Election 2019: Internal Candidates

Procedures for Elections of Internal Members

Elections are required for the student and support staff Governor positions which will become vacant as members’ terms end with the conclusion of the Board term. The election period for the Board of Governors will be March 6, 2019 to April 12, 2019.

The student constituency will have an opportunity to elect their representative to the Board for a one-year term: September 1, 2019 to August 31, 2020. The support staff constituency will have the opportunity to elect their representative to the Board for a three-year term: September 1, 2019 to August 31, 2022.

Voting will be conducted electronically and will be available to eligible* constituent members from Monday, April 8, 2019 to Friday, April 12, 2019.

For information on the Board of Governors is, the role and responsibilities of the Board, and role and responsibilities of Governors, please see the Operating By-Law. All general Board and specific elections documents are available on the Board pages of the Sheridan website: https://www.sheridancollege.ca/about/administration-and-governance/board

Returning Officer

The Returning Officer is responsible for the conduct of elections within the policies and procedures established by the Sheridan Elections Procedure Committee. Any and all decisions specific to the conduct of elections will be made by the Returning Officer in consultation with the Chair of the Committee.

Nomination Process

Those students or support staff eligible to stand may declare their candidacy by completing and submitting the appropriate Board Nomination Form.

A valid nomination shall include the names and signatures of the nominator and seconder. The candidate, by their signature, shall indicate willingness to stand and abide by the rules of membership on the Board.

A candidate shall be eligible to stand in nomination in one constituent group only.

Following nomination, the Returning Officer will inform candidates of the roles and responsibilities of the members of the Board of Governors. At the close of the nomination, the candidates can begin their campaign.

Candidates will be asked to submit a candidate profile and statement for posting during the campaign and voting period. The statement must be 250 words or less in length. If the statement contains more than 250 words, only the first 250 words will be printed. The statement may not be altered or amended after the close of the Nomination period.

Campaign Process

Candidates and campaign individuals/groups must represent themselves accurately in publicity about their accomplishments, positions or any other data intended to influence voters.

All campaign messaging must focus on matters concerning governance and the best interests of Sheridan and adhere to the general concept of ‘fair play’. Fair play includes but is not limited to, behaving in accordance with generally accepted community standards, being respectful of other candidates and their campaigns and representing facts accurately. All policies that govern employees remain in effect for Board campaign activity.

If candidates choose to place posters on Sheridan property, they are responsible for determining specific rules governing the placement of posters in various locations. Candidates shall not interfere with another candidate’s campaign, shall not interfere with a voter’s freedom to vote for the candidate of their choice, and shall respect the privacy of voters’ candidate choice. The Elections Procedure Committee of the Board or the Returning Officer may issue additional guidelines in writing from time to time, as may be required to clarify specific situations.

Voting

All eligible voters in each constituency will receive an email providing them with access to the vote they are eligible to participate in. Electronic voting only will be available through an external online voting system (Simply Voting) from:

VOTING PERIOD BEGINS -> Monday, April 8 -> 9:00 am
VOTING PERIOD ENDS -> Friday, April 12 -> 4:00 pm

 

QUESTIONS?

Please contact Jess Hinchliffe, Assistant Secretary of the Board and Returning Officer at jessica.hinchliffe@sheridancollege.ca, or at 905-815-4021.