The Alma Mater Society of the University of British Columbia Vancouver, otherwise referred to as the Alma Mater Society or the AMS, is the student society of UBC Vancouver and represents more than 58,000 undergraduate and graduate students at UBC's Vancouver campus and their affiliated colleges. The AMS also operates student services, businesses, resource groups and clubs. The AMS is a non-profit organization that exists to advocate for student viewpoints and ensure the needs of students are met by the University Administration and the Provincial and Federal governments. The Alma Mater Society is composed of a number of constituency organizations for undergraduate students, and works closely with the Graduate Student Society of UBC. Governance The highest decision-making body of the AMS is the Student Council. Meeting every two weeks during the Academic Year, and every three weeks during the summer, this body has representatives from each of the Schools and Faculties of UBC, the affiliate colleges: Regent College, Vancouver School of Theology, and St. Mark's College, Vancouver as well as the five members of the Executive, and several non-voting positions including the two representatives of the Student Senate Caucus, the two Vancouver student members of the UBC Board of Governors, the Student Services Manager, and the Ombudsperson. Voting members of Council are the Directors of the Society (as defined under the Society Act of British Columbia) and are responsible for all high-level financial and legal decisions made by the AMS - including the overseeing of internal procedures (known as the Code of Procedure), a $22 million budget, the Student Union Building (known as the AMS Nest Building), and policy statements. The operations of the AMS are governed by a five-member Executive, as well as a professional Managing Director, and the Student Services Manager. The Executive consists of the President, the Vice-President Academic and University Affairs, the Vice-President Finance, the Vice-President Administration, and the Vice-President External Affairs. Members of the Executive are elected in a campus-wide election each March, along with five Senators-at-Large to the UBC Senate, and two student representatives to the UBC Board of Governors. Elections Until February 2004, candidates running for Executive positions ran as part of a slate. The 2005 AMS election was the first election which the AMS saw electoral candidates run as independents. Past slates included Students for Students (more right-leaning candidates with strong support from athletes, fraternities and residences), Action Now/Students' Voice/SPAN-Student Progressive Action