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NEADS Board of Directors Election 2012

The National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) will be holding its Annual General Membership meeting on the 10th day of November 2012 at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown (6083 McKay Avenue, Burnaby, British Columbia). The Association’s regular members in good standing will elect a new Board of Directors to work with NEADS for the next two years (2013-2014). All persons interested in a position on the board must be regular members in good standing. Positions on the Board must be filled by regular members of NEADS (currently having student status or having graduated within two years of application).

The NEADS Board of Directors is composed of twelve seats; there are ten provincial Directors (e.g. British Columbia Rep., Ontario Rep., Nova Scotia Rep. etc.), one territorial Director and a Director-at-Large (who can be from any part of the country). Candidates for the positions of provincial/territorial Directors must be students or recent graduates with disabilities residing in the area and/or attending a post-secondary institution in the geographic location they seek to represent.

NEADS Board members will be expected to attend a minimum of twelve (12) monthly Board teleconferences, as well as one to two in-person Board meetings per year. Board members are also expected to participate in and chair NEADS standing and project committees, and take part in Committee teleconferences. Provincial/territorial Board members also represent their Province/Territory on the Board, and serve to bring the work of NEADS to the provinces/territories, as well as to bring local issues to the national table. Board members are free to participate in local, regional and provincial committees and activities, within the framework provided by NEADS mandate and mission.

No prior participation in the disability or student movements is required to join the NEADS Board. Members who have strong skill sets in governance, fundraising, and membership/partnership outreach are especially welcome. Any interested and enthusiastic NEADS member with relevant skill sets and a strong work ethic is encouraged to seek election.

If you would like to become a member of the NEADS Board, please complete and sign the Nomination Form as specified online and submit it by NO LATER THAN October 31st: http://www.neads.ca/en/about/events/conference2012/nomination.php

Elections will be conducted on-site in Vancouver. All regular members who have completed a membership application form and paid their dues for 2012 are eligible to vote in the election. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Mahadeo A. Sukhai, Senior Advisor (Governance and Leadership Development) and Chief Returning Officer, at mahadeo.sukhai@neads.ca
 

Nomination Package
NEADS Board of Directors Elections 2012
Preamble – Eligibility, Roles and Responsibilities of Members of the NEADS Board of Directors
The affairs of the Association shall be managed and administered by a Board of Directors consisting of twelve (12) voting and one (1) ex oficio members. All voting members shall be elected to the Board for two-year terms, as provided for in Articles VII and VIII. Directors may sit on the board for a maximum of three (3) terms.

1. Composition - The Board of Directors will be composed of twelve (12) voting members and an ex-officio member, in the following thirteen (13) positions:
Voting Members:
A. Ten (10) provincial Directors, one from each Province of Canada;
B. One (1) territorial Director, from any of the Yukon, Nunavut and Northwest Territories; and,
C. One (1) Director-at-Large, who may come from anywhere in Canada. 
Ex-officio Members:
D. The Past-Chair or a duly appointed designate
2. Representational Requirements:
A. Provincial and Territorial Directors must be studying and/or residing in the province or territory that they are representing. If a provincial or territorial position cannot be filled by an individual living or studying in that province or territory, after at least two attempts to fill the position following the elections and upon a simple majority vote by the Board of Directors, it shall become an additional Director-at-Large position, and be filled according to the guidelines set out in Article VIII.
B. Provincial and Territorial Directors cannot hold a paid position with the Association. 
C. The Past-Chair will serve in an advisory ex-officio capacity for one term following their term of office and will attend all meetings of the Board. In the absence of a past-Chair, the Executive Committee shall recommend to the Board of Directors, a person who has served on the Executive Committee from a previous term to assume this position. This person shall be referred to as Advisor to the Board.
3. Eligibility – In addition to being duly elected, any and all persons holding a voting seat on the Board of Directors must also be regular members of the Association at the time of election, as well as meet all the requirements outlined in article VI, section 2 (A) and VI, section 2 (B).
A. Persons who are less than eighteen years of age are ineligible to be a Director of the Association.
B. Employees, or persons who hold paid involvement with the Association, are ineligible to be a Director of the Association.
4. Collective Roles and Responsibilities:
A. The Board of Directors will be the governing body of the association and shall have the right to exercise all powers it deems necessary for the governance and operation of the organization, including but not limited to the appointment of a National Coordinator and the employment of any other staff it deems appropriate;
B. The Board of Directors shall carry out the policies established at the biennial and Special General Meetings.
5. Individual Roles and Responsibilities - Each Board member will accept the following responsibilities:
A. Serve as a contact person for the Association within their jurisdiction;
B. Serve as representatives of the association on governmental and consumer related committees within their jurisdiction;
C. Participate in and chair Committees of the Association, as determined by the Executive Committee and Board;
D. Be accountable to the Board of Directors for their activities and decisions as a Board member;
E. Vote on issues brought to the attention of the Board. (A member may abstain if they feel it necessary);
F. Step down from their position as Board member through a two third majority vote of the Board or by resigning the office willingly through a written presentation to the full Board;
G. Respond in a timely manner, in person, by telephone, or through written communication, on all issues brought forward to the Board for discussion and approval;
H. Read and be prepared to respond to all materials considered part of the business of the Board and the Association;
I. File regular reports to the Board of Directors on their work as Board members.
6. Operation of the Board of Directors:
A. The NEADS Board of Directors shall meet once a month by teleconference and regularly in person.
B. Directors are expected to attend all teleconference and face-to-face meetings of the NEADS Board.
C. In the event that they are unable to attend a meeting, Board members are expected to inform the Executive Secretary or Chair of their regrets prior to, or within twenty-four 24 hours after, the meeting in question.
D. Directors who are absent without regrets for three (3) consecutive meetings, or for more than 50% of meetings in a calendar year, or who cannot provide satisfactory rationale for their absence to the Board, may be subject to removal by the Board by 2/3 majority vote of members present and voting.

Time Commitment

Board members will be expected to attend a minimum of 10 teleconferences per year, each lasting up to 2 hours, as well as 1-2 in-person Board retreats per year, dependent upon funding, that typically run Friday-Sunday. Board members are also expected to serve on at least one committee, and attend regular committee meetings by teleconference as required. Correspondence of the Board is primarily by email and telephone; members are also expected to keep up-to-date with and respond to, as necessary, all correspondence.

Note: Prospective Board members may come from a variety of backgrounds – for e.g., community service, student leadership, provincial and regional committees, etc.; or may come from none of these backgrounds. Although specific skill sets are not required, prior experience in Board governance will be a strong asset. Interest in, and experience with, establishing regional and national projects, programs and funding would also be an asset. A strong commitment to participate and engage with the volume of Board business is a must. All interested members are encouraged to apply; you must have a willingness to learn and apply that learning while on the Board.