Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is the governing body of the UOSU. It’s made up of 30 student representatives: the 7 elected Executives, 22 directors from faculties, and a Director for Indigenous Students.

General Elections for the Board are held in the winter and the Board meets monthly throughout the year. All meetings are open to all members of the UOSU with a 15- minute period at the start of each meeting reserved for Statements from Students.

Documents

All meeting minutes, agendas and other public documents for meetings of the Board of Directors can be found in the Board SharePoint folder:

Calendar

All meetings are open to all members of the UOSU.

Visit this page on a laptop or desktop to view the full calendar

What does the Board of Directors do?

The Board of Directors performs three key functions:

Oversight: The Board is the Union’s watchdog. It oversees the Executive Committee and holds it accountable, by asking Executives questions and suggesting areas of potential improvement. At Committee meetings, Directors ensure the organization’s finances and activities are transparent and well-managed, and at Board meetings, it authorizes major expenditures and discusses areas of concern.

Advocacy: The Board makes uOttawa and UOSU better. Directors debate major campus issues and tasks the Executive Committee with action. Directors also introduce and vote on changes to the UOSU’s Constitution, policies, positions, and initiatives.

Representation: The Board listens to students. Directors are spokespeople for students of their constituency on the issues the UOSU works on: health & dental insurance and the U-Pass, student clubs and services, and campus-wide events, campaigns, and advocacy efforts. They listen to students and help the organization implement student feedback.

When does the Board meet?

The Board meets once a month. Meetings are open to all UOSU Members to attend. If you would like to speak at a meeting or have a motion or discussion presented to the Board, you can contact a Director or the Chair of the Board (bod-chair@seuo-uosu.com).

Directors

A Director is an undergraduate student elected by fellow students, to speak on their behalf at the Board of Directors. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with them for questions!

Chair of the Board

Nora Afifi

Chair of the Board
bod-chair@seuo-uosu.com

The Chair of the Board presides over meetings of the Board of Directors. Similar to the Speaker at the House of Commons, they are the Board’s referee, and ensure that meetings run smoothly. This includes preparing meeting documentation, opening meetings, granting speaking rights, conducting votes, and fairly applying the Board’s rules and Robert’s Rules of Order. They are also the highest instance authorized to interpret the UOSU’s Constitution.

The Chair of the Board is also designated to chair meetings of the General Assembly.

The Chair of the Board is elected by the Board of Directors but cannot vote on motions. No member of UOSU staff may serve as the Chair.