5 executive board, 16 other positions open for USG elections

It’s that time of year again for the Undergraduate Student Government: election season.

The application process began Tuesday for the 21 total positions up for grabs, five of which are on the executive board.

Applicants can submit their application materials up until 7:30 p.m. April 15, when all candidates will be briefed on general rules before campaigning begins.

Elections and Credentials Chair Corey Dahl said applying for a position is a great way for students to take an active role on campus.

“We encourage anyone that thinks that they might be interested in USG and think they might do a good job to run,” Dahl said.

The USG general council will be entirely dissolved by the end of April. All general council and executive board positions will be elected before the end of the month, except for the freshman class senators and president. Those positions will be elected next fall and the vice president for financial affairs who will be elected by the new USG president.

Dahl said the vice president for financial affairs is elected in a separate process to “insulate it from other external pressures, since that’s more of a sensitive position.”

Voting on the approved candidates opens at 9 a.m. April 21 and will continue until 9 p.m. April 23. Voting will be conducted online and will require students to enter their St. Thomas username and password.

Students interested in applying can pick up a packet outside of MHC 111 or print a copy online. Applicants must then collect student signatures (25 for a general council position and 50 for an executive board position) and compose a short candidate statement.

Brent Fischer can be reached at bafischer@stthomas.edu.