As BUSU’s February election is fast approaching, new candidates will begin to run for positions in the union.
With polls opening on Feb. 11, the Brock University Students’ Union (BUSU) will take on several new candidates to manage many important roles in BUSU’s Board of Directors, the Brock Senate and The Brock Press’ Board of Directors.
Whether students are interested in running in the upcoming election or want to learn about BUSU’s electoral process, here is an overview of some important factors in the February election.
Positions and responsibilities
There are four types of posts up for election in February, including seven one-year seats as a BUSU Board Member, four two-year seats as a BUSU Board Member, three two-year seats on the Brock Senate and a one-year seat on The Brock Press’ Board of Directors.
The BUSU Board of Directors (BoD) is the governing body responsible for managing BUSU’s legislative documents, overseeing the “strategic direction” of BUSU, and dealing with their financial, legal and human relations issues.
Meeting one or two times a month for two to three hours at a time, the BoD is led by 13 students with voting power and two non-voting directors, BUSU’s General Manager and President.
The BoD serves as a direct line from Brock’s undergraduate students to figures in the governing body who can advocate for students in the areas in which they specialize.
The Brock Press’ director seat is an advisory seat held by a student who is independent of BUSU or the Press. This student acts as a stakeholder-auditor of the Press on behalf of students whose fees fund the whole paper’s operation.
The Brock University Senate is a group that manages the university’s academic policy. Although the Senate is comprised of roughly 70 members, Brock students elect six students to sit on the Senate alongside BUSU Vice President of University Affairs Carleigh Charlton. The Brock Senate hosts meetings once a month for roughly two hours at a time. Members of the Senate must also meet with their accompanying BUSU senators prior to each meeting to review their concerns and discuss amongst each other.
All electoral positions are unpaid and voluntary. However, the positions on the Brock Senate will provide an honorarium based on adequate attendance and active participation.
Nominations
Nominations will take place online, on BUSU’s website. To find the nominations tab, head to BUSU’s election page and click on the “post list.” Ensure you are logged in to your student account to have full access to the necessary information. This will take you to the nominations and voting page, where more information about each seat and your eligibility to run will appear.
Next, navigate to the “stand” tab, where you are able to nominate yourself for the position you are interested in. After filling out this information, students can create a biography explaining why they are interested in running for a position.
According to BUSU’s website, candidates must also be nominated by their peers through their Signature Package. To campaign for a position on the Senate, a student must receive 25 signatures from their peers, whereas students must receive 100 signatures to campaign for the Board of Directors.
Nominations must be submitted before the deadline on Jan. 24 at 12 p.m.
A comprehensive tutorial regarding the nomination process for the February election can be found on BUSU’s Instagram page.
Campaigning
Running for a position in BUSU’s upcoming election is completely free. In fact, BUSU will provide candidates with $100 to $150 to cover campaigning costs. Their website suggests using the money for professional headshots, graphic design needs, advertising via social media or anything else that will go towards students’ campaigns. BUSU will fully reimburse students when the election ends, but they warn that spending more than necessary will lead to a “financial penalty” or one’s complete removal from the election.
According to BUSU’s website, all candidates will be given a campaigning guide to assist their electoral efforts. Their website says to use Brock’s campus as the chief site of campaigning, suggesting that students should utilize the hallways and share their campaigning efforts in classes if professors allow them to do so.
BUSU also recommends campaigning online to connect with students.
For more information regarding general election rules, students can reach out to BUSU’s Returning Officer at elections@brockbusu.ca. More information about the February election can be found on BUSU’s website.