CHAMPLAIN STUDENT ASSOCIATION ELECTION ACT

Transcription

1 CHAMPLAIN STUDENT ASSOCIATION ELECTION ACT NOMINATION PERIOD Monday, April 3rd (8:00) to Tuesday, April 18th (18:00) CAMPAIGN PERIOD Wednesday, April 19th (8:00) to Tuesday, April 25th (18:00) OPEN FORUM Wednesday, April 19th At 12:30 in the Student Space *All Candidates must attend* ELECTION VOTING (Booth) Wednesday, April 26th (10:00 to 14:00) Thursday, April 27th (10:00 to 14:00) Online Voting (Through Omnivox) Wednesday, April 26th (10:00) to Thursday, April 27th (14:00) Results will be available at 14:15 April 27th (Room A-126)

2 POSITIONS AVAILABLE: The C.S.A. is composed of the following seven voting members: a) President: i) Responsible for the overall operation of the C.S.A.; ii) Responsible for implementing the decisions of the C.S.A.; iii) Official spokesperson for the C.S.A. to the College administration and community; iv) One of the co-signers for cheques issued by the Association in accordance with the Article VI of the Student Association Constitution; v) Responsible to evaluate the performance of the Financial Manager and the Financial Manager shall report solely to the president of the Association; vi) Responsible for the overall employee management. Responsible to negotiate and sign a contract with the Financial Manager after motioned by the Executive Council. vii) Chairperson of the C.S.A meetings. viii) The President is allowed to make minor decisions without going to the Executive for vote as long as it does not concern: any money supply (as explained in Article VI) any official document changes, any major changes in the activities, and any other decision that may affect the Association and the student body. b) Vice-President of Internal Affairs: i) Responsible to operate and maintain the C.S.A. at proper efficiency. ii) Shall help the President in his/her duties; iii) Responsible for all duties of the President in his or her absence; iv) Shall be responsible to insure the respect of the Club Hand-Book; v) Chair for the monthly Clubs meetings and responsible for the planning of said meetings; vi) Responsible for the promotion and recognition of all student clubs and societies; vii) Liaison person between the C.S.A. and all clubs; viii) He/she, when required, shall attend Activities Committee meetings; ix) Responsible for keeping a monthly inventory of all clubs furniture, equipment and supplies. (including donations & club fundraising) c) Vice-President of External Affairs: i) Help to ensure that the rights of members of the Association are upheld; ii) Promote the development of the concept of student rights on campus; iii) Official academic spokesperson for the CSA on all academic and student rights matters; iv) Liaison with all other student associations; with particular emphasis placed on English CEGEPs. He/she will be responsible to promote and enhance our share in the English CEGEP associations through COAC; v) Responsible to attend college Academic Council meetings, the Commission of Studies meetings and all other committees of the College where student representation is required including the Board of Governors as per the Student rotation schedule. vi) Responsible for all duties of the President in the absence of the President and the Vice-President Internal; d) Vice-President of Finance : i) Responsible to oversee in conjunction with the Financial Manager all aspects of the C.S.A. s finances. This includes the production of a yearly budget and monthly statements, which must be presented at the first C.S.A. meeting of each month. He/she shall have a copy at all times.

