What is Varsity Publications?
Varsity Publications is the not-for-profit corporation that publishes The Varsity, the University of Toronto’s student newspaper.
Who can vote in this election?
Any member of Varsity Publications is eligible to vote. Members are full-time undergraduate and graduate students who pay the Varsity Publications levy.
How do I vote?
During the voting period, go to voting.utoronto.ca and login using you UTOR ID.
What is the structure of the Board of Directors?
The board consists of seven directors elected by and from its members (full-time U of T undergraduate and graduate students who pay the Varsity Publications levy). The board may appoint up to two additional directors, and these two directors need not be students of the University of Toronto.
Four of the seven elected directors are “general category,” meaning that these positions may be held by any member.
One elected director is elected for each of the University of Toronto Mississauga and the University of Toronto Scarborough. One elected director is elected for the graduate student membership. If no nominations are received in these categories, then any member may be elected.
Who can run in these elections?
Any member of Varsity Publications who meets the legal requirements to be a director is eligible to run. Members are full-time undergraduate and graduate students who pay the Varsity Publications levy.
Only members enrolled at UTM and UTSC may run for the UTM and UTSC category seats. Similarly, only members that are graduate students may run for the graduate category seat. If no nominations are received from members in these categories, then those seats become general category.
Legal requirements to be a director:
— 18 years of age or older
— Never deemed incapable by a Canadian court
— Never bankrupt
— Will continue to be a member for the 2024–2025 academic year
How do nominations work?
To be nominated, a member must submit a completed nomination form with the signature of twenty-five (25) other members. It’s a good idea to get a few extra signatures, in case some signature turn out to be invalid. Nomination forms must be submitted by 11:59 pm on April 7, 2024.
There are two ways to submit your form:
(1) Scan the form and email it to [email protected], OR
(2) Deliver the form in person to Room 200, 21 Sussex Ave., Toronto, ON. M5S1J6 (21 Sussex is just north-west of Robarts Library at UTSG).
What responsibilities do directors have?
Directors are responsible for the governance of Varsity Publications. This includes: monitoring and evaluating the performance of the Editor-in-Chief, monitoring compliance with board policies and other governing documents, ensuring the board’s policies are in alignment with the values of the board, monitoring the corporation’s risk profile, monitoring the corporation’s finances, and engaging with members. Directors are not responsible for the management of the corporation.
What commitment is expected?
The directors elected in these elections will serve for a term that ends in the spring of 2025.
Directors must attend all meetings of the board. Regular board meetings are held monthly and usually last for 60-90 minutes. Directors must also take time to read all relevant documents to prepare for the meetings. Directors can usually participate in meetings using video or telephone conferencing.
Directors are also expected to attend other meetings on occasion, including: all meetings of members (normally two per year) and all meetings of committees of which they are a member.
— Varsity Publications Statement of Policies
