What position are you running for, and what are the responsibilities of this position?
I’m running for the position of Vice-President Internal. This position is mainly concerned with keeping VUSAC running as smoothly and efficiently as possible and maintaining the internal workings of the council. This includes sitting on the hiring panel for staff members, assigning councillors to their portfolios, and making sure the VUSAC office stays in order. They are also responsible for keeping track of VUSAC’s records and organizing a retreat for training of council.
Can you summarize the key points of your platform?
My platform is centered around a few major ideas. The first is to support my fellow council members in their goals by organizing training sessions that are most pertinent and helpful, based on their feedback. Next, I want to follow Caffiends’ example in having anonymous monthly check-ins from the council to take stock of how everyone is doing in their role and what concerns there are for the executives to address. Thirdly, I want to make VUSAC’s governing documents more accessible and transparent by having a form of version control. Finally, I want the VUSAC office to run more sustainably in terms of our waste management.
Why do you want to run for this position, and what makes you best suited to fill this position?
My interest in running for VP Internal comes from a deep love and passion for the work VUSAC does and my wish to see the council live up to its fullest potential. This past year I had the opportunity to serve as Mental Wellness Commissioner, and as part of the role, I got to experience first-hand the amazing work that VUSAC does, as well as some of the areas I feel we could improve in. I am sure everyone on the council will be brilliant and bring a ton of amazing ideas to the table, and I want to help them bring those ideas to reality.
I think I am best suited for the position because of my skills pertaining to leadership and management in a team setting. I have had the chance to be a part of, and lead, several teams in a sporting context, as well as chairing the Mental Wellness Commission this past year. I have been able to learn a lot from all these experiences, especially the virtue of being empathetic and understanding what my teammates want and how to support them best. With this experience, I feel I can do a good job in maintaining a healthy and enjoyable working environment for everyone. I also am pretty good at organizing information so that it’s well-structured and easily accessible, which would help me manage VUSAC’s records efficiently.
What goals do you hope to accomplish if you are elected to this position?
My goal would be to fulfill the promises I have made as part of my platform. If elected, my summer project would be a complete revamp in the way our governing documents are maintained and presented. This would involve a structured version control where all amendments from the previous five years are recorded and referenced alongside the relevant sections, so that anyone reading the documents can understand the context and rationale behind them. I also want to set up structures for the office to manage its waste better. This would include a battery recycling station as well as a better plan for managing our paper waste.
As part of the Fall retreat once the full council is elected, I’d like to have training that is most relevant for members of council. This may include some alternative sessions for members to attend based on what they feel is helpful for their portfolio. All of this would be decided based upon feedback from current and past council.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I’d like to wish everyone running in the elections the best of luck! Running a campaign is hard and stressful and I am really proud of all of you for having the courage to do it. I hope that no matter the result, you have a good experience and are able to take away the positives from it.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Voting is from March 14 to March 17 at voting.utoronto.ca
