The Strand: Can you outline the responsibilities of VPSO as you see them and the wider role you think you can play in VUSAC at large?
The constitution lays it out so that the VPSO is a liaison between student organizations and VUSAC, but I think this also extends to being a liaison between student organizations and students. Not a lot of the VPSO [role] involves telling students clubs X, Y, and Z are hosting events or this is [what] their money is going towards. I think that’s where there’s been a lot of uncertainty, where their student fees are going. With the upcoming budget cuts, it’s going to be a difficult time for students and student organizations. I think the better understanding there is about clubs and levies and where students’ money is going the better Vic can function.
How long have you been involved in student politics? What draws you to the position specifically?
I have never been directly involved in student politics. I was a VUSAC chair last year and I was on the Equity Commission two years ago and again this year. I’m on the Mental Health Commission as well. [These are unelected positions – ed. note]. I haven’t run for elections because they terrify me. But at caucus I heard a lot of questions about levy and commission spending, and afterward I talked to others and realized it wasn’t just me who thinks there could be some mismanagement of funds with some—not all—levies. That got me thinking maybe this could be an overriding problem in that students don’t understand or appreciate where their student funds are going, and that’s what motivated me to get involved.
I’m curious—if elected, what would be the focus of your tenure and how would you deal with the alleged mismanagement of funds?
The VPSO is kind of a consultant. [You’re] providing suggestions; you’re not telling them what to do. You’re acting as a connection between the larger Vic body and these clubs and levies. I would [as VPSO] participate in the clubs and levies audit to get a better idea of what levies budget is on a monthly basis and post that information publicly so students have access to it. It would a summing up of where the money is going, not my opinions [on] how it’s spent or how it can be improved. I would meet with levy heads [to see] if there [are] discrepancies in the budget or funds that could be cut or could be saved. There’s a lot of internal avenues at Vic where you can cut cost. This benefits students because their fees are being used more efficiently, but it’s beneficial to the levies because they have more positive representation in students’ eyes as well.
What would you say qualifies you for this role?
I’ve done work that’s involved economic diversification strategies, both with NGOs and a First Nation. With the NGO,s it was looking at charities in the province and how they can work together so there’s not a lot of overlap in resources. This relates to Vic since we have a lot of similar events and programming. I’m not an econ major; when it comes to strategizing budgets, I think I can help people see where there can be cuts and where money can be diverted so that it comes off better as to how you do your work.
The office of the VPSO seems most likely to be affected by the Ford government’s decision to make student union fees “opt-in.” As VPSO, how do you plan to address that lack of funding?
One, I think we have to be realistic. I’m not going to give up and not look for funding. The endowment funds for athletics [and] arts can help fund some of the work that some levies and clubs do. Student Projects would be another big one. Otherwise, I’m not making any big money promises; I won’t make promises I can’t guarantee. We don’t know where this money is coming from so what we can best do right now is use the money that we have and strategize as tight as possible so we can still get the basic programming and events that help each club and levy meet its mandate. But we can’t pretend we’ll find all the money to fund things next year from one source.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
