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Guidelines for Board Elections – Staff
Guidelines for Board Elections – Staff (53 KB)
Nomination Support Form – Staff (71 KB)
The Board of Governors is the governing body of the Nova Scotia Community College and establishes the policy direction for management and control of the College. The Board of Governors membership includes three Staff Representatives (Academic, Administrative, and Support).
Representation Across the College
For the purposes of the staff elections, the College will be divided into three categories – Academic, Administrative, and Support.
Academic: Academic Staff are faculty members.
Administrative: Administrative Staff are members of the Management/Confidential and Professional Support Group.
Support: Support Staff are members of the Operational Support group.
If you have questions regarding which group you are in, please contact Christabell Pinchin, Executive Assistant to the Board of Governors, at 491-6703, or by e-mail at
Eligibility to Run in the Elections
For the purposes of NSCC Board of Governor elections:
Staff members excluded from eligibility are all members of Executive Direct Report (EDR).
- A staff member must be currently employed with the College, and the period of the position of employment must be expected to endure for three or more years.
- A staff member is eligible to run in an election regardless of whether they are full-time or part-time, providing they meet the requirements outlined in (2)(i) above.
- An employee's term of office on the Board shall not change as the result of a change from one category of employment to another (i.e., a Librarian whose status changes to that of Faculty demonstrates a change from an administrative staff member position to an academic staff member position), except in the case where a staff member assumes a position that is excluded from eligibility under these guidelines, in which case the member must resign his or her office.
- An employee's term on the Board will not change as the result of a change in employment, department, or campus location.
Eligibility to Vote
Anyone who is eligible to run in a Board Election is eligible to vote in a Board Election. There is, however, an exception for members of EDR. Although members of EDR are not eligible to run in the staff election, they are eligible to vote.
Terms of Office
Staff members of the Board (academic staff member, administrative staff member, and support staff member) are appointed for a term of three years.
Re-election: Every member of the Board has the right to be re-elected so long as they do not hold the office for more than two consecutive terms. All external Board members (external meaning those other than staff and students) are able to serve two terms; therefore we offer that same opportunity to staff.
How to Get Involved
Candidates interested in running in the elections will nominate themselves. The nominee will complete a Nomination Form, which is used as his or her official entry on the Official Slate of Candidates. The entry provides each candidate with the opportunity to express his or her views and reasons for running.
A Nomination Support Form will also be completed and submitted. This form bears the signature of your direct supervisor, and is intended to initiate and confirm that a discussion has taken place regarding the time commitment to act as a Board Member. Support will not normally be withheld.
Nomination Process (October 3 – October 14, 2011)
- Interested candidates will complete an Online Nomination Form.
- The Online Nomination Form will be accessible from October 3 to October 14 at 5:00 p.m.
- Once a nomination is submitted candidates will receive a response confirming receipt.
- Candidates will then be required to print a copy of the Nomination Support Form and meet with their direct supervisor.
- Candidates must submit their signed Nomination Support Form to Christabell Pinchin, Executive Assistant, Office of the President* by October 14, 2011 at 5:00 p.m.
- Each Candidate is also responsible for arranging a telephone (or in-person) meeting with Christabell Pinchin prior to the Nomination Deadline of October 14, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. This meeting will give candidates a chance to review the Election Guidelines prior to the Campaigning Period.
Active Campaigning (October 17 – October 30, 2011)
Official Slate of Candidates: The Official Slate of Candidates will be posted on the NSCC website. The Official Slate of Candidates will include the Voter's Message from the Nomination Form. Candidates should note that each entry is copied as received – spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. will not be corrected. Christabell Pinchin has the authority to remove information from the Nomination Form if it is determined to be offensive or in some way contrary to the Election Guidelines. The Candidates have the option of including their e-mail addresses, facebook page, website, etc. on the Nomination Form to facilitate voter questions.
No Time Off Granted for Campaigning: This applies equally to voters and candidates. If a candidate arrives at a campus to campaign, no re-arrangement of schedules will be made to accommodate candidate-voter contact.
If a candidate would like to make arrangements to visit a campus outside of regular working and instructional hours, an Election Officer may provide information on how this might be achieved. The considerations of the Election Officer in performing this service would be that it is assisting the students and staff of the campus to make an informed decision in casting their votes, and that all candidates seeking to make any after hours visit receive fair treatment.
Campaign Expenses: All candidates' notices and election materials are at their own personal expense. The College must be reimbursed by a candidate for all identifiable costs to the College associated with the production and distribution of materials and campaign messages.
Distribution of Campaign Material: Candidates have the option to distribute campaign materials; it is not required.
Candidate Posters: Candidates are permitted to design one poster which will be posted at campuses by Election Officers not Candidates. The poster is limited to an 8½ x 11 piece of paper. The content of the campaign material is at the discretion of the candidate. If Christabell Pinchin determines that the material is offensive or in some way contrary to the Election Guidelines the poster will not be distributed.
Candidate posters should be emailed to Christabell Pinchin who will ensure each Election Officer receives the posters to post at their campus. Election Officers will designate public areas at the campus where election material can be posted. This will ensure the amount of space being used is not overwhelming. All candidates will have equal exposure. Posters may not be displayed until Active Campaigning begins on October 17, 201 and posters received after October 30, 2011 will not be displayed.
Email Message to Voters: Candidates are permitted to develop one message to voters for email distribution. Candidates are not to distribute their own campaign material or messages by email; this is the responsibility of the Election Officer/Christabell Pinchin. Email messages should contain no more than 1000 characters and will be shared as received – spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. will not be corrected. Christabell Pinchin has the authority to remove information from the email message if it is determined to be offensive or in some way contrary to the Election Guidelines. The Candidates have the option of including their e-mail addresses, facebook page, website, etc. in the message. Messages must be received by October 27, 2011 at 4:00 p.m. Email messages should not contain graphics or attachments.
Campus-specific Rules: An Election Officer has the authority to establish campus-specific rules regarding an election; i.e., posting and removing notices, and the use of campus facilities for speeches or question and answer periods (consult an Election Officer for any such rules).
Candidate Behaviour
Any behaviour deemed inappropriate or in contradiction to the Guidelines for Board Elections – Staff could result in Candidates being removed from the Official Slate of Candidates. Should Candidates create Campaign Teams, it is the responsibility of the Candidate to ensure their team also understands and adheres to the Guidelines for Board Elections – Staff.
Voting Guidelines
A voter is only permitted to cast one vote, and is limited to voting for a person in his or her staff group, i.e., Academic Staff can only vote for Academic Staff, etc. Voting will take place online from October 31, 2011 to November 1, 2011. More details will be posted closer to the voting dates.
Tied Vote: In the event of a tie in the College-wide vote, Christabell Pinchin will draw by lotto to determine the winning candidate.
Acclamation: Where only one nomination is received from across the College, that candidate will be declared elected by acclamation.
Appeals: Appeals concerning any act or decision made in implementing the guidelines for this election may be made by a candidate directly to Christabell Pinchin. All appeals must be filed with Christabell Pinchin within 2 calendar days of the voting results being released.
Appointment Process
Christabell Pinchin will present a report on the elections process, including the results of the election and the recommendations to the Board for new appointments.
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