Did you know that elections are held each year to determine the student leadership at the Students’ Union and WLU?
The Students’ Union is a not-for-profit organization that operates with official standing at Wilfrid Laurier University.
Undergraduate students at Wilfrid Laurier University, as dues paying members of the Students’ Union, are eligible to vote for the following elected positions:
President & Chief Executive Officer (1-year term)
The President serves as the Chief Executive Officer and leads the day-to-day operations of the Students’ Union. The President’s duties include acting as the official spokesperson for the Students’ Union, overseeing the development of the annual operating budget, managing the Executive Leadership Team, executing the development and execution of an annual operating plan, and serving on a variety of internal, university-level, and community committees. Nomination Package: President & Chief Executive Officer
Students’ Union Board of Directors (12 members serving 1-year terms, with a minimum of 2 elected from the Brantford campus)
Directors attend bi-weekly meetings to oversee the operations of the organization through the President & CEO, and also consider the long-term strategic purpose of the Students’ Union.
Directors are an integral part of the operation of the Students’ Union as a not-for-profit organization. Nomi Nomination Package: Brantford Special Election - Board of Directors Nomination Package: Board of Directors
Wilfrid Laurier University:
The Students’ Union also facilitates the election by undergraduate students for student seats on Wilfrid Laurier University’s Board of Governors and Senate. The University is governed by a bicameral system, with respective responsibilities determined by the Wilfrid Laurier University Act (1973).
The Board of Governors has control over the University’s property and revenues and the conduct of its business and affairs, except with respect to matters assed by the Wilfrid Laurier University Act to the Senate. The Board of Governors appoints the President and Vice-Chancellor, approves the annual budget, plans and develops the physical resources of the university, establishes and collections tuition and other fees, oversees the future strategic direction of the institution, approves university-wide policies, and invests funds held by the university endowment, pension plan and other funds.
2 members of the Board of Governors are undergraduate students elected by students
Nomination Package: Board of Governors
The Senate has broad jurisdiction over the university’s academic matters, including the power to establish educational policies of the university, deal with curriculum matters, determine policies related to tenure and promotion of faculty, set admissions standards, and engage in long-term academic planning.
7 members of the Senate are undergraduate students elected by students. Nomination Package: Senate
**The availability of seats up for election for Wilfrid Laurier University’s Board of Governors and Senate vary from year-to-year as successful candidates serve two-year terms.
Referendum Questions
As part of the Students’ Union election process, the Board of Directors will consider the sponsorship of referendum questions. Prior to being included on the ballot, proposed referendum question will be assessed for compliance by the Wilfrid Laurier University Committee on Non-Tuition Fee Assessment, and the Students’ Union Board of Directors. Referendum questions must include:
The purpose and rational for the question;
The cost of any associated fee;
Any inflationary costs and how they will impact the fee;
A date of implementation;
Eligible voting members (Which students will be charged the fee?);
If the fee is intended to be compulsory, the justification for mandatory participation;
The impact of this question on any previous referendum question.
Referendum questions will be evaluated by the Students’ Union on the following principles:
Questions must not violate any Canadian laws, policies of Wilfrid Laurier University, signed agreements, or the Letters Patent and by-laws of the Students’ Union);
Questions must be crafted with necessary clarity;
Any proposed fees must adhere to the Protocol Agreement on Non-Tuition Fees between WLU, the Students’ Union, and the Wilfrid Laurier University Graduate Students’ Association (GSA);
Fees or programs established by referendum should not duplicate existing levies or services;
There must be a reasonable process available to administer any proposed fee;
Any fee proposed will be considered in relation to the total existing ancillary fee burden.
It is highly recommend that interested parties meet with the Students’ Union in advance of submitting a referendum question. If a referendum question is sponsored, it will be added to the ballot and all campaigning for success or failure of the initiative will be governed by the Students’ Union Election Policy. Nomination Package: Referendum Chair Sample Question Do you support the establishment of a provincial advocacy fee of $3.15 per student, per year, adjusted annually by the cost of inflation (Consumer Price Index)? This fee will allow the Students' Union to continue its influential provincial advocacy efforts, including initiatives supported by the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance. Implementation date: 1 May 2017 Eligible voting members: All undergraduate students Campus: Waterloo and Branford
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