Former Student Union Vice President Michael Kerns '09 resigned from his position at the start of this semester, Student Union Director of Communication James Ansorge '09 announced in an e-mail to the Union News listserv last Wednesday. According to Ansorge, Kerns is taking leave from Brandeis for personal reasons. The length of his leave is currently unknown.

Executive Senator and Senator for the Class of 2009 Eric Alterman will chair Senate meetings until a new vice president is elected in accordance with the Student Union constitution, Ansorge explained in the e-mail.

According to the Union constitution, if an elected official cannot serve out his term, the official must notify the Union secretary. Vacancies only become official when announced by the Union secretary. Holders of other government positions must resign their positions to run for that vacancy. The constitution mandates that an election be held within 15 academic days of the official announcement.

Sign-ups for the election will start this Wednesday and will end with an official candidates' meeting on Sept. 10, after which campaigning can begin, according to Student Union Secretary Tia Chatterjee '09 in an e-mail to the Justice.

The first round of elections will be held on Sept. 15 with a second round on Sept. 17 if necessary, she wrote.

"I should like to take this opportunity to express my great confidence in and admiration for our Union and its representatives," the e-mail quoted from a message Kerns sent to Student Union members. "I anticipate leadership of the highest remark this coming year," Kerns wrote.

Kerns did not respond to phone and e-mail requests for comment.

"It's unfortunate, but we move forward," Student Union President Jason Gray '10 said. "It is what it is. We've got new elections set and everything will move according to plan," he added. "The show must go on."

In the first round of elections last spring, Kerns ran against former Senator-at-Large Andrew Brooks '09, former Union Secretary Nelson Rutrick '09, then-Senator for the Class of 2009 Julia Sferlazzo and then-Finance Board member Jordan Rothman '09.

After the first round, Kerns led Rothman by exactly one vote. In the final run-off, Kerns beat Rothman with 47.66 percent of the vote, with 10.3 percent abstaining.

"I was completely shocked" about the news, Brooks said. "I had no idea that he wouldn't be serving out his term, and I feel for him. . I am confident that Eric Alterman as the executive senator will be able to step in and manage the Union until a new vice president is chosen."

In terms of running in the special election, Brooks said he is "very undecided at the moment. Time will tell." Rutrick declined to comment on the development.

Kerns served as Village Quad senator last year. As chair of the Senate's Social Justice Committee, he advocated for a gender-neutral housing policy last March.

In April Kerns co-authored a Student Union resolution, which passed unanimously, in supporting InVest, a group calling for more transparency in the Brandeis endowment.

Before he left, Kerns had been working on a project to establish a bicycle rental system at Brandeis.

Sign-ups for the regular fall election positions, such as quad senators and senators for the Class of 2012, will also start on Wednesday and end with the official candidates meeting on Sept. 18. The first round will be on Sept. 23 with a second round if necessary on Sept. 25.