Announcement on Executive Appointment Process
January 31, 2018
KINGSTON, ON – Today, the AMS Secretary made the following statement:
“In accordance with the ruling of the AMS Judicial Committee, President Jennifer Li called for a Special Assembly to appoint a qualified team to serve as AMS Executive for the 2018-19 academic year. Teams who expressed interest and satisfied the eligibility requirements (as set forth in AMS Policy) will have the opportunity to present themselves before Assembly for consideration. The following format will govern the election process.
- Confirmation of Teams and Individuals
The AMS Secretary will announce the teams that have expressed interest and satisfied the eligibility requirements as defined in AMS Elections Policy. For information, they will also state the number of individuals that have expressed interest and satisfied the eligibility requirements as defined in AMS Elections Policy. The purpose of doing so, is that, if Assembly determines that no full team is qualified to be appointed after the full appointment process outlined below, they will proceed to appoint individuals to each of the three Executive positions.
- Opening Presentations (10 minutes per team)
Each team will begin with an opening presentation to highlight (1) who they are, (2) why they are interested in running, and (3) their vision for the AMS. Opposing teams are permitted to remain in the room during each presentation.
- Debate (1.5 hours)
Teams will participate in a debate moderated by the AMS Secretary. Questions must be addressed to all teams. Responses to questions are limited to one minute per team, followed by a one minute rebuttal at the discretion of the moderator. Questions can be submitted in writing to the moderator on paper or via social media as promoted. Members of Assembly may ask questions in person.
- Team Questioning (20 minutes per team)
If five (5) or more teams stand for appointment as AMS Executive, one or more teams can be removed from further consideration if Assembly believes there is a reasonable expectation that they are not qualified persons. “Qualified persons” shall demonstrate through their opening presentation and oral comments a reasonable commitment to, and awareness of, the responsibilities of the position they are seeking. Removing a team from further consideration requires a two-thirds majority vote of Assembly.
There shall then be twenty minutes of individualized questions for each team. Responses to questions are limited to one minute per team. During this time, only the candidates being questioned will remain in the room. Additionally, during this time no candidates may use any personal electronic device and all candidates will remain under the supervision of the AMS Elections Team in a separate room. Additional time for questions can be moved and approved by AMS Assembly with a simple majority in 10 minute increments.
- Closing Statements (5 minutes per team)
Each team under consideration by Assembly will have an opportunity to present a five minute closing statement. This shall be the last opportunity for all teams to speak to why they should be elected as the next AMS Executive.
- Assembly Discussion
Members of Assembly shall have the opportunity to participate in debate and discussion in open session. Teams shall not be in the room for this discussion. The purpose of this time is to allow members of Assembly to reflect and engage in discussion around the oral presentations of the appointment process.
- Balloting
- One (1) Team
In the event that there is one team under consideration, AMS Assembly shall conduct a vote of confidence requiring a two-third majority approval by voting members of Assembly. In the event that the team does not meet the required vote threshold, Assembly shall proceed to the individual appointment phase.
- Two Or More (2+) Teams
In the event that there are two or more teams under consideration, a ranked ballot election shall proceed. The AMS Secretary shall prepare online ballots for voting members of Assembly. Teams shall appear on the ballot in an order determined by lottery. Balloting shall be conducted in accordance with Section 7 of the AMS Policy on Elections and Referenda.
- Individual Candidate Selection
Should no team be selected through the process outlined above, Assembly shall repeat steps 2-7 for each Executive position.”
All questions can be addressed to Neil Sengupta, AMS Secretary, at
BACKGROUNDER
Alma Mater Society (AMS) – http://www.myams.org
The central undergraduate student government at Queen’s University, the AMS represents over 17,000 students and is the oldest student government in Canada. It has over 1,000 student volunteers and 700 paid staff.