This is notification that the results of the 2024-25 SOGS PRESIDENTIAL election are in!
Congratulations goes out to Cherin Chung on becoming the 2024-25 SOGS President. Cherin’s will take office on May 1, 2024. Below are the voting results:
SOGS 2024-25 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RESULTS
Option | Votes |
---|---|
YES | 153 (91.1%) |
NO | 15(8.9%) |
Voter Summary | |
Total | 177 |
Abstain | 9 (5.1%) |
This is notification that the SOGS first annual election for a BOARD OF DIRECTORS will take place in April 2024.
Learn more about these upcoming elections below:
This is notification that the results of the 2024-25 SOGS PRESIDENTIAL election are in! Congratulations goes out to Cherin Chung as the 2024-25 SOGS President. Cherin’s will take office on May 1, 2024. Below are the voting results The SOGS Chief Returning Officer received one (1) nomination for the position of SOGS President — CHERIN CHUNG. POLLING: SOGS members can vote for Cherin Chung in a CONFIDENCE VOTE online via the University Secretariat’s Simply Voting portal from Thursday, March 7th at 8am to Friday, March 8th at 8pm. ➡️ https://westernuniversitysecretariat.simplyvoting.com/ Originally from London, Ontario, Cherin’s roots are deeply embedded in the local Middlesex community. She obtained her BA’21 honours in English Language and Literature and MA’22 in French Literature at Western University — Cherin is a true Mustang at heart! She is currently in the second year of her PhD, specializing in 19th-century French literature with a focus on feminist epistolary writing. CAMPAIGN PRIORITIES: Priority 1: Strengthen and Build Priority 2: Grow and Belong Priority 3: Enhance and Balance The NOMINATION PERIOD is now CLOSED. The CAMPAIGN PERIOD runs from Wednesday, February 21 at 8 a.m. to Wednesday, March 6, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.. A Town Hall will be held on Wednesday, March 6 at 6pm on Zoom. Submit your questions to Cherin via the Zoom registration: POLLING: SOGS members can vote for Cherin Chung in a CONFIDENCE VOTE online via the University Secretariat’s Simply Voting portal from Thursday, March 7th at 8am to Friday, March 8th at 8pm. ➡️ https://westernuniversitysecretariat.simplyvoting.com/ The position of SOGS President will be up for election in the Winter 2023 Term. The position runs from May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024. The President oversees the day-to-day operations of the Society of Graduate Students. The President: Elections-related questions can be directed to the CRO, Kevin Moore (cro@sogs.ca). The president receives a monthly stipend of $3,099.60 (gross) for the 2024-25 year. Note: If insufficient nominations are received by February 16th, the below dates will be used to extend the nomination period. As of May 1, 2024: Position Month of election Term Begins Appeals Review Commission November December 1 President As established by the University Secretariat – March of each year May 1 Vice-Presidents April May 1 Speaker April May 1 Deputy Speaker April May 1 Ombudsperson April May 1 Commissioners April May 1 Coordinators April May 1 Chief Returning Officer April May 1 Graduate Representative to the Senate As established by the University Secretariat As established by the University Secretariat Graduate Representative to the Board of Governors As established by the University Secretariat As established by the University Secretariat The RACIAL EQUITY AND INCLUSIVITY COMMISSIONER and ACCESSIBILITY COMMISSIONER roles for the 2023-24 year have been vacated and require a by-election. The by-election will take place at the SOGS Council Meeting on January 25, 2024! ABOUT COMMISSIONERS: SOGS Commissioners operate as independent, elected community advocates that are Non-Executive Officers of the Society. COMPENSATION: Commissioners earn an honorarium of $1,500 per year ($500 per academic term), pro-rated. TIME COMMITMENT: Commissioners are expected to serve a 5-month term, starting December 1, 2023, ending on April 30, 2024. ACCESSIBILITY COMMISSIONER The Accessibility Commissioner advocates on behalf of SOGS members with disabilities and those that face accessibility challenges. Their primary role is to work towards greater accessibility and inclusivity for those with a wide range of disabilities (including but not limited to physical disabilities, mental disabilities/disorders and learning disabilities) and accessibility challenges (including but not limited to parents of children with disabilities) that have historically been insufficiently accounted for within society. Interested in nominating yourself? Reach out to our VP Advocacy, Cherin Chung (advocacy@sogs.ca), for more information. RACIAL EQUITY AND INCLUSIVITY COMMISSIONER The SOGS Racial Equity and Inclusivity Commissioner advocates for racialized graduate students on issues and concerns affecting them at Western University. The commissioner will work with campus partners and community members to enhance the quality of student experience for racialized SOGS members. Interested in nominating yourself? Reach out to our VP Advocacy, Cherin Chung (advocacy@sogs.ca), for more information. SOGS members in good standing wishing to nominate themselves to any of the positions must send their nomination (and a 1-page election poster/platform for inclusion in the SOGS Council mail-out) to the SOGS Governance & Policy Manager (sogs.governance@uwo.ca) no later than Tuesday, June 21 by 4pm. SPEAKER The position runs from July 1, 2023 – April 30, 2024. The Speaker oversees and administers SOGS Council. The Speaker: More details on position of Speaker is available in the SOGS Constitution & Bylaws (primarily under Bylaws 2.2.2.) The most current version can be downloaded at sogs.ca/documents. If you have any questions about the role, please reach out to the current Speaker, kirstyn seanor (speaker@sogs.ca), or the Governance & Policy Manager, Nick DeSumma (sogs.governance@uwo.ca), who will be more than happy to chat with you! DEPUTY