Checklist
Application for SGA President and SGA Senior Vice President
All portions of application must be submitted by the below due dates or your
application will not be considered valid or complete
President and Senior Vice President candidates submit one application as a team.
By Wednesday, February 3rd at 5pm:
The following must be submitted in person in the SGA/SMU Office:
• Applications for SGA President and SGA Senior Vice President (2)
• Resumes (2)
• Campaign Manager Contact Information Sheet
• Campaign Platform Statement (email copy to [email protected])
• Spring 2015 class/work schedules
• A list of your campaign team (name, e-mail, and Student ID)
• Sealed character reference forms (one per candidate)
• Academic and Community Standing Form (signed)
• Campaign Agreement (signed)
• Training and Meeting Agreement (signed)
Elections Application Deadlines/Schedule of Events
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2015 at 5pm- President, Senior VP and Senator applications
due
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2015 at 5pm- deadline to sign up for an on-camera spot for the SGA
Elections video
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2015 at 9:00pm, SGA Conference Room- Mandatory Election
Rules Meeting
-You must turn in an itemized statement of campaign expenditures at this meeting. The
limit for Presidential Campaigns is $350.
12:00 am/midnight on Wednesday, February 9th- 11:59pm on Tuesday, Feb 16thCampaigning
-No pre-campaigning is permitted: please carefully review Official Campaign rules
included in this application.
Tuesday, February 16, 9pm-10pm, Fireplace Pavilion- SGA Debate
12am on Wednesday, February 17th- 10pm on Thursday, February 18th- Presidential Voting
Friday, February 19th- candidates notified of winners and voting results posted online
-If a run off election is needed*, voting will take place online on Friday, February 19th
from 10:30am - 7pm. Run-off voting results will be posted on the night of Friday,
February 19th.
*A run-off election will only occur if no candidate(s) receives a simple majority (51%) of the total
valid ballots cast
Saturday, February 20th, 12 am/midnight- All printed campaign materials (posters, flyers,
banners, etc) must be removed.
Position: Student Government Association President
Overview:
The SGA President serves as a liaison between the student body and the administration,
representing the needs of students to the administration and communicating the goals of the
administration to students. The Student Government Association (SGA) President is responsible
for creating a shared vision and direction for the year within SGA, as well as facilitating the
efficiency and proper functioning of every area of SGA.
Responsibilities:
Within SGA:
1. Serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the Student Government Association.
2. Provide vision, direction, and management for the Student Government Association
organization in close relationship with Senior Vice President and Director of Student
Programming/SGA Advisor.
3. Model an atmosphere of professionalism in the workplace. Provide and encourage an
environment where leadership skills may be grown and developed.
4. Meet regularly with and supervise Executive Board (Senior Vice President, Vice
President of Administrative Services, Vice President of Finance/Technology/HR and
Vice President of Marketing and Communication).
5. Remain informed of and proactive regarding issues of concern within each department
of SGA.
6. Appoint SGA members to university committees (in conjunction with SGA Advisor and
SGA Senior Vice President)
7. Work with the SGA Advisor to ensure proper training for all members of SGA, with
special attention to the Fall staff training and retreat, all-staff trainings, January and
Spring trainings.
Within Administration:
8. Serve as the key liaison between SGA and the Biola administration, ensuring that Senate
resolutions and SGA efforts are communicated appropriately with administration; keep
administration informed of noteworthy student needs.
9. Represent the student body at the President’s Administrative Council, APAC, Student
Development Deans’ Council and other administrative committees as need.
10. Initiate and implement further opportunities for communication between students and
the Administration, including:
a. SGA Town Halls
b. Student Forums
c. SGA meetings with Administrators
Within Student Body
11. Be aware of all significant events happening at Biola and stay alert to current important
trends among the student body. Communicate these needs to SGA and University
administration.
Hiring:
12. Appoint the following positions (in partnership with SGA Advisor):
a. VP of Administrative Services (Hired in partnership with SMU President)
b. Any position not filled through general election or vacated during term in office.
13. Chair committee for hiring of Vice President of Marketing and Communications and
serve on committees for hiring of all other staff positions.
Supervision Received: Director of Student Programming/SGA Advisor
Direct Supervision of Others: Senior Vice President, Vice President of Administrative
Services, Vice President of Finance/Technology/HR, Director of Marketing and
Communications, Office Manager.
Qualifications:
Strong organizational and servant leadership skills. Ability to supervise peers and communicate
effectively. Strong public and written speaking skills are required. Able to take initiative and
problem solve. Willing to support and encourage other SGA leaders as a member of a leadership
team and receive direction from supervisors. Commitment to acting as a representative of the
student body with integrity and professionalism. Past experience with SGA is strongly
recommended; working knowledge of SGA is necessary.
