By Dessa Bayrock (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: September 19, 2012
Nominations are now officially open for any student interested in running in the Student Union Society’s (SUS) annual by-election.
Jhim Burwell, SUS’ communication officer, explained that this election is largely intended to fill positions left vacant by representatives who have resigned, or to find permanent replacements for representatives who served in interim positions.
First on the list of positions to be filled is the Trades rep, a job description that might be changing after the coming Annual General Meeting (AGM) to include both UFV’s Trades and Technology Centre, and the new building at Canada Education Park (CEP).
Next on the list is the Clubs and Association rep, which Burwell described as a high-energy profile.
“[That position] is based on trying to keep track of and help the clubs and associations and student organizations that we administer and fund,” Burwell explained.
The Aboriginal Representative position is also open to nominations, as is the Accessibility Representative position, which is being vacated by long-time rep Debbie Ellis.
The process from nomination to campaign to final vote is fast-paced, lasting little over five weeks from start to finish. Burwell said that SUS is eager to fill the empty positions, to lend as many points of view to SUS’ processes as possible.
“The idea is that the more full our board, the better the range of perspective that’s given in decisions,” Burwell explained, “so we always want to have as many people there as possible.”
Nominations opened September 17, close on the first of October, and the final list of candidates will be announced on October 3.
The campaign period will stretch over the first few weeks of October, and polling will run October 18-24 online at myUFV.
The new board members will dive into their duties right away at SUS’ board meeting on October 25.
