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Stanford
Office of Student Engagement
Student in main quad with Hoover Tower in background. Images for Stanford 125th photo merge project. Credit: Linda A. Cicero / Stanford News Service

Elections and Transitions

Best Practices for VSO Leadership Elections & Transitions

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Elections

  • Follow all guidelines on OSE website.
  • Outgoing leaders (or an independent election commissioner affiliated or unaffiliated with the org) should be responsible for the actions below
  • Communicate who is eligible to run for a leadership position and who is eligible to vote (e.g. org members) in accordance with org constitution
  • Communicate how many positions candidates can run for, what will happen in the case of a tie (e.g. run-off), etc.
  • Set guidelines around candidate campaigns and communications to voters (e.g. word limits for platforms, time limits for speeches, etc.)
  • Inform prospective candidates well in advance of elections (e.g. 2-3 weeks) so they have time to reflect on and prepare for running
  • Provide ample time (e.g. 1 week) for voters to cast their ballots (especially for students in different time zones who cannot attend meetings live)
  • Consider using the CardinalEngage platform for elections (consult with an OSE staff member or intern if you need help)

LOA & Flex Term

  • Students on LOA cannot vote
  • Students on LOA cannot run for a position if it begins in their LOA quarter
  • Students on LOA can run for a position if they will enroll or flex term for the quarter in which the position begins
  • Students who are enrolled or on flex term can vote and run for a position

Transitions

  • Outgoing leaders should be responsible for orienting incoming leaders at least 2-3 weeks before the end of their terms (especially if senior leaders are graduating)
  • Topics that outgoing leaders should cover during transition meetings with incoming leaders:
    • Annual org registration in CardinalEngage
    • Introduction to group, advisors, etc.
    • Introduction and access to resources (email, drive, Slack, OSE website, VSO Slack, etc.)
    • Mission, purpose, goals, events, history, constitution of org
    • Finances
      • Budget
      • GrantEd
      • ASSU
      • TSF (if applicable)
    • Recruitment
      • Activities Fairs
    • Tips for running effective meetings and events
      • Reminder to meet with OSE 3 months prior for major events and events with minors
    • Ongoing/future quality improvement projects
    • Contact information for outgoing leadership (should be available for questions)