Election Process

After the Election of 2021, we have decided to introduce a new process for the 2023 Elections based on concerns and feedback we received from staff. For any follow up questions or concerns, feel free to email Inclusion@FieldMuseum.org.

May 1-12

• The CDIO Office will be sending out a video explaining the new election process. All staff are encouraged to watch and email us with any questions you may have at Inclusion@fieldmuseum.org. Sara and Bethany will also be holding office hours during these two weeks. You are welcome to stop by with any questions, comments or concerns you may have and just get to know us and what we do!

• The CDIO Office will send out an official announcement for interested candidates to run for a seat on the Council. This announcement will include a form for candidates to fill out in order for them to verify their ability to commit to the time required to be on and their interest in being in the Council.

• The announcement will also include a form for Directors/Supervisors to fill out that confirms their awareness of their staff’s interest in running and their consent in allowing that staff member to take time out of their work week to commit to attending Council meetings.

• You cannot run if your Director/Supervisor does not also give permission. All Directors/Supervisors will be notified of your interest in running once you submit the form and will be required to fill out their form as well.

• If you or your supervisor does not consent to the time requirements but you are still interested in joining, we will do our best to try to find a solution. We want to make the Council as accessible as we can for all staff members.

May 15-31

• This is when elections will take place. Council members will assist all departmental groupings in their election process.

• All elections will be held on Zoom. If there is an issue with staff having access to Zoom, we can work with those departments to decide what the best option would be. All elections will be recorded for those who are unable to attend.

• Each candidate will have 5-10 minutes to present their speech. This speech will consist of discussing who you are, why you want to be on the Council, and why you feel you would be a good candidate to represent your departments.

• After each election meeting, the CDIO Office will send out an electronic ballot for staff to vote for their candidate.

• Candidate/s with the most votes from each departmental grouping will go on to be on the Council. Close runner ups will be eligible for a “Wild Card” spot, regardless of their department.

Director/Staff FAQs

• Will I as a Supervisor be in charge of conducting my departments’ election?

  • No, at least two current Council members will be present to help conduct. We will work with you to find an appropriate time for your departments to meet for the election and can conduct the meeting once it takes place. You can also reach out to us or Sara and Bethany for any questions you may have.

• Can I run for a spot on the Council if I’m a Director or Executive?

  • No, at this time we are hoping to encourage staff in other levels of the museum to join the Council as they often have the least say in decision making. We hope this aids in giving more agency to our staff members that may feel they do not have a voice at this institution.

• What if only one or none of my staff members want to run?

  • If only one staff member is interested in all of their departmental grouping, there will be no need for an election. They are able to go on to join the Council. If no one is interested, we will unfortunately not have any representation from those departments and will have to make the open seat a “Wild Card” for a staff member from another grouping. As we want to have as much representation as possible, we advise directors and staff to encourage staff they think will be a good fit to run. We are a fun team and want all staff to have a voice!

• How many seats are open?

  • As we have some current members rotating off and some staying on, we currently have 7 open seats. We strongly encourage staff under Le Monte, Jaap, Rob, and Charles to run. However, we have “Wild Card” seats so all staff should feel encouraged to run!

• How do I know which grouping my department falls in?

  • Each department falls under an Executive Team member, thus forming “departmental groupings”. The number of spots given per grouping is dependent on the total number of staff under each Executive. One spot was given per 50 people. The candidates that are chosen from each grouping will go on to represent those groupings as well as act as their point of contact for any questions or concerns they may have that the Council can address, so it is important to have their vote of approval. For detailed information on available spots and departmental groupings, go to our website.

• How many terms can I run?

  • At minimum, 1 year is required to be on the Council but you can be on for up to 2 years. 

• What if I need to step down from the Council during my term?

  • If a Council member needs to leave, first they must discuss with Sara and Bethany. Then, their spot will be open and we will reach out to one of the runner up candidates from their departmental grouping. If there is still no one available, it will become a “Wild Card” spot and we will ask one of the runner ups from another departmental grouping to join.

• How many hours will I need to commit to?

  • Council Members at Large will need to commit to 5 hours a month and Liaisons will need to commit to 15 hours a month. We meet as a Council every Wednesday from 11:30-12:30pm and Liaisons’ meet again on Thursdays from 3-4pm. Liaisons are also expected to perform some administrative duties such as facilitate meetings, take notes, and send out official weekly minutes to the Council.

• What if I don't want to present in front of others for my election speech?

  • Reach out to Sara and Bethany. We can discuss what works best for you. Some options are to record yourself giving the speech, record a voice memo of your speech, or simply send us a typed version of your speech and one of us will read it during the election meeting.

Departmental Grouping Breakdown

Each grouping was determined by the Executive that oversees each of these various departments. As seen highlighted in bold, seats on the Council per grouping are based on the total number of staff in each grouping. An extra seat on the Council was given per every 50 people within each grouping (i.e. 100 total staff members, 2 seats on the Council) to ensure well-rounded representation. 

The election in May 2023 will rotate out some of the current members, particularly where there is over representation, in order to help bring more representation across all departments. We have already asked our current council to decide whether or not they will choose to stay or give up their seat. Highlighted in red we have the number of seats that will make up the current Council by the time of elections ("→" indicates a member leaving), after members are rotated out. As you can see, we still have slight over representation in the departments under Thorsten and a lack of representation in the departments under Le Monte, Jaap, Charles, and Rob. If you’re in those departments, we hope you decide to join us!

There will be 2 open wild card chairs, for someone of any department to fill, so feel encouraged to run regardless of the numbers here!

Department Groupings for Representatives

Le Monte (CFO): 8 departments: 95 pp total: 2 chairs, 1 chair→0

• CFO Office

• Facilities

• Finance

• Housekeeping

• Human Resources

• Print Shop

• Protection Services, 1→0

Jaap (Head of Exhibitions):  1 department: 61 pp: 2 chairs, 1 chair→0

• Exhibitions, 1→0

Thorsten (VP of S&E): 7 departments: 193 pp: 4 chairs, 7 chairs→2

• Gantz Family Collections Center, 2→1

• Negaunee Integrative Research Center, 1→0

• Keller Science Action Center, 2→0

• Learning Center, 1→0

• Repatriation

• Science and Education, 1

• SEM

Charles (VP of IA): 3 departments: 34 pp: 1 chair

• External Affairs

• Institutional Advancement

• Membership

Rob (CTO): 1 department: 14 pp: 1 chair

• Information Technology

Ike (COO): 2 departments: 52 ppl: 2 chairs, 3 chairs→1

• Visitor Services, 2→1

• Public Relations 

• Marketing, 1→0

• Special Events and Group Sales

Total of 15 seats