The Senate is the senior academic body of the University. Among other things, it advises on University academic standards, academic policies, program approvals and reviews.

Fall 2023 Senate Elections Results

In Fall 2023, University Canada West held elections for two faculty representative positions (three-year terms), one undergraduate student representative (one-year term), one graduate student representative (one-year term) and two at-large student representatives (one-year term).

The following table shows the results for the elections of the Faculty representatives:

Elected Candidates
Term of Office
Dr. Abedeh Gholidoust November 2023 – October 2026
Dr. Min Beom Kay November 2023 – October 2026

The following table shows the results for the elections of the Graduate Student representative:

Elected Candidate
Term of Office
Nneka Ofodum November 2023 – October 2024

The following table shows the results for the elections of the At-Large Student representatives:

Elected Candidates
Term of Office
Arya Patel November 2023 – October 2024
Janette Adriana De La Torre Macias November 2023 – October 2024

The following table shows the results for the elections of the Undergraduate Student representative:

Elected Candidate
Term of Office
Udhaykaran Singh November 2023 – October 2024

We thank all the nominees for stepping up to represent their constituency in the Senate and for their efforts during the campaign.

ABOUT THE SENATE

Senate members will advise and provide recommendations to the UCW Board of Governors on a number of subjects, including program proposals advanced to the British Columbia Degree Quality Assurance Board, the evaluation of programs and educational services, the setting of the academic schedule of the University and other matters specified by the Board.

The Senate meets monthly, normally on the first Thursday of every month. Senate members are also expected to participate in two (2) Senate committees, which may meet monthly or as needed. Meetings are conducted virtually on Microsoft Teams.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

General FAQ

The Senate normally meets on the first Thursday of every month (except in January and August), and the meetings are usually from 3 to 4:30 pm.

Senate members are also expected to serve on at least two committees, which may also meet monthly.

For more information, see the Senate Bylaws.

Yes! All new members will participate in an orientation session and will receive a comprehensive manual before their first Senate meeting.

No, this is a volunteer position. For faculty members, this position will be considered towards any applicable service requirements. All Senate members may submit requests for reimbursements for any reasonable expenses incurred.

Please complete the appropriate forms.

If you have any questions about the nomination process, please contact [email protected].

If you no longer wish to stand for election and wish to withdraw your nomination, please contact [email protected] to withdraw your nomination. Once withdrawn, you will not be eligible for the election and any votes for a withdrawn candidate will be invalid.

Please note that, if you are elected, it is our expectation that you will serve the entire term of office, to the best of your ability.

Voting will be done electronically (instructions to follow).

An orientation session will be held for all candidates. It is the sole responsibility of the candidate to ensure they are familiar with all the rules of the election, whether they attend the orientation or not.

Each nominee will be asked to provide a Statement of Intent (maximum 300 words and no links) in the Nomination Form. This Statement of Intent will be made available to the electorate on the Senate Elections webpage.

Campaigning is allowed and encouraged, but must be undertaken at the individual’s expense and in their own time. Candidates may not abuse UCW’s resources for election purposes. All candidates are required to act with honesty and integrity.

Candidates are expected to conduct themselves in a manner respectful of other candidates, and all campaign material must comply with human rights and other legislation.

Campaigning includes: word-of-mouth and direct communications, posters, flyers, websites and social media. Encouraging individuals to vote is not considered campaigning if there is no reference to an individual candidate or group of candidates.

Each candidate may post one campaign poster (8.5×11”) on each Community Board at the UCW campuses and may choose to distribute flyers on UCW campuses (at their own expense). Staff and faculty candidates may also post one campaign poster (8.5×11”) in each UCW faculty and staff lounge or work area.

If you have any questions about the campaigning process, please contact [email protected].

Student FAQ

Nominations will be submitted on your own behalf but must be signed by three other eligible student members.

To be eligible to nominate another student, you must be:

  • An undergraduate or graduate student registered at UCW in Summer 2023 Term;
  • In good standing; and
  • From the same student constituency (i.e., Undergraduate or Graduate) as the nominee/candidate. Any eligible student can support an At-Large nomination.

To be eligible to vote, you must be:

  • An undergraduate or graduate student registered at UCW in Fall 2023 Term;
  • In good standing; and
  • From the same student constituency (i.e., Undergraduate or Graduate) as the nominee/candidate. Any eligible student can vote for the At-Large positions.

To be eligible to stand for election, you must be:

  • An undergraduate or graduate student registered at UCW in the Summer 2023 Term;
  • In good standing; and
  • Intending to register in two of the following academic terms (Fall 2023, Winter 2024 or Spring 2024 terms) during his/her/their term of office (November 2023 – October 2024).

For more information about eligibility, see Sections 2.1 and 4.1-4.5 contained in Appendix A to the Bylaws (Rules to Govern Elections to the Senate).

Please see campaigning question and answer above. Classroom time is reserved for academic activities, and your professors and fellow students expect to have class time dedicated to learning. Visits or campaigning by student candidates cannot be accommodated.

Students can represent either their program (Undergraduate or Graduate) or At-large. They cannot run for both an Undergraduate or Graduate position. Faculty and staff members who are also students cannot stand for election, nominate or vote as students.

