What position are you running for, and what are the responsibilities of this position?
I am running as a Victoria Director on the University of Toronto’s Students’ Union Board of Directors. The UTSU advocates and provides services for full-time undergraduate students at the St. George campus. Directors debate, refine, and vote on important policies related to this work at monthly meetings. The Board of Directors also has ten committees to make more specific and focused changes, such as on the Finance and Elections committees. As a director, it would be my responsibility to attend meetings, carefully review policy, work in a committee, and represent Vic while dedicating myself to these important issues.
Can you summarize the key points of your platform?
I have four major goals that I plan to work towards: transparency, teamwork, divestment, and equity.
First, many students do not know about their representation on the UTSU and the numerous services that it provides. I plan to release a monthly newsletter detailing current happenings in the UTSU in order to develop transparency between Vic students and the UTSU. I will also share my position on policies, in order to clarify my stance and in the hope that students will share their opinions with me regarding key issues.
Second, when considering policies and events related to major issues such as mental health and equity, I plan to work as a team with VUSAC and other UofT organizations to better understand and represent the needs of students. I believe that this teamwork is essential to a successful students’ union. I may not be aware of important initiatives or needs of specific students, and through teamwork I can bring issues to the attention of active students. One example of this would be working with climate groups to achieve divestment, my third platform policy.
I want to fight for University of Toronto de-investment from fossil fuels. It is a disgrace that our university (as well as Victoria College independently), which promises to invest in our futures, instead invests in an industry that is jeopardizing our livelihoods. Also disturbing is that the University of Toronto has yet to release information regarding how much money they have invested towards this. I plan to work closely with environmental groups such as LEAP to bring this to the forefront of the UTSU, and I will use our students’ union’s resources to counteract this issue.
Finally, I want to work with others to promote equity at UofT. It is clear that many departments do not adequately represent marginalized groups within the class curriculum. The UTSU ought to better uplift the voices of— and work with— marginalized students. This should be done alongside a number of academic departments to determine how better representation can be achieved. Beyond academics, international tuition fee rate increases are unregulated, unlike domestic tuition. This creates anxieties for lower-income international students, and in order to sustain an income-diverse international student population, it is important to address this.
Why do you want to run for this position, and what makes you best suited to fill this position?
I want to run for this position because as a member of the UTSU’s First Year Council, I have seen all of the amazing work that the UTSU does, as well as issues that still must be changed. I believe that having served in both the Finance and Governance Committees of the First Year Council, I am equipped to achieve my goals as a member of the UTSU Board of Directors. I am also highly involved here at Vic, as a member of The Bob Comedy Revue and Vic Ultimate Frisbee. I have met amazing people who inspire me and make my home a better place. I care very deeply about Vic, because it is a community that has been incredibly kind to me since the moment I stepped onto campus. I want to represent the many amazing people I’ve met in my year here.
What goals do you hope to accomplish if you are elected to this position?
My major goal is to use the UTSU to make Vic and UofT a better place in a way that best represents the needs of students. I hope to demystify the UTSU and make it clear that our student union is powerful and important, as are Victoria students. I want students to take advantage of their student union and share what their ideal university looks like. For me, that means UofT can be more equitable, fair, and moral. UofT can be better, and I plan to make it so.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Voting is from March 14 to March 17 at voting.utoronto.ca
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