Voting Matters

*Disclaimer: the opinions expressed in College Matters do not necessarily represent those of the College, its Council, or other registrants.

By Cairine Green, B.A., M.Ed.

EVERY YEAR, THE College of Applied Biologists holds an election to choose new members from among their peers to serve on the College Council1, the governing body that sets policy, administers provincial statutory standards of practice, and provides overall direction and support on behalf of its registrants. Annual elections, therefore, are key to the role of Council in College governance and critical to the ongoing development of the organization, the profession and the registrants. professionals but also motivates registrants to participate in annual elections, either as candidates or as voters.

There is an undeniable correlation between the level of registrant engagement and the level of voter participation at election time. The opportunity for registrants to guide the future of the College through an annual election of Council members reflects the very best principles of a representative democracy.

As a former Lay College Council member for six years and as Chair of the Nominations Committee for two years, I had a bird’s eye view of how important the nomination and election processes are to the general well-being of the College and its registrants. That registrants have a critical voice, through the election process, to influence and guide the future of the College and their own professional development, is a significant privilege and responsibility. Noteworthy is that the College of Applied Biologists boasts a register of over 3,000 registrants, equivalent to the populations of several of British Columbia’s regional districts, which are part of the fabric of local government across the province. As publicly elected bodies, they reflect representative democracy and we know that the more effective local government is at public engagement, the more likely voters will be informed and more willing to participate during a municipal or local election.

Additional opportunities for College registrants to become more engaged and learn more about their profession, Council governance and College administration, are available through participation as a volunteer on one of the College’s five statutory committees. Such volunteer activities not only provide That registrants have a critical voice, participants with a deeper dive into the regulatory through the election process, to landscape in which the influence and guide the future of the College operates but can also support candidate College and their own professional recruitment for elected development, is a significant privilege College Council positions. and responsibility. The ongoing health of the College of Applied Biologists depends on you, the registrants. It’s important, then, to get involved, to get informed and to get out and vote during the annual election of College Council members. Remember, as a voting registrant, you have a unique opportunity and a stake in the election each year to help shape the future of the College of Applied Biologists and, ultimately, the future of the applied biology profession. As Jane Goodall once said, “What you do makes a difference; you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

I suggest that the local government analogy is relevant when exploring registrant engagement and participation within the College—local governments are closest to its people, just as the College Council is close to its registrants. Therefore, a high level of registrant engagement not only leads to well-informed

1. Due to changes to the Professional Governance Act, the College Council will become the College Board, and the positions of President, Vice President and Councillor will be changed to Chair, Vice Chair and Board member prior to elected registrants taking office in 2023.