Fall 2024 elections
In October, members will elect the next president to lead the UWSA operations team. The successful candidate will serve as president-elect for one year and assume the role of president in November 2024, followed by one year as past president.
Members will also elect new directors to help govern the association for the next three years.
Voting eligibility
All staff who are UWSA members by October 1 will be eligible to vote in these elections.
What’s involved – President
The president has overall strategic and operational responsibility for the UWSA’s employees, its programs and services, and the execution of its mission and strategic plan.
The complete term is a three-year commitment with three distinct roles:
- In the first year, the president-elect continues in their regular campus role while also working closely with the president, who helps prepare them to step into the role of president. This preparation may include recommending training to bridge any gaps in knowledge, skills, or abilities.
- In the second year, the president position is a full-time one-year secondment to the UWSA during which the president receives their regular UW salary plus a stipend equivalent to 10% of USG 13.
- In the third year, the past president supports the president and provides continuity, while returning to their regular campus role.
The University grants the equivalent of three days each month of release time from regular duties for the president-elect and past president. Some of the benefits of serving in this role include better understanding how the University works, building cross-campus relationships, and developing leadership capacity.
What’s involved – Directors
Collectively, the Board of Directors guides the high-level strategic governance of the UWSA and provides advice and direction to the Operations Team. The Board also provides oversight to ensure compliance with the organization’s by-laws, governance policies and legislative requirements.
Individually, directors are expected to regularly attend and actively participate in board and committee meetings; bring their best ideas to the table by considering each topic at hand and establishing a perspective; and participate in training and development activities. Any director may eventually fill an officer role: secretary, treasurer, chair, or vice chair, which have additional responsibilities.
Directors receive one day a month of release time from their regular work duties to attend to UWSA business. Some of the benefits of serving as a director include getting training in governance principles and developing working relationships with colleagues from across campus, including senior members of University leadership.
Directors are also the pool from which most staff representatives on the Staff Relations Committee (SRC) and Provost's Advisory Committee on Staff Compensation (PACSC) are selected. These are two important committees that shape our working conditions and compensation, and some directors will serve in this capacity, in addition to their role on the board.
How to run
- Get support for your nomination from three UWSA members (make sure they are members; not all staff are!). They will need to fill out the Nominator Support Form (deadline to be announced).
- Fill out the Candidate Nomination Form to submit your nomination (deadline to be announced).
- Once you submit the nomination form, you’ll receive a link to fill out a candidate profile to be posted on the UWSA website. The form will ask you for a statement up to 300 words describing why you're running, the skills or experience you have that would enable you to make valuable contributions, and, for presidential candidates, your approach to leadership and collaboration and how you'll apply it to representing all UWSA members.
