Community Member, Election Arbitration Panel
- Job Type
- Casual/On Call
- Job Level
- Other
- Location
- North Vancouver, BC
- Impact Area
- Other
- Impact Category
- Other
- Company Type
- Other
About this position
About the Capilano Students’ Union and the context
The Capilano Students’ Union is a non-profit organization that represents the 7,000+ students of Capilano University. We are independent of the university and we provide programs, services, events, and advocacy to support students’ well-being.
The CSU is governed by a board of directors that is elected annually by and from among Capilano University’s student population. Our elections are hotly contested and there are often complaints of election rule violations requiring complex investigations and decisions that sometimes result in sanctions (including disqualification).
About the opportunity
The membership recently created an arbitration panel to receive and consider appeals of decisions (including imposed sanctions) made by our independent elections administrator. The arbitration panel is comprised of the elections administrator and two independent community members.
As an independent community member on the arbitration panel, you would be responsible for attending arbitration panel meetings during our annual general elections and by-elections, and contributing to the panel’s decisions on appeals that the elections administrator makes either on their own initiative or in response to complaints of election rule violations (including sanctions). The arbitration panel must make a decision within 48 hours of an appeal and prepare written reasons for us to publish.
It is hard to estimate the time commitment required because of the ad hoc nature of the arbitration panel’s work. It is possible that there might be few or no meetings held for the entire cycle, or we could receive a dozen appeals in one week. We would invite the successful candidate to serve for a one-year appointment (with the opportunity for renewal upon review). The successful candidate would receive a fee of $250 per meeting held (to a maximum of $500 per day).
For our upcoming 2024 general election, we anticipate that meetings for any appeals received will take place in the months of February and March and, if a 2024 by-election is held, in September and October. The arbitration panel would have the authority to determine when, where, and how its meetings would take place.
Qualifications
We’re looking for someone with:
- Expertise in navigating complex complaints, investigations, and appeals
- Experience in decision processes for membership or government elections
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
How to apply
Please send an email message to hiring@csu.bc.ca (attention: Christopher Girodat, executive director) including a cover letter that details how you meet the above criteria and a résumé that demonstrates your expertise.The CSU hires on the basis of merit and is committed to achieving team diversity that mirrors our student population. Folks with disabilities; Indigenous folks; self-identified women; folks from visible minorities; queer folks; and trans, non-binary, and Two-Spirit applicants are encouraged to self-identify during the application process. We are committed to removing barriers in our selection process for people with visible and invisible disabilities — please do not hesitate to reach out to us at hiring@csu.bc.ca if you require accommodation to participate fully in our application process.