Guide to Reperesentation


Understanding how the university works can be difficult, especially if you need assistance in an area which you’ve never dealt with before. The following section lets you know which bodies are responsible for different issues on campus, where you have student representatives, and how you can become involved as a representative of your fellow students.


Senate


Senate is the body that determines the academic policy and direction for the University. If your concern has to do with programs, courses, grading, the format or length of instruction, requests for academic exceptions, academic appeals, or anything else dealing with your academic or in-classroom experience, the Senate will handle your concerns.

Six students are elected to serve two-year terms which are staggered, so three seats become vacant for election each year. The BUSU Vice President University Affairs also has an automatic seat, for a total of 7 undergraduate students to represent you on this body.

Elections for Senate happen during March. Look for announcements and nomination packages in late February. By-elections for any vacant seats happen in October, and this year there are three vacancies to be filled at that time. Contact the Chief Returning Officer, John Garrang Maduk, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or watch the Brock Press and the BUSU website for more information.

Your student representatives can be found on the main senate website. Check http://www.brocku.ca/secretariat/ for all your information about Senate, including meeting agendas and minutes.


Board of Trustees


The Board of Trustees is the highest level of authority at Brock, and deals with all University matters that are not academic-related. This includes the university budget, new buildings and infrastructure, tuition and other student fees, community relations, and human resources. If it is not a topic of discussion at one of their meetings, representatives will point you in the proper direction, but this body has oversight for every University program, service and business.

Two undergraduate students sit on the Board of Trustees; one is elected each year in alternating years to serve a staggered two-year term. Additionally, the BUSU President receives all meeting materials and information, but does not have a vote on this body.

Elections for the Board of Trustees happen during March. Look for announcements and nomination packages in late February. Contact the Chief Returning Officer, John Garrang Maduk, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or watch the Brock Press and the BUSU website for more information.

Your student representatives are listed on http://www.brocku.ca/secretariat, and you can visit that website for any more information about the Board of Trustees.



BUSU Executive


The BUSU President, Vice-President University Affairs, Vice-President Finance and Administration, and Vice-President Student Services are all elected annually into full-time positions working behalf of students on campus. If your area of concern is not addressed by another committee in this listing, one of the Executive members will be able to help you with your issue. In addition, the BUSU Executive also plan and execute major events on campus, oversees the BUSU businesses and services, and represent student concerns to the University administration and all levels of government.

Executive elections are held in mid-February. If you are interested in running for one of these positions, look for announcements and information sessions in mid-January, or stop by the BUSU office to talk to this year’s executive. For more information, contact the Chief Returning Officer, John Garrang Maduk, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

You can contact your BUSU Executive at the following:



BUSU Board of Directors


The BUSU Board of Directors is the highest level of governance within the Students’ Union, except for a direct vote by the student body. It deals mainly with contracts, policies and procedures, human resources, and legal issues for the businesses and services which BUSU provides.

The Board is a seven-member body consisting entirely of students. The BUSU President, one Vice President, and two BUSAC Councillors (see below) sit on this body, along with three students elected “at large”. Elections for the student-at-large seats happen in February at the same time as the President and other Executive elections. Look for announcements and nomination packages in mid-January, or contact the Chief Returning Officer, John Garrang Maduk, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or watch the Brock Press and the BUSU website for more information.

For your Board of Directors representatives and more information, check out www.busu.net/bod



Brock University Students’ Administrative Council (BUSAC)


BUSAC stands for the Brock University Students’ Administrative Council. This is the political arm of BUSU, with representatives from each faculty via proportional representation, as well as representatives for residence, off-campus students, international students, students with diverse abilities, and more. BUSAC councillors debate policies and political direction, as well as approving club expenditures and capital requests, and form committees or working groups for any issue of concern to students.

The names of your representatives can be found on the BUSC page. Elections are held in March each year, so begin looking for announcements in late February, or contact the Chief Returning Officer, John Garrang Maduk, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information. By-elections for any vacant seats are held in October each year, and if you are interested in being a representative for Math and Science, Humanities, Education, Social Sciences, or Residence, we have openings for you this year.

Keep checking www.busu.net/busac for up-to-date information about BUSAC.



Residence Action Council


The Residence Action Council (RAC) is responsible for much of the social, charitable and competitive programming around Residence, and also publishes the residence yearbook each year. RAC also deals with concerns about the residence system in general. There are two categories of RAC involvement: as an Executive member, or as an Elected RAC member (ERM).

The Executive members (at least two per residence building) are responsible for campus-wide programming, as well as coordinating events within their building. Executive members are selected near the end of the school year, for the following year, and are typically upper-year residence students. For more information about this process, contact Colin Ryrie, Residence Life Coordinator at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or RAC President Andrew Natale. You can also check out the website at www.brockrac.ca.

