On January 26, 2023, the CCSAI hosted a Special General Meeting to make important changes to the Elections Eligibility section of the CCSAI ByLaws with the approval of Centennial Students!
The board of directors regularly reviews the bylaws and proposes changes to meet the dynamic needs of students and stay up-to-date with current student conditions. Bylaws are the highest governing documents at CCSAI, so any proposed changes need to be approved by students at a General Meeting.
Over our last two Special General Meetings, here are the changes you helped us approve!
- Removed Co-op and placement restrictions for joining the board
- Students enrolled in coop or placements were ineligible for board roles. Since some campuses and schools have more coop and placements than others, we identified this as a barrier for students. Now that board members can be working hybrid, and coops and placements are becoming flexible, this was an unnecessary restriction to joining the board
- Added hourly commitment expectation to vice president and president position
- Though the commitment is identified in board role descriptions (35 hours per week for presidents and 15 per week for vice presidents), adding it to the bylaws provides more transparency and clarity on what students can expect when running for board roles.
- Removing possibilities for acclaimed candidates
- Previously, when students nominated themselves for CCSAI elections as the only candidate running for the position, they automatically got the position (acclaimed). We felt this took away the opportunity from general students to elect who represents them on the board. The new changes will require all election candidates to campaign and win a majority vote from general students to claim a board position.
- Flexible terms for students in their last year
- Previously, students had to be enrolled in two semesters (out of three) to be eligible for vice president positions. With the increasing trend of studying off-model routes, students in their last semester often only took a few courses as they completed their program requirements. Now students studying part-time in their last semester of study will still be eligible to run for a board position.
Thank you for being engaged owners of CCSAI! By giving your proxy to a board member or voting live at our meetings, you helped make CCSAI more accessible and democratic for students now and years to come! Thank you for trusting us to represent you.
Tima Shah
President CCSAI 2022 – 2023