GISA 2021 FALL ELECTIONS!
Dear IHEID Student Body,
I hope you have all become acquainted with the Graduate Institute Student Association (GISA). We are an elected body representing the students’ interests at the IHEID. During the next four weeks, we will be holding an Election Period for several positions on the GISA Board. For this semester, the Student Body will elect fellow students to hold the following four positions:
Vice-President of PhD Programs,
Communications Director,
Administrative Director, and
President of the Welfare Committee.
Here you will find a document including a description of each of these positions’ responsibilities and desired skills and below there is the Election Period timetable. Working with GISA is intense but very rewarding, and will allow you to meet and work with many interesting and passionate people! Candidates should have sufficient time to dedicate themselves to the service of their fellow students. Due to these positions’ workload, the elected candidate will be awarded a tuition waiver for this academic year (2021-2022).
Elections’ Timetable
Event Date and Time
Period for sending candidates’ platforms From now until Sunday, 3 October 2021 by 14h00, you may send your platform as a candidate for any of the above-mentioned positions. Please send a platform of around 300 words and your picture to gisa@graduateinstitute.ch. The announcement of candidates’ platforms will be released in two batches: Sunday, 26 October; and Sunday, 3 October (all at 20h00). Please give us sufficient time if you want your platform to be released, or it will be released in the next batch. Debate (Hybrid modality) Friday, 8 October 2021 at 18:15-20:00 Place TBCReceiving Ballots and Voting (25 hours)Saturday, 9 October 2021 at 12h00 Sunday, 10 October 2021 at 13h00Elections’ ResultsSunday, 10 October by 18h30Fall GAWednesday 20 October 12:00-14:00Mandate beginsSunday, 17 October 2021 23:59 Please note that the debate will be held at Grand Morillon Theater and will also be transmitted by Webex. The GISA Communications Director and Administrative Director will send further details on the debates when the date comes closer. Furthermore, voting will happen through an electronic ballot that you shall receive in your institutional email (@graduateinstitute.ch). The newly elected candidates for the Executive Committee and the new President of the Welfare Committee will be announced at 18h30 on Sunday, 10 October 2021. Their mandate will begin on Sunday, 17 October 2021, at which point, the GISA Administrative Director would have contacted the new members of the Board to do a Transition Period with the students holding the position before them.
Electoral Rules
Any full-time student of the Institute may become a candidate for election (LLM and exchange students are excluded) on the condition that they are physically present in Geneva for at least two-thirds (⅔) of the weeks during which classes are in session for this academic year (2021-2022). In other words, candidates would have to be physically present in Geneva for at least ten (10) weeks starting on 5 October 2021.
Please check the GISA By-laws Article I, Section 2.3 here.
Candidates may approach current Board members for information regarding the position, but they cannot aid them in the election for campaigning purposes. Their contact information and Office Hours can be found here.
GISA’s funds cannot be used to support candidates, but candidates may use up to CHF 150 of their own funds or from donations on their campaign if expenses are declared and itemized for scrutiny.
Candidates may advertise through posters, events, use of the Internet, and videos.
These electoral rules observe GISA’s Statutes, which can be found here.
Debate Guidelines for Candidates can be found here
GISA needs dedicated and passionate candidates to get the best for the Institute’s students, and we encourage as many people as possible to throw their hat into the ring!
Good luck candidates!