The Rector is elected by students to a three-year term, but until 1969 no students were chosen; instead, the Rector tended to be some prominent friend of ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥, such as the senior public servant O.D. Skelton (1929-1935), former Prime Minister R.B. Bennett (1935-1937), and the businessman and chair of the CBC Leonard Brockington (1947-1968). In 1969, students forced the resignation of the Rector, Senator Grattan O'Leary - since that time, students have been elected to the post.
The students registered in academic programs of the University shall, in accordance with the By-laws of the University Council (Section F), elect a Rector to hold office for three years from the date of election or until a successor is elected, whichever is later. Although University Council’s by-laws outline a three-year term, there is a convention of rectors resigning after the completion of two years in office.
The Rector represents and is responsible to all students of ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ (undergraduate and graduate). The Rector is an ex officio member of the Board of Trustees of ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥. The Rector may be called upon to participate in ceremonial and administrative functions as a representative of all students. Review the Rector Role Description.
34th University Rector Mike Young during election debate.
Who Can Run?
To be eligible to run for Rector, you must be in good academic standing per the academic regulations of your home Faculty/School, enrolled in the equivalent of at least one full-year course, or two half-year courses, or the equivalent for graduate students, and a member of either the or the .
Members of the AMS is defined as:
- Payment of an AMS Specific Student Fee (generally paid in September with Tuition)
- Membership in one of the following AMS Member Societies:
- Arts and Science Undergraduate Society
- Commerce Society
- Concurrent Education Students Association
- Engineering Society
- Health Sciences Society
- Nursing Students’ Society
- Physical and Health Education and Kinesiology Students Association
Members of the SGPS is defined as: any full-time or part-time, on-campus or off-campus, graduate student or professional student enrolled at Queen’s University and belonging to one of the Constituent Bodies.
The role of University Rector is ideally suited for an upper-year student (completion of two years of study at the undergraduate level) or graduate/professional student based on the demands of the role as well as the development of understanding of the governance and decision-making structures of the University that would be necessary to fulfill all duties. The role requires a commitment of 2 years from the successful candidate. The nature of the role may result in the choice of an individual to take a reduced course load; however, the Rector is a student first. The expectation is that the Rector will prioritize their academic career over and above the duties of Rector. A record of academic proficiency at Queen’s is strongly recommended to balance competing demands and ensure academic success.
Details for the 2024 Election of the 39th Rector
Note: some links may not work anymore. This section will be updated once the next election is called.
The election process comes in four important parts: Nomination, Validation, Campaigning, and Voting. Look for updates on the !
AMS Policy on Elections: The Rector is a representative of both undergraduate and graduate students and therefore has election policies for both the AMS and SGPS. There is only one policy document; however, any changes that need to be made must be approved by both bodies respectively. The Rector Elections Policy outlines the Rules on Nominations, Validation, Campaigning and Eligibility.
Information Session:
- provides information on how to build a platform, the election process, and Rector history.
- Browse PowerPoint deck to learn more about the election process.
- the Rector information session from January 10, 2024.
- The ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Journal article (July 26, 2021) -
Nominations:
- The Nomination period is the first step in running to be the Rector. This week provides the opportunity for candidates to acquire a nomination package [PDF 274 KB ] -also found on - which will contain all pertinent information. The nomination package is a list of rules and regulations, as well as important deadlines pertaining to the election season. To complete the nomination process, candidates will also have to solicit 1% of AMS and SGPS student signatures to be able to run (details on how to collect signatures are in the package).
Validation:
- All candidates who have obtained the minimum required number of signatures must have Assembly approval to be placed on the ballot. Candidates will attend and answer questions put forward to them, as well as be verified as an SGPS or AMS member.
Campaigning:
- The Campaigning period generally lasts 7-10 days (about 1 1/2 weeks). There are rules and regulations surrounding this period that candidates must abide by and can be found in the Rector Elections Policy [PDF 416 KB] and your Nomination Package. Candidates are permitted to have a campaign team and manager, to help facilitate and run their campaigns. This information must be disclosed to the Chief Electoral Officer and SGPS representative.
- The Rector Debate: Held to discuss platforms and policies. Candidates are required to submit their platform at least 48 hours ahead of the debate. The is a great starting point template.
Platform Tips:
- Your platform will be public and include a biography and description of major campaign ideas.
- Platforms are a great way to convey your ideas to the student body and student news networks. They demonstrate not only your overall goals for the year but how you as a leader will strive to benefit the school community in a positive way. Make sure to follow the checklist to cover all bases, as well as to see some past platforms.
- Pillar-based approaches are highly suggested, as each can represent a broad area of interest relevant to the diversity of the student population. Then, each pillar can be broken down and expanded into sub-categories.
Voting:
- At the end of the campaign period, students will have two days to vote for their preferred candidate. Voting days take place online (). Students will get an email in their inbox with details. The results will be announced following the second day of voting.
Contact Information: .
Follow the and Social media channels for timely updates.