The Victoria University Students’ Administrative Council (VUSAC) held a jam-packed meeting on Friday, January 17 to kick off the winter semester. As it was their first meeting of the semester, the agenda comprised of a wide range of action items, discussion items, and reports. Here are a few highlights:
Women of the World
Women of the World has been ratified as a VUSAC-recognized club whose purpose is to seek equity while fostering a sense of community. Members can connect with each other through weekly discussions of sincere topics, such as what it means to love oneself, and through hosting various team-bonding events, such as karaoke nights. The main goals of this club are to raise money for international charitable causes (for example, forest fires) and to volunteer on a local scale (for example, at food banks). Women of the World intends to bring Victoria College students together by tackling important issues both on and off campus.
Orientation
Victoria College’s Campus Life Coordinator, Christina Alcena, is hiring a team to organize and take part in Orientation Week 2020. As Orientation is one of the biggest events on campus, there are many opportunities for students to get involved. Orientation Executives meet over the summer to plan the event, and they will receive an honorarium for their work. Orientation Leaders support the Executives throughout the week to foster a welcoming and exciting environment. Finally, Transition Mentors create intimate bonds with groups of first-year students to provide support during Orientation and throughout the remainder of the academic year. For more information on how to get involved with Orientation Week 2020, please visit VicOrientation.com.
Academic Support Bursary
The VUSAC Academic Support Bursary is a project that intends to help alleviate some of the burdens that are associated with academic expenses. The goal is to provide refunds of up to $100 for materials, including textbooks, iClickers, registration fees, and many more expenses. VUSAC’s Academic Commissioner, Lucy Faria, states that this project differs from other bursaries because it isn’t designed to provide a large amount of money to a few students, but rather to distribute money to as many students as possible. VUSAC will be piloting the project this semester, and the call for applications is scheduled for mid-February.
VUSAC meetings occur bi-weekly, and students are encouraged to attend and participate in the discussions. The next meeting will be held on Friday, January 31 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm in the Copper Room (located in the Goldring Student Centre).
