Office of the President

serving as the voice of all lakehead students

LUSU's President is the Chief Executive of the student union, serving as the voice of students to Lakehead University, the community, and government. The President is responsible for the general oversight and strategic direction of the corporation. They lead LUSU’s campaigns and advocacy work, are in charge of coordinating LUSU’s communications strategy, and serve as the union’s primary liason with media.

Duties of the President

The President is the Chief Executive and Secretary of LUSU and they are charged with the general management and supervision of the Corporation. They establish the goals and objectives of the Executive Committee in conjunction with the other Executives and they are the principal record-keeper of the Corporation with respect to all acts and deeds of the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, and all Committees. 


The President (or in their absence, the Vice-President Operations & Finance) must serve as the chairperson for all meetings of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors (when the Chairperson is not present, or has a Conflict of Interest.)


During the absence or inability of any other Executive, either due to a Conflict of Interest or otherwise, the President may exercise the duties and powers of that office.

The President is responsible for recommending a Member to represent the Corporation on the Lakehead University Board of Governors pursuant to Operational Policy #6.

The President is required to either sit on, or deliver reports to, the boards and committees on which they hold a position. They will endeavour to fill all seats on all Subsidiary Committees during the Board of Directors’ orientation session of each calendar year. Failing this, all seats on all Subsidiary Committees are to be filled by the second meeting of September.

The President is the only Member that is authorized conduct interviews with the media on behalf of the Corporation. They can delegate this responsibility if, in the view of the Executive Committee, another Member is more qualified to speak to any particular issue.

Authority

Unless otherwise expressly set out in the Governing Documents, the President is authorized to make unilateral decisions on behalf of the Corporation, subject to the following criteria:

  • After diligent and reasonable efforts, the President is unable to convene a meeting of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee, as applicable
  • It is unavoidable and absolutely necessary that the decision be made before a meeting of the Board of Directors or Executive Committee, as applicable, can be convened, such that, failing to make an immediate decision would result in irreparable harm to the Corporation
  • The President is not in a Conflict of Interest with respect to the decision in question
  • The decision is reported to the Board of Directors, and the Executive Committee, at the next meeting of each entity.

Discretionary Budget

The President is responsible for the appropriate use of the President’s discretionary line in the budget for the current fiscal year.

Fiscal Responsibility

The President is responsible for recommending to the Finance and Operations Committee a budget for the office of the President for the upcoming fiscal year. They shall produce a written “Summer Update”, which must be submitted to the Board of Directors no later than the first Board Meeting held in the Fall Term. The Summer Report shall include:

  • Information related to all material work or business carried out between May 1, and September 1 on behalf of the Corporation
  • An evaluation of the success of any projects undertaken by the Corporation between May 1, and September 1
  • Tentative plans for the remainder of the Academic Year.
The President shall produce a written “Final Update”, which must be submitted to the incoming Executive Committee by April 30th of every given calendar year. This Final Report shall include:
  • A general summary of the President’s term in office
  • An account of any material issues encountered by the President during their term in office, and how they were addressed
  • Recommendations for the incoming President and Executive Committee.

Representation, Communication & Engagement

The President or their designate shall attend all general meetings of the Canadian Federation of Students. The President shall direct any LUSU campaigns with the assistance of the Executive Director. They are responsible for engaging and communicating with the Members.

Signatory of the Corporation

Together with the Chairperson, the President is responsible for signing any Material Agreement, as approved by the Board of Directors. For clarity, two signatories shall be required to endorse any such Material Agreement. If the President is unavailable, or the office is vacant, any other Executive may sign; and if the Chairperson is not available, any other Director may sign.

Additional Responsibilities

The President is responsible for notifying the Members of any General Meeting. They or their designate shall, in cooperation with the Argus staff, produce a column for print in each issue of the Argus pertaining principally to the business and projects of the Corporation.

The President is responsible for addressing political matters on a municipal, provincial, national and international level that affect the Members or the Corporation, and for transmitting any related information to the Board of Directors, the Executive Committee, the Committees, Clubs, or other student groups, as applicable or appropriate. They are responsible for maintaining a line of communication with the Board of Governors and the Lakehead University Administration.

The President is the primary point of contact and shall be responsible for all relations with municipal, provincial, national, and international student organizations, including but not limited to the Canadian Federation of Students - Services, and the Canadian Federation of Students - Ontario, and shall transmit information related to the Corporation to these groups as applicable or appropriate, unless decided otherwise by the Executive Committee.

The President is responsible for preparing application packages and advertising for the position of LUSU Chairperson, pursuant to Article IV. They are responsible for advertising to fill any and all positions on the Elections Committee; including but not limited to the CRO, pursuant to By-Law #2. If the Board of Directors is not available to meet to direct the Elections Committee the President shall so direct. For clarity, it is the President’s responsibility to ensure that the Governing Documents are being followed with respect to the Elections Committee.


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SC0001-955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1 | OA1027-500 University Avenue, Orillia, ON L3V 0B9

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