3 ii) The Vice-President of Finance must ensure that the Financial Manager keeps the books in order; up to date and that all necessary cheques are signed and processed. He/she will ensure that the books are duly submitted to the accountant chosen by the C.S.A. at the end of each year so that a financial audit of the C.S.A. may take place. The Vice-President of Finance will set with the Financial Manager meeting times in order to facilitate this process; iii) One of the signing officers on all cheques and cheque requisitions issued by the C.S.A. in accordance with the Article VI of the Student Association Constitution; iv) Responsible for coordinating, distributing and reimbursing monies to clubs in accordance with the Club Hand-Book; v) Responsible to take in and record all monies collected by the C.S.A. and its clubs. e) Activities Coordinator : i) Responsible to coordinate and plan campus-wide events sponsored by C.S.A. and supervise other activities done by clubs or members of the student body; ii) Chairperson of the Activities Committee and responsible to plan such committee; iii) Responsible for managing the Activities budget authorized by the C.S.A.; iv) Responsible to give detailed monthly statements of expenses and revenues to the VP Finance; v) Responsible to provide the newspaper with a monthly activities calendar; vi) Coordinate, in conjunction with the Vice-President Internal, the C.S.A. and its clubs, all social and multi-cultural events on campus. vii) Responsible to attend the monthly Clubs meetings when requested. viii) Responsible for all publicity and promotion of events related to the CSA. ix) Responsible to manage and promote the CSA Facebook page. x) Responsible for keeping members of the Association well informed via all available campus media (i.e Posters, Facebook, Hub, School Newspaper, etc.) f) Community Involvement Officer : i) Responsible for overseeing and approving all C.S.A. sponsored fundraisers; ii) The coordinator for all humanitarian projects taken on by the C.S.A. which must occur at least once a semester; iii) The liaison between the C.S.A. and all club fundraisers, monthly awareness campaigns and volunteer opportunities going on within the college; iv) Responsible for mobilizing and educating the student body by making them aware of the local and global issues the C.S.A. supports; v) Responsible to actively search for opportunities, on and off campus, where Champlain students can actively volunteer their time; Responsible to coordinate and plan at least two volunteering fairs per year with the help of Student Services; vi) In charge of green student union initiatives towards sustainability and coordinate REGEQ meetings; vii) Responsible to work with Student Services to ensure the functionality and sustainability of the Champlain College Food Program; viii) Responsible to attend Activities Committee meetings, when requested. ix) Responsible for ensuring proper management and distribution of all fundraisers and donations g) Internal Coordinator : i) Active participant who assists all members of the C.S.A. ii) A member of the Activities Committee and jointly responsible to coordinate C.S.A. volunteers with the Community Involvement Ambassador;

4 iii) Is expected to help in the planning and execution of the C.S.A. activities iv) Responsible to perform duties in relation to one or more committees, organizations, etc. v) Responsible for keeping a monthly inventory of all C.S.A. furniture, equipment and supplies. (Including equipment donations). vi) Responsible for all projects that do not fall under other executive members responsibilities. vii) Responsible for CSA updates in the Student Newspaper, acting as the official liaison between the two independent parties. Section I: Chief Returning Officer, (CRO) ELECTION ACT 1) The Chief Returning Officer shall be appointed by the Student Association (CSA) Executive Council. In turn, the Chief Returning Officer will form an election committee consisting of the following persons; i) The Chief Returning Officer; ii) The President of the Student Association; (unless running) iii) The Vice President External of the Student Association; (unless running) iv) Two student chosen by the above mentioned group. 2) The Chief Returning Officer shall not be a member or staff of the Student Association. 3) The CRO shall be responsible to the Student Association on the general conduct of the election. 4) All protests and breaches of the Electoral By-Laws shall be reported to the CRO. 5) The election committee may declare an election invalid if there has been a major breach of the electoral act. 6) The election committee shall be the one to determine what constitutes a major breach of the electoral act. 7) The election committee may disqualify any candidate or slate of candidates who break the electoral act. 8) The CRO shall present and create a report to the Student Executive Council within (1) week of the election. 9) The CRO shall not release any information concerning the election results to anyone except the candidates themselves and to the Student Association (CSA) Executive Council.

