Student Association Special Election Spring 2021
No candidates were elected for the Vice President of Academic Affairs or the Vice President of Student Affairs in the primary Spring 2021 Student Association election and so the Independent Election Commission voted to run a special election for these roles.
How to Run
If you are interested in running for either Vice President position, please follow the instructions below and email iec-list@uwm.edu with any questions.
- Fill out the nomination form on Presence ASAP. Nominations open Friday, April 9th.
- Get signatures! A digital signature sheet will be created for you by the Student Association Professional Staff.
- If you have a signature sheet from the primary election, please email iec-list@uwm.edu. Signatures collected for the primary election prior to this special election nomination period may be reused in this election.
- You must collect 100 signatures from enrolled UWM students.
- Nominations close on Wednesday, April 28th at 12 PM NOON. All signatures must be complete by this time.
- Campaign training will take place the week of April 19th – April 23rd. All candidates are required to attend campaign training.
- If you attended campaign training for the primary Spring 2021 election, you do not need to attend another training.
- Signatures will be verified by Student Association Professional Staff the week of April 28th.
- Campaigning begins on Thursday, April 29th at 12 AM and ends Wednesday, May 5th at 11:59 PM.
- VOTE via email Thursday, May 6th.
- Final election results tentatively will be verified, announced, and winners notified on Friday, May 7th.
- Winners will be sworn in at a Virtual Senate Meeting on Sunday, May 9th from 5-7 PM.
Election Packet Documents
- Online Nomination Form
- Spring 2021 Special Election Welcome Letter
- Spring 2021 Special Election Campaign Rules
- Spring 2021 Special Election Timeline
- Spring 2021 Special Election Candidate Checklist
- IEC Bylaws
Elections are coordinated by the Independent Elections Commission (IEC). For more information on the IEC, or to report a campaign violation, visit the IEC page.
Position Description
The Student Association at UWM (UWM’s student government) has two Vice-Presidential positions: Vice President of Academic Affairs and Vice President of Student Affairs.
Both VP’s serve on the Executive Committee and work closely with the President and Senate. These are paid positions at $12 per hour and average 15 hours per week, which includes biweekly Senate and Executive Committee meetings as well as monthly meetings with the Chancellor, Provost, and Chief Student Affairs Officer. These positions do NOT require prior Student Association experience!
Below is a table describing the different responsibilities of the two roles.
| Vice President of Student Affairs | Vice President of Academic Affairs |
|---|---|
| Focuses on advocating for issues that impact student life outside of the classroom | Focuses on advocating for issues that impact student life in the classroom and academic programs |
| Mentors Advocacy Senators and meets with them at least 1x per semester | Mentors Academic Senators and meets with them at least 1x per semester |
| Sets agenda for and conducts meetings with the UWM Chief Student Affairs Officer | Sets agenda for and conducts meetings with the UWM Provost |
| Chairs the Student Life & Interest Committee | Chairs and recruits for Program Representatives Commission |
| Serves as ex-officio (may speak, but not vote) on the following SA committees: Senate Finance Committee, Student Leaders Committee, Women's Advocacy Committee, Students of Color Advocacy Committee, Health & Wellbeing Committee | Serves as ex-officio (may speak, but not vote) on the following SA Committees: Graduate Student Representation Committee, Health & Wellbeing Committee |
| Is first in line for the Presidency (if elected) if seat is vacated | Is second in line for the Presidency (if elected) if seat is vacated |
Interested, but not in a VP role? Fill a vacant Senate Seat!
Other ways to get involved…
Want to participate, but not run for an office? No worries! There are plenty of other ways to get involved. You could become a Program Rep, join the Oversight and Appeals Commission (the judicial branch) or the Independent Elections Commission (which ensures fair and equal elections), or you can sit on any number of SA Committees which handle Segregated Fees, the Green Fund, Student Organization funding allocation, the Food Pantry, or a myriad of other projects. Click on the links for more information!