The at-large student member will represent the interests of all UCW students on Senate.

Faculty FAQ

Nominations will be submitted on your own behalf but must be signed by three other eligible faculty members.

To nominate an individual, vote or stand for election, faculty members must:

  • have a continuing appointment at UCW as an instructor, a lecturer, an assistant professor, an associate professor or a professor in a degree program (i.e., undergraduate or graduate).

Instructors that have a continuing appointment and that teach in the University Access Program (UAP) may nominate an individual, vote in an election or stand for election as staff members, not as faculty.

Please note that visiting, adjunct and sessional faculty are not eligible to nominate, run for election or vote in the upcoming Senate elections.

For more information about eligibility, see Sections 2.1 and 4.1-4.5 contained in Appendix A to the Bylaws (Rules to Govern Elections to the Academic Council).

No. Faculty and staff members who are also UCW students are not eligible to run as student representatives.

Staff FAQ

Nominations will be submitted on your own behalf but must be signed by three other eligible staff members.

Staff members must be employed by UCW and be past their probationary period to be eligible to stand for election. All staff members are eligible to vote for and nominate another staff member.

Officers of the University (President, Vice-Presidents, or the Registrar), faculty members (except UAP faculty with continuing appointment), Chairs, and the University Librarian are not eligible.

For more information about eligibility, see Sections 2.1 and 4.1-4.5 contained in Appendix A to the Bylaws (Rules to Govern Elections to the Senate).

Voting and Campaigning FAQ

Continuing faculty are those who teach in the degree programs, and have continuous appointments, an assigned rank and either a contract with no end date or are on a continuing track.

Yes, librarian staff are allowed to vote in the staff election. The University Librarian is the only person in the Library department who cannot vote. The same is true with the Registrar and Registrar’s Office staff.

The campaigning period will start on September 19 and end on October 10. Candidates may release campaign messages during this time period. Voting will be online only.

The voting system will automatically block ineligible voters. Staff members will only be able to vote for staff, and faculty will only be able to vote for faculty. The system will track the votes and an audit will be conducted at the end to make sure the results were tracked appropriately.

The University will not provide resources for campaigning, and all campaign materials (such as posters, signs, social media, websites, etc.) will be produced at the candidates’ expense.

Candidates are reminded to minimize disruptions during business operations; while it is acceptable to remind voters during regular meetings, there should not be any solicitation of votes during regular business interactions.

We ask that each candidate respect their colleagues’ time and our shared workspaces by following these campaign best practices:

  1. Limit group emails to a maximum of two (2) messages on behalf of each candidate during the campaign period (September 19 to October 10)
  2. For all group emails, please blind copy (BCC) all recipients
  3. Campaign posters may be placed on the boards in the faculty prep rooms and employee lounge areas at both the Vancouver House and West Pender campuses
  4. Limit of one campaign poster per candidate per board/area
  5. Campaign posters may not be placed on walls or in stairwells at either campus

Candidates are reminded to be respectful of other candidates and support a campaign process that is fair, reasonable and in compliance with human rights or any other applicable legislation.

In terms of communication, candidates are recommended to present themselves honestly, covering items such as your motivation for running in the election, your intentions if elected and what would be the focus of your attention during your term on the Senate.

Yes, both Chairs and current elected members of the Senate are allowed to vote.

Senate votes are not tallied by department; all faculty and staff members (and more broadly, all Senate members) are asked to consider the best interests of the University and its students.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to reach out to voters. Candidates are encouraged to be mindful of using the University resources for campaigning purposes.

The membership for each Senate Committee is generally restricted to members of the Senate (including elected representatives of students, faculty and staff). The Committee Chairs can extend invitations to non-committee members for projects or certain initiatives, as needed.

All employees of the University are eligible to vote for another staff member. The exceptions are: officers of the University (President, Vice-Presidents or the Registrar), faculty members (except UAP instructors), Chairs and the University Librarian. For election purposes, UAP instructors are considered staff.

Faculty will not be able to vote in staff elections. Instead, faculty members with a continuing appointment can vote for their continuing faculty representative.

For more information about eligibility, see Sections 2.1 and 4.1-4.5 contained in Appendix A to the Bylaws (Rules to Govern Elections to the Senate).

The successful candidates for the Senate elections are determined according to the ‘first past the post’ principles: candidates with the most votes are declared winners.

In the event of an equality of votes between two or more candidates in an election, the final result will be decided by lot amongst the candidates, under the direction of the Registrar.

Candidates will be acclaimed for a vacant position if:

  1. The number of candidates nominated is equal to or less than the number of vacant positions;
  2. A candidate has withdrawn his or her nomination and, as a result, the number of remaining candidates is equal to or less than the number of vacant positions.

For more information, see Section 12.0 (Election Results) contained in Appendix A to the Bylaws (Rules to Govern Elections to the Senate).

The Senate Elections team has advertised broadly for the available positions on the Senate and has used the principles of equity to ensure that expressions of interest are appropriately supported and guided through the application process. As the final decision is made through an open election, the final decision on the candidates belongs to the voting members of the UCW Community.

Please direct any questions about Senate elections to [email protected].