What's going on? How do they work? Can I become a candidate?

Overview of executive elections

"Executive Elections" refers to the selection of LETU Executive Cabinet members. The Executive Cabinet at LeTourneau University lead and represent key organizations within the school, acting as intermediaries between the student body and university administration in order to promote student well-being. 

It is comprised of four members:

• Student Body President

• Vice President

• YellowJacket Activities Council President

• LeTourneau Student Ministries President

They are chosen annually through a campus-wide voting process each spring for a one-year term. 

Am I eligible to run?

Baseline qualifications for Executive Officer candidacy, along with other details, can be found within the LETU Senate Constitution. 

In summary:

• A candidate must have completed a minimum of three semesters at LeTourneau University and be considered a second semester sophomore by credit. 

• During the planned term, officers must be enrolled in at least nine credit hours per semester.

• Candidates must be in good standing with the University as defined by the student handbook and Student Life's IMPACT Leadership guidelines.

These items are not comprehensive, but they are a good starting point to determine eligibility. The school does have a write-in candidacy process in the event of an extraordinary circumstance, and those details can be found within the constitution linked above. 

I'm Interested. How does the election process work?

Each spring semester, five key milestones occur for student-body elections:

• IMPACT APPLICATION - Various leadership positions at LETU fall under the Student Life IMPACT program, including Executive Cabinet. One must start consideration for candidacy by filling out their annual application form. 

• INTERVIEWS - Next, potential candidates are to complete an interview with the faculty member closest to each Executive Cabinet role along with a moderator from Student Senate. This part is more to get basics across to students and to start real conversations about leadership.

• SIGNATURE WINDOW - As representatives of the student body, candidates will then be asked to obtain signatures from 25% of the student body during a designated time period. This is handled by the Student Senate, so there are measure in place to deal with external delays or other issues.

• ELECTIONS CHAPEL - This assembly is a space where all candidates address the student body. Voting opens right after, and winners are announced in another upcoming chapel assembly.

In addition, a debate night may occur between opposing candidates, but these details can vary depending on each cycle's nature.

This is meant to be a quick summary that helps people understand LeTourneau University's election process. Naturally, with student turnover, specific details may be announced or special cases may arise. From the writer, a student writing this way too late at night, I encourage anyone interested to try reaching out to people involved for more information. Conversation and communication with the people currently in these positions or the related faculty (as long as it is reasonable) is the most likely solution to any technical questions, and these people must have had some character or charisma to get where they are anyway.