This Information & Application Packet have been provided to you by the SGA Elections Committee

Transcription

1 This Information & Application Packet have been provided to you by the SGA Elections Committee The elections committee is charged with providing a free, fair, and accessible election process each year for the Student Government Association Executive Board & School Representatives. They aim to make this process as open and transparent as possible for the entire Pace University - Pleasantville community through a series of policies and expectations that are in line with the Student Government Association Constitution. Any questions about the elections process can be directed to the Election Committee members: Daniel K. Garcia - SGA President, Committee Chair Karen Reitan - Student Representative Rich Gordon - Student Representative Steven Cosentino - Student Representative Cati Amaral School Representative Shawn Livingston Senior Associate Director SDCA, SGA Executive Advisor Eligibility of Executive Board Candidates: (Please additionally review the requirements and responsibilities of your desired position as outlined in the SGA Constitution) Full time, registered, undergraduate Pace University (Pleasantville) student with at least 24 attempted academic credits from Pace University. No disciplinary probation or sanction that prohibits holding a student leadership position at the time of application. Must have a minimum QPA of Only the President may not serve on the executive board of ANY student organization. All other Executive Board positions are limited to being on the executive board of one (1) organization excluding the positions of Senator and Treasurer. Must have served as a member or officer on any University recognized organization, committee, team or have served in another leadership for a minimum of two semesters prior to swearing in. The semester in which the election occurs may count as the second semester. Eligibility of School Representative Candidates: Full time, registered, undergraduate Pace University (Pleasantville) student with at least 24 attempted academic credits from Pace University. No disciplinary probation or sanction that prohibits holding a student leadership position at the time of application. Must have a minimum QPA of Must not be on the executive board of more than one (1) student organization at the time of being sworn in. Student Representatives must be majoring in a discipline represented in the academic school they seek to represent. Election Process Information: 1. Student Government Association Candidate Applications are available online via This application packet only includes information. All documentation must be submitted online (except petition) no later than 5pm on February 26th. The OrgSync application will automatically close at the deadline. Petitions must be submitted in person by the same deadline. 2. Petition forms are available in this packet and are also available online via The petition form must contain a minimum of 100 signatures from full time, registered, undergraduate Pace University (Pleasantville) students. The complete petition form must be submitted no later than 5pm on February 26th to Shawn Livingston or Daniel Garcia in the Kessel Student Center. 3. Position statements and candidate photos will be collected by all applicants via the online OrgSync application. Only confirmed candidates information will then be forwarded to The Pace Chronicle. This information will also be posted on the SGA Elections webpage 4. The final list of all approved candidates on the official ballot will be announced on March 2nd. 5. Formal campaigning can begin no earlier than 9am on Monday, March 16th. All campaign materials must be approved by Student Development & Campus Activities before use, distribution, and/or copying. Please refer to the elections policies in this packet for specific explanation of campaigning. SDCA professional staff must approve materials. 6. Campaigning will only take place between 9am Monday, March 16th until 3pm Sunday, March 29th 1

2 7. Elections will take place starting Monday, March 28 th at 9:00am and polls will close on Friday, April 1st at 3pm. Voting will take place electronically through a secure online voting program (Pace Votes). Voting stations will be set-up in Miller (near café), Kessel (near Café, above Well), and in all residence halls pending the approval of each RD. The elections committee, current SGA Executive Board, and the professional staff will run the voting stations. 8. Updates will be posted on the election website on Monday (3/28) by 6pm, Tuesday (3/29) by 6pm, Wednesday (3/30) by 6pm, and Thursday (3/31) by 6pm. Candidates will be ed final results on Saturday (4/3) by 6pm. Website updates and a campus- wide will be released on Saturday (4/4) by 6pm. Candidates will be officially introduced to Student Government Association during the following Student Government Senate meeting. 9. Please see the list of important dates and required events on the next page. 2

