What position are you running for, and what are the responsibilities of this position?
I’m running to be VUSAC’s Vice-President Internal for next year! The role of VPI is to take care of internal relations, operations, and policy to make sure that the council is functioning the best that it can! I think it truly is best described as the HR department of VUSAC because the job of VPI is to look out for the well-being of all council members and aid them in any way possible!
Can you summarize the key points of your platform?
The first [point] is supporting council members in any way I can whether that’s from helping members make plans on how to set their goals, providing them my advice and feedback on a topic, or just simply being present and listening to council members.
The second point is to make the VUSAC Office a more inclusive space based on the feedback from the surveys from the VUSAC Strategic Plan. I believe that it is super important to make sure that the voices of those who use VUSAC’s services are heard and that the office truly reflects what students want.
The third point is to review all of VUSAC’s governing documents to improve how VUSAC can function and be the most effective council. A personal project of mine while sitting on the review committee for the Constitution and Council Policies was to make a list of proposed amendments. I am stoked that the governing documents are now updated, but I believe it is important to make sure those policies are actually effective and start discussions about certain sections within the documents.
The last point is to improve retreats to help VUSAC meet what students want to see. A big part about [being] VPI is running and planning the retreat which is a two-day training workshop in the Fall semester. I really want to evaluate from the opinions of past and present council members what workshops they enjoyed or would want to see VUSAC undergo. I also want to hear what other students believe VUSAC members should be trained on.
Why do you want to run for this position, and what makes you best suited to fill this position?
As the Scarlet and Gold Commissioner, I’ve had the opportunity to build connections with the wonderful team of people on VUSAC and Highball Committee. I loved being a source of support, [and] those times where I was able to help out a VUSAC member by adjusting schedules, giving advice, or lending a listening ear were the most valuable and meaningful moments as a VUSAC member. After watching what VPI has done for the VUSAC members in a similar way, I realized that I wanted my role on VUSAC to [be] centre[d] around [this].
I believe I am best fit for VPI because I’ve operated the Scarlet and Gold portfolio through the ideology of supporting my team and understanding that they are all different people with
different responsibilities. I truly do value communication between myself and the members on my team. My empathy for people is one of my greatest strengths and I believe that has allowed me to ensure the well-being of the Highball Committee and my councillors while planning the best event possible for the VCU.
What goals do you hope to accomplish if you are elected to this position?
I really want to start goal-planning with each member whenever they are planning an event or a new initiative because [this practice] has helped me understand what I need and has also helped me maintain balance with all of my other responsibilities.
I want to also accomplish evaluating and reflecting on past retreats and the opinions of council members to reflect what VUSAC members need. I hope to introduce a second Equity Training session during the Winter semester, continue the current VPI’s initiative of high-risk event training, [and] potentially introduce first-aid training to members on VUSAC.
Another goal I hope to accomplish is to start reviewing the governing documents earlier at the start of our terms on VUSAC.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thank you for taking the time to read about my platform for VPI! At the end of the day, my goal as VPI is to support VUSAC and help VUSAC grow to best reflect what Vic students want to see in their council. It truly means a lot and I hope you take the time to read more about my platform or even reach out to hear more!
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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