▼ Which positions are available in the election?

The positions available in the Winter 2025 general election are listed below. Positions will be held for a 1 year term starting May 1, 2025 and ending April 30, 2026 unless otherwise specified.

Please review DSU Bylaws 4-6 for more information about the roles and responsibilities of each position.

Executive Officer Positions

• President: The President is the chief spokesperson for the student union. They sit on the Dalhousie Board of Governors and Senate. The President also oversees all day-to-day operations of the Union and regularly represents students to government officials and senior administrators at the university.

• Vice President, Internal: The VPI is the main liaison between the Union and all student union societies. They assist societies in coordinating their activities and oversee Union communications–including official correspondence and the student union website. They also chair several committees, including the Student Accessibility Fund and Society Review Committee.

• Vice President, Academic and External: The VPAE is responsible for the student union’s advocacy and campaigns on academic and student issues, including tuition fees, student debt, academic integrity, and equity issues. They sit on the Dalhousie Senate and represent students on various university committees and through municipal, provincial, and federal lobby efforts. The VPAE is also a member of DSU Council and chairs the External Committee, as well as the union’s Senate Caucus.

Community Representative Positions

• Black Students Community Rep: The Black Students Community Representative is a member of DSU Council and brings forward the ideas, concerns, and viewpoints of Black students. They may collaborate with other councillors, societies, or DSU Offices to plan events, work on campaigns or policies, or initiate new projects. They will attend Council meetings and join at least one DSU Committee.

• Disabled Students Community Rep: The Disabled Students Community Representative is a member of DSU Council and brings forward the ideas, concerns, and viewpoints of disabled students. They may collaborate with other councillors, societies, or DSU Offices to plan events, work on campaigns or policies, or initiate new projects. They will attend Council meetings and join at least one DSU Committee.

• LGBTQ Students Community Rep: The LGBTQ Students Community Representative is a member of DSU Council and brings forward the ideas, concerns, and viewpoints of LGBTQ students. They may collaborate with other councillors, societies, or DSU Offices to plan events, work on campaigns or policies, or initiate new projects. They will attend Council meetings and join at least one DSU Committee.

• Residence Students Community Rep: The Residence Students Community Representative is a member of DSU Council and brings forward the ideas, concerns, and viewpoints of students living in residence at Dalhousie. They may collaborate with other councillors, societies, or DSU Offices to plan events, work on campaigns or policies, or initiate new projects. They will attend Council meetings and join at least one DSU Committee. NOTE: The Residence Rep must be living in residence at Dalhousie during the 2025/26 year.

• Women Students Community Rep: The Women Students Community Representative is a member of DSU Council and brings forward the ideas, concerns, and viewpoints of women students. They may collaborate with other councillors, societies, or DSU Offices to plan events, work on campaigns or policies, or initiate new projects. They will attend Council meetings and join at least one DSU Committee.

• Board of Governor Rep 2: The Board of Governor Representative 2 is a member of DSU Council that sits on the Dalhousie Board of Governors as a student representative for a 2- year term. They will attend Council meetings and join at least one DSU Committee.

• Indigenous Students: The Indigenous Students Community Representative is a member of DSU Council and brings forward the ideas, concerns, and viewpoints of Indigenous students. They may collaborate with other councillors, societies, or DSU Offices to plan events, work on campaigns or policies, or initiate new projects. They will attend Council meetings and join at least one DSU Committee.

• International Students: The International Students Community Representative is a member of DSU Council and brings forward the ideas, concerns, and viewpoints of International students. They may collaborate with other councillors, societies, or DSU Offices to plan events, work on campaigns or policies, or initiate new projects. They will attend Council meetings and join at least one DSU Committee.

Faculty Representative Positions: The Faculty Representatives are members of DSU Council that represent students studying within their Faculty. They will attend Council meetings and join at least one DSU Committee

• Faculty of Agriculture
• Faculty of Architecture and Planning
• Faculty of Arts and Social Science
• Faculty of Computer Science
• Faculty of Dentistry
• Faculty of Engineering
• Faculty of Graduate Studies
• Faculty of Health Professions
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Management
• Faculty of Medicine
• Faculty of Science

▼ Am I eligible to run for an executive officer position?

All students are eligible to run for an executive position, as long as they are a Dalhousie student for the duration of their term! For more information, see Bylaw 4.2.

▼ What is the time commitment for an Executive Officer position?

Executive Officers are expected to devote the time and attention to the role as may be required to carry out their responsibilities and meet the objectives of the Union, as outlined in DSU bylaws and policies. They are expected to set and maintain regular office hours to be accessible to Members and Union staff. These are full-time, paid positions. See Bylaw 5, the Executive Policy, and section 14 of the Financial Policy for more information.

