U of T Elections Committee urged to hold by-elections to fill vacant seats
As U of T officials weigh recruitment strategies, four teaching-staff positions at UTSC remain empty after fall by-elections.
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On October 13, the Elections Committee held its first meeting for the 2026-27 academic year. The Elections Committee oversees election procedures for staff and student representatives on Governing Council and campus governance bodies, and for teaching staff and librarians on the Academic Board.
Committee member Susan Froom asked returning officers to hold by-elections for vacant student positions. She noted that new students arrive annually and that those who could not run during the winter elections might become available by fall.
“Let’s err on the side of giving students that opportunity to run in a by-election,” Froom said.
Chief returning officer, Lauren Turner agreed that timely recruitment is important given short student terms. She said future by-elections will depend on urgency, candidate interest, and timing relative to the general election.
The fall by-election opened 11 graduate-student and teaching-staff seats across UTSC Campus Council and its Academic Affairs and Campus Affairs committees. Eight candidates initially stood and one withdrew. The seven remaining candidates were acclaimed without a contested vote.
The results filled all four graduate-student vacancies, while four teaching-staff seats remain empty.
Turner said longstanding vacancies had threatened some bodies’ ability to reach quorum—the minimum attendance needed to conduct business—and left deliberations without perspectives from graduate students. Other vacancies, including those at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, were deferred because recruitment was considered more promising during the 2027 general election.
UTSC deputy returning officer Sarah Chaudhry said her office worked with staff and faculty connected to graduate students. Her office explained the benefits of participation and supported interested candidates through the nominations process.
“Effective engagement is really relational and continuous,” she said.
Froom encouraged continued outreach through student unions. She argued students are more likely to read messages from their unions than administrative messages unrelated to classes.
Turner said the elections office will expand its use of established campus networks and social media rather than build an audience from scratch.
She said her experience as a new chief returning officer showed that existing instructions assume knowledge which many newcomers may not have. Staff are documenting responsibilities, deadlines, and the reasons behind individual tasks to reduce reliance on institutional memory.
The online Nomination Management System performed well during the by-election. Turner said no changes are planned before the 2027 general election.
Proposed updates to the election guideline focus on clarity and consistency in the election procedure after last year’s overhaul. Turner expects minor revisions that the committee can approve itself. Major amendments require Executive Committee approval.
The committee’s next meeting will be held virtually on November 17 to review proposed guideline changes.
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