Running for PittCSC Officer

Serving as a CSC officer will be the most work you do for any club by miles. It will also be the most rewarding.

What Officers Do

Officers share responsibility for the success of CSC for the year they are elected. The role is dynamic and your primary purpose is to serve the members.

In terms of time, here is roughly how a typical week breaks down:

• Regular meetings: Monday and Thursday, 8-9pm (attend as many as you can)
• Special events: SteelHacks, mentorship meetings, cross-collaboration events, and additional events throughout the year
• Officer meeting: One hour per week
• Your actual work: Ensuring events are ready, creating content, making graphics, whatever your specific role demands

The average board member puts in under 5 hours a week. More demanding roles or high-stakes periods -- like CSC/SCI Week -- can push that to 10-15 hours. No task is too big or too small.

Why It's Worth It

You will be working alongside the best of what SCI has to offer, whether that is your fellow board members, the boards of partner clubs, or the members themselves -- who are the future of SCI.

Here is some of what past board members have walked away with:

• Career impact: Previous officers have landed internships and full-time roles directly because of their time on the board
• Unique perks: A 3-day retreat, dinners with the dean, and real influence over the Pitt CS community
• Soft skills: Working with a team, operating in ambiguity, public speaking, managing complex environments
• People: Lifelong friends, memories, and a network of peers who push you to be better

Officer Positions

CSC has 9 officer positions. The roles are looser than defined -- they define what you are responsible for at minimum and what you are best suited for, but the board is extremely flat. If you are the Director of Technology and want to help plan an event, nothing is stopping you. Roles define your floor, not your ceiling.

CSC is also extremely high ownership. The lists below are not exhaustive. It is up to you to make things happen.

President

The most public-facing role on the board. You coordinate with SCI and the university (the Registrar, the Career Center, SORC), think through and execute major events, lead officer meetings, work with other student organizations, and serve as the main point of contact for all things CSC. You may also speak at orientation. You need to be energetic, organized, and have a strong outward presence.

Vice President

The right hand to the President. You oversee the full operation of CSC and step in wherever other board members need support. Ideally, you also lead a brand new or flagship event that CSC runs. The VP role is more inward-facing -- you keep the day-to-day running smoothly while the President handles the external.

Business Manager

You own the budget. This means tracking invoices from the Partnerships Coordinator, controlling the flow of money, submitting reimbursements, and creating purchasing appointments. You handle everything business-related for the organization.

Events Coordinator

You own the events calendar. Ideally, at least 75% of the semester's events are locked in before the semester even begins. You order food for all meetings, handle room bookings for regular meetings, officer meetings, and special events like fireside chats or Zero to Offer, and work with other organizations to create events together.

Partnerships Coordinator

You find and maintain the companies and sponsors that support CSC. This means sourcing new partners, organizing site visits, and finding meaningful ways for companies to engage with our members. You also help oversee SteelHacks sponsorship.

Director of Technology

You should be a builder at heart and extremely technical. You lead the technology behind everything CSC touches -- pittcsc.org, pittcs.wiki, steelhacks.org, and any other initiative the board wants to execute on. This includes things like an alumni database, leading CSC Dev Lab, or organizing the technical content for Launchpad. If CSC is building something, this is your responsibility.

Director of Outreach

You are the bridge between the membership and the board. You organize events with the broader community, coordinate volunteer opportunities, build relationships with other clubs and parts of the university, and lead the Bit/Byte mentorship program. You should be close to the community and care deeply about it.

Director of Design

You design everything visual. That means all merch -- member merch, officer merch, event swag -- as well as every social media post and graphic for the Instagram. You own the content calendar from a design perspective and set the visual identity of CSC.

Director of Media

You create content for CSC's 15K+ Instagram and TikTok following, primarily in reel format. You organize meeting times for skits, handle editing, and are responsible for consistent posting. You need to be funny, creative, and reliable. Memes are a serious part of this job.

How Elections Work

Board positions run from mid-April to mid-April of the following year.

Elections are decided by a weighted vote: 25% board vote and 75% general membership vote. The exception is when a previous board member is running for a position they have held before.

If someone has to leave mid-term, the board may hold a special election. A majority vote is required to fill the vacant seat.

General Board and the Development Program

In the fall, the board may also bring on a few general board members (g-board). These are not year-long commitments -- they typically span one semester and are either appointed or selected through a short application. G-board members report to a specific officer and have contributed in a variety of ways: helping with sponsorship, conducting mock interviews, organizing coffee chats, leading DEI initiatives, and more.

Only executive board members can make formal votes. G-board members are always welcome to share their thoughts.

In late fall and early spring, the board elects the development program -- a 3-4 person team of first and second years. The goal is to give underclassmen real experience on a successful board. In the rare case of a full board turnover, the development program ensures continuity. This is how CSC stays stable and sustainable over time.

A Note on How the Board Works

The team should have a huge bias for action. Being a visionary is cool; execution is what actually determines whether the year was a success.

Previous boards have found that keeping things lean is the right call. CSC used to run on just 7 board members. It expanded to 9 as the club grew, but the philosophy stays the same -- a smaller, aligned team makes decisions faster and moves together more easily.

For more context on CSC's governance and structure, see the CSC Constitution.