The Executive Committee comprises seven (7) Commissioners who manage the day-to-day activities of the UOSU and oversee its operations. This is a paid, full-time position. Commissioners must be part-time students unless they are international students or enrolled in a faculty that does not permit part-time studies.

What is the Executive Committee?

The Executive Committee is formed of seven (7) Commissioners who manage the day-to-day activities of the UOSU and oversee its operations. These are paid, full-time positions. Commissioners must be part-time students unless they are international students or enrolled in a faculty that does not permit part-time studies. The positions are:

• President: responsible for leading the organization and all tasks that come with it, such as general human resources, team navigation, and supporting Commissioners in fulfilling their mandates as needed. As the Chair of the Executive Committee, the President is key to holding the Executive Committee accountable and ensuring the committee completes its projects, respects deadlines and ensures the smooth operations of the Union. The President reports to the Executive Committee and concurrently serves as the Chair of the President’s Round Table, as well as the Governance Committee.

• Operations Commissioner: responsible for directing and overseeing the internal operations of the organization, which includes hiring of personnel, the preparation of the budget for the organization’s services, and financial management. They maintain a working relationship with the UOSU’s Director of Business, and should the organization have any business dealings, they would also oversee them. The Operations Commissioner is Chair of the Finance Committee and Services Committee.

• Advocacy Commissioner: responsible for overseeing the advocacy work of the organization, including lobbying and public education campaigns. They are also tasked with maintaining relations with the University of Ottawa, and work closely with the Student Rights Centre (SRC) and relevant personnel on maintaining, where appropriate, relations with governments and external organizations. The Advocacy Commissioner is Chair of the Advocacy Committee.

• Equity Commissioner: responsible for directing and overseeing the equity-building work of the UOSU, advocating on behalf of marginalized communities, combatting discrimination at the University of Ottawa, and building relations with equity-building organizations active at the University. The Equity Commissioner is Chair of the Equity Committee. They work closely with the Pride Centre, RISE, and the Feminist Resource Centre.

• Francophone Affairs Commissioner: responsible for directing programs aimed at francophone students, ensuring linguistic accessibility for francophone students across UOSU, advocating on behalf of francophones, promoting La Francophonie on campus, and dealing with any bilingualism-related student complaints. The Francophone Affairs Commissioner is Chair of the Francophone Affairs Committee. They work closely with the International House to further their advocacy and mandate goals.

• Student Life Commissioner: responsible for student clubs and their representation in UOSU, planning of social events (such as 101 Week), fostering the relationship between the UOSU and Recognized Student Governments (Federated Bodies), and ensuring a diversity of events and social activities on the uOttawa campus. The Student Life Commissioner is Chair of the Clubs Committee, the Student Life Committee and the Funds and Scholarships Committee. They work closely with the Clubs Administration Service (CAS) and the Sustainability Centre.

• Communications Commissioner: responsible for creating the communications strategy report and working with the communications department, President, Advocacy Commissioner to improve the UOSU’s communications and overall outreach. The Communications Commissioner is Chair of the Communications and Engagement Committee.

What requirements are there to be a part of the Executive Committee?

In order to run for the position of Commissioner, candidates must fill out the Bilingualism Self-Identification Form. There are different levels of bilingualism requirements for each position, which can be found in the Constitution under Schedule A: Bilingualism Standards. Candidates may be asked to pass a bilingualism test (English and French) as administered by the University of Ottawa’s Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI).

As it is a full-time, salaried position within the Union, elected Executive Committee members cannot register for more than six (6) course units, or two (2) courses, per semester in the year of their mandate, meaning that Commissioners must be part-time students; some students (including international students) may exceptionally take more than two (2) courses per semester in the year of their mandate. This is to ensure that their first priority is the job that they were elected and will be paid to do.