Elections Information

Any voter, considering themselves to be qualified to vote in the elections may provide evidence to the Registrar who will make a decision to allow or disallow the casting of a ballot by that individual.

Single seat

• In a category with a single seat available in the election, the candidate with the highest number of votes in the category shall be declared elected.

Two or more seats

• In a category with two or more seats available in the election, the candidate with the highest number of votes will be declared elected for the first seat. The candidate with the second highest number of votes will be declared elected for the second seat, and so on until all the seats have been filled.

At large seat

• Applicable for BCGEU Vocational Instructors [PDF – Appendix Three]
• BCGEU Vocational Instructors are granted three (3) votes; one vote for a candidate from each of the three (3) representative Schools. After the three School constituency seats are declared, the fourth at large constituency seat will be filled by the individual with the next highest vote count amongst the remaining candidates.

When a winner cannot be declared because of two or more candidates receiving an equal number of votes, a run-off election will be held. The Registrar will ascertain whether each of the tied candidates wishes to participate in a run-off election. If only one candidate is willing to run again, that candidate will be declared elected. The run-off election, between these candidates only, shall be conducted using similar conditions and terms as in the original election.  If the 2nd election also results in a tie, the winner will be determined through a coin toss. The candidates will be notified of the results of the election via e-mail.

If a candidate is declared elected but declines to accept the seat before the term of office begins, the candidate with the next highest number of votes shall be declared elected.

The results of the elections shall be announced to the BCIT community by the Office of the Registrar.

The Registrar is responsible for conducting the elections held under the provisions of the Act. The Registrar will make any decisions or procedural amendments necessary to conduct these elections.

The Registrar will be an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Elections Appeal Committee.

The terms and conditions of the election, as set out by the Registrar in this Report, are not subject to appeal. However, the implementation of the election process may be subject to appeal.

For purposes of these elections, an Elections Appeal Committee will adjudicate any appeals. The Committee will be composed of one uninvolved representative from each of the following groups:

• BC Government Employees’ Union representing employees of Local 59 (Support Staff Unit)
• BC Government Employees’ Union representing employees of Local 703 (Instructional Unit)
• BCIT Faculty and Staff Association
• BCIT Student Association

None of these representatives will be candidates or nominators of candidates.

Elected students serve a one-year term of office, from June 1st to May 31st. Students are elected annually, and may seek re-election. Faculty and Support Staff members of the Board are elected for a 3-year term, and may seek re-election. For the Faculty position, all FSA employees and all GEU instructional staff are eligible.

Students are full voting members of the Board and will have the opportunity to shape policy for the Institute. This will also give them insight into how boards work, which is valuable for any future employment; and it provides first-hand experience for serving on other boards.

Meetings

Once elected to the Board of Governors there will be an Orientation Session which all new governors are expected to attend. The Board of Governors meets at least six times per year. In addition, there are several conference calls throughout the year, and a number of institutional events to which governors will be invited.

Meetings are generally held on Tuesdays from 1:00–5:00 p.m. at the Burnaby campus, but the location will vary. Materials are sent out electronically several days before the meetings and governors are expected to have read all the materials prior to the meeting and to be prepared to participate in discussions.

Attendance is taken at meetings, and all governors are expected to attend every meeting. If a governor cannot attend, they must inform the Secretary as soon as possible.

Stipend

There is a stipend of $2,000 per year.

Elected members typically serve a two-year term of office. The student constituency (4 student representatives) serve a one-year term. At the first meeting of the new Council in June of each year, the EdCo Chair and Vice Chairs will be elected for the year.

All elected members serve on Education Council and one EdCo standing committee. The EdCo year runs from June 1 through May 31 each year. There are no Council or standing committee meetings scheduled over the summer break.

Meetings

There will be approximately six EdCo meetings and six standing committee meetings in any given EdCo year. Meeting dates for an upcoming year are established in the spring. Barring unforeseen circumstances, EdCo members should be prepared to attend all meetings.

EdCo meetings take place in person in the SE40 – Royal Oak Campus Boardroom and are scheduled on Wednesday afternoons from 2:30–4:30 p.m. Typically, standing committee meetings are also scheduled on Wednesday afternoons and held virtually. Meeting packages for EdCo and standing committee meetings are distributed to members electronically seven calendar days prior to the meeting.

Stipend

The student representatives receive a financial stipend which is based on attendance at EdCo and standing committee meetings. $100 per meeting to a maximum of $1,000 per year.

EdCo is a legislated body and is governed by the College and Institute Act.