Board Election Rules
The Board of Governors is the senior governing body at Simon Fraser University constituted under the University Act. The overall responsibility for the business of the University (property, revenue and policies) is vested in the Board.
ELECTION RULES
A. Elections for the Board of Governors
1. That subject to approval of appropriate rules covering nominations, elections, and voting:
a) The nomination and election of members to the Board of Governors under the University Act be undertaken
in the Spring academic term, and completed by April 15th.
b) The normal date of assumption of office in the regular elections to the Board of Governors shall be June
1st.
c) In order to be nominated, the individual must be eligible to hold the position being sought.
d) The term of office for student members is one year. The term of office for faculty members is three years.
The term of office for employees of the university who are not faculty members is 3 years.
B. Nominations
1. All nominations of candidates for membership on the Board of Governors as faculty members shall be signed by
not less than five members entitled to vote in the particular election.
2. All nominations of candidates for membership on the Board of Governors as an undergraduate student shall be
signed by not less than five undergraduate students entitled to vote in the particular election.
All nominations of candidates for membership on the Board of Governors as a graduate student shall be signed
by not less than five graduate students entitled to vote in the particular election.
3. All nominations of candidates for membership on the Board of Governors being elected by and from employees
of the University who are not faculty members shall be signed by not less than five members entitled to vote in the
particular election.
4. The nomination paper must be signed by the candidate who shall state that he/she is eligible to hold office and
willing to permit his/her name to stand in the election, or on written enquiry from the Registrar, the candidate must
indicate he/she is willing to stand.
5. Each candidate for election to the Board of Governors shall be requested to provide a short curriculum vitae and a
statement of interest on the candidate's views on related matters falling under the jurisdiction of the Board as laid
down by the University Act. The combined information is limited to one page of single spaced copy. Photos will
not be included.
C. Students and Student Association
1. For the purposes of nominating, voting and standing for office in the election of students to the Board of
Governors:
a) i) the Simon Fraser Student Society is the undergraduate student society, and
ii) the Graduate Student Society at Simon Fraser University is the graduate student society
(See University Act, Part 7, Section 35h)
b) "undergraduate students" means those who are members of the Simon Fraser Student Society and who
also:
i) are in good academic standing and are registered in at least one credit course in the academic term in
which nominations are due, or
ii) are registered in a co-op work term in the academic term in which nominations are due, or
iii) are designated by the Registrar and reported to Senate as an undergraduate student; and
c) "graduate students" means those who are members of the Graduate Student Society at Simon Fraser
University and who also:
i) are duly registered as graduate students in the academic term in which nominations are due, or
ii) are designated by the Registrar and reported to Senate as a graduate student.
2. Undergraduate students are eligible to be nominated and stand for election as one of the two student members
of the Board of Governors.
Graduate students are eligible to be nominated and stand for election as one of the two student members of the
Board of Governors.
3. During the one-year term of office as a student member of the Board of Governors undergraduate students and
graduate students:
a) must maintain registered status at the University for at least two academic terms,
b) must not withdraw, or be required to withdraw, from the University.
D. Faculty Members
1. For the purposes of nominations and elections to the Board of Governors by and from faculty members, only
faculty members (or designated electoral equivalent) employed in a manner deemed to be of a continuing
engagement nature shall be entitled to nominate, stand as candidates and to vote in the pertinent faculty member
elections to the Board. This means only those holding the following appointments: tenure-track instructor,
assistant professor, associate professor, or professor; or continuing lecturer, senior lecturer, laboratory instructor,
or professional librarian.
This does not include Faculty Associates, visiting or adjunct faculty members, teaching assistants, tutor markers,
language instructors, sessional lecturers, sessional instructors and non-credit instructors. It also does not
include post-doctoral fellows, research assistants, research associates or persons funded on external research
grants.
2. Continuing Part-time
Continuing part-time tenure-track and tenured faculty (instructors, assistant professors, associate professors and
professors and continuing lecturers, senior lecturers, laboratory instructors and professional librarians with
appointments of 50% or greater shall be granted the same rights as full-time colleagues holding the same rank
to nominate, stand for election and vote in the elections to the Board of Governors.
