[Geoff Pimlatt]

Hi Jessi

I’m a manager at the undergraduate student union at Western University. Western is located in London, Ontario, Canada, and has about 40,000 undergrads across four campuses.

In short, student government representatives are generally allotted seats on most campus governance committees, as part of each committee’s terms of reference. We typically use our influence on campus to ensure TOR are set up this way from the beginning!

For the longer answer…. 

The USC is a registered not-for-profit corporation completely independent of the university, with about 70 full time staff. We occupy a large portion of the community centre, and in addition to two restaurants and a clothing store in the building, we manage the students’ health plan, but pass, club system, student newspaper, and more. 

Students lead each of our three main governing bodies – an elected fifty member policy-focused Student Council, nine hired students serving two year terms on our corporate-focused Board of Directors, and six portfolio-focused student Executives serving one year terms. 

Of the Executives, our President is selected in a general election, two Vice Presidents are selected by Council, and three selected by a hiring committee. It is primarily one of our Executives or a designate who sit on University committees and working groups, although there is often also an opportunity for students-at-large to join.

As an example, one executive is the Vice President Orientation and Programming, who has direct oversight over the Orientation program and collaborates with partners at the University to welcome first year students to the Western community. She is very much the leader on that portfolio, rather than simply a student to be consulted. 

Additionally students are elected to Western’s two governing bodies – Senate and Board of Governors – and are often included in their Committees.

Regards,
Geoff

Geoff Pimlatt (He/Him) | Senior Manager, Information Systems

University Community Centre, Room 340 | London, ON  N6A 3K7

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Website | (519) 661-2111 x 85888 (office)

 

To enhance the educational experience and quality of life for all undergraduates at Western University.

 

The USC would like to acknowledge that Western University and our offices are situated in London, Ontario, on the traditional lands of the Attawandaron (Neutral), Anishinabek, Haudenosaunee, and Leni Lenapewak people. This territory also covers lands connected to the London Township Treaty and Sombra Treaty 1796, and the Dish with One Spoon Wampum.

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Original Message:
Sent: 5/13/2024 1:13:00 PM
From: Jessi Eaton
Subject: Student government representation

Hi, friends–

Our governance model includes an advisory-only student board that is made up of undergraduate and graduate members from each college and the appointed student members of a variety of other campus-wide governance committees (DEIB, Assessment, Academic Administration, etc). The members are currently mostly self-nominated, with no election process. The historical process has been to basically take all comers, even if their college’s spots are already full–we just place them on the board until we reach what was determined as the ideal number.

The group has traditionally had a pretty low profile, but due to new administration support and some dynamic student leaders, it’s becoming more prominent. We are about to embark on the creation of bylaws (no, there seriously aren’t any beyond what’s in the campus governance manual), and in considering these, I’m wondering if we might not be doing this backwards. In your institutions, are student representatives to campus governance committees sourced from the student government, or is the student government made up of student reps to campus governance?

Would love to see any org charts that follow this model, where the student board is involved in an advisory capacity to the rest of governance; also interested in the size of student governments for schools of about 35,000.

Thanks, all! Appreciate any input.

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Jessi Eaton
Manager of Student Life
Purdue University Global
Duluth MN
jessica.eaton@purdueglobal.edu
Clear eyes | Full heart | Can’t lose
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