The Strand: A lot of students don’t know what the Board of Regents or Victoria College Council is or what they do. Can you briefly explain the role of both?
Hannah Brennen: The board is the highest governing body at Vic and their main fiscal responsibility is to ensure the financial health of Vic, but it also oversees everything. There are also a bunch of subcommittees. I was previously on Property and Alumni Affairs and Advancement, but there’s also Campus Life, Finance and Audit, among others. Each of those are under their own jurisdiction—property right now is looking into redeveloping Northrop Frye Hall, and is dealing with the ‘Bloorlands’ business. Alumni Affairs and Advancement are responsible for dealing with Vic alumni. With new recruitment stuff for students who are incoming, we are looking at signing up Vic as a place more distinct from the other U of T colleges and as it’s own body and participatory at UofT.
TS: Why are you running for the board again?
HB: I had a really great time on the Board last year, but I found the meetings to be extremely intimidating because there only a few students and then it’s all serious adults in the room. I was really intimidated the first few meetings, then I grew into my confidence throughout the year. I want to go in again where I have more knowledge of what’s going on. Specifically, I want the opportunity to participate a bit more, be more informed, and continue to learn from everyone on it.
TS: What are your main values and goals while sitting on the board?
HB: I want to remain on the same subcommittees as last year, with the addition of Campus Life. On Property, I want to develop Northrop Frye as a space for students primarily. Even though it is an administrative building, I think it’s really important to have student study spaces, a multi-faith prayer space, and state of the art technology that will make the maintenance of the building really sustainable.
For Alumni Affairs and Advancement, I want to make sure Vic is known to UofT students as a distinguished place from the rest of campus. For Campus Life, I mostly want to deal with sustainability, addressing the waste and lack of compost bins around the grounds.
TS: Can you elaborate on what you mean when you say you aim to promote Vic with more accurately by providing more depth instead of less aesthetics?
HB: Vic is gorgeous and that’s why a lot of people come here when picking colleges. But the programming, classes, and extra circulars that are specific to Vic, as well as the community that is offered here—that’s what I’m talking about. I want to promote Vic for all that it has to offer.