3. Limited Term
Limited term faculty members holding full-time appointments for more than one year or who have two or more
consecutive one-year appointments may stand for election and vote in elections to the Board of Governors.
E. Continuing Employees who are not Faculty Members
1. For the purposes of nominations and elections to the Board of Governors by and from employees of the
University who are not faculty members, all persons holding employment as professional, administrative and
support staff or non-academic staff shall be entitled to nominate, stand as candidates and to vote in the pertinent
elections only if the employment position held is likely to be of a continuing engagement nature. This includes
CUPE, APSA, Poly-Party, and Excluded staff, as well as research associates (R50.01), and Program Coordinators
in the Faculty of Education (A12.06.)
This does not include Faculty Associates, visiting faculty, teaching assistants, tutor markers, language instructors,
sessional lecturers, sessional instructors and non-credit instructors. It also does not include post-doctoral
fellows, research assistants, research associates or persons funded on external research grants.
2. A person, who has been an employee of the University other than a faculty member for more than three
consecutive academic terms but who does not have any other entitlement to vote for a member for the Board of
Governors, may request in writing from the Registrar that he/she be permitted to be a candidate and/or to vote in
the election to the Board of Governors by and from members of staff who are not faculty members. Such request
shall be authorized provided service is continuing and has remained continuous over not less than the three
previous consecutive academic terms.
3. Continuing Part-time
Part-time continuing support staff (CUPE, APSA, Poly-Party, and Excluded) with appointments of 50% or greater,
shall be granted the same rights as full-time colleagues holding the same type of appointment, to nominate,
stand for election and vote in elections to the Board of Governors.
F. General Regulations Covering Nominations and Voting
1. The due date for nominations shall be not earlier than ten days and not later than fifteen days following the date of
the call for nominations in the case of elections by and from faculty members, by and from students, and by and
from members of staff who are not faculty members.
2. The 'date of election' shall be interpreted to mean the last date on which valid ballots are due.
3. The period for casting online ballots shall be not less than two days nor longer than four days in the case of
elections by and from faculty members and by and from members of staff who are not faculty members. The
period for casting online ballots shall be not less than two days nor longer than five days in the case of elections
by and from students.
4. In the regular elections to the Board of Governors, balloting is to be completed no later than April 15th in any year.
G. General Regulations
1. a) When elections are being held for the Board of Governors and for Senate a qualified candidate may accept
nomination to run for office in both those elections.
b) Candidates may not run for a seat on the Board of Governors from more than one constituency.
2. In the election of a faculty member to the Board of Governors, the faculty member with the highest numbers of
votes shall be elected.
3. In the election of a non-faculty employee to the Board of Governors, the employee with the highest numbers of
votes shall be elected.
4. In the annual election of students to the Board of Governors, there shall be one undergraduate student elected by
undergraduate students and one graduate student elected by graduate students.
5. If there is a tied vote between two candidates for one position, the winner shall be determined by a toss of the coin
conducted by the Registrar at a time set by the Registrar and in the presence of the affected candidates or their
representatives. Where there are more than two candidates tied for one position there shall be an additional ballot
to choose between the persons concerned.
6. At the end of the balloting period, the Registrar shall, at the place, day and hour fixed in the notice of election, be
responsible for opening printed ballots or for the download of online ballot results and, in the presence of the
candidates or their representatives as officially attend, the counting/tabulation of votes for each candidate.
7. The Registrar shall state the name of the persons elected. Recount of printed ballots or complaints concerning
electronic ballot tabulation may be requested/submitted within ten days of the announcement of the results to the
candidates. The ballots/electronic data shall be destroyed after ten days following the recount period. All
candidates declared elected are to be recorded in the Minutes of the Board and reported to Senate. The Registrar
is to inform all candidates of the number of votes cast for each candidate.