At the time of election or appointment and throughout service, the candidate must maintain a
cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a scale of 4.00, have completed at least two semesters
at Biola University with a full-time student status, and be currently enrolled as a full-time
student. He/She must also comply with Biola’s Community standards. Failure to fulfill any of
these requirements shall result in immediate forfeiture of office.
Hours Worked: 25 hours, 9 months
Title of Position: Student Government Association Senior Vice President
Overview:
The Student Government Association (SGA) Senior Vice-President serves as the chief council to
the SGA President, working with him/her to provide a shared vision and direction for SGA. The
Senior Vice-President is responsible for supervising the Senators and presiding over the Senate
meetings. He/she also serves as a liaison between the Senators and the President.
Responsibilities:
1. Provide guidance and leadership for Senate goals and responsibilities; preside over weekly
Senate meetings as a non-voting member.
2. Meet with individual Senators at least once every other week to establish rapport and check
on progress of assignments.
3. Create and manage project teams and committees with Senate members as needed.
4. Serve as chief council to the SGA President.
5. Be available to assume the duties of the President in case of the President’s absence.
6. Act as a liaison between the Senators and the President. This primarily involves ensuring a
flow of information from Senators to the President.
7. Serve on university committees and/or Senate sub-committees.
8. Have a strong working knowledge of the Constitution and Bylaws. Ensure that the
Constitution and Bylaws are kept up-to-date and properly executed. Act as council to the
President on matters of Constitutional interpretation.
Hiring:
9. Responsible with the President (and in partnership with the SGA Advisor) for the hiring of:
a. VP of Administrative Services (Hired in partnership with SMU President)
b. Any SGA Senator position not filled through general election or vacated during office
c. Diversity Liason
Supervision Received: SGA President and Director of Student Programming/SGA Advisor
Supervision of Others: The Senators of the Senior Branch of Student Government
Association. This includes the residence constituencies as follows: Sigma, Alpha East, Alpha
West, Blackstone, North Horton, South Horton, Hope North, Hope South, Hart, Stewart, West
Block apartments, East Block Apartments, Bluff apartments, the two Commuter Senators and
the Diversity Liason.
Qualifications: Strong organizational and servant leadership skills. Strong ability to supervise
peers and communicate effectively. Able to take initiative and problem solve. Willing to support
and encourage other SGA leaders as a member of a team and receive direction from
supervisors. Commitment to acting as a representative of the student body with integrity and
professionalism. Large and small group speaking abilities are strongly desired. Past experience
in the senate is strongly recommended. Working knowledge of SGA is necessary.
At the time of election or appointment and throughout service, the candidate must maintain a
cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a scale of 4.00, have completed at least two semesters
at Biola University with a full-time student status, and be currently enrolled as a full-time
student. He/She must also comply with Biola’s Community standards. Failure to fulfill any of
these requirements shall result in immediate forfeiture of office.
Hours Worked: 20 hours, 9 months
PRESIDENT & SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
To qualify for candidacy for the SGA President or SGA Senior Vice President positions:
• One must have completed at least three semesters at Biola at full-time status or, if having
transferred from another college or university, be of Junior status and have completed at
least one semester at Biola with full-time status and be currently enrolled as a full-time
student.
• One must be in good academic standing and maintain a cumulative grade point average of
3.0 on a 4.0 scale upon election and throughout term.
• One must maintain full-time status throughout his or her term in office unless graduating
after the Spring Semester of his or her term of office, in which case he or she must take at
least six units during the Spring Semester.
• One must hold and maintain good standing with Biola’s Community Standards.
Violations of these requirements may result in termination at any point throughout one’s term
in office.
2015 CAMPAIGN TIMELINE and RULES
● Candidates must attend a Mandatory Election Rules Meeting on Wednesday,
February 3rd at 9:00 pm in the SGA Conference Room.
● Active campaigning begins at 12:00 am/midnight on Wednesday, February 9th
and ends at 11:59pm on Tuesday, Feb 16th. No pre-campaigning is permitted.
Vision Statement: The following rules and regulations are enforced in order to foster an
atmosphere of excitement, to prohibit over-saturation of elections materials, and to ensure
that no candidate receives an unfair advantage.
● The following is considered pre-campaigning and is not permitted:
○
Printed campaign materials or materials containing your platform or declaration
of your intent to run are not to be distributed before campaign week. (This includes
flyers, posters, signs, packets, etc.)