SPEAKER The position runs from June 1, 2023 – April 30, 2024. The Deputy Speaker oversees and maintains SOGS’ bylaws and policies, as well as serve concurrently as the Deputy Chief Returning Officer (DCRO). As DCRO, the Deputy Speaker investigates matters of campaign improprieties and charges of appeals during SOGS elections. The Deputy Speaker: More details on position of Speaker are available in the SOGS Constitution & Bylaws (primarily under Bylaws 2.2.4 and 2.2.9.) The most current version can be downloaded at sogs.ca/documents. If you have any questions about the role, please reach out to the current Speaker, kirstyn seanor (speaker@sogs.ca), or the SOGS Governance and Policy Manager, Nick DeSumma (sogs.governance@uwo.ca), who will be more than happy to chat with you! Elected Vice-Presidential candidates are expected to serve a 12-month term from May 1, 2023 until April 30, 2024. SOGS members in good standing wishing to nominate themselves to any of the positions must send their nomination (and a 1-page election poster/platform for inclusion in the SOGS Council mail-out) to the SOGS Governance & Policy Manager (sogs.governance@uwo.ca) no later than April 19 at 5 pm. SOGS Vice-President Academic The VP Academic oversees the Peer Advisor for Academic Matters program, which provides guidance and mediation for the graduate student academic appeals process. More information can be found here. Please see section 2.1.4 of our Bylaws for a full description of the obligations of the VP Academic. SOGS Vice-President Advocacy Please see section 2.1.3 of our Bylaws for a full description of the obligations of the VP Advocacy. SOGS Vice-President Finance Please see section 2.1.6 of our Bylaws for a full description of the obligations of the VP Finance. SOGS Vice-President Student Service BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION
2024-25 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Option Votes
YES 153 (91.1%)
NO 15(8.9%)
Voter Summary
Total 177
Abstain 9 (5.1%)
ABOUT CHERIN:
EXPERIENCE:
GET IN TOUCH WITH CHERIN:
💼 is an Executive Officer of the Society;
📊 is a vital part of the SOGS operations, overseeing the bookkeeping, legal, and administrative functions of the Society;
👩🏻🤝👨🏽 works collaboratively with the SOGS Vice-Presidents to ensure the Academic, Advocacy, Finance, and Student Services portfolios are maintained and in good standing;
📝 is responsible for reporting to the Board of Directors and SOGS Council, as well as holding monthly Executive meetings;
🗳 is a voting member of SOGS council;
🤝 attends monthly meetings with various WesternU campus stakeholders and administrators; and,
📚 receives formal training (April 2024) from the outgoing president, if a new president is elected.
More details on position of President is available in the SOGS Constitution & Bylaws (primarily under Bylaws 2.1.2.). The most current version can be downloaded at sogs.ca/documents.
If you have any questions about this elected position, please reach out to the current SOGS President, Waliu Alaka (president@sogs.ca), who will be more than happy to chat with you!
Election Dates
2023-24 Commissioner By-Election
NOMINATION DEADLINE: SOGS members in good standing wishing to nominate themselves must send their nomination and 1-page election poster/platform to the SOGS Governance Manager sogs.governance@uwo.ca) no later than Thursday, January 25th at 4PM. 2023-24 SPEAKER AND DEPUTY SPEAKER ELECTIONS
Want to nominate yourself?
Should you have questions about any of these positions, please feel free to contact the current vice-presidents directly or the speaker (speaker@sogs.ca).
receives a monthly stipend ($944.40 + 4% vacation pay)
2023-24 VICE-PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
Want to nominate yourself?
Should you have questions about any of these positions, please feel free to contact the current vice-presidents directly or the speaker (speaker@sogs.ca).
The role of VP Academic is to ensure that graduate students’ academic-related interests and concerns are represented by coordinating academic programs. These include Gradcast, Western Research Forum, and the Academic Joint Fund.The VP Academic works closely with graduate students, the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS), and other academic affiliates and stakeholders to discuss various academic issues.
The VP Academic currently earns a stipend of $1,964.35 per month
This portfolio focuses on graduate student issues and equity concerns. The current priorities in this role are knowledge management; accessibility and inclusivity; and, improved partnerships with campus and community partners, including the Canadian Federation of Students.
The Vice-President Advocacy acts as the official liaison to the Graduate Student Issues, International Graduate Student Issues, and Sustainability Committees, as well as the Commissioners (Accessibility, Gender Concerns, Pride, and Racial Equity and Inclusivity).
The VP Advocacy currently earns a stipend of $1,964.35 per month
The role of the VP Finance is to manage the finances of the Society and to oversee the operation of the Grad Club, which includes preparing the annual SOGS budget. The VP Finance is to liaise with finance-related stakeholders on campus, such as UWOFA and the University administration. The VP Finance also acts as the official liaison to the Subsidies, Finance, and Grad Club Committees.
The VP Finance currently earns a stipend of $1,964.35 per month.
The VP Student Services oversees some of the benefits and services offered by the Society including, but not limited to, the graduate student health and dental plan, social and orientation events, and various wellness initiatives. The VP Student Services acts as the official liaison to the Graduate Peer Support, Orientation and Social, and Health Plan committees.
Please see section 2.1.5 of our Bylaws for a full description of the obligations of the VP Student Services.
The VP Student Services currently earns a stipend of $1,964.35 per month.