“The UOSU executive wants to ensure that the next Executive Committee is set up for success.”
On Jan. 9, the University of Ottawa Students’ Union (UOSU) announced the upcoming general elections for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Students may run for positions on the UOSU Executive Committee and Board of Directors, as well as the University of Ottawa (U of O) Senate and U of O Board of Governors.
While the nomination period began on Jan. 16, candidates will kick off their campaigns on Feb. 19, and voting will take place between March 5 and March 9, 2023.
In a statement to the Fulcrum, current UOSU president, Armaan Singh, said he is hopeful the elections will occur according to plan and that the outgoing executive team members will provide support to successful candidates as they find their footing within the organization.
“We hope that the UOSU general elections go smoothly, with candidates who present their visions for their student union and how it can best represent student interests and priorities. All members will be preparing comprehensive transition reports for their successors; we will plan group and bilateral transition meetings between the outgoing and incoming Executive teams; and line up the appropriate trainings, presentations, and workshops for the incoming Executive team.”
The 2022-2023 academic year has been a tumultuous one for the student union, with controversy surrounding the Fall General Assembly, and a high turnover rate within the association representing the U of O’s more than 30,000 undergraduate students. As of Jan. 18, two of the executive positions are listed as being vacant on UOSU’s website.
Despite these challenges, the UOSU Executive Committee remains dedicated to students, according to Singh.
“We fought against tuition increases, and continually advocated for the student interest to our university administration and our provincial and federal governments. We continued to ensure that the Union was providing a wide range of high quality, accessible, and relevant services to students and chances for them to volunteer and contribute to positive change within our university community.”
“We successfully planned the first in-person 101-week since the outbreak of the pandemic, with student safety and efforts to reignite student life at heart. We continued to ensure that student funds were used to empower students, that our health and dental insurance was being expanded upon to best serve students, and that we continued to create more well-paying jobs for students.”
In addition, Singh mentioned steps were taken to improve how the union operates.
“Within the union, we undertook several reforms to ensure that the organization is partaking in equitable practices and that it has a robust and democratic governance structure.”
With regard to prospective candidates, Singh encourages students to do their research before they apply.
“I would advise that all students who are interested in running in the general elections check the constitution of the UOSU to ensure that they are fully aware of the parameters of each mandate and understand what the role entails.”
More information on the General Elections can be found on their website.
