The Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS) is entering the voting period of its election with both executive and representative positions left uncontested.
No candidates put their names forward for SGPS Graduate Student Senator, Vice-President (Campaigns and Community Affairs), or Vice-President (Finance and Services). The races for President and Vice-President (Graduate) are both contested, with two and three candidates, respectively, along with one sole candidate for the role of Vice-President (Professional).
Current SGPS President Dawood Tullah wrote in a statement to The Journal that the absence of candidates doesn’t necessarily indicate a lack of interest in student governance among graduate and professional students. Rather, he pointed to barriers that shape how these students might engage with the SGPS.
“Graduate and professional students differ meaningfully from undergraduates in how and why they engage with governance,” Tullah wrote. He noted that academic timelines, professional accreditation requirements, research responsibilities, and paid work often limit students’ capacity to take on additional commitments.
According to Tullah, many students choose to participate in governance at the faculty, department, or program level, where involvement more directly aligns with their academic or professional priorities.
Tullah also emphasized the workload associated with SGPS executive roles, describing them as functionally full-time despite being formally designated as part-time positions.
“The work is service-oriented, operational, and policy-focused. It involves sustained engagement with University administration and external structures, significant mental and time demands, and little public visibility. This reality understandably limits the pool of students who can realistically commit to such roles at a given point in their academic or professional lives,” he said.
In advance of the election, the SGPS promoted the available positions through its “established channels.” Once the election timeline was ratified by the SGPS Council, it was published on the SGPS website. Council members were also asked to circulate information within their faculties and departments, while SGPS newsletters and social media posts aimed to advertise the roles.
By-elections for the vacant positions haven’t yet been scheduled. Tullah said the election results must first be ratified by Council before a by-election timeline can be established. Based on that process, he said the earliest feasible window for by-elections would likely be March.
The by-elections will be publicized using the same communication channels as the general election. Tullah said the SGPS is also reviewing how role expectations and workloads are communicated to prospective candidates to ensure greater clarity on the positions themselves.
If the vacant positions remain unfilled after a by-election, SGPS procedures allow the matter to be referred to the Board, which may appoint interested candidates or return the issue to Council for further direction.
“Council may, in turn, determine whether appointment or an alternative election process is appropriate. This framework is intended to ensure continuity of governance and service to graduate and professional students,” Tullah said.
The Graduate Student Senator position follows a separate process. As a University-assigned role, its appointment would fall under the authority of the University Secretariat if a by-election doesn’t result in an elected candidate.
Tullah said that if by-elections are completed and ratified by March, SGPS doesn’t anticipate any material impact on executive transition plans, as they typically occur later in the academic term.
Tags
Elections 2026, SGPS elections, SGPS executive
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s) in Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.