5 10) The election committee may not imply anything but a neutral position while running the election. 11.) The election committee will be responsible for requesting and verifying the student lists used for online voting from the Registrars office. All Winter 2017 (Current) Full Time and Part Time Regular Day Students will be eligible to vote. Continuing Education Students will not be included as they do not pay CSA membership fees. Section II: Nominations: 1) Nominations for the Student Association (CSA) Executive Council elected position(s) shall be called for by the Chief Returning Officer at least (3) three weeks prior to voting. 2) Candidates who wish to be nominated must be a Full Time Day Student for the full Academic Year. The candidate must be a member in good standing set forth by the CSA. 3) Notice of the nominations and campaigning periods shall appear in the student newspaper, The Hub, the college TV screens, college bulletin boards and Omnivox if applicable. 4) Nomination sheets shall be submitted no later than (7) days prior to the first day of polling. 5) Nomination sheets shall contain the following information. a) We the undersign members of the Student Association of Champlain College Saint-Lambert nominate (name, student number, address, telephone number, position they are running for and signature). b) The nominator s name (printed), I.D. number, and signature shall be present on the nomination sheet. c) The nomination sheets shall contain (50) fifty names of current members of the Student Association (Regular Day Students). 6) The Chief Returning Officer shall review all nomination sheets 7) The Chief Returning Officer shall deem a signature valid only if it is accompanied by a corresponding student identification number. 8) Upon receipt of the nomination sheet, the Chief Returning Officer shall provide information to the candidate concerning the Electoral By-laws and the Constitutional Article pertaining to the election. 9) The nomination period for the position shall be (10) lecture days. 10) Should only (1) person be nominated for a position, that person shall be acclaimed to that position. 11) Should no candidate be nominated for a position, the C.S.A. Executive Council shall appoint a temporary officer from the membership of the Association to perform all the duties of that position, save voting on the council until a by-election can be held in Fall The appointed temporary officer will have no voting power at Executive CSA meetings.

6 12) Candidates may withdraw from the election no later than (1) day prior to the day of polling. Candidates who have withdrawn from the election will be listed as withdrawn on the election ballot on Omnivox to reduce voter confusion. 13) All candidates will be asked to meet with the CRO upon handing in their Nomination sheets. The CRO will discuss the rules and regulations of the Election Act and ensure all candidates are provided with the same information and support to continue their candidacy. Section III: Campaigning: 1. The campaign period will last (1) one week (five lecture days). 2. The following conditions apply to all posters; (Please refer to Section IV: Financing) i. An unlimited number of digitally designed posters may be produced, however there may only be 3 Variations of the poster s design. ii. The digitally designed posters must be at least eleven (11) inches by seventeen (17) inches and must not exceed twenty four (24) inches by thirty six (36) inches. iii. Posters produced by hand (originals only) will be permitted to differ in design as long as they meet the same size requirements as the above article (30 Maximum) 3. No posters may be hung from ceilings, placed on painted surfaces (I.e. walls, doors, lockers, etc.) or on any glass (I.e. mirrors, doors, etc.). Posting is only permitted on approved College bulletin boards. No posting of candidates in club or CSA rooms. When affixing posters to any legal surface staples are to be used. 4. No posters or any other type of campaign material may be posted, distributed or circulated outside the college with the exception of online promotion (i.e Facebook, Twitter, etc.). 5. No banners supporting a candidate or a slate of candidates shall be hung on college grounds. 6. No candidate and/or spokesperson shall make a speech to any class without the prior permission of the professor involved. 7. No candidate and/or spokesperson may imply or express they carry the support from any publication, any past or present Student Executive/Club. 8. Students will be allowed to use any media in accordance with the electoral act on and off campus within the given campaigning period. (I.e. Facebook, etc.) All student names and position will be posted on the plasma screens, student newspaper and The Hub by the Chief Returning Officer, if available. 9. No publication or media supported by C.S.A. may express or imply any support for any candidate or political slate of candidates until the polls have closed on the last day of elections. 10. Only (1) one design of handbills shall be permitted by each candidate. In the case of a political state, the number of handbills designs shall not exceed the number of candidates on the slate. (50 handbills maximum per candidate)

