Peak international student body CISA makes changes to election process

AUSTRALIA’S peak international student body CISA has announced changes to its electoral process. Amber Wang finds out how it will impact student leaders wishing to put themselves forward as candidates in this year’s elections. 

With the Annual General Meeting of the Council of International Students Australia (CISA) in July, an election process will take place for new officers of the association and ordinary members of CISA’s Executive Committee.

Student associations across Australia will nominate student leaders from different parts of the country – just one of the many key changes in the upcoming election.

The main changes, highlighted in the organisation’s constitution, are requirements which student leaders wishing to apply for executive roles within CISA must meet. These include:

• being enrolled as a full-time student at a recognised Australian education institution
• completing at least one semester of study at an Australian education institution
• demonstrating good conduct
• a minimum of six months before graduating
• holding a leadership position either in CISA or an associate member organisation

Outgoing CISA President Thomson Ch’ng said CISA will oversee the process to make sure that candidates satisfy the criteria.

“We’ll conduct document checks to ensure that candidates are enrolled in an Australian education institution, have good conduct and uphold a current or past leadership role in one of the member organisations,” he said.

Applications for these executive positions are to be addressed to CISA’s secretary and need to include:

• A copy of their letter of admission to the full time study program
• A document confirming their leadership role either within CISA or an associate member organisation
• A recommendation letter from a member organisation

For student leaders wanting to apply, Ch’ng stresses that students should understand the level of responsibility that comes with either becoming president or part of CISA’s executive committee – representing “almost half a million international students in Australia” certainly calls for a special kind of individual.