Call for Nominations! Three Faculty Seats on Ed Co up for Election
Every Winter Semester, when I share the annual Notice to Constituencies for Spring Elections, I try to remind members “why you should care about Academic Governance” and explain the importance of strong faculty representation on our Educational Council. And that’s more important than ever now. Why, you ask? Maybe you’ve been following what is happening at North Island College – 15 programs are about to be suspended. But what you might not have heard yet is that their Board of Governors asked the Education Council to weigh in on the decisions. That’s a really big deal.
Why that matters
When a Board of Governors asks Education Council to weigh in on program suspension decisions, it signals a recognition that suspending a program is not just a financial or operational choice, but an academic one. That matters; it matters a lot. Boards are responsible for the overall health and fiduciary stewardship of the institution, but they are not academic bodies. By turning to Ed Co, a Board acknowledges that decisions affecting curriculum, credentials, students’ pathways, and academic integrity require faculty expertise and collegial governance, and should not be driven by balance sheets alone.
Regardless of the outcome, an authentic consultation should strengthen the decision’s legitimacy if college administrators actually wanted that. An Ed Co review brings transparency, evidence, and academic reasoning to the process, which I believe should be applied to ALL decisions about how our college is run (full-scale reorganizations, for example). At the College level, Education Councils help ensure student impacts are properly considered, alternatives are explored, and the rationale is clear and defensible. From a labour and governance perspective, it demonstrates respect for the roles set out in the Colleges and Institutes Act and helps prevent procedural shortcuts that often lead to mistrust, grievances, or public backlash.
You’ve heard me say it before: “There’s nothing more important than ensuring we are in the room when important decisions about our futures are made.” Even in hard times, academic decisions should be made with academic voices at the table. That is how shared governance is supposed to work, even when the answers are uncomfortable. Faculty members are experts in their respective fields, possessing deep knowledge and understanding of their academic disciplines. But we also have a commitment to ensuring our College lives up to its principles – and the courage to say so!
Strong faculty participation on the Education Council and the Board of Governors, where faculty voices (and votes) can make lasting, positive change in shaping our working and learning conditions, is more important now than ever! We can’t afford to be absent when decisions are made, so if you’ve ever considered running for Ed Co before, THIS IS YOUR CALL!
Election Information
Nomination Period: March 2 (9:00 am) to March 15 (11:30 pm)
Voting: April 1 (9:00 am) to April 3 (11:30 pm)
Education Council
- Students: Four (4) seats, with a term of office of August 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027.
- Faculty: Three (3) seats, with a term of office of August 1, 2026 to July 31, 2028.
Board of Governors
- Students: Two (2) seats, with a term of office of August 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027.
Click here if you’re looking for more information on College Elections, or download the College Election Rules and Candidate Guidelines
Ironically, the only faculty group excluded from this year’s elections (based on “sufficient representation”) is those from Indigenous Education and Community Connections. If you’re wondering why I consider this ironic, check out this statement by the CCFA about Indigenous member participation and the proposed changes to Ed Co’s bylaws discussed at the last Board of Governors meeting in December. You can check the current EdCo members to see which seats are up for election this year.
Each candidate must be nominated in writing and must obtain the signatures of five (5) eligible voters from the relevant representative group. Nomination forms, along with full instructions and deadlines, will be available through the Office of the Registrar at the start of each nomination period. Don’t worry, I’ll remind you when they are available and update this post!
Student seats are often vacant so please encourage yours to think about running!
College Governance not your cup of tea? Join us at our monthly Pub Nights to tell us what is. The next one is at the JBI, January 28 @ 5:30 PM! Please email ac.ytlucafnusomac@afcc if you didn’t get our Outlook invites.
Lynelle Yutani (she/they)
ac.ytlucafnusomac@tnediserp
President, Camosun College Faculty Association
Lynelle is a queer, leftist rabble-rouser galvanized to guard the rights of union members and is on a crusade to convince you that you get out of your Union what you put into it. Lynelle serves on Presidents Council of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators (FPSE) and was elected to FPSE Executive as a Member-at-Large. She is on a number of FPSE affiliate committees, including the 2SLGBTQIA+ and Racialized Workers Caucuses for the BC Fed. Lynelle volunteers for a rooftop community garden, which partners with Harvest & Share Food Aid Society to grow fresh produce for local food banks and community food security programs.
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