GSA General Director By-Election 2021 Nominations Now Open!

Nomination Period Opens: Monday, January 18, 2021
Deadline: Friday, January 22, 2021 at 4:30 p.m.

Graduate Students’ Association General Director By- Elections

Call for Applications: General Directors from vacant and under-represented Departments and Representative Communities

Nomination Period: January 18 - 22, 2021, 4:30 p.m.
Campaign Period: January 25 & 26, 2021, 4:30 p.m.
Voting Period: January 27 & 28 (up to 11:59 p.m.), 2021
Elected Term: February 1, 2021 – September 30, 2021

The Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) is the sole official representative body of graduate students at the University of Guelph. The GSA acts as a liaison between graduate students and University administration, with GSA representatives sitting on most University committees, presidential task forces, and boards. For more information on the GSA, please visit uoguelph.ca/gsa.

The GSA is operated by a Board of Directors, which consists of an elected Executive Committee, up to two (2) General Directors from each department and up to two (2) International Student Representatives; Indigenous Student Representatives; LGBTQ2SIA+ Student Representatives; and Black Student Representatives.

The by-election will only be held for seats in vacant and under-represented Departments and Representative Communities as shown below.

We have added seats to our Board of Directors:
Black Student Representatives (2)

Members who were defeated in the Fall 2020 elections are not eligible to run during the Winter 2021 By-Elections.

Duties of Graduate Students’ Association General Directors

General Directors serve as the primary mode of communication between the GSA and their University departments. General Directors are required to:

• attend monthly meetings of the GSA Board, held on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. (held virtually for Winter 2021)
• communicate GSA news back to their department via:
  • Monthly Newsletter
  • Board Meeting Update Newsletter
  • (Rare) communication from GSA outside of Board Meetings
• represent the GSA on at least one GSA or University-level committee and provide a brief monthly written committee report to the GSA seven (7) days prior to each Board Meeting.

According to the GSA Constitution and By-Laws:

4.4.1. A General Director shall be removed from their position if:

• a) they are absent without regrets from any three (3) regularly scheduled meetings of the Board of Directors, including the AGM;
• b) they are absent with or without regrets from any four (4) regularly scheduled meetings of the Board of Directors, including the AGM;
• c) they are absent with or without regrets from three (3) consecutive regularly scheduled meetings of the Board of Directors, including the AGM; or,
• d) they fail to fulfill their duties as General Directors as outlined in Section 4.1 for three (3) consecutive months.

General Director Nomination Process

Eligibility

Full time and part time graduate students who are GSA members (according to GSA By-laws Section 2.0) with the intention to be enrolled for the winter 2021, and spring/summer 2021 semesters. The elected term is from February 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021. Members who were defeated in the Fall 2020 elections are not eligible to run during the Winter 2021 By-Elections.

Nomination Period (January 18 - 22, 2021 – 4:30 p.m.)

Complete the online self-nomination application form by the nomination deadline.

Campaigning Period (January 25 & 26, 2021 – 4:30 p.m.)

Candidates have the option of campaigning for their position. All campaign materials must be approved by the CRO and must be removed by 4:30 p.m. on the last day of the campaign period. This includes all use of social media (Facebook, twitter etc.). No campaigning materials are permitted during the voting period.

Voting Period (January 27 & 28, 2021 – 11:59 p.m.)

In the event of a single nomination for any department/representative community, there shall be a (yes/no) vote to ensure that the candidate is satisfactory to the membership. Please contact the GSA CRO for further information.

Graduate Students’ Association General Director Application Form

Complete the online self-nomination application form by the nomination deadline.

Note: the ballot will include your name, department/representative community, and autobiography. Any autobiographies that exceed the word limit will be cut off at 150 words.

Your nomination form indicates that you have reviewed the duties of the GSA General Directors and are familiar with the relevant GSA By-laws. For more information and to view the Board Meeting schedule, please visit uoguelph.ca/gsa.

The GSA Board meets monthly (except August 2021) Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m.; Meetings will be held virtually for the winter semester.

GSA CRO (Chief Returning Officer), Drew Anderson, gsacro@uoguelph.ca.