▼ Am I eligible to run for a Community Representative position?

Council includes a representative for many key communities of Dalhousie students. Eligibility is based on self-identification with a specific community. Where membership in a community is through self-identification, the DSU honors a candidate's self-dentification and does not request proof of their identity.

Section 3 of the Elections and Referenda Policy states that:

• The Black Students Representative must self-identify as a Black student and be elected only by self-identifying Black Students.
• The Disabled Students Representative must self-identify as a disabled student and be elected only by self-identifying disabled students.
• The LGBTQ Students Representative must self-identify as an LGBTQ student and be elected only by self-identifying LGBTQ Students.
• The Residence Representative must live in a Dalhousie residence during their term and be elected only by students in residence.
• The Women Students Representative must self-identify as a woman and be elected only by self-identifying women students.
• The Indigenous Students Representative must self-identify as Indigenous and be elected only by self-identifying Indigenous students.
• The International Students Representative must be an International Student and be elected only by International Students.
  You must also meet the eligibility criteria outlined in Bylaw 4.2.

▼ How do I run in the general election?

To nominate yourself for a position, you must complete all the following steps:

1. Ensure that you are eligible for the position you would like to run for. Eligibility requirements can be found in sections 1-3 of the Elections & Referenda Policy and Bylaw 4.2.
2. Using a Microsoft Form which requires students to sign in with their Dalhousie email address, gather the names, B00s, and Dal email addresses of at least 25 other Dalhousie students who support your candidacy. Upload the results to the Nomination Form in the form of an Excel spreadsheet. If you'd prefer to collect signatures physically (or a mix of both), email dsucro@dal.ca for a template.
3. Gather the names, B00s, and Dal email addresses of the other students who will be your campaign workers during the election using this template. Campaign workers are optional. Unsure what a campaign worker is? Check out the next drop-down to find more information.
4. Record all the social media pages and handles you will be using to campaign using this template.
5. If you are running for Vice President (Finance and Operations), you must also complete the VPFO Technical Questionnaire.
6. Be sure to read Bylaw 9 and the Elections and Referenda Policy! Come prepared to the All Candidates Meeting with any questions you might have, or reach out in advance to the CRO at dsucro@dal.ca.
7. When nominations are open (between Jan. 30th and Feb. 13th), submit your completed spreadsheets (2-3 in total) and the rest of your nomination information through the online Nomination Form. The link to the Nominations Form will be posted when nominations open. In addition to uploading your completed spreadsheets, you will be asked for your: name, pronouns, B00, Dal email address, program/major/year of study, and confirmation that you have read Bylaw 9 and the Elections and Referenda Policy.

After you submit your nomination, you will also be required to attend the All Candidates Meeting and Anti-Oppression Training, submit a Candidate Questionnaire and, of course, campaign!

The All-Candidates Meeting will be held from 6-8pm on February 14th and the Candidate Questionnaire is due at 12 noon on February 24th. Campaigning begins February 25th at 8 AM.

▼ What are the important election dates and deadlines?

See the full Elections Period Schedule here. Find an overview of key dates below.

• January 30: Elections Period Begins; Nominations & Campaign Registration Opens
• February 10 @ 5 PM: Nominations & Campaign Registrations Close; deadline to submit Nomination Forms, Campaign Information Forms.*EXTENDED TO FEBRUARY 13TH
• February 14: All Candidates Meeting @ Boardroom B at 6PM:
• February 24 @ 12 PM: Deadline for campaigns to submit Candidate Questionnaires, posters, and handbills.
• February 24 @ 12 PM: Deadline for 1-Minute Campaign Video Submission
• February 25 @ 8 AM: Campaign Period Begins.
• February 25: Voting Details Released to All Students.
• February 27-28: Debates Held.
• March 5 @ 8PM: Campaign Period Ends; Deadline for Candidate to Withdraw.
• March 6 & 7: Voting Period.

▼ What is a campaign worker?

A campaign worker is an individual who has agreed to assist a candidate with campaigning in any capacity. If you are worried about running a campaign all on your own, you do not have to! All you need to do is ask someone if they would be willing to help with your campaign and then submit a list of campaign workers alongside your nomination form. You could have one, a few, or a whole team of campaign workers!

A campaign worker does not have to be a Dalhousie student, meaning you could ask a student from another institution or someone who is not a student. However, Dalhousie faculty, teaching assistants, and all other University staff must not serve as campaign workers. If a campaign worker is employed by the DSU in any capacity they must contact the CRO and inform them of their work. Furthermore, they must not campaign while they are working. Have questions about who can or cannot be a campaign worker? Email dsucro@dal.ca.

Campaign workers must abide by the Elections and Referenda Policy and attend the All-Candidates Meeting.