○
Publically viewable online campaign materials or materials containing your
platform or declaration of your intent to run are not allowed. (This includes public
Facebook pages and posts, websites, videos, blogs, public Tweets, etc.)
○
Soliciting & Garnering Support: Essentially you are prohibited against engaging
in any activity in which are actively trying to sway someone’s opinion.
○
Finally, any information shared with potential campaign team members must be
shared electronically. It should include a disclaimer stating that the documents should
not be printed or shared. (You may not physically print or distribute paperwork
containing your intention to run or your campaign platform when recruiting membersyou must tell them this information verbally). You may print and distribute materials
(marked as confidential) to your campaign team during official team meetings.
● Pre-existing online and printed material: If you host a website or online venue for
yourself that is unrelated to your campaign, you may not reuse the same photos, graphics
or content to advertise during campaign week. These materials may continue to
exist as long as they don't contain campaign information/your intent to run
AND as long as that content is not used for anything related to elections
later on. For example, if you posted pictures, graphics or content about yourself now on
a special Facebook page or some other online site, you would not be able to use those
same pictures, graphics or content later on as part of your campaign material. Essentially,
you have to be able to show that whatever you are putting up online now is not connected
to your goals for campaigning later. SGA will only approve printed materials to be posted
during election week.
● No talk about any team’s intention to run or specific campaign platform is allowed in the
SGA/SMU offices. It is acceptable to discuss the general elections system or direct
questions to the Elections committee while in the office, but do so as privately as possible.
● Current or former SGA members are not permitted to use SGA published
communications (including the logo, email addresses, newsletter, etc.) or SGA
supplies/resources (stakes, copier/printer, office supplies, SGA discretionary funds, etc.)
for campaign purposes.
● SGA members may not use official work hours or events (i.e. rounds, GMOCC, meetings,
etc.) to promote a specific candidate team (themselves or another team). SGA members
can and should promote the general elections process as part of their jobs.
● SGA members may endorse candidates off the clock, but should not publicly endorse
candidates using SGA lines of communications.
● Elections committee members are not permitted to endorse any candidates.
● Printed campaign materials (posters, flyers, banners, etc.) must be removed by 12:00 am
(midnight) Saturday, February 20th.
● The SGA Debate and Meet and Greet will be held on Tuesday, February 16 at 9:00 pm at
the Fireplace Pavilion. Speaking order will be determined by random drawing.
CAMPAIGNING PENALITIES
Disclaimer: The following penalties are to be enforced at the discretion of the elections
committee and with the approval of the SGA Advisor.
•
•
•
•
•
Reduction of the campaign budget
Delayed campaigning start
“Freeze” a candidate’s campaign page
Enforce a removal of posters at the major poster sites
The inability to participate in the SGA/SMU Presidential Debate
CAMPAIGN PLATFORM STATEMENT
● SGA will be creating a voter guide to aid students in the election process. Each candidate
team is required to submit a paragraph (no more than 150 words) summarizing his or
her campaign platform by February 10th at 5pm. Along with submitting your campaign
platform with your application, you must email your campaign platform to Samantha
Miller, the SGA Communications Coordinator at
[email protected].
CAMPAIGN EXPENSES
● Candidates will turn in an itemized statement listing all expenses incurred in the
campaign on the night of the presidential debate. The limit for a SGA Presidential
campaign is $300. The limit for a SMU Presidential Campaign is $150. You must include
the receipt with any item purchases.
● The SGA & SMU Marketing & Communications Department will provide each
Presidential Candidate with an initial marketing package which includes at minimum 6
Laminated Posters and Stakes.
● Candidates will not be reimbursed for campaign expenses.
● No candidate is allowed to receive monetary contributions from SGA or any Biola
department.
CAMPAIGN MATERIALS
● Campaign materials must be posted in accordance with the university
posting policy. Biola’s posting policy can be found online at
http://studentlife.biola.edu/student-support/handbook/policies-procedures/displays/
● Any illegally posted materials will be confiscated and held by SGA. Repeat offenders may,
by the authority of the election committee, be considered invalid candidates and taken
off the ballot.
APPLICATION PROCESS
● All applications must be submitted in the SGA/SMU Office by
Wednesday, February 3rd at 5pm. Signature pages and Academic Standing
forms must be submitted directly to the SGA office by the same time. Any
applications or forms received after 5pm will be considered invalid and the
prospective candidates’ names will not appear on the ballot- NO EXCEPTIONS.
● Along with your application, you must turn in a list of the names of
students that are on your campaign team. No one other students will be able
to join your campaign team after this point.
● Candidates will also sign up for an Elections photo by February 3rd (to be shot between
February 4th-5th).
● Candidates’ name will appear on the ballot exactly as it is on the application.