3 Student Government Executive Board Benefits information: Tuition Remission (TR) is available as follows - President will receive five (5) hours of TR per semester and all other positions will receive four (4) hours of TR per semester. All TR availability is based on budgetary approval. TR eligibility is determined by financial aid packages - please consult with Financial Aid to check your eligibility (A FAFSA must be on file!) Cash refunds will not be given in lieu of ineligibility to receive TR funding. As a result, your position will be compensated by your genuine interest and need to serve Pace University students. TR may affect student and parent loan amounts - please consult with Financial Aid to confirm possible changes to your account and/or loans You are responsible for your Pace University bill. TR will be applied to you account by October 15th and February 15th of each semester. Each executive officer will receive $ per semester (awarded twice throughout both the Fall and Spring semesters) Each executive officer is expected to schedule ten (10) office hours not including weekly SGA E-board meetings and weekly SGA meetings. Office hours must be clearly posted for students and must be adhered to by officers. Important Dates (continued on next page): February 1 st February 4 th 3:30pm February 11 th 9pm February 26 th 5pm March 1 st March 3 rd 3:30pm March 14 th 9am March 15 th 3:30pm March 16 th 9pm March 28 th 9am March 30 th 12:20pm April 1 st 3pm April 4 th April 15 th Elections packet for all interested candidates will be available in SDCA SGA Informational- Come learn about the roles, responsibilities and benefits of running for an SGA position from the current Executive Board! - Conference Rooms C, D SGA Informational- Come learn about the roles, responsibilities and benefits of running for an SGA position from the current Executive Board! - Conference Rooms C, D All candidate election packets/applications are due to Shawn Livingston, Senior Director of SDCA for approval Final list of all approved candidates for the official ballot will be announced Candidate meeting to explain policies Conference Rooms C, D Campaigning begins. All campaign materials must be approved by SDCA Debate- All candidates will participate in a debate which includes questions from the Pace University community, moderated by the current SGA Executive Board. Gottesman Debate- All candidates will participate in a debate, which includes questions from the Pace University community, moderated by the current SGA Executive Board. Gottesman Polls open and will be administered by PaceVotes. The election process will be monitored by the Elections Committee, current Executive Board, and SDCA All candidates will have the opportunity to table in the middle of the voting week to get out the word to vote (Kessel ONLY) Polls close. Votes will be tabulated and verified. An will be sent to all candidates announcing results. The elected Executive Board will be announced at the 12pm SGA Senate meeting on April 12 th SGA Leadership Team Transition Training 10am 2pm Kessel Schedule TBD Executive Board for will be sworn in at the 12:15pm SGA Senate meeting (Additional dates are listed on the following page.) 3

4 Important Dates (continued): April 6 th April 13 th April 15 th April 19 th Student Government Association Executive Board Transitional Period: April 6 th May 6 th The Executive Board will begin shadowing the Executive Board The newly elected Executive Board will attend next scheduled Executive Board meeting of the current Executive Board SGA Leadership Team Transition Training 10am 2pm Kessel Schedule TBD The newly elected Executive Board will attend the E-Board meeting of the current Executive Board Board Upon the swearing in, the newly elected Executive Board will run its first SGA Senate meeting The newly elected Executive Board will run Senate meetings from this point until the last scheduled meeting of the semester Student Government Association School Representatives Transitional Period: April 8 th April 26 th April 6 th April 6 th April 13 th April 15 th April 19 th The School Representatives will begin shadowing the School Representatives The newly elected School Representatives will schedule a meeting with the Dean of their respective academic school and begin planning for the Fall semester The newly elected School Representatives will attend the SGA s E-Board meeting of the current Executive Board SGA Leadership Team Transition Training 10am 2pm Kessel Schedule TBD The newly elected School Representatives will attend the SGA s E-Board meeting of the current Executive Board The School Representatives will be sworn in at this SGA Senate meeting During this period, the newly elected Executive Board will: Participate in joint one-on-one sessions with SDCA advisors Actively transition with their outgoing SGA E-board counterpart Schedule/run their own Executive Board meeting before the SGA meeting Begin planning for the Fall 2016 semester During this period, the newly elected School Representatives will: * Schedule meetings with their Advisor and Deans of each academic school * Actively transition with the outgoing SGA School Representatives * Begin planning for the Fall 2016 semester 4

5 Elections Committee as stated in the Student Government Association Constitution: Article V: The Legislative Branch Section 4: Standing Committees D.) Elections i. Composition (a) The chair of the Elections Committee shall be the President of the Student Government Association or his/ her appointed and confirmed designee (b) The Elections Committee shall be composed of at least 3 full time undergraduate students as appointed by the President and confirmed by the Legislative Branch (c) The Executive Advisor shall attend all Elections Committee meetings and advise the committee as he/she deems appropriate (d) The tenure of all members of the Elections Committee ends with the swearing in of the new Executive Branch ii. Powers (a) The Elections Committee shall set policies for campaign and elections advertising (b) The Elections Committee shall set the dates for the Voting and other elections events (c) The Elections Committee shall determine what if any referendum questions will be on the ballot (d) The Elections Committee may impose any additional restrictions or requirements with respect to the election process subject to approval by the Legislative Branch iii. Duties (a) The Elections Committee is charged with setting any standards not explicitly stated in other formal policies with respect to elections (b) The Elections Committee shall submit a set of policies for the upcoming election no later than the final week of the Fall semester prior to the election, for approval by the Legislative Branch including but not limited to any of the following: (i) Posting policies (ii) Policies for contesting the election (iii) Policies for filing a formal complaint (c) The Elections Committee shall respond to any formal complaint filed by a student regarding the elections process and shall if necessary forward the complaint to the Student Government Association Judicial Board 5