ERMs are elected in late September from each hall/house/court/block within residence, with two representatives per H/H/C/B. ERMs are responsible for programming within their residence building, and for encouraging attendance at residence events. To become involved as an ERM, talk to your Don during early September.



Faculty/Department/Program Councils


Many, but not all, programs and departments across Brock have student representation by way of a programming or social council, and many also have a student representative on a departmental committee. The roles and responsibilities vary greatly across the university, so contact your departmental chair to find out the information applicable to your major. You can find the contact information through http://www.brocku.ca/departments/academic.php or http://phonedata.cns.brocku.ca/public/search.html.



Brock Press Board of Directors


The Brock Press is the campus newspaper at Brock University, with a circulation of over 10,000 copies on and off campus each week. As an independently incorporated media entity, the Brock Press Board of Directors must include one elected student who does not write articles or contributions for the newspaper. This election is held in the BUSU February election period, so look for announcements in mid-January or check out www.brockpress.com. For more information about the election process, contact BUSU CRO John Garrang Maduk, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .



Brock University Accessibility Advisory Committee (BUAAC)


BUAAC is the advisory committee to the University with respect to the purpose of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001. The committee provides vision and direction toward the removal of barriers on campus and works collaboratively with the University and other organizations, as part of a seamless approach to barrier removal across Niagara.

This committee is comprised of between 11 and 15 people across the University community, including students. To meet the purposes of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, a majority of committee members should be persons with disabilities. Applications for membership are available from Margaret Sanderson, University Accessibility (AODA) Coordinator at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

More information about accessibility planning on campus, or for people interested in accessibility issues can be found at www.brocku.ca/accessibility.



Non-Academic Discipline Panel


The Panel is a group of student volunteers who hear non-academic discipline cases (alleged violations of the Student Code of Conduct) and make important decisions regarding responsibilities and sanctions. Approximately 10-12 students sit on the Panel Annually, and there are up to 3 recruitment periods per year - August, December, and February - depending on staffing needs. More information can be attained by contacting Vince Wilson, Manager, Student Conduct at ext. 4041 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . You can also visit www.brocku.ca/sdc/discipline for more information about the position and the Disciplinary process at Brock.



University Appeal Board


The University Appeals Board hears appeals for cases in which a sanction of expulsion, suspension or exclusion from facilities of the University has been recommended and upheld by the Vice Provost, Associate Vice President Student Services. The Vice President Academic, or their designate will appoint members of this committee on an as-needed basis with the following composition:

  1. Vice President Academic (Chair)
  2. One Faculty member
  3. One Staff person
  4. One Student holding no position within Residence or BUSU

More information can be attained by contacting Vince Wilson, Manager, Student Conduct at ext. 4041 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . You can also visit www.brocku.ca/sdc/discipline for more information about the position and the Disciplinary process at Brock.



Business Students’ Association


Within the Faculty of Business, the Business Students’ Association (BSA) is the gatekeeper of the annual Business Student Levy. The BSA’s budget is approved by the Faculty of Business Student Council (FOBSC) and BUSAC. The FOBSC is responsible for ensuring efficient and transparent distribution of the Business Student Levy, as well as for maintaining effective communication between each of the eight business student associations.

The FOBSC has 21 seats available to students on an annual basis; 8 voting and 13 non-voting. Seats on the FOBSC are comprised from each of the seven business student associations (Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship, Accounting Students’ Association, Business Ambassadors, Finance and Investment Group, Marketing Association, DECA U, and the Human Resource Management Association).

Students can become involved with the FOBSC by obtaining any of the positions above. Hiring and elections for all FOBSC President and Executive positions take place in February and March for the subsequent academic year. Office is held from May 1st through April 30th. For more information or to get involved, please contact Megan Lembke, Vice President Human Resources, Business Students’ Association at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Further information and links to all FOBSC websites can be found at www.brockbsa.com



Beta Gamma Sigma Executive Committee


The Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) Executive Committee of the Brock University Collegiate Chapter was established to carry out the mission of the International Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma - to encourage and honor academic achievement in the study of business, to foster personal and professional excellence, to advance the values of the Society and to serve its lifelong members. The Collegiate chapter of BGS is comprised of faculty and student representation and oversees the voting and selection of the BGS Honorees, BGS Scholarship recipients, and student delegates to the BGS Student Leadership forum.

One undergraduate and one graduate business students are elected to sit on the committee. Students must be members of BGS and will be elected to sit on the committee for one academic year. Contact the office of the Dean of Business for more information.



Other (Ombuds)


If you feel that you have been treated unfairly in some way, or are engaged in some type of conflict, the Ombudsperson is a designated neutral party who can provide confidential information and assistance. If you would like to contact one of the decision-making bodies included in this listing, but would like some guidance or advice on the matter first, feel free to speak with Carole Moss ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) about your issue first.