ACSA Election Process

About the Association

The Alexander College Student Association (ACSA) Executive Team is a group made up of six paid positions. The ACSA Executive Team is united by a desire to make a positive difference in the lives of other students at Alexander College, helping shape the Association’s policies and processes and making decisions on behalf of the student body.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Event planning.
• Budgeting.
• Acquisition of resources for the student body.
• Creating activities that help students positively engage with life in Canada.
• Help their fellow students make new friends, create new connections, and enhance the student experience at AC.

Qualifications to Work Within Canada

• Currently residing within Canada and have a Canadian address.
• Eligible to work within Canada as per their Study Permit allows. The rules are written on the Study Permit.
• Must have a valid SIN (Social Insurance Number).

Other

• Organized and capable of professionalism.
• Exhibits a strong work ethic.
• Effectively manages others.
• A solid team player.
• Basic typing skills and proficiency with Microsoft Office Word and Excel.
• Treats others with the utmost respect.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Must’ve already been at AC for one term.
• Maintains good academic standing of 2.67 GPA or higher.
• Must be enrolled for the next 12 months.
• Can’t have any academic or behavioral misconduct or alert.

Length of Term

February 1, 2024 – January 31, 2025

Weekly Meetings and Working Hours

The ACSA Representative Team meets once per week and works a minimum of 5 – 6 hours per week going to a maximum of 10 hours per week (depending upon the position).

Hourly Wage

The minimum wage in B.C. is $16.75 an hour (as of June 1, 2023).

Reporting and Pay Structure

The Student Life Unit is responsible for interviewing, managing, monitoring, and overseeing the ACSA Events and ACSA Representatives. The ACSA Events and Representatives must submit their timesheet directly to the Student Life Supervisor via email, twice per month, one week prior to each pay day, which is the 15th and the end of the month.

Election

The Alexander College Student body elects the ACSA Executive Team via the election for the 2024 Academic Year.

Diversity Statement

In ideal conditions, the ACSA Representative Committee should be representative of the diverse cultures that make up the Alexander College student body.

ACSA Executive Team Information and Positions

Individuals do run for a specific position but within teams that are formed, and the student body votes on the team they choose as their new ACSA Executives. A team is defined as having 5 positions:

1. President: Responsible for leading the Alexander College Student Association meetings and representing the students on formal occasions.
2. Administrative & Finance Representative: Responsible for recording the Alexander College Student Association meeting minutes, attendance and archiving meeting minutes and agendas.
3. Clubs and Events Representative: Responsible for leading the way in marketing and advertising ACSA-related events and clubs, managing on and off-campus events.
4. Wellness and Advocacy Representative: Promote the Alexander College Health & Wellness programs and workshops to the student body by directly working with the Student Life and Health & Wellness Units. And provide students with information and advice about regulations, policies and procedures, and strategies for raising and resolving issues constructively.
5. Sustainability Representative: Responsible for running a green society and advocating for a greener campus community through workshops and awareness events.
6. Social Media Representative: Develop and share the ACSA monthly blog, create photo/video content for ACSA social media, and recruit students for regular participation on ACSA’s Instagram and other platforms. The representative should also prepare and promote online marketing material for ACSA.

All ACSA Executive positions are paid. All other students (known as council members, who are volunteer positions) are welcome to attend meetings and support the ACSA Representative Team.

Nomination Process

1. Students fill out an application form and submit it to the Student Life Unit either in person or via email: studentlife@alexandercollege.ca.
2. If the application is approved, the candidate will be interviewed.
3. Once the candidate passes the interview, they will be put into teams.
4. Those teams are then approved for the campaigning step.

Election Process Timeline

Nomination November 27 – December 08

Nominations will be accepted starting at noon on November 27. Nominations must be submitted by 11:59 PM on Friday, December 8.

Candidate Interview: December 18 – December 22

Interviews are an excellent opportunity for students to show their leadership skills and make a difference in their school. It showcases their abilities and explains why they would be the best candidate.

Campaigning Period: January 08 – January 19

Campaigning begins on the morning of January 08 and concludes at 5:00 pm on January 19.

Voting Period: January 20 – January 26

The voting period will begin at 9:00 am on January 26 and conclude at 11:59 pm on January 26.

Results: January 29

Results of the election will be announced by 09:00 am on January 29.

First ACSA in-person Meeting: TBD

Barring complications, official results will be posted in time for the February Board meeting.

Campaigning Requirements

1. All campaign material (posters, flyers, social media posts, and events) must be approved by the Student Life Unit and written in English before it is posted or sent out.
2. Campaigning material cannot be offensive or discriminatory. The Student Life Unit has the right to decline or remove any campaign material that is considered inappropriate.
3. Posters must be either 8.5”x11” or 24″x36″” and are to be posted only on the designated elections poster boards during the Fall term.
4. Social media posts and events must be in English and approved by the Student Life Unit.
5. Any forms of campaigning must not be considered ‘spamming’.
6. All candidates are required to submit their platforms to the Student Life Unit by the end of the day on January 05 to be posted near advertising stations.

Campaigning Restrictions

1. Candidates cannot campaign before or after the campaigning period.
2. Physical or emotional attacks against other candidates will not be tolerated and will immediately remove the candidates from the election process.
3. Candidates are prohibited from using any form of third-party endorsement and/or funding (staff, faculty, non-profit organizations, etc.).
4. Candidates are prohibited from using their personal, family or friend’s social media or WhatsApp groups to campaign. Only the official ACSA page should be used.

Disputes

If candidates have any questions or concerns during the elections process, please bring it to the attention of the Student Life Unit.

Budget

Each campaign team will be allocated a budget of $100 from the ACSA funds to be used to help in their campaigning. Every item shall be tracked and once $100 has been used, they may not be allowed to use their own money. Receipts must be collected and handed into the Student Life Unit on the last campaigning date, which is January 19.

Voting Period

During the voting period, active campaigning is prohibited. Teams may not physically or verbally force any students to vote for them. Students must be able to vote of their own accord freely. Failure to comply will result in a penalty determined by the Student Life Unit based on the severity of the offence.

Only current students can vote for the next Alexander College Student Association (ACSA). Students can vote online via their MyAC Account (further instructions will be provided before the voting period begins). The voting period will begin at noon on Saturday, January 20, and conclude at 11:59 pm on Friday, January 26.

Lastly, the team that receives the most votes wins. The winning team will be announced publicly on January 29, 2023, within one business day.

Penalties

Complaints can be submitted to the Student Life Unit by email: studentlife@alexandercollege.ca if a candidate has violated election regulations. Failure to abide by the above rules will result in one of three consequences and will be decided by the Student Life Unit.

1. Disciplinary meeting
2. Penalty – Depending on severity
3. Disqualification – Repeated offences or if the violation is severe.

Candidates who receive a penalty are given an opportunity to dispute but must provide tangible evidence to support their claim.