considered the second and final phase of basic e ...

typically require an adult advisor who is a faculty member. That person may volunteer for the job or be assigned by the school. Their function is to act as a liaison between the class and the administration, ensuring that the group's actions and activities conform to the policies of the institution. The advisor will work with the president when setting class meetings agendas to include all required items in a timely manner. The advisor should also provide encouragement, direction, support and ideas when needed."Class Advisors Roles and Responsibilities"
US Chamber of Commerce, Institute for Organization Management

References

{{Reflist Student culture Student politics