User:Mike Cline/USCAN Working Group Drafts/Phase I Task Forces/U.S. Canada Education Program Board Composition Proposal

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Proposed Board Slots[edit]

  • 1 WMF appointee
  • 3 Educators represented on the board, voted on by Wikipedians and Education Program Members via an anonymous vote (elected in a different year cycle than the Wikipedians). The voting will happen off-wiki, with the exact platform still to be determined
  • 3 Representatives on the board, voted on by Wikipedians and Education Program Members via an anonymous vote, using an on-wiki process (elected in a different year cycle than the Educators)
  • 1 Representative, voted on by members of Wikimedia Chapters and Education Program Caucus Groups
  • 4 members elected by the rest of the Board (on a skill basis)
    • Recommendation to the Board that they will appoint the open seats based on skills, demographic diversity, geographic representation (US/Canada). See below.

Needed Skills on the Board[edit]

  • Accounting/finance skills
  • Legal skills
  • Managerial/leadership expertise

Characteristics/Criteria for all Board Members[edit]

  • Personal integrity
  • Citizens or residents of US/Canada
  • Positively passionate about Wikipedia and Education
  • Diverse as a group
  • Good connections and social capital is a plus
  • Commitment to actively participating in "committee" work / responsibilities

Board Term Length[edit]

The term for each board member will be 2 years, and there is no limit to the number of terms a person can serve.

Definitions and Chart[edit]

This section includes definitions of relevant participants as well as voting and election eligibility.

Board Slots and Electors
Electors WMF Appointee (1) Educators (3) Representatives (3) Representative (1) Board Appointees (4)
Wikimedia Foundation Yes No No No No
Education Program Members No Yes Yes No No
Wikipedians No Yes Yes No No
Wikipedia Chapters No No No Yes No
Education Program Caucus Groups No Yes Yes Yes No
Board of Directors No No No No Yes


  • Education Program Members: Voting eligibility to include all who have joined the Education Program as a member.
Election eligibility - Education Program Members can be elected to any of the Representative slots, at the discretion of those who vote.
  • Wikipedians: Voting eligibility to include those with Wikipedia accounts. (Eligibility requirements will be specified later, but will include such things as minimal number of edits over specific time periods, etc. with specific requirements for people like developers, staff, contractors and WMF board and advisory members.)
Election eligibility - Wikipedians can be elected to any of the Representative slots, at the discretion of those who vote.
  • Wikimedia Chapters: Voting eligibility to include members of Wikimedia Chapters in the United States and Canada.
Election eligibility - Wikipedia Chapter members can be elected to any of the Representative slots, at the discretion of those who vote.
  • Education Program Caucus Groups: Groups of people with regional or topical interests in the Education Program (can include educators, students, ambassadors and others who have self-identified as "Members of the Education Program).
Voting eligibility to include members of Caucus groups.
Election eligibility - Caucus Group members can be elected to any of the Representative slots, at the discretion of those who vote.
  • Educators: - to include those who have led an Education Program-sponsored class assignment or activity over a specified time period in a classroom or similar place devoted to instruction or as part of instructional activities transmitted via digital networks (e.g may include librarians, writing center directors, digital media staff)
Voting eligibility - no distinct voting eligibility separate from eligibility as a Education Program Member.
Election eligibility - Educators can be elected to any of the Representative slots or to the Educator slots, at the discretion of those who vote in these respective elections.

Voting[edit]

  • One may vote in as many categories as one is qualified, e.g., if one meets the definition of a Wikipedian and is also a member of a Wikipedia Chapter, then one is entitled to vote in both categories.
  • Additionally, one may vote for as many slots as are up for election within a given category, i.e., if there are three slots up for election within the "Educators" category and one is eligible to vote in that category, then one may vote for up to three individuals.