Transparency, wellness, and finances discussed
Winter Caucus was held on Friday, March 13th, at Emmanuel College. The meeting was organised by Isha Mathur, VUSAC Vice President External (VPE) and consisted largely of Q&A. A form to submit questions was circulated in advance and remained open during the meeting, and students could ask questions in person as well.
Admin Q&A
This semester diverged from previous Caucuses, as admin did not give reports. Students had criticised admin reports exceeding their time limits during Fall Caucus. According to VPE Mathur, the “decision of moving directly to student questions was to allow more time for open communication…this choice was met positively both from the admin and student perspective.”
Registrar Yvette Ali was asked about plans to extend drop-in advising, and informed students that additional staff have been added and wait times are 15-20 minutes. She encouraged students to book in advance to meet particular advisors. Ali answered a question by The Strand about financial support for students in light of OSAP cuts. She highlighted Vic bursaries and was confident that there are enough funds for students who need them. She suggested everyone look into the University of Toronto Advanced Planning for Students (UTAPS) grants.
Principal Hernandez discussed students’ plans to create a union for the Education and Society Minor, which his Office is “strongly in support of.” He acknowledged Vic iTeach’s role as a quasi-union and added that funding for a union would come from the Arts and Sciences Student Union (ASSU). He addressed a question about the Office’s implementation of wellness, discussing the Faculty Mentorship Program’s support for second-year students, the Care and Creativity Workshop, and a new first-year course on mental health literacy. He highlighted the role of First-Year Programs Liaison Officer Lavinia Ford in increasing direct engagement in Vic One and supporting increased student and mentorship events.
Dean of Students Kelly Castle received questions about mental wellness as well, especially pertaining to commuter students. Castle said commuter-focused initiatives are successful, but often apply to residence students as well. The Dean’s Office was also asked about expanding programming in Wymilwood’s new study space, which Castle mentioned is being worked on. A student raised concerns about disruptive noises in the Commuter Lounge, which Castle committed to looking into.
President McEwen believes “students will be pleased with the new direction” of the first draft of the Strategic Plan, which is being edited to include accountability measures. Equity Commissioner Hana Greenberg inquired about the lack of a Vic Director of Equity, which McEwen stated will soon be hired. The Strand asked about public transparency in terms of budget funds allocation and distribution, available to students without attending Dean’s Advisory Committee (DAC) or Board of Regents (BoR) meetings. McEwen directed students to look at financial statements and BoR meeting minutes online and said budgets cannot be transparent without Board approval. She suggested students meet with Vic’s finance team. Responding to a question regarding progress on fossil fuel divestment, McEwen stated that Vic is on track to meet the 2030 divestment goal. Regarding updates on this, which were promised on an annual basis in a 2024 BoR report, McEwen suggested looking at the BoR website and meeting minutes and emphasised that BoR membership is voluntary, which may affect the publication of reports.
McEwen, speaking on behalf of the Bursar and Chief Administrative Officer’s Office, addressed accessibility and snowy weather. She informed students that snow clearance has improved this year but is continuing to be worked on, with heated walkways being added.
Levies and VUSAC Reports
Levy representatives summarised activities and hiring updates. VicPride! have ordered gender affirming gear and are hosting Queer Prom. Cat’s Eye made space improvements and are hiring a new Co-Manager in April. The Strand will publish three more issues and a magazine, and faced website issues recently. Caffiends held a crafting social, raised $1000 in fundraiser drinks for Romero House, and are hiring new execs starting March 20th. The Student Projects Fund (SPF) approved nine applications so far out of 17 received, and encourage more people to apply. The Victoria College Drama Society (VCDS) have Chess running, won three awards for What’s Killing the Poets, and improved their structure and collaboration. BLVCK Vic hired their first full executive team. Acta Victoriana are working on a large 150th anniversary edition. The Victoria College Athletic Association (VCAA) built new intramural teams and are planning their banquet for 150 attendees. Several levies failed their Fall Audits and will be re-assessed, possibly due to the limited timeframe VUSAC provided for submitting materials.
VUSAC President Rohini Patra discussed Highball tickets, which were $25-$35 (cheaper than the previous several years). According to Patra, these were not subsidised using VUSAC’s reserves. $10,000 from the Highball revenue will fund the Vic Pride Scholarship, which VUSAC hopes will become endowed and functional soon. Patra also mentioned VUSAC’s plans to apply for SPF funding to increase Vic merchandise and sell it at the VUSAC Office.
Vice President Internal (VPI) Aiden Kong discussed hiring and onboarding the Finance Chair, supporting Budget Steering meetings, managing volunteers for Gardiner Gala and Highball, conducting Council check-ins, and beginning work on VUSAC’s Constitution review. VPE Isha Mathur supported Highball planning, worked on Crescams, organised Caucus, implemented the new Accessibility Committee, and leads the Eat After Eight program, which recently partnered with Friendlier to implement a reusable container system. Vice President Student Organisations (VPSO) Anya Ivantchenko managed Equity Training for levy and club heads, hosted Winter Clubs Fair, supported levy hiring, and is doing check-ins. Due to logistics issues, the levy space reallocation project has stalled.
VUSAC Q&A
VUSAC was asked why its budget did not reflect that revenue from Highball would fund the Vic Pride Scholarship. Patra said this decision was taken after the Budget Ratification meeting and has thus not been added. This response does not clarify why the budget was not updated during any of the VUSAC meetings following Budget Ratification, as it was discussed at every single one. As of March 22, 2026, this has still not been added to the Budget document.
The Strand questioned why Fall Levy Audit materials were due during Reading Week and why levies were only given a four-day notice. Patra stated the intention was to ensure levies had access to money as soon as possible, although this did not clarify why VUSAC did not simply start the process sooner in the semester and ensure levies were given a realistic time frame to prepare materials. The VPSO added that finances have been complicated due to the first Finance Chair resigning.
The Strand raised concerns about Vic’s investments in companies supporting colonial projects in Gaza, Iran, and Sudan, and VUSAC’s lack of discourse with admin about this. Patra stated that investments are difficult to track due to a lack of transparency, not addressing what the Council has done to advocate for transparency. She described her “triaging” approach, focusing on “things that concern the students at present”, such as cheap meals. It should be noted that Vic’s investments and complacency with the genocide of Palestinians have come up at Caucus for the past three years, suggesting it is a ‘present concern.’ The Strand questioned the process for determining Council’s priorities, given the uneven treatment of different cultural identities seen through VUSAC’s events and actions. VPI Kong suggested students reach out to the Equity Commission. Greenberg stated she is open to conversations with admin and has discussed the Coburn Award with McEwen, who reiterated her response from the Fall Caucus.
Reflections
Concluding the meeting, Mathur encouraged students to submit concerns to a VUSAC feedback form. She has been open to suggestions on improving accountability and considered feedback from last term in planning Winter Caucus. In a statement to The Strand regarding improvements this semester, she said, “I personally felt there was more engagement from students and it was a more fruitful discussion as we heard a variety of perspectives and were able to go through a greater volume of topics.” Mathur plans to put out a summary of discussions. Ideas about implementing other methods of communication and accountability at Vic have been discussed by current VUSAC election candidates, suggesting that next year’s procedure may look different if these commitments are taken seriously.
