Faculty Adviser

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The faculty adviser, who is a faculty member at an Interact club’s school, oversees the activities of the school-based Interact club and acts as a liaison between the Rotary club and school administration. Patience, organizational skills, and a desire to work with young people are essential qualities of effective faculty advisers.


Suggested areas of responsibility for a faculty adviser include:

Meetings

  • Attend all club meetings, and ensure they run smoothly.
  • Assist with campaigns and elections of Interact officers.
  • Work with the Rotarian adviser to coordinate a leadership training workshop for new officers if they are unable to attend leadership training at the district level.

Activities

  • Offer advice for implementing service projects, especially for in-school activities.
  • Maintain a calendar of Interact events to avoid conflicts with other school activities.
  • Attend all Interact activities that occur outside of school hours or help arrange chaperones.
  • Facilitate equipment needs and logistics at project sites.

Ongoing support

  • Help maintain accurate club records and documentation, and monitor the flow of club funds.
  • Verify that Interact committees meet their requirements and deadlines.
  • Oversee the editing, publication, distribution, and announcement of Interact newsletters.
  • Encourage Interactors to resolve disagreements on their own, but arbitrate when necessary.
  • Guide efforts to recruit members.
  • Work on Interact promotion with the school newspaper staff and local media.
  • Encourage Interactors to participate in youth-leadership seminars and any other Rotary-sponsored opportunities for youth.

School administration

  • Verify that members meet their local school’s extracurricular and academic requirements.
  • Approve all Interact-related announcements and communications.
  • Act as a liaison between the sponsor Rotary club and the school principal, faculty, and staff.
  • Elicit support from colleagues and parents.

Faculty advisers are encouraged to review the Interact Faculty Adviser Guide, an online-only publication designed to assist them in their role. The guide is available for download at www.rotary.org.