The Camosun College Student Society (CCSS) spring elections are just around the corner.
The elections allow students to choose the people that represent them and a chance to participate in their post-secondary experience. Online voting will be open from 9am Tuesday, April 1 to 11:30 pm Thursday, April 3.
The CCSS provides services for students like health plans, dental plans, and bus passes. It also campaigns and advocates to ensure that the rights of students are respected at Camosun.
Supporting students within the college remains a key focus for the organization, says CCSS executive director Michel Turcotte. The student society aims to empower students as they navigate their college life, he says.
“[We are] making sure that students’ rights at the institution are respected and that there’s fair processes when students encounter challenges,” says Turcotte, “because we want to make sure that students are treated fairly or that they at least understand their rights in the various processes that they may find themselves in.”
Students will be able to vote on the following positions: external executive, finance executive, Interurban and Lansdowne executives, Indigenous director, international director, pride director, student wellness and access director, sustainability director, women’s director, and Lansdowne and Interurban directors-at-large.
An email notifying students about the upcoming elections has recently been sent out. However, personal connections remain an effective way to encourage students to vote, especially for candidates.
“There’s also some information on our website, the college website, there’s some information in the Nexus as well that we seek to get out there, and on social media,” says Turcotte. “And the best way to get word out there too, for candidates, is by word of mouth.”
One of the biggest issues the CCSS is encountering at this time is the external pressures affecting the college, something new candidates will be forced to confront once they’re elected.
“The CCSS is going through a bit of a change period because there’s a lot of things that are going on in Canada and the world that are having an impact on us,” says Turcotte. “As you may know, the college is in a bit of a financial crisis due to the changes to international student regulations and the fiscal capacity that the province has. What is going on now matters. So the CCSS is in the midst of responding to that.”
Turcotte believes that it’s important to participate, whether it’s a school election or a federal election, so that voices do not go unheard and decisions that affect their life are not left to a small percentage of people.
“The student society is a democratic organization run for students,” says Turcotte. “There’s a professional staff, but there’s also a board of directors made up of about 20 elected students who help set the direction and what events go on and what the CCSS focuses on.”
Turcotte emphasizes the importance of student engagement in shaping their educational experience and campus life. He uses the US elections as an example to point out that participation is essential.
“Well, if you look across the border,” he says, “you’ll note that they had a rather low voter turnout rate in some parts and I would say that’s one of the biggest illustrations of what can happen if people do not exercise their electoral franchise or their ability to vote.”