Each year the members of the TRU Students’ Union elects representatives to serve on the TRUSU Board of Directors for the society. These representatives are responsible for planning and implementing the activities of the Union and making decisions on behalf of the membership between annual general meetings.
Students elected in the 2023 TRUSU Election will serve from May 1st 2023 until April 30th 2024. Serving on the TRUSU Board of Directors is a great way to gain practical experience and serve the campus community, but it is also a large responsibility and time commitment. Please see the information below outlining the opportunity but also the commitment you are taking on if elected to the TRUSU Board of Directors.
Election Timeline
Nominations Open | February 27 at 9:00 AM |
Nominations Close | March 10 at 2:00 PM |
All Candidates Meeting (mandatory) | March 10 at 6:00 PM (Digital) |
Campaign Period | March 12 – March 23 at 5:00 PM |
Candidate Meet and Greet Forum | March 17 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM |
Voting | March 22 – March 23 at 5:00 PM |
Results Posted | March 23 |
Board of Directors Responsibilities
Board Meeting Attendance
Board of Directors meetings take place on the second Tuesday of each month at 4:00 PM and are approximately two hours in length. Scheduled classes or work are not an excuse for missing a Board Meeting. All candidates for election must be prepared to attend every Board of Directors meeting. Click here for a schedule of all Board of Directors meetings in the 2023/2024 term.
Committee Meeting Attendance
In addition to Board of Directors meetings, each representative is a member of at least one standing committee. Committee meetings are scheduled at times and dates set by a majority of the committee members and often take about one hour per week. Candidates should be prepared to attend and participate in those committee meetings regularly if elected.
Orientation & On-boarding
Each year the TRUSU holds a mandatory orientation for all board members. This orientation provides each representative with an overview of the organization, an understanding of their legal responsibilities as a director, and an opportunity to begin the planning process for the upcoming year and get familiar with their legal obligations as well as how the Union operates. The 2023/2024 Board of Directors Orientation will take place from May 1-3, 2023 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. If you are unable to attend the Board Orientation you should not nominate yourself for election.
Student Status
Members of the Board of Directors must maintain their status as members of the Thompson Rivers University Students Union for all regular terms that they serve on the Board of Directors. (Student do not need to take summer classes in order to maintain their status).
Honoraria
Members of the Board of Directors are eligible to receive a monthly honorarium for their hours worked to a maximum of 15 hours per week for members of the Executive and 10 hours per week for all other members of the Board.
Activities that are eligible for honoraria include:
- Attendance at meetings of the Board of Directors;
- Attendance at meetings of the standing committee(s) of the Union to which they are elected;
- Activities of the standing committee(s) to which they are elected approved in the committee(s) annual plan;
- Activities of the standing committee(s) to which they are elected not included in the committee(s) annual plan but that fall within the scope of the committee(s) terms of reference and that are approved in advance at a meeting the of the committee(s);
- Participation in delegations of the Union approved in advance at a meeting of the Board of Directors for which a post-activity report has been received;
Positions & Individual Responsibilities
There are 20 positions on the TRUSU Board of Directors up for election each year. Find out more about the individual responsibilities of each of those positions by clicking on the titles below.
President
The President shall:
- Be the spokesperson of the Union;
- Chair meetings of the Board of Directors;
- Act as the liaison between the Institution and the Union;
- Act as a signing authority for the Union;
- Act as the liaison with the staff of the Union;
- Be responsible for maintaining and ensuring the implementation of the Constitution, Bylaws, and Policy of the Union and discipline of Board of Directors members and/or appointees as deemed necessary;
- Coordinate and delegate responsibilities to Board of Directors members and/or appointees as deemed necessary;
- Chair the Student Caucus.
Vice President Equity
The Vice President Equity shall:
- Oversee the equity activities of the Union;
- Act as a liaison between the Union and campus equity groups;
- Chair the Equity Committee of the Union;
- Act as a signing authority of the Union.
Vice President External
The Vice President External shall:
- Communicate regularly with all levels of government;
- Act as the liaison between the Union and its coalition partners;
- Oversee the campaigns wok of the Union;
- Chair the Campaigns Committee of the Union;
- Act as a signing authority of the Union.
Vice President Internal
The Vice President Internal shall:
- Co-ordinate the events of the Union;
- Chair the Entertainment Committee of the Union;
- Oversee the entertainment work of the Union;
- Act as a signing authority of the Union.
