Spring 2025 CUSA Senate Election Registration
OFFICES: The Senate
Candidates are responsible for reading and understanding all the information contained in this registration. The information in this registration supersedes all election information previously published by the Senate. If you have any questions
regarding elections, nominating procedures, campaigning, etc., contact the Academics & Policy Committee (A&P) via e-mail at
academicsandpolicy@clarkson.edu or for urgent matters A&P Chair Anson at ansonflclarkson.edu or Vice-President Feltman at feltmams@clarkson.edu.
Additional information, including the Constitution, By-Laws, Election By-Laws and Finance By-Laws can be found at CUSA KnightLife: https://knightlife.clarkson.edu/organization/cusa
OPEN POSITIONS
Each cohort holds six (6) senate seats each; The Clarkson School holds 1 (one) seat. Elections for all Senate and Executive Board seats except for the Freshman cohort and the Clarkson school happen at the end of the Spring semester. Elections for
the Freshman cohort and the Clarkson School as well as any other open Senate seats happen at the start of the following Fall semester.
Currently the Senate openings are as follows:
Class of 2026 (Seniors) – 6 open seats
Class of 2027 (Juniors) – 6 open seats
Class of 2028 (Sophomores) - 6 open seats
Executive Board (President, Vice-President, Treasurer & Public Relations Coordinator)
Senators, elected by their cohort, represent their cohort through voting on matters concerning students in the Senate. Senators also sit on at least one of four committees that address CUSA’s specific purposes – Engagement, Academics and Policy,
Finance, and Activities. Respectfully, these committees gauge student opinions, govern organizations, fund clubs, and plan events. Additionally, Senators are invited to sit on a multitude of issue specific committees to work directly with university administrators
and faculty. Senators are required to attend Senate meetings every Monday night from 7 PM - 9 PM as well as at least a 1 hour meeting for one of the core committees they select every week. As a privilege and payment for their contributions, Senators who work
at least 3 CUSA run events will receive 50$ a semester towards CUSA apparel.
The Executive Board, elected by the entirety of the undergraduate student body, represents the entirety of the CUSA. The four Executive Board positions are as follows: President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Public Relations Coordinator. Individuals
are only eligible to run for an Executive Board position if they have previously served as a Senator and were elected in either the Spring or Fall general elections.
Elections Timetable Spring 2025
Monday, March 10th, 12:00 AM
Registration begins
Please fill out the form on Knightlife and submit all relevant materials.
The registration form must be completed and submitted in the Spring 2025 Elections Form on KnightLife.
A picture of yourself may be uploaded to the same Spring 2025 Elections Form on KnightLife.
A 250 words-or-less platform, and other campaign materials may also be uploaded to the Spring 2025 Elections Form on KnightLife.
Sunday, March 23rd, 12:00 AM
Campaigning begins
Please wait to receive an email confirmation of the approval of your nomination before beginning the campaigning process.
Adhere to all campaigning policies outlined within this document as well as in the election by-laws.
Friday, March 31st, 12:00 AM
Elections open online on KnightLife
Polls close at 11:59 PM on Friday, April 4th.
(Polls are open for 5 days)
Monday, April 14th, 12:00 AM
Removal of Election Materials, Petitions of Protest, and Expense Report Due
Please fill out and hand in the campaign Expense Report (if any expenses) with the appropriate receipts (pg.6 of this packet), and remove all campaign materials from campus by this date and time.
Monday, April 21st, 7:00 PM
Senator-elects attend Senate at 7:00 PM in the Student Center MPRs
Petitions of protest from both candidates and organizers shall be heard by the Senate.
The Senate shall discuss all petitions of protest and bring formal action on the Spring 2025 Senate election results to a vote.
Upon approval by the Senate, victorious candidates take their respective Senate seats and assume their office’s powers and duties.
CUSA ELECTION BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I – QUALIFICATIONS
Section 1 – Candidates who know they are taking a semester away in the upcoming year may not run for an Executive Board position. Candidates who know they are going to be taking a semester off in the fall can not run for a Senator position,
but may run if they are only away for the spring semester. If a candidate knows they are going to be gone for the spring semester, a campus wide election hosted on Knight Life will take place at the end of the fall semester. If a Senate or Executive Board
position is vacant at the start or end of the spring semester, the position may be filled through a majority vote of the Senate. Candidates who are on a semester away in the current year but will be back for the full upcoming year may run for a position.
Section 2 – One graduate student representative will be appointed by the Graduate Student Association to serve on the Senate. These representatives will have no voting privileges on any matters.
ARTICLE IV – CAMPAIGNS
Section 1 – Campaigning is defined as any action designed to make a candidate known to their constituents.
Section 2 – Campaigning shall begin at least one week before the opening of the polls and shall end when the polls close.
