BOARD OF GOVERNORS’ ELECTION 2026
INTERNALBOARD CANDIDATES’NOMINATION PACKAGE
This section of information is intended for those students who wish to be nominated
for the position of Student Representative on the George Brown Polytechnic’s
Board of Governors. Enclosed, you will find information related to the nomination
and election process to the Polytechnic’s Board of Governors. The kit includes
background on the Board itself, frequency of meetings, general duties of a Board
member, a nomination form which must be signed by five nominators and the
nominee as indicated, and a brief Questions & Answers document.
The nominations and election process shall be managed by the George Brown
College Student Association, using policies and processes as ratified by its Board of
Directors. For details regarding the campaigning and voting procedures, refer to
the document published by the George Brown College Student Association for
elections to their Board of Directors.
3.4 NUMBER OF GOVERNORS
The affairs of the Polytechnic shall be managed by its Board of Governors. The
Board of Governors shall consist of seventeen Governors being:
(a) the President of the Polytechnic, who shall be an ex-officio Governor with the
right to vote;
(b) one student, one Academic Staff Employee, one Administrative Staff Employee
and one Support Staff Employee, each of whom shall be elected in accordance
with the policy and procedures established by the Board of Governors (hereinafter
referred to as the “Internal Governor(s)”); and
(c) twelve other Governors (such Governors hereinafter referred to as “External
Governor(s)”), four of whom shall be appointed by the LGIC and eight of whom
shall be appointed by the members of the Board holding office at the time of the
appointment; provided that none of the Governors appointed under this subsection
shall be an employee or a student of a Polytechnic of applied arts and technology.
From: BY-LAW NUMBER 1 THE GEORGE BROWN COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS
AND TECHNOLOGY
BOARD FUNCTIONS
The Board of Governors makes decisions that touch all areas of College life. The Board’s
representatives review and debate everything from the College’s annual operating budget
to the approval of new programs. Board members also sit on Board standing committees
which may meet bi-monthly to deal with specific issues such as academic and student
affairs, property, and finances. Board members also participate in a number of special
College events, such as Board Orientation, an annual retreat, and spend several hours
each month reading material, preparing for meetings, and talking with fellow Board
members or their constituents.
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE
The Student Representative to the Board solicits student input, represents students’
interests at George Brown Polytechnic as an internal board member, and communicates
information and matters of relevance from the Board to the student body. As a Governor,
the Student Representative to the Board is required to abide by the Board of Governors
By Law 1 and all applicable Board policies. For more information, please see Board
Bylaws and Policies | George Brown Polytechnic
GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES
• Regular attendance at Board meetings
• Membership in the Academic and Student Affairs (ASA) Committee
• Ad-hoc attendance at other meetings as requested or required
• Available for ongoing structured opportunities to meet with students, other Board
members, and College management in connection with matters of the Board
SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ATTRIBUTES
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellent time management
• Results-oriented
TERM OF OFFICE
September 1, 2026 – August 31, 2027.
Article 3.9
Internal Governors who are elected by the students shall hold office for a term of one
year, commencing on the 1st day of September in the year of their election. Internal
Governors who are elected by the students shall not serve for more than four years
consecutively, but are eligible for re-election after two years’ absence from the Board of
Governors for successive terms not to exceed four years in total.
ELIGIBILITY
Only full-time students enrolled in a program at the Polytechnic and who will continue to
be enrolled in such a program during the 2026/2027 academic year may be nominated
for the Internal Governor. They shall possess a passing GPA of 2.75 and must be
nominated by five students enrolled on the date the election is called.
A student who graduates prior to the end of the term of office may remain a member of
the Board; however, a student who withdraws from the Polytechnic prior to the end of the
term ceases to be a member of the Board.
BOARD MEETINGS
The Board of Governors meets bi-monthly except for the months of July and August.
Meetings typically begin at 4:00 p.m. and usually last about two hours. In addition, there
are meetings of the standing committees in alternate months to the full Board and a fullday retreat.
Special Meetings may be called from time to time at the discretion of the Board Chair.
STANDING COMMITTEES
There are five standing committees. These are:
• Academic and Student Affairs Committee
• Finance and Property Committee
• Audit Committee
• Governance Committee
• Executive Committee
• People and Technology Committee
Each Board member is expected to sit on one of these committees. Generally
Committees meet bi-monthly with the exception of the months of July and August.
Depending on the committee, meetings normally begin either at 5:00 p.m. or 5:30 p.m.
and usually last approximately two hours.
ELECTIONS PROCESS
Refer to the 2026 Student Association Election Package available from the Student
Association office on your campus for a schedule of key dates and appropriate election
processes.
MORE INFORMATION
Further information on the Board, the election process or answers to questions may be
obtained from the Secretary of the Board of Governors at
BoardSecretariat@georgebrown.ca
Notice to Study Permit Holder
You are required to read and sign “The Notice and Acknowledgment for Study Permit Holders Seeking Executive Positions” which outlines the legal requirements for all study permit holders while seeking election, please read and review this information carefully, as a nomination cannot be validated without the information required on the notice.
Position Overview:
The Director of Communications and Internal:
- is the official spokesperson of the Student Association to the general public, George Brown College, campus groups, and at college functions and monitor all Board of Directors personnel files and related HR documents at the head office of the corporation.