Vice President Services
The Vice President Services shall:
- Oversee the business operations and services of the Union;
- Act as the liaison between the Union and campus clubs and organizations;
- Chair the Services Committee of the Union;
- Act as a signing authority of the Union.
Accessibility Representative
In order to run for this position, candidates must self-identify as a person with an accessibility issue.
The Accessibility Representative shall:
- Present a perspective of persons with accessibility issues to the Board of
Directors and ensure that the Board of Directors is informed with regards to
persons with accessibility issues and rights; - Represent the Union on campus and in the community with respect to persons
with disability issues and rights; - Be a member of the Equity Committee of the Union;
- Assist with the implementation of the equity initiatives of the Union.
Graduate Student Representative
In order to run for this position, candidates must be registered at Thompson Rivers University in a Graduate Program (click here for a list of all graduate programs at TRU). The Graduate Representative shall:
- present a perspective of graduate students to the Board of Directors and ensure that the Board of Directors is informed with regards to graduate student issues and rights;
- represent the Union on campus and in the community with respect to graduate student issues and rights;
- be a member of the University Affairs Committee of the Union.
LGBTQ+ Representative
In order to run for this position candidates must self-identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. The LGBTQ Representative shall:
- present perspectives of a diversity of gender and sexual constructions and orientations to the Board of Directors and ensure that the Board of Directors is informed with regards to gender and sexuality issues and rights;
- represent the Union on campus and in the community with respect to gender issues and rights;
- be a member of the Equity Committee of the Union;
- assist with the implementation of the equity initiatives of the Union.
Indigenous Representative
In order to run for this position, candidates must identify as Indigenous. The Indigenous Representative shall:
- present an Indigenous perspective to the Board of Directors and ensure that the Board of Directors is informed with regards to Indigenous issues and rights;
- represent the Union on campus and in the community with respect to Indigenous issues and rights;
- be a member of the Equity Committee of the Union;
- assist with the implementation of the equity initiatives of the Union.
International Student Representative
In order to run for this position, candidates must be registered as an International Student at Thompson Rivers University. The International Representative shall:
- present a perspective of international students to the Board of Directors and ensure that the Board of Directors is informed with regards to international student issues and rights;
- represent the Union on campus and in the community with respect to international student issues and rights;
- be a member of the University Affairs Committee of the Union;
- assist the University Affairs Committee with the implementation of its work.
Racialized Persons Representative
In order to run for this position, candidates must identify as a visible minority. The Racialized Persons Representative shall:
- present a perspective of racialized persons to the Board of Directors and ensure that the Board of Directors is informed with regards to racialized student issues and rights;
- represent the Union on campus and in the community with respect to racialized student issues and rights;
- be a member of the Equity Committee of the Union;
- assist with the implementation of the equity initiatives of the Union.
Women’s Representative
In order to run for this position, candidates must identify as a woman. The Women’s Representative shall:
- present a feminist perspective to the Board of Directors and ensure that the Board of Directors is informed with regards to gender issues and rights;
- represent the Union on campus and in the community with respect to gender issues and rights;
- be a member of the Equity Committee of the Union;
- assist with the implementation of the equity initiatives of the Union.
Campaigns Committee Representative (2)
The Campaigns Committee Representative shall:
- be a member of the Campaigns Committee;
- assist the Campaigns Committee with the implementation of its work.
Entertainment Committee Representative (2)
The Entertainment Committee Representative shall:
- be a member of the Entertainment Committee;
- assist the Entertainment Committee with the implementation of its work.
Services Committee Representative (2)
The Services Committee Representative shall:
- be a member of the Services Committee;
- assist the Services Committee with the implementation of its work.
University Affairs Committee Representative (2)
The University Affairs Committee Representative shall:
- be a member of the University Affairs Committee;
- assist the University Affairs Committee with the implementation of its work.
Nominations
Nominations open on February 27, 2023 at 9:00 AM for all of the positions above. Nominations must be submitted online (see button below). Please keep in mind that a single student cannot complete more than one nomination form. Nominations must be completed and submitted before 2:00PM on March 10, 2023.
Submit a Nomination Form
In order to complete a nomination form you will need to include the following information:
- Your personal contact information
- A copy of your Course Registration Data Form (click here for a video on how to find your form)
- A profile picture and write up for your candidacy
- The name of your electoral slate/team (if you have one)