Eight days later than planned, The New School’s University Student Senate (USS) will be holding elections for the 2023-24 Academic Year beginning Tuesday, May 2 at 12 p.m. through Monday, May 8 at 11:59 p.m. Profiles of the 14 candidates running for office can be viewed here.

The Student Senate’s election was originally scheduled to take place last week, from Monday, April 24 to Sunday, April 30. However, due to an inadequate number of candidates, the USS extended the candidacy nomination deadline to Friday, April 28 at 11:59 p.m. and shifted the election back a week. The Senate used the week of April 24 to continue outreach, inform the student body about the candidacy process, and provide students with additional time to complete their candidacy applications. The voting period was originally rescheduled to begin Monday, May 1, but an additional postponement occurred due to technical issues with the Narwhal Nation voting platform.

The 2023-24 Student Senate will consist of an eight-member Executive Board and a 14-member General Board, numbers which fluctuate each year and are determined by the University’s enrollment. The student body will cast ballots for the 22 members (six from Eugene Lang, seven from Parsons, and four from each of the following schools: the College of Performing Arts, the New School For Social Research, and the Schools of Public Engagement) who will make up the Senate in this school-wide election. Then, the Senate will complete internal processes to determine the members of the new Executive Board and the positions held by those on the General Board. 

Since only 14 candidates are currently running for office, at least eight seats will remain open going into the next academic year. Those elected will determine how to conduct a special election to fill those seats in fall 2023. 

Students can vote for their Senators online at any time before midnight on May 9 through the digital election form at this link. Students can also vote in-person at the times and locations listed below:

• Wednesday, May 3: 1 p.m.-3 p.m.: Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts Building Lobby (66 W. 12th St.)
• Thursday, May 4: 12 p.m.-2 p.m.: College of Performing Arts Building in Arnold Hall Lobby (55 W. 13th Street)
• Thursday, May 4: 2 p.m.-4 p.m. and 5 p.m.-7 p.m.: New School for Social Research Building Lobby (6 E. 16th St.)
• Friday, May 5: 1 p.m.-3 p.m.: University Student Senate Office in Room 616B of the University Center (65 Fifth Ave.)

All voting stations will be staffed by current Senators and have laptops available for students to cast their votes on. All students who vote in person will receive an “I voted” sticker.

The USS told the Free Press that they plan to release the results of this school-wide election during the week of Monday, May 8. On Friday, May 12, during the Senate’s final meeting of this academic year, the current (AY 2022-23) Student Senate will hold an internal vote to determine the eight members who will make up the Executive Board for the Senate’s next term, said Shivam Sachdeva, the Senate’s current Chair. “Anyone [elected to the Senate] who’s interested in an Executive Board position will be able to provide a speech for their campaign, then the [current] Senate will vote during that meeting to finalize the new Board,” Sachdeva said. 

Executive Board positions include: Chair, two Vice Chairpersons for Advocacy, Vice Chairperson for Internal Affairs, Director of Operations, Director of Finance, Director of Communications, and Director of Engagement.

General Board positions include those on the Finance Committee, Advocacy Committee, and Communications Committee, as well as a “Lead” Position for some of the University’s undergraduate and graduate colleges. These positions are assigned to members per their preference by the new Executive Board over the summer.

Sachdeva emphasized that it is important for students to vote in the USS elections. “In the current moment, the university is facing a plethora of challenges and needs as many voices as possible to be able to find solutions to these challenges,” he said. “The Student Senate is one of those organizations within The New School who is able to meet not only with administrators and students …to tackle these problems we’re facing but also build community at The New School.” 

Students can check the USS’s Instagram for updates on voting locations and times throughout the week. For more information or questions regarding the election process, email uss@newschool.edu.