- is a signing officer for cheques and contracts for the Student Association; and
- coordinates the work of the Board of Directors and the Annual General Meeting.
Summary of Role of the Board of Directors as per VDAM: In Accordance with the By-Law 4, Section 1, and Section 2, General Duties – Directors
- Every Director in exercising their powers and discharging shall:
- act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the Corporation; and
- exercise the care, diligence, and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances.
Duties – Director of Communications and Internal
- Director of Communications and Internal shall: a) Be the official spokesperson of the corporation to the general public, George Brown College, campus groups, and at college and external functions where a representation of the corporation is required.
- Oversee the keeping of records of meetings, policies, membership, and any other records required by law.
- Receive remuneration of $17.60 per hour and meet the obligations of a 28– hour work week during their term of office.
- Perform all duties as outlined in the Voting Director’s Accountability
Manual.
Governance Oversight:
- Must complete all mandatory onboarding requirements and attend all mandatory trainings during the SA Board orientation period. Failure to fulfill these requirements will activate the board mediation committee.
- Shall be the official spokesperson of the corporation to the general public, George Brown College, campus groups, and at college functions and monitor all Board of Directors personnel files and related HR documents at the head office of the corporation.
- Serve as a signing officer of the Student Association. Contracts, cheques, and other documents to be executed by the corporation must be physically signed by the signing officer, or otherwise.
- Work with the General Manager and Executive Committee in the creation and removal of positions within the organizational structure of the staff and ensure the viability of the organizational structure of the corporation.
- Learn and understand current legislation and governing policies of the corporation and ensure that the Board adheres to its own rules and those that are legitimized by statute, regulation and address any deviations from the By Laws by its directors.
- Responsible for calling at least one (1) in office General Meeting of the Members, and minimum monthly in office meetings of the Board of Directors.
Board Accountability:
- Work with the Director of Operations to monitor the performance of voting Directors to ensure adherence to the Constitution and By-Laws, Voting
Director’s Accountability Manual, Director Remuneration Policy, Policies and
Procedures Manual, Voting Director’s Code of Conduct and Conflict of
Interest Policy, and other subsequent governing documents.
Develop, implement, and improve methods of evaluating voting Directors performance based on the information provided within the monthly Board Reports, Board Accountability Report, and direct feedback from directors.
- Assist with training of all appointed board members and board members elected during Fall By-Elections and shall be responsible for ensuring that all activities and endorsements of the Board reflect the anti-oppressive mandate of the corporation.
- Provide written report on work and future work to Board of Directors monthly using the approved Board report template.
- Complete a transition report summarizing the year’s deliverables, key contacts, and works in progress and present the report to the General Manager and incoming Directors of the same position during the mandatory transitional training.
- Receive a remuneration of $17.60 per hour by meeting the obligations of 28 hours work week, and is available to work in office, a minimum of 24 hours during regular office hours of the corporation on a consistent and predictable basis. The remaining hours reported through work plan, student engagement, and conferences.
*The remuneration shall be adjusted each year based on CPI increases.
Communication Oversight:
- a) In conjunction with Marketing and Communications Committee and Operations Manager, plans an advertising strategy for activities and events, develops marketing and public relations strategies and reviews monthly newsletter to ensure its presentable and contains all relevant information for students and circulated in a timely manner.
- Plans and makes recommendations on updates for Website, social media, and publications.
- Works in an advisory capacity with The Dialog and ensures The Dialog is
operating within the outlines of the corporation’s mission and mandate.
- Collects monthly content from directors for publications of the corporation.
- In conjunction with the Director of Student Experience, serve as a primary representative for encouraging student participation in elections of the Board of Directors, activities, and events.
- In conjunction with the Director of Education & Equity, develop political and equity-based campaigns.
Committees:
- a) Act as a Chair of and coordinate in office committee meetings, Internal Policies & Procedures Committee, Executive Committee, Board Mediation Committee, and Co-chair of Marketing and Communications Committee.
- Act as a Chair at meetings of the Board where an externally appointed Chairperson is unavailable and coordinate in office meetings
of the board.
- Actively participate in person and online in any other committees or ad hoc working groups external to the corporation, as determined by the Board of Directors or Executive Committee.
- Serve as a member and attend appropriate hiring committees.
Term of Office:
January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026
Requirements for Office:
- Cannot take a course load of more than fifty percent of the normal course load of a student in your program throughout their course of study.
- Students completing their course of studies in the Fall 2025 and beyond are eligible for this position.
- Must have at least a 3.0 Grade point average.
- Must submit a letter of reference during the elections process.
- Cannot have election or employee discipline on file in previous elections, as a member of the Board of Directors, or as a staff member of the Student Association.
- Must pass a test based on session provided by the Chief Returning Officer on the structure of the Student Association and the duties of the position.
- Cannot be employed by the College during their term of office.
How to apply for this position:
To apply to Director of Communications and Internal fill out the nomination form at https://www.studentassociation.ca/elections/ during the nomination period of Nov. 10-14, 2025.
The position receives a remuneration of $17.60 per hour for a 28-hour work week.
Mission Statement
We are committed to supporting each other and the Students of George Brown College in the struggle for students’ rights, the pursuit of quality education, and the provision of services, in a safe, accessible, and equitable environment.
