With student body elections taking place this semester, applications for perspective candidates are due Monday, Feb. 6. Application packages can be picked up at the UVU Student Association office located at SC 105.
“If students care where their dollars go, they should care about student elections,” said Joe Jurisic, vice-president for student life, and a member of the election committee at UVUSA.
He said student body officers make decisions that affect the students at UVU, such as allocation of funds from fees, advocating for students at the state and local levels, and planning various campus events.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and [students] should take advantage of it,” Jurisic said.
He said student body elections are important because, “they get to determine student’s college experience. Gives them an opportunity to feel people in [the UVUSA] office care about what they want.”
Jurisic said the current student body officers ran unopposed last year. He said when several teams run for office, “we get more different perspectives of how students see campus, and more students can feel their voice is being heard.”
Jurisic said the election committee put up posters on campus encouraging students to run for office. He said UVUSA held open meetings to let students know what to do to run for student body offices this year, in order to avoid having unopposed elections once again.
UVUSA has been reaching out and going to entities on campus whose students would be interested in running, such as honors societies, and different colleges at UVU.
To run, students must pick up and fill out the “2012-2013 Student Body Officer Candidate Packet” at the UVUSA offices at SC 105. This must be filled and turned in by Feb. 6 to run in this semester’s elections. Interested students must also attend a mandatory meeting that will be held at the UVUSA office that same day at noon, and pay as security deposit.
Jurisic said the $200 is a facilities cleaning security deposit. He said the money will be refunded, provided no permanent damage is done and the party cleans up their campaign advertisements when elections are over. Each team should only fill one application and pay one fee for all members in the party.
Jurisic said people should know student government is time consuming. Officers are required to put 29 hours each week, “but we put in much more than that.”
According UVUSA Constitutional By-Laws (part 1-14-99), any student currently registered at UVU, with a cumulative GPA of 3.0, and a semester GPA of 2.5, can apply as long as they are registered for at least one credit hour. Students must not have any outstanding debts with UVU’s Business Office—this includes library late fees, parking tickets and any other debt with UVU. Any debt must be cleared prior to turning in the application package.
Student body officers are responsible for interviewing and appointing members to the student council, student senate and chairs to the various committees that help UVUSA run efficiently, and represent UVU students in the various colleges and boards, both on campus and at the state level, according to the UVUSA Constitutional By-Laws.
The application package contains an explanation of the application process, rules about candidate eligibility and conduct, a candidate verification form, elected officer’s contract, and a form where candidates must list donations and donors.
Any questions should be submitted by email to John McClure, election committee chair, at john.mcclure@uvu.edu.
By J.P. Rodriguez
Staff Writer
