THIS POST SERVES AS THE OFFICIAL CALL FOR CANDIDATES FOR THE 2021 AIAS ELECTIONS CYCLE
Participating in the elections cycle is an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling opportunity! It will provide you with valuable experience to enhance your education and career in addition to the personal growth one experiences through the process. During the elections proceedings, you will be given opportunities to demonstrate your vision for the organization, and the membership will, in turn, elect its Board of Directors based on their views for our collective future.
In order to ensure the success of the 2021 elections cycle, the AIAS puts forward the following Call for Candidates Elections Guidelines. Elections are held in conjunction with the annual AIAS conference FORUM during the business meetings. This year AIAS FORUM will take place virtually from January 6 – 8, 2022. All questions should be directed to the Elections Chair, Erin Conti, AIAS, Assoc. AIA, at PastPresident@aias.org.
Members interested in pursuing leadership positions with the organization have the opportunity to run and be elected for the following positions:
- President
- Vice President
- Northeast Quad Director
- South Quad Director
- Midwest Quad Director
- West Quad Director
However, members may also pursue interest in being appointed as Middle East Regional Ambassador or as Latin American Regional Ambassador. Because these positions are not elected, but are appointed by the AIAS Board of Directors, applicants must submit an application to the Council of Global Representatives, but do not participate in elections activities at the FORUM Conference. Ambassador application materials may also be submitted to Past President Erin Conti at PastPresident@aias.org.
All of these positions will comprise the majority of members of the 2022-2023 AIAS Board of Directors. Elections will follow the AIAS Rules of the Board and AIAS Bylaws, as well as the Elections Guidelines and the Elections Code of Ethics released October of 2021, found below. In order to be considered a certified candidate, the interested person must meet all eligibility requirements in the Bylaws and Rules of the Board as well as submit the materials in their Candidacy Declaration Packet as outlined in the 2021 AIAS Elections Candidate Guidelines.
All items must be submitted via email no later than 11:59 pm HST, Friday, November 19th, 2021. There will be no exceptions.
Interested members can look forward to webinars with tips, information on running, and sneak peeks at what it’s like to serve in elected and appointed roles. The first Elections Informational Webinar will take place Tuesday, October 19th at 8pm EDT on Zoom, and the second will take place on Wednesday, November 3rd at 8pm ET. Information on following Election related events will be available on the AIAS Events page.
Members may also schedule a 1-1 Candidacy Interest Call with Past President Conti via Calendly. Potential candidates may contact the 2021-2022 AIAS Board of Directors for information regarding the role, however, interested members should also be respectful of boundaries, scheduling, and the strict prohibition on campaigning as stated below.
Meet with Past President Erin Conti
Upon receiving the required materials, each certified candidate will receive further instructions on the elections and campaigning process from the Elections Chair. All certified candidates’ submissions will be posted on the AIAS website and social media in advance of FORUM 2021 for other chapter leaders and members to review. The candidate package materials will be one of the most important tools that your colleagues will use to evaluate each candidate’s credentials. Submission of these materials for posting on the AIAS Web site is the ONLY method of campaigning allowed before FORUM. Past Candidacy Declaration Packets can be found here for reference.
Additionally, after formal declaration, certified Officer candidates will be supplied with employment details (including salary, benefits, and contract) and offered the opportunity for a one-on-one informational conference call with the Executive Director and another with the incumbent Officer.
The AIAS is an extremely successful organization because of the dedication and passion of its grassroots student leadership! If you are interested in running as a certified candidate, it’s a good idea to contact Past President, Erin Conti, AIAS, Assoc. AIA, at PastPresident@aias.org prior to submission of materials so questions to all candidates are answered equally.
PLEASE NOTE: Campaigning by or on behalf of candidates is expressly prohibited at any time prior to the Opening General Assembly of the 2021 FORUM Conference. This means that candidates (and non-candidates on behalf of candidates) may not explicitly notify, advertise to, or engage with voters, Chapters, or members in an egregiously persuasive capacity, nor may they publish any materials regarding their candidacy or intent to be a candidate. More details about campaigning will be shared with Certified Candidates during the month of December 2021. Campaigning during the appropriate period must adhere to the Elections Code of Ethics. For more information or clarification, please contact the Elections Chair. If potential candidates, certified candidates, or undeclared candidates are found by the Elections Chair to have discussed their candidacy outside of the campaign window, they risk disqualification from the entire race for this elections cycle.
