This autumn, the University will hold elections for members representing the University community on the Board as well as members of faculty and department councils. Before the election dates of 4 and 5 November, staff should check their information on the electoral roll and nominate candidates.
This autumn, the University will hold elections for members of its administrative bodies for the next four years, with the exception of the student representatives on the University Board, who serve for a two-year term. Seven members representing the University community will be elected to the Board, and faculties and departments will elect the members of faculty and department councils.
The members will be selected by staff group: professors, other teaching and research staff as well as other staff will elect their own representatives. In addition, the Student Union will elect the student representatives.
Check your information
Those entitled to vote include all permanent employees of the University as well as employees on fixed-term contracts of at least six months if their employment contract was signed no later than 15 September. The employment contract must also be valid on 14 October when the electoral roll is published. In addition, persons who have concluded a contract on research work for at least six months with the University also have the right to vote.
Head of Legal Affairs Marianne Jalovaara, who chairs the University Elections Committee, recommends that all staff check their information on the electoral roll.
“Any errors on the electoral roll can be reported to the Committee by submitting the appeal form while the electoral roll is available for viewing,” Jalovaara explains.
Once staff have checked their information, it is time to nominate candidates. All those entitled to vote can nominate candidates in their own group. Each candidate for the Board needs 20 nominators, while those seeking election to the faculty and department councils need three nominators. The last date to nominate a candidate is 22 October.
You can vote online
A ballot will be held if a group has nominated more candidates than the number of seats. An electronic voting system will be used, and those entitled to vote can do so on any computer by using their University username. Votes can be cast on 4 and 5 November from 9.00 to 18.00.
“Voters can also vote at the election helpdesk in the Porthania lobby on the election dates, and the helpdesk officials can advise voters on using the voting system,” Jalovaara notes.
Results will be published on Flamma
The ballot will be decided by a majority vote, i.e., the results will be based on the votes received by each candidate. Should two candidates receive an equal number of votes, the winner will be decided by drawing lots. Once the election results have been confirmed, they will be published on Flamma.
The new members of the University’s administrative bodies will commence their term of office at the beginning of 2014.
Text: Tiina Palomäki
Translation: University of Helsinki Language Services