Section 3 – A candidate's campaign expenses must be paid by the candidate and must not exceed the maximum allowed for the respective office. Candidates for the Executive Board or Senate may spend a maximum amount of $50.00 for
campaign expenses. Executive Board candidates will be reimbursed up to $30.00 and Senator candidates up to $20.00. All candidates who are not disqualified by the Senate shall be reimbursed for their expenditures up to the allowed maximum amount.
Section 4 – All candidates must keep a complete expense record, including receipts and bills, of all campaign expenses and submit this to the Finance Committee within one business day after the polls close if they wish to be reimbursed
for campaign expenses. The Academics and Policy Committee shall contact all winning write-in candidates and shall allow them twelve hours after that contact to submit an expense record.
Section 5 – Campaign expenses will not be used for purchasing items for any party or other social events.
Section 6 – Elected Executive Officers and Senators shall not use the powers, duties and privileges of their elected office or other offices for the purpose of campaigning for any candidate including themselves. Elected Executive
Officers or Senators are permitted to publicly endorse any candidate or group of candidates.
Section 7 – Candidates shall not in any way deface college property or violate any college regulations, or any local, state or federal law while campaigning.
Section 8 – No campaign material is to be attached to trees or placed or written in classrooms. No campaign material shall be placed on any painted surfaces or on any windows. Campaign material may not be placed on any surface
in such a way to damage college property. Candidates are to remove all campaign material after elections have ended. Candidates found in violation of this clause by the Academics and Policy Committee shall not receive election expense reimbursement.
Section 9 – Candidates running as a group or slate shall keep individual expense accounts.
Section 10 – All other details concerning campaigning shall be determined by the Academics and Policy Committee as deemed necessary.
ARTICLE VII – CONDUCT
Section 1 – No person shall destroy, deface, or alter any official notice posted by the Academics and Policy Committee.
Section 2 – No person shall complete more than one ballot in any election.
Section 3 – No person shall interfere with the orderly conduct of any election by any disturbance, loitering or interference with an election official.
Section 4 – No candidate, Senator, or Executive Board member shall actively assist a voter in filling out a ballot for the purpose of influencing the election.
Section 5 – The Chair of the Academics and Policy Committee shall have authority to enforce the provisions of these by-laws.
ARTICLE VIII – DISQUALIFICATION
Section 1 – Any candidate who fails to meet all of the qualifications for office as stated in the Constitution, By-Laws and Clarkson Undergraduate Regulations, will be recommended to the Academics and Policy Committee for consideration
for disqualification.
Section 2 – Violations by a candidate of the Election By-Laws or the rules established by the Academics and Policy Committee may result in the candidate's disqualification. The Academics and Policy Committee shall have the authority
to investigate any instances of the above violations of which it becomes aware. However, the Academics and Policy Committee shall be held responsible for investigating only the written complaints of violations which are received within forty-eight hours after
the polls close.
Section 3 – The Academics and Policy Committee shall provide the candidate of concern with a list of the alleged violations by the following Monday at 9:00 a.m., before the candidate is recommended to the Senate for disqualification.
The candidate will have the option to meet with the Academics and Policy Committee to discuss the alleged violations before the Senate meeting.
Section 4 – The Academics and Policy Committee may recommend disqualification of a candidate to the Senate by a majority vote. A motion for disqualification shall be presented to the Senate only upon a majority vote of the Academics
and Policy Committee. The motion for disqualification shall come before presentation of the election results.
Section 5 – Disqualification by the Senate shall render the disqualified candidate ineligible to hold or be a candidate for election or appointive positions in the Senate or Executive Board for the current and following semester.
Section 6 – In a regular election, if a candidate has won an Executive Officer election and is disqualified, the election is invalid and a runoff election shall be held.
Section 7 – If a candidate has won a Senate position and is disqualified, the next remaining candidate shall fill the unoccupied position. This shall include write-in candidates.
Section 8 – Should a particular Senate seat become vacant due to a disqualification or resignation and then remain vacant or due to a lack of candidates running for that class in the regular election, then there will be a special
election held in the Fall Semester.
Section 9 – Any person who actively interferes with or sabotages a candidate’s campaign will be subject to the review of the Academics and Policy Committee and if it is found appropriate, submitted to the Dean of Students.
By submitting this registration form you herby agree to follow all provisions of the Constitution and By-Laws of the Clarkson University Student Association. Failure to follow these provisions may result in disqualification of your candidacy, and if warranted,
a report to the Academics & Policy Committee or the Dean of Students.
Please be advised that no action (approval or rejection) will be taken on your registration until after the registration period has closed.
You may withdraw your registration during the registration period by emailing academicsandpolicy@clarkson.edu; afterwards all registrations are final.