1. Purpose of the Forum:
The elections forum exists to promote transparency, foster engagement, and enable students to ask questions to candidates running in the VUSAC elections.
2. Access:
All Victoria College students have access to view the forum and submit questions.
All candidates have the ability to respond to questions on the forum.
3. Platform Neutrality:
This forum does not favour any particular candidate or group.
This forum is designed to be accessible to all Victoria College students, considering factors such as compatibility with various devices and internet connections.
4. Posting Questions:
Students may post questions that are pertinent to the election, the roles for which candidates are running, and the policies or platforms of the candidates.
Questions should be constructive and respectful. Personal attacks, discriminatory remarks, or off-topic inquiries are strictly prohibited.
Students should refrain from posting the same question multiple times. Duplicate posts will be removed.
5. Answering Questions:
Candidates are encouraged to answer questions promptly and with clarity.
All responses should remain civil, constructive, and focused on the question asked.
Candidates should refrain from commenting on other candidates' answers unless it's to provide a direct counterpoint or clarity on their own stance.
6. Forum Moderation:
The CRO (or designated moderators) will monitor the forum for adherence to these rules.
Any post or comment that violates the guidelines will be removed. The responsible party will receive a notification explaining the reason for the removal.
Continuous violations may result in temporary or permanent bans from the forum.
7. Candidate Activity:
Candidates are expected to regularly check the forum and answer questions.
If a candidate anticipates being unavailable for a significant period, they should notify the CRO in advance.
Inactivity of more than 24 hours without prior notification to the CRO will result in a warning. Multiple warnings may lead to penalties, as decided by the CRO.
8. Confidentiality and Privacy:
Personal information or confidential content should not be shared or requested on the forum. Any such posts will be removed immediately.
Stakeholders of Victoria University are encouraged to report breaches of confidentiality to the CRO.
9. Dispute Resolution:
If a candidate or student feels that their post was unjustly removed or that they were unfairly treated, they can submit a grievance to the CRO.
The CRO will review the grievance and provide a resolution within 48 hours. The CRO's decision will be binding.
10. Advertising and Campaigning:
The forum is for questions and answers only. Direct campaigning, advertisements, or promotional content is not allowed. Such posts will be removed.
Candidates should refrain from using the forum as a primary campaign platform. It is a supplementary platform for direct interaction with students.
11. Archiving and Transparency:
All questions and answers will remain visible on the forum until the end of the election process, to ensure transparency.
After the election, the forum may be archived, but it should remain accessible for review for a certain duration, as decided by the CRO.
Remember, the main goal of the forum is to foster a healthy, constructive dialogue between candidates and students. Respect, fairness, and transparency should always be at the forefront of any interactions on the platform.