H. Vacancies
1. Where a vacancy arises in the case of an elected faculty member, an elected student member, or an elected
employee of the University who is not a faculty member to the Board of Governors, a by-election will be held under
the same principles as pertain to the regular election provided there is at least four months remaining in the
unexpired term at the time for call for nominations.
I. The Senate Electoral Standing Committee oversees the conduct of elections to the Board of Governors.
The following are extracts from the University Act of British Columbia
Composition of Board
19 (1) The board of a university, other than the University of British Columbia, is composed of 15 members as follows:
(a) the chancellor;
(b) the president;
(c) 2 faculty members elected by the faculty members;
(d) 8 persons appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, 2 of whom are to be appointed from among
persons nominated by the alumni association;
(e) 2 students elected from students who are members of an undergraduate student society or a graduate
student society;
(f) one person elected by and from the employees of the university who are not faculty members.
Term of office
20 (1) Each member of the board elected under section 19 (1) (c) and (f) and (2) (c), (d), (h) and (i) holds office for 3 years
and after that until a successor is elected.
(1.1) Each member of the board appointed under section 19 (1) (d) and (2) (e) holds office for a term of up to 3 years and
after that until a successor is appointed.
(2) Each member of the board elected under section 19 (1) (e) or (2) (f) or (g) holds office for one year and after that until
a successor is elected.
(3) The chancellor and president are members of the board for so long as they hold their respective offices.
Reappointment or re-election
21 The appointed members of the board are eligible for reappointment and the elected members are eligible for
re-election, but those members must not hold office for more than 6 consecutive years.
Removal from office
22 (1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may, at any time, remove from office an appointed member of the board.
(1.1) Despite section 19, the Lieutenant Governor in Council may, on a resolution passed by the vote of at least a 2/3
majority of the members of the board, remove from office a member of the board elected under section 19 (1) (c), (e) or
(f) or (2) (c), (d), (f), (g), (h) or (i) if the board is satisfied that the person should be removed for cause.
(2) Unless excused by resolution of the board, a member who does not attend at least half of the regular meetings of the
board in any year is deemed to have vacated his or her seat.
Persons not eligible
23 (1) The following persons are not eligible to be or to remain members of the board:
(a) members of the Parliament of Canada;
(b) members of the Executive Council or of the Legislative Assembly;
(c) [Repealed 2006-15-45.]
(d) a member of the public service in the ministry;
(e) a member of the public service designated by the minister.
(f) [Repealed 2003-48-32.]
(g) a person who is an employee of the university and who is a voting member of the executive body of, or an officer of, an
academic or non-academic staff association of the university who has the responsibility, or joint responsibility with
others, to
(i) negotiate with the board, on behalf of the academic or non-academic staff association of that university, the terms
and conditions of service of members of that association, or
(ii) adjudicate disputes regarding members of the academic or non-academic staff association of that university.
(2) A member of the board who ceases to be eligible during his or her term of office immediately ceases to be a member
of the board.
Vacancies on the board
24 (1) If a vacancy arises on the board because of the death of a member or for any other reason before the end of the term
of office for which a member has been appointed or elected, the secretary of the board must enter a declaration of the
vacancy in the minutes of the board.
(2) A declaration under subsection (1) is conclusive evidence of the vacancy.
Method of filling vacancies and effect of vacancy
25 (1) If a vacancy exists in respect of an appointed member, the Lieutenant Governor in Council must appoint a person to
fill the vacancy.
(2) If a vacancy exists in respect of an elected member, the appropriate body must elect a replacement.
(3) A person appointed under subsection (1) or elected under subsection (2) holds office for the remainder of the term
for which the person's predecessor was appointed or elected.
(4) A vacancy on the board does not impair the authority of the remaining members of the board to act.
Rules for elections
43 (1) The senate must make and publish all rules necessary and consistent with this Act in respect of nominations,
elections and voting.
(2) The registrar must conduct all elections that are required.
Approved by the Board of Governors – May 31, 2012
Approved by Senate – July 9, 2012