● The position of the candidates’ names on the ballot for a particular office will be
determined by the order in which the candidates submit their applications. In a runoff election, the candidate with the highest percentage of votes in the general
election will be placed first on the ballot.
VOTING PROCEDURES
● Voting will begin at 12am on Wednesday, February 17th through 10pm on Thursday,
February 18th.
● All candidates will be notified of the winner and results posted on Friday, February 19th
(with the exception of a run-off vote).
● If a run-off election is needed, voting will take place on Friday, February 19th from
10:30am - 7pm. Run-off voting results will be posted on the night of Friday, February
19th.
● Candidates and their campaign teams may not campaign in areas visible from the voting
area or in the SGA/SMU Office.
Failure to abide by these regulations or to complete these required steps shall
result in a possible disqualification at the discretion of the SGA Election
Committee.
Questions may be directed to SGA VP of Finance, Graham Gantzer at
[email protected]
Application for SGA President
Please include a resume with your application.
Name ________________________ Ext_______ Cell _________________
Mailbox # _________________ Class Status __________________________
I plan to carry _____ units next fall semester; __________ spring semester
Major __________________Vocational Objective ______________________
Anticipated Graduation Date _______________________________________
Please list all other extra-curricular activities/employment possibilities in which you
may participate next year.
You must have one character reference complete the reference forms included in this
packet. Please list their names below. You may choose from a pastor, mentor, current or former
professor, employer, advisor or supervisors. Do not choose a friend, peer or family
member.
Return the reference form in sealed envelopes to the SGA/SMU Office by the
application deadline.
Name of Reference; his/her relationship to you
1. __________________________________________________________
Please provide typed answers to the questions below.
1.
Why are you interested in this position?
2.
What do you think most uniquely qualifies you for this position?
3.
What is your understanding of the purpose of SGA?
4.
What role do you usually play on a team?
5.
Please list 2 of your strengths and 2 of your weaknesses and how they might affect you as
a leader in SGA.
6.
Explain your understand of Biola’s Community Standards and comment on your
willingness to model those standards as a servant leader in SGA.
Questions: Please contact SGA VP of Finance Graham Gantzer at [email protected]
Application for SGA Senior Vice President
Please include a resume with your application.
Name ________________________ Ext_______ Cell _________________
Mailbox # _________________ Class Status __________________________
I plan to carry _____ units next fall semester; __________ spring semester
Major __________________Vocational Objective ______________________
Anticipated Graduation Date _______________________________________
Please list all other extra-curricular activities/employment possibilities in which you
may participate next year.
You must have one character reference complete the reference forms included in this
packet. Please list their names below. You may choose from a pastor, mentor, current or former
professor, employer, advisor or supervisors. Do not choose a friend, peer or family
member.
Return the reference form in sealed envelopes to the SGA Office by the application
deadline.
Name of Reference; his/her relationship to you
1. __________________________________________________________
Please provide typed answers to the questions below.
1. Why are you interested in this position?
2. What do you think most uniquely qualifies you for this position?
3. What is your understanding of the purpose of SGA?
4. What role do you usually play on a team?
5. Please list 2 of your strengths and 2 of your weaknesses and how they might affect you as a
leader in SGA.
6. Explain your understand of Biola’s Community Standards and comment on your willingness
to model those standards as a servant leader in SGA.
Questions: Please contact SGA VP of Finance Graham Gantzer at [email protected]
CAMPAIGN MANAGER INFORMATION
Candidates MUST include information about their Campaign Managers. Campaign Managers
are also REQUIRED to be at the Mandatory Rules Meeting with the President and VP
Candidates.
Name ____________________________ Ext ______ Cell/Home#__________
Email Address________________________________
CAMPAIGN PLATFORM STATEMENT
SGA will be putting out a voter guide to aide students in the election process. The
President/Senior Vice President team is required to submit a paragraph, no
more than 150 words, summarizing their campaign platform.
Questions: Please contact SGA VP of Finance Graham Gantzer at [email protected]
Academic and Community Standing Form for SGA President
(Candidate- please sign and turn this form in with your application)
I ____________________________ waive the right for the Director of Student
Programming/SGA Advisor to:
Yes
[ ]
Check my academic standing with the Registrar, and
[ ]
Check my community standing with Student Care.
I understand that I am not an eligible candidate until my good community standing has been
confirmed. I further understand that my election/appointment to office is conditional upon
meeting the requirements for both good academic and community standing at the conclusion of
the Spring 2016 semester.