7 11. No handbill shall be any size larger than 8.5 by 11 inches. All handbills must be the same size and one-sided print only. 12. No button, badges, hats, t-shirts or any other kind of campaign material except posters, handbills or online material shall be permitted. 13. Campaign material shall be reviewed, initialized and approved by the Chief Returning Officer before its use. The Chief returning Officer shall have the right to prohibit the use of any campaign material if they contravene these rules, if they are felt to be misleading or inappropriate. All posters & handbills must be stamped or initialized. i. Campaigning will be permitted to start at 8:00AM on the first official day of the campaign period. ii. Campaigning shall end at 6:00PM on the last official day of the election campaign period. 14. Names and positions of the candidates shall be published by the Chief Returning Officer prior to the elections in the student newspaper and the college Plasma Screens if accessible. 15. Candidates are responsible for meeting and respecting all publication deadlines. 16. Candidates may run in slates or parties if they wish to do so. However, the election process for each position is individual. Section IV: Financing: 1) Any candidate running for a position on the Student Association shall not spend more that either ($50.00) fifty dollars or its equivalent value. 2) In the case of equivalent value, the total cash value of materials shall be considered. Any free materials shall have a price affixed to them by the Chief Returning Officer and they will be part of the total campaign expenses. 3) The Student Association shall contribute ($25.00) twenty-five dollars to each candidate. The candidate will pay for the election material and provide a receipt to the Chief Returning Officer for reimbursement from the Student Association. 4) The Chief Returning Officer shall be provided, upon request, all receipts and election expenses. Section V: Sanctions: 1) Violations of the Election Act (decided by the election committee) may result in the termination of the candidacy of the individual in question. The termination shall be carried out discreetly by the Election Committee and can take effect at any point during or after the election. Section VI: Polling Clerks: 1. The Chief Returning Officer shall be responsible for hiring at least (2) two polling clerks. These clerks shall not be members or staff of the Association. Remuneration for the polling clerks is at the discretion and will be paid for by the Student Association.

8 2. Each polling clerk is responsible for: i) Removal of all election material from the polling area, with the exception of The Hub and college Plasma screens. ii) Informing the candidates or committee members that they are not permitted to loiter in the general area of the polling station, except to access the computer to vote online. iii) Insuring the secrecy of the vote and to report any breach or attempted breach of secrecy to the Chief Returning Officer. iv) Preventing or reporting disorderly conduct at or near the polling station. All incidents of disorderly or irregular conduct must be reported to the Chief Returning Officer. Section VII: Voting: 1. A polling station will be set up in the entrance to the hallway, near the cafeteria. 2. Voting will take place over (2) two days, with one of those days being a Wednesday. 3. The polling station will be open from (10:00-14:00) on both days. 4. Online voting will take place from Wednesday at 10:00 until Thursday at 14: As mentioned in Section 1, #11 The election committee will be responsible for requesting and verifying the student lists used for online voting from the Registrars office. All Winter 2017 (Current) Full Time and Part Time Regular Day Students will be eligible to vote. Continuing Education Students will not be included as they do not pay CSA membership fees. Section VIII: Responsibilities of the Student Executive Council: 1. The Executive Council must hold an Open Forum during the Activity Block on Wednesday of the campaign period. 2. The Open Forum will be filmed and made available to all members of the association. 3. i) The Student Executive Council will run a Get-Out-and-Vote Campaign from the first day of the promotion period to the last day of voting. ii) The Student Executive Council campaign (Get-Out-and-Vote) will aim to increase voter turnout while remaining unbiased towards the candidates running. iii) The Get-Out-and-Vote campaign will be advertised on the bulletin boards throughout the College, on Omnivox, Facebook, the Student Association website, the Student Association television screen and any other means of promotion.

9 We the undersigned members of the Student Association of Champlain College Saint- Lambert nominate: Name: Student Number: Address: Telephone Number: For the position of: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) 13) 14) 15) 16) 17) 18) 19) 20) 21) 22) 23) 24) 25) 26) 27) Name (Please Print) Student # Signature

10 28) 29) 30) 31) 32) 33) 34) 35) 36) 37) 38) 39) 40) 41) 42) 43) 44) 45) 46) 47) 48) 49) 50) After reviewing your candidacy, the Chief Returning Officer in collaboration with the Election Committee has declared: Name: An official candidate for the position of: Signature (CRO): Date: