If you would like to be nominated, contact your Faculty or departmental graduate student association to find out how their selection committee is accepting applications. To be eligible, you must:

1. Be enrolled in a graduate-level program (part- or full-time, domestic or international), or be an alumnus who graduated from a program in that Faculty within the past six years.
2. Be willing to serve a two-year term.
3. Be able to attend monthly Board meetings (approximately two hours each).
4. Attend mandatory yearly training provided by Volunteer Manitoba.

Board members are also expected to adhere to the requirements of the Manitoba Corporations Act and to UMGPS Bylaws and Policy Documents.

– There are a total of 21 seats on the Board of Directors. Each Faculty is entitled to one voting representative on the Board, nominated from within each Faculty. The remaining seats are filled by Ex-Officio Voting and Non-Voting Directors.

The nominated representative may be from any graduate level program, a part- or full-time student, and a domestic or international student.

As per the Manitoba Corporations Act, no more than 75% of the Board of Directors may be comprised of non-residents of Canada. In some cases, international students may not be considered residents of Canada. More information on who is considered a resident of Canada is included below.

The nominated representative may be a current graduate student or an alumnus of the nominating Faculty.

No more than 30% of the Board of Directors may be alumni at time which they begin their term.

Alumni must have graduated within the past six years from the date which they begin their term on the Board of Directors.


– 25% (6 members) of the Board of Directors must be comprised of residents of Canada.

To be a resident of Canada to fulfill the requirements of the Manitoba Corporations Act, the nominated individual must reside in Canada in the course of their customary mode of life. While there is no “hard and fast” definition of Canadian residency for corporate purposes, residency is typically established in a court of law by reviewing the physical, financial, and sociocultural ties of an individual to Canada. A resident of Canada typically pays Canadian taxes, intends to live in Canada permanently, and physically dwells in Canada more than 50% of the time. Canadian citizens and permanent residents are considered residents of Canada. International students who intend to leave Canada after completing their studies are not considered residents of Canada but are still eligible to sit on the Board of Directors. If nominees are unsure of their residency status in Canada, they may complete the NR73 or NR74 questionnaire to assist in determining their residency status.

International students should take care to ensure that their appointment to the Board of Directors will not affect their visa status. They should consult the IRCC for more information.


– If the nominees for Board of Directors total more than 30% alumni, or more than 75% non-residents of Canada, those faculties who must re-select their nominees to be in compliance with these requirements will be determined by random draw.

• Sit on the board for a term of 2 years, unless they must resign their position, are removed from the board, or are required to resign because they no longer meet the requirements to be a member of the Board of Directors, as outlined in the Bylaws of UMGPS or the Manitoba Corporations Act.
• Attend monthly board meetings of approximately two hours in length.
• Adhere to all requirements outlined in the Manitoba Corporations Act.
• Adhere to all requirements outlined in UMGPS Bylaws and Policy Documents, as posted on the UMGPS website.
• Attend mandatory yearly training provided by Volunteer Manitoba.