6 Elections Policies (continued on next page): Article I: Elections Section 1: Election processes will be outlined by the Election Committee in consultation with the Center for Student Development and Campus Activities Article II: Election Process Section 1: General 1. The open elections must be held in the Spring Semester at least two (2) weeks before final exams begin. 2. If any candidate violates any regulations that have been set forth by the Election Committee or any necessary regulations mandated by the Center for Student Development and Campus Activities or University, there shall be immediate action taken against them by the Election Committee, the Center for Student Development and Campus Activities, and the Associate Justices. Section 2: Verification 1. All candidates must complete a Candidate Application which includes basic information about the candidate as well as their goals and intentions for the position they are seeking. 2. Candidates will have a minimum of five (5) days to complete the application process that will then be submitted to the Center for Student Development and Campus Activities. All the aforementioned stated eligibility requirements will be verified by the Center for Student Development and Campus Activities prior to campaigning. Student Development and Campus Activities must be given a minimum of two (2) class days to certify candidates. 3. Excerpts of the applications including name, position sought, and goals and intentions of the position will be made available when students are certified to run from the Center for Student Development and Campus Activities to the student body through postings and be available at the SGA and Student Development and Campus Activities office. 4. Applications will be available in the Center Student Development and Campus Activities, Student Government Association Office for at least one (1) election year cycle. 5. All application must be submitted to the Center for Student Development and Campus Activities Office. Section 4: Campaigning 1. All campaigning must be done in good taste. 2. Campaigning refers to anything pertaining to the candidate, be it written or oral, and will commence and end upon the direction of the Election Committee. 3. Neither the candidate nor any student promoting that candidate is permitted within fifty (50) feet of the voting area. If a candidate/promoter needs a clarification regarding elections, they are not to approach the Election Committee while they are working at the polling stations. 4. Campaigning during elections will be permitted. However, campaigning within fifty (50) feet of the election booth, in every direction, will not be permitted. The candidates are responsible to remove all postings regarding their candidacy within the election area of fifty (50) feet in every direction of the election booth. Prior to elections it shall be made clear to all candidates the parameters for campaigning. Any discrepancies could result in disqualification. Candidates may NOT use laptops or any electric devices to persuade students to vote. 5. All outdoor campaigning must in no way interfere with scheduled classes or accepted flows of traffic. 6. All candidates will be required to participate in the scheduled events as determined by the Election Committee. Any conflicts should be discussed with the Election Committee with a least one (1) week notice. Failure to participate or failure to contact the Election Committee may result in disqualification as per the discretion of the Election Committee. 7. Campaigning must follow the Student Development & Campus Activities posting policies. 8. All posting/publicity must be approved by the Student Development & Campus Activities office. 9. If you wish to post within Residence Halls you will need the approval of Residence Life with the approved stamping from the Student Development & Campus Activities office. 10. Pulling down and/or defacing campaigning material will warrant for a warning. Second occurrence will jeopardize candidacy as per the discretion of the Election Committee. (Additional policies are listed on the following page.) 6

7 Elections Policies (continued): Section 5: Ballots 1. Candidates will be listed in alphabetical order under each position. 2. Resolution or referendum questions will be listed based on proposal of date order. 3. Any candidate running uncontested for an SGA position shall appear on the ballot. Section 6: Polling 1. Polling will take place online and will be conducted during the day and evening for minimum of one day maximum of five days. Section 7: Voting 1. A candidate who receives the highest amount of votes cast for that position will win the position. Section 8: Counting 1. Votes will be tallied and nightly posted 2. Votes will be counted by the third party PaceVotes and verified by one (1) professional staff member and one (1) Election Committee member Section 9: Contesting 1. The Election Committee and the Student Development and Campus Activities office will review and act upon any and all complaints made. 2. Any member of the University community who wishes to contest any person proctoring the elections must file a written complaint to the Election Committee within 24 hours after the close of the elections period. These written complaints can also be submitted throughout the course of the election period. 3. Inappropriate candidate/promoter behavior must be reported within 24 hours and before the close of the polls, in writing, to the Elections Committee. The Elections Committee will review all reports of inappropriate candidate / promoter behavior prior to the release of official ballot results. 4. The results of any election contested will not be made public until the Election Committee and the Student Development and Campus Activities office has rendered a decision about the complaint. 5. No contesting will be entertained after the results have been made public. 6. The election results will be disclosed as soon as possible after they are tallied and verified by a member of the Student Development and Campus Activities staff and one (1) member of the Election Committee on the last day of voting. 7. Voter fraud will not be tolerated and may result in the disqualification of any candidate(s) involved after re- view by the Election Committee and the Student Development and Campus Activities office. Student Government Association Executive Board Positions for : President Executive Vice President Vice President of Finance Vice President of Programming Vice President of Administration Vice President of Unity & Social Justice Student Government Association School Representative Positions for : * Dyson College of Arts and Sciences (2 Representatives) * Lubin School of Business (2 Representatives) * College of Health Professions (2 Representatives) * Seidenberg School of Computer Science (2 Representatives) * School of Education (2 Representatives) For more information the specific duties and responsibilities of each position, please refer to the Student Government Association Constitution, available on OrgSync. 7