Maddy Porter and Sarah Cooper are going to be Carleton’s new undergraduate representatives on the Board of Governors.
Porter received 709 votes, while Cooper received 435.
Porter and Cooper were among eight candidates who began campaigning Feb. 25. The two governing positions are the most contested they have been since 2011, when six candidates ran.
Porter and Cooper are joining Carleton University Students’ Association’s Alexander Golovko and Graduate Students’ Association’s Kelly Black as student representatives on Carleton University’s highest governing body.
According to board secretary Anne Bauer, the role of the board is to “govern, conduct, manage and control the university, its work, affairs and business, and property and revenues.”
Cooper said that although student representatives have an official job description, they are capable of doing much more than that.
“If you put the work and effort in, you can accomplish anything that you want through the Board of Governors,” she said. “By networking and forming relationships with the other people that sit on the board, I believe you can affect change.”
Porter said she decided to run to be a voice for students on the board. As other students approached her and encouraged her to run, and as she is not a representative of a student union, she said she feels she will bring a unique viewpoint to board proceedings.
“One of the things that are really important to me was that Sarah and I are women,” Porter said. “Traditionally, there have been a lot of men on the board and I think we’re going to be able to bring a whole new perspective.”
Porter said while on the board she wants to create a business bridging program for students.
“The board has so many accomplished individuals with so much experience,” she said. “I want to harness that experience to benefit my fellow peers here at Carleton.”
Cooper said she decided to run for the board because she believes students deserve to have an active and engaged voice on the Board of Governors who is looking out solely for the needs of students.
“I’m passionate about student issues, and I’ve always wanted to run for the Board of Governors to have the opportunity to represent students on the highest decision-making body at Carleton,” Cooper said.
Cooper said she hopes to accomplish many things on the board by representing students respectfully and by being as accessible to listen to any concerns they may have.
Cooper has been a GLBTQ Centre co-ordinator for two years and has been involved with Carleton’s queer community ever since she got to Carleton. She said one of her major platform points is ensuring there were more gender-neutral washrooms on campus.
“Now that I’m actually sitting on the board, I’ll be able to ensure that the student representatives are actually advocating for . . . folks who need to use gender-neutral washrooms for safety reasons or comfort,” Cooper said.
She also said she wants to ensure Shinerama reaches its fundraising goal as she has been involved in orientation week for the last four years and the fundraiser is close to her heart.
“I’m unbelievably excited to work with students next year to make Carleton the best place it can be,” Cooper said.
As Porter received a higher number of votes, she will begin her term on the board immediately, filling Zane Colt’s vacant seat, Bauer confirmed.
Cooper will assume her role as student representative on the board in July.
