FAUW Elections

The FAUW president leads and oversees the association's operations as well as representing the association at the University and in the broader community.

The president is charged with the general management and supervision of the association's affairs and helps to set the tone for FAUW's organizational culture. They are expected to work collaboratively with a range of stakeholder groups and communicate effectively with members about the association’s work on their behalf. The president chairs bi-weekly board meetings, supervises staff, and assigns tasks to board members and other FAUW volunteers. The FAUW president is also a champion for academic freedom, collegial governance, and equity, and works with the University administration to promote FAUW’s objectives.

In addition to co-chairing the Faculty Relations Committee, they also serve on the University Senate and Senate Executive. They participate in advocacy at the provincial and national levels through the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) and the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT).

The president’s role is challenging but can also be immensely rewarding. As the representative voice of faculty, it provides an opportunity to make a real difference in the working and learning conditions at Waterloo. In recognition of the significant workload involved, the FAUW president normally receives multiple course releases to attend to this vital role, at the discretion of the Board of Directors. The president is elected to serve a two-year term and may be re-elected once consecutively. Upon completion of their term, they shall serve as past president, normally for one year, if available.

For more information about FAUW governance and the responsibilities of the Board of Directors and president, please see the FAUW Constitution and our Memorandum of Agreement with the University.

Primary Responsibilities

1. Chair all Board of Directors meetings and lead the Board to fulfill its objectives as outlined in the FAUW Constitution. Work with the executive manager to set meeting agendas.
2. Chair every second Faculty Relations Committee meeting, and meet with the Vice President Academic & Provost bi-weekly to set FRC agendas.
3. Attend FAUW general meetings and work with staff and the Executive Committee to set the agenda.
4. Be familiar with Roberts Rules of Order which govern Association meetings and work with the FAUW Parliamentarian to apply them.
5. Interpret and apply the FAUW Constitution and Memorandum of Agreement as they pertain to FAUW operations.
6. Prepare written and oral reports to Board and general meetings.
7. Collaborate on preparing communications to members as needed.
8. Collaborate on preparing official association communications to the University administration as needed.
9. Supervise the executive manager.
10. Be the spokesperson of the Association.

Secondary Responsibilities

1. Attend Senate and Senate Executive meetings as an ex officio member.
2. Attend Board of Governors meetings.
3. Meet with the University President and Vice President Academic & Provost as needed.
4. Attend Council of Representatives meetings and work with the FAUW vice president and staff to set agendas.
5. Serve as an ex-officio member of all FAUW standing committees to stay informed about committee initiatives.
6. Attend New Faculty Orientation events with FAUW staff, or delegate to another Board member.
7. Collaborate with staff to set the agenda for the Board Retreat and Orientation in August or September each year.
8. Attend Canadian Association of University Teachers’ (CAUT) Council meetings as FAUW’s delegate. There are two CAUT Council meetings per year, normally in Ottawa.
9. Attend CAUT’s President’s Forum in January.
10. Monitor developments in the post-secondary arena and at the University of Waterloo that are of interest to FAUW members.

The FAUW Board of Directors oversees FAUW governance and strategic direction, including in relation to the budget, policy development, salary negotiations, and the protection of member rights.

In general, boards of directors for any association act in the best interests of the organization, set the overall direction of the organization, and are concerned with mission achievement, long-term viability, stakeholder trust and confidence, and financial stewardship.

FAUW directors are expected to stay current on issues before the Board, and to prepare for and participate in biweekly Board meetings (Thursdays at 2:30, September through June). Typically, a Board member will also assume a leadership role on a particular matter within the Board mandate that is of personal interest. Some Board members may represent FAUW on University committees that require a Board member. Four Board members, in addition to the president, serve on the Faculty Relations Committee and meet with university administrators every two weeks to negotiate faculty working conditions.

More information

• See our "Being a Board Member" page for more about the responsibilities of directors.
• For official explanations of Board governance and responsibilities, please see the FAUW Constitution and our Memorandum of Agreement with the University.
• Read "The FAUW Board: A great way to get started in collegial governance" on our blog and our Faculty Guide page on collegial governance for an explanation of how governance works at Waterloo and FAUW's role in it.

Faculty members who have opted in as voting members of the Faculty Association are eligible to run, nominate candidates, and vote in FAUW elections. Renison Association of Academic Staff members are not eligible.

Are you a member yet?

Here's the easiest way to check if you have voting rights: Voting members' emails from FAUW have [FAUW Voters] in the subject line. Non-voters' emails start with just [FAUW].

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Voting for new directors happens every March, with results announced at the Spring General Meeting in April.