SMC Associated Students Elections to Kick Off Next Week
The elections for the A.S. Board of Directors will run from April 3 to April 6.
The Associated Students (A.S.) of Santa Monica College (SMC) will hold their student board’s election for the 2023 to 2024 school year from April 3 to April 6. The A.S. is a student-run organization entrusted with representing interests and managing important decisions for SMC students. Any student currently enrolled at SMC is eligible to vote for the election on the Corsair Connect website.
The A.S. Board of Directors consists of 16 students who are responsible for overseeing the A.S. budget and funds. The budget is built from the $10 fee students pay during enrollment and registration every semester. 14 candidates are running for 10 different positions, including president and secretary.
The board currently has two vacancies that are expected to be resolved with this election, Director of Instructional Support and Director of Sustainability. However, four other open positions including Vice President and A.S. Budget Management did not receive any applications for this election. A future election dedicated to filling these openings is expected to be announced in the upcoming months.
Four bodies comprise the A.S. — the A.S. Board of Directors, Inter Club Council (I.C.C.), Joint Council and Judicial Board.
The I.C.C. is made up of one delegate from each officially registered club at SMC, while the Joint Council approves amendments to the A.S. constitution and by-laws. The Judicial Board rules upon the constitutionality of the actions of the A.S. Board of Directors.
Additional obligations and responsibilities of each body are extensively detailed within the A.S. Constitution and By-Laws available on the SMC website.
While every SMC student is officially a member of the A.S., only those who have paid the membership fee can enjoy its benefits which include access to A.S. Student Life counselors and the A.S. computer lab. The fee also makes one eligible to run for A.S. elections and create clubs.
Students who do not hold leadership positions at the A.S. can still be involved with the organization. The Board of Directors and Finance Committee meetings are open to the public, and students can propose legislative initiatives to the A.S. via petitions.
A Candidate Forum hosted by The Corsair will be held next Tuesday, April 4 from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. via Zoom, and streamed on The Corsair YouTube channel. Election results will be announced virtually on Friday, April 7, at 9 a.m. during the A.S. Election Committee meeting.
Article updated April 1 at 2:30 p.m. with the correct venue of the A.S. Candidate Forum. In a previous version, it was slated to be held in the quad area on the SMC main campus.