Candidate Signature _____________________________ Date _____________
Academic and Community Standing Form for SGA Senior Vice President
(Candidate- please sign and turn this form in with your application)
I ____________________________ waive the right for the Director of Student
Programming/SGA Advisor to:
Yes
[ ]
Check my academic standing with the Registrar, and
[ ]
Check my community standing with Student Care.
I understand that I am not an eligible candidate until my good community standing has been
confirmed. I further understand that my election/appointment to office is conditional upon
meeting the requirements for both good academic and community standing at the conclusion of
the Spring 2016 semester.
Candidate Signature _____________________________ Date _____________
CAMPAIGN AGREEMENT
I agree to follow all of the regulations set forth in the CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS &
GUIDELINES and understand that I will be held liable for any violations PLUS any expenses
incurred by maintenance for cleaning up tape, wire, paint, or any other materials that may have
been part of my campaign. I agree to pay any accrued fines. I understand that I am responsible
to ensure that all people campaigning for me abide by the campaign rules.
Candidate for SGA President:
NAME_________________________________________________________
(please print)
Signed_________________________________________________________
Date___________________________________________________________
Candidate for SGA Senior Vice President:
NAME_________________________________________________________
(please print)
Signed_________________________________________________________
Date___________________________________________________________
SGA Application Character Reference Form
_____________________________________________(APPLICANT’S NAME) is applying for the position of _____________________________________________ within the Student Government Association at Biola University for the 2016-­‐2017 academic year. As a member of SGA, the applicant is expected to act as a representative of the student body and work as a member of a team to give voice to the students’ needs and provide events and services that help to build a Christ-­‐centered community. (Please ask applicant for details of the position for which the he/she is applying.) I, the applicant, waive the right to have access to this reference form.
SIGNATURE: __________________________________________________________________ DATE: ______________
How long and in what capacity have you known the applicant? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Please rate the applicant’s strengths and weaknesses in relation to the characteristics below on a scale of 1-­‐5. Feel free to make comments if necessary.
Poor (1) Below Average (2) Average (3) Above Average (4) Excellent (5)
______Humility ______Servant-­‐mindedness ______Flexibility
______Team-­‐oriented ______Self-­‐awareness ______Dependability
______Organization ______Follow-­‐through ______Ability to listen
______Leadership skills ______Ability to
manage stress
______Ability to relate to different types of people Please respond to the following questions.
1. Many positions in SGA require students to supervise their peers. This can often be uncomfortable or even lead to conflict among staff members. How well do you believe the applicant could handle supervising his or her peers?
2.
How does the applicant handle responsibility and follow-­‐through when he or she is not closely supervised?
3.
Do you believe the applicant would make a good role model for his or her peers?
4.
Please take the time to make some specific comments about the applicant and their potential as a leader. Please feel free to attach additional sheets if necessary. We've found that such information proves especially helpful in making final decisions. Overall, how would you recommend the applicant for this position?
______I would strongly recommend.
______I would recommend with reservations.
______I would not recommend.
Your name___________________________________________ Position/Title ________________________________
Email Address ______________________________________ Phone number _______________________________
Please return form to applicant in a sealed envelope or directly to the Student Government Association office at Biola University Student Government Association, 13800 Biola Ave, La Mirada, CA 90639. You may also email it to [email protected] Training and Meeting Agreement 2016-­‐2017 We, ________________________________ and _______________________________ understand that our hiring/appointment is contingent upon being available and committed to attend ALL of the following: 1. New SGA Staff Meet and Greet/Commissioning – 7-­‐10pm, May 13, 2016, location TBD
2. New SGA Staff Training Day – 9-­‐12pm, Saturday, May 14, 2016, location TBD
3. Mock Senate Meetings – 3:00-­‐6:00pm Thursday, April 7th & April 14th, 2016
4. Executive Board Retreat and Prep-­‐ Wednesday, August 10th-­‐ Friday, August 12th, 2016
5. All Staff August Retreat-­‐ Sunday, August 14th-­‐ Tuesday, August 16th, 2016
6. All Staff Training-­‐ Wednesday, August 17th – Tuesday, August 23rd, 2016 (specific times TBD)
7. SGA Meetings –Thursdays, 3:00-­‐6:00pm during the 2016-­‐2017 school year. YOU CANNOT ENROLL IN A CLASS THAT WOULD MEET DURING THIS TIME. 8. Spring Training – Friday, January 27th – Saturday, January 28th, 2017
9. Student Conference on Racial Reconciliation (SCORR)-­‐ February 17-­‐18, 2017 (only specific events TBD)
SGA Presidential Candidate:
Signed________________________________________________________Date______________
SGA Senior Vice Presidential Candidate:
Signed ________________________________________________________Date _____________