Board Elections

Vacancies exist for the following student positions on the Board:

• One (1) Undergraduate Student position elected by registered full-time/part-time Undergraduate Students at OCAD University

Eligible candidates may submit nominations for this position until Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. EDT
 

Click here for the Undergraduate Student Candidate Form
 

Click here for the Undergraduate Student Nominator Form 

What do I have to submit?
 

• Undergraduate Student Candidate Form
• Three (3) Undergraduate Student Nominator Forms
• A Current Resume
• A 100 Word Summary Profile Statement

Electronic Election
 

An election to fill this position for the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 academic sessions will be held:

September 14-18, 2026

With those eligible to vote casting ballots electronically. The procedure for casting your vote electronically will be sent to you either through the Student Portal or by email.

Key Dates
 

Nomination Period Opens: Wednesday, May 13, 2026 
Nomination Period Closes: Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 4:00 pm EDT 
Candidates Announced: Monday, September 14, 2026

Voting Period Opens: Monday, September 14, 2026 
Voting Period Closes: Friday, September 18, 2026 at 11:59 pm EDT 
Results Announced: Tuesday, September 22, 2026 

Nomination and Eligibility
 

All Undergraduate students currently registered, whether full or part-time, are eligible to be nominated for this position, provided they meet the following eligibility requirements as set out in Section 2.5 of the By-Laws: 

A special majority (two-thirds) of the members of the Board shall be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. No person is eligible to be…elected to be a Governor unless such person meets the qualification requirements of directors under the Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (Ontario), as the same may be in force from time to time. [Note: This means that a student must be 18 years of age or older to be eligible.]

Students serving on the Board must remain in good academic standing, in accordance with the Policy on Academic Standing, Undergraduate or the Policy on Academic Standing, Graduate.

Undergraduate student representation on the Board of Governors
 

Section 2.1 (g) of the OCAD University General By-Law No.1 (“the By-Laws”) states the following with respect to the composition of the Board of Governors:

Two Internal members, elected from and by the Undergraduate Degree Stream Students.

Section 2.7 of the By-Laws states that an Undergraduate Student who is elected as an Internal Governor is to be:

Elected for a two-year term and, provided they continue to represent the constituency by which they were elected, are eligible for re-election for one additional term of two-years, for a maximum of four consecutive years.

There is currently one vacancy for a member to represent the Undergraduate students, for a two-year term, on the OCAD University Board of Governors. 

Duties and Responsibilities of the Board of Governors
 

The Board of Governors generally meets five times a year (October, December, March, May and June) on a Monday of the month from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. on the OCAD U campus. In addition, it holds a retreat in October and the Annual General Meeting is part of the June meeting.

Regular attendance is expected of members and Section 2.8 of the By-Laws provides for the Board to declare a position vacant for failure to attend a majority of meetings over any 12-month period.

Please consider carefully whether your schedule will permit you to attend meetings before accepting nomination.

The agenda and a package of supporting documents are distributed to members about a week in advance of meetings. Members are required to read this material, seek any additional information they require to clarify issues, and come to meetings prepared to engage in constructive discussion. 

The duties and powers of the Board of Governors are set out in Section 2.10 of the By-Laws as follows:

Subject to the jurisdictional and other requirements set out in the Act [Ontario College of Art & Design University Act, 2002], the University is governed by a bicameral structure where the responsibility for academic matters is assigned to a senate and the responsibility for administrative and fiscal matters is assigned to a governing board.  In accordance with section 6(1) of the Act, the Board is responsible for governing and managing the affairs of the University and has the necessary powers to do so, including the power to: 

1. determine the mission, vision and values of the University in a manner that is consistent with the objects of the University set out in the Act;
2. appoint and remove a Chancellor;
3. appoint and remove the President;
4. appoint, promote, suspend and remove members of the Teaching Faculty, Academic Staff and non‑teaching employees of the University, subject to Section 2.11 [based on recommendation by the President];
5. fix the number, duties, salaries and other benefits of the Teaching Faculty, Academic Staff and non‑teaching employees of the University;
6. approve the annual budget of the University and monitor its implementation;
7. appoint committees and assign or delegate to them such duties and responsibilities as may be provided in the by‑laws of the University, including authorizing them to act on behalf of the Board in matters specified by such by‑laws;
8. establish advisory bodies; 
9. establish administrative and operational policies and procedures, including organizational structures, staffing requirements, qualifications and duties of staff and conditions of employment;
10. establish and collect fees and charges for tuition and other services that may be offered by the University or that may be approved by the Board on behalf of any organization or group of the University;
11. regulate the conduct of Students, Staff and all persons who use the property of the University, including denying any person access to the property;
12. define, for the purposes of this Act and the by‑laws of the University, the following terms: student, staff, employee, manager, teaching faculty and academic staff;
13. conclusively determine which body within the University has jurisdiction over any matter; 
14. consider, co‑ordinate and implement long‑range administrative and operational plans, including the physical development of the University;
15. determine the manner and procedure for electing members, described in clause 5(1)(c) of the Act to the Board, including establishing constituencies and voting practices; and
16. make by‑laws, resolutions and rules for the conduct of its affairs.

For a complete list of the duties and powers of the Board, please consult the OCAD University General By-Law No.1 and the Ontario College of Art & Design University Act, 2002 on the Board of Governors’ webpage on the OCAD U website at www.ocadu.ca (See About>Governance>Board of Governors).

OCAD University Board of Governors’ By-Election for a Permanent Staff Representative 2026

Electronic voting for the Permanent Staff vacancy on the OCAD U Board took place from February 9 - 11, 2026.

• We are pleased to announce that the successful candidate for the Permanent Staff position is Gerald Grison, Permanent Technician, Integrated Media Studios.
   

Still have questions?

• Questions about the Board of Governors elections should be directed to Dr. Khellon Q. Roach, Manager, Board Governance, Office of the President at khellonroach@ocadu.ca 

Questions about the Board of Governors elections should be directed to Dr. Khellon Roach, Manager, Board Governance, Office of the President at khellonroach@ocadu.ca