FOLLOW THE WESTERN GAZETTE
Faculty presidents head the various individual student faculty councils at Western. They sit as voting members on their own faculty council as well as being voting members of the USC council. Their roles are regulated by their faculty’s constitution.
Faculty presidents also oversee how their councils distribute their respective student donations fund. These funds are a sum of the annual voluntary fees, which range between $30 and $100 per student depending on the faculty. Faculty councils administer the fee by funding student-led academic activities and extracurricular activities, including annual formals and social and academic events. For example, in 2015, $42,500 was allocated by the Social Science Students' Council to deliver an academic conference on capitalism, with former newspaper publisher Conrad Black as the keynote speaker.
This page includes all faculty president elections which are administered by the USC and will be held on Jan. 30-31.
Currently, there are only two faculty president elections being contested while the others are acclaimed. The two contested elections are for FIMS and science presidencies.
Elections for Engineering, Ivey, Dentistry, Medicine and Law presidents are run by the faculty councils themselves on a different timeline — separate from the USC elections. Information on these candidates will be updated as it becomes available.
Last updated: Jan. 25, 2017, 11:11 EST.
What is your current year and program?
Year 2, Honours Double Major in Philosophy and Classics.
Why are you running for president of your faculty?
I am running for President of the Arts and Humanities Students’ Council because I want to help a group of dedicated and talented individuals accomplish their goals of making Western a better place for Arts and Humanities students.
What relevant experience do you have that makes you qualified for this position?
I have been on the Arts and Humanities Students’ Council for two years now, and I am currently the VP Finance of the AHSC. I have sat on every committee available to me in my two years including the Student Donation Fund Committee, Events Committee, Promotions Committee, Publications Committee, Constitution Review Committee, and others. I understand what needs to be done to make progress on council, and I plan to do my best to do those things.
What do you see as the biggest issue facing students in your faculty?
The biggest issue facing Arts and Humanities students is the Arts Stigma, and I think it is time for the rest of the university to take us seriously. Our faculty is often looked down upon because of a perceived lack of job opportunities or real world applications, but these things are not the reality, and I plan to help combat the Arts Stigma by allowing Western students to see what we have to offer.
How will you engage students in your faculty with the faculty council?
I plan to better advertise the council and our events by making the Promotions Committee members take an active role in physical advertisement by engaging with students on campus and giving short presentations in A&H classes to let our constituents know about what kind of programming and support we provide for A&H students.
As faculty president you will also be a member of the USC council. How do you see your role on the council?
I plan to take an active role on the USC by advocating for my constituents. I will work with the A&H Councillor to reach out to our constituents prior to and after each meeting to understand their opinions on what is going on with the USC, and to then bring that student feedback back to the USC.
What are the top three initiatives you want to advocate for or accomplish in your term as president?
Awaiting responses.
What is your current year and program?
Year 3, Health Studies.
Why are you running for president of your faculty?
After fulfilling the role of VP Events for two consecutive years, I have developed a strong passion towards HSSA’s initiatives to provide an outstanding experience to Health Studies Students and truly believe in the value of our programs such as the Student Opportunity Fund, Health Care Challenge, Speaker Series and more. I am up to the challenge of leading HSSA in the upcoming school year with the motives of supporting, engaging and giving back to health studies students and the community around us.
What relevant experience do you have that makes you qualified for this position?
I have been selected as VP Events for HSSA for the past two years and sat on the Faculty of Health Sciences Student Council during my first year at Western. I have also been part of the Out of Province Students Association as BC Province Coordinator and this year as Director. My organizational and leadership skills have been developed tremendously throughout these opportunities and my knowledge of HSSA’s structure and programming is extensive.
What do you see as the biggest issue facing students in your faculty?
I hope to guide HSSA in finding a greater identity in the 2017-2018 year within the Faculty of Health Sciences, at Western and beyond. I believe this will be one of the hardest tasks to complete as our faculty council structure is complex, leaving many students confused as to who to turn to for help, where to find certain information and who runs what initiatives, for example. We must find a good balance between the council and associations to foster cohesion and success while avoiding confusion with repeat events and other similar issues.
How will you engage students in your faculty with the faculty council?
I hope to gain more exposure next year by distinguishing HSSA from the faculty council as well as collaborating with them and the other associations to provide more student opportunities appealing to a wide variety of students. I specifically want to provide students with more volunteer opportunities within the London community in order to encourage greater community engagement.
As faculty president you will also be a member of the USC council. How do you see your role on the council?
I hope, by being a member of the USC council, I will be able to work with other council members to support each other’s initiatives and to learn from each other. I will strive to provide insight on how initiatives are being played out within my faculty in order to help other USC members achieve their own initiatives. I hope we can create a supportive environment that fosters discussion, collaboration and creativity.
What are the top three initiatives you want to advocate for or accomplish in your term as president?
If elected, among many other goals, I will strive to introduce greater student opportunities, increase council and association collaboration and cohesion, and improve our charitable impact to the London community.
What is your current year and program?
Year 3, MIT.
Why are you running for president of your faculty?
I did not anticipate in first year that I would be running for FIMS president; however, after becoming an active FIMS student, learning from past council member’s, and listening to people about what FIMS means to them, I feel as though I have a strong sense of what works and what doesn’t. I care a lot about our faculty and deeply want to foster more pride to return FIMS to what it was a couple of years ago. I want to bring that family like atmosphere back into FIMS through student creativity.
What relevant experience do you have that makes you qualified for this position?
I’ve never sat on the FIMSSC but I don’t see this as a weakness. As a Soph, I am knowledgeable of the confusion and disengagement of first year students, the future of our faculty. With my role at Western TV, in Sophing, and my commitment to the FIMS Charity Committee (a branch of The FIMSSC), I’ve been able to meet diverse individuals in our faculty. I haven’t directly been on council, meaning that I have a fresh perspective and drive to push the limits to make a better community. I’m not afraid to challenge authority figures on issues that affect us, I don’t back down without a fight.
What do you see as the biggest issue facing students in your faculty?
Right now, opportunities to get practical experience through our administration are slim. For one, I want to be persistent in advocating for first and second year students concerning academic internships. As it is only open to students entering 4th year, FIMS students miss out on opportunities that could be a stepping stone to their future career. As we all know, FIMS is about going against the grain. I want to create more opportunities where FIMS students can get out of the classroom to challenge the power structures that we boldly go against in the classroom.
How will you engage students in your faculty with the faculty council?
The council’s most important function is to foster a community environment. When people feel more bonded together, they’re able to build upon each other’s learning. I will engage students by working on initiatives in my platform to create excitement around events such as a silent disco or forums to debate about the new program, students will become engaged because their council represents their interests.
As faculty president you will also be a member of the USC council. How do you see your role on the council?
I would take this role at USC meetings very seriously; by preparing in advance to make sure that I understand what is up for debate each meeting. By asking FIMS students how they feel about issues such as sexual assault policies and fall reading week logistics, I will be more in tune with how I should vote. The FIMS President in the only person in in our faculty that is able to have a voting say in USC council meetings. By showing up with my research and not being afraid to bring forth new improvements, I can best represent the FIMS student body.
What are the top three initiatives you want to advocate for or accomplish in your term as president?
I want to bring in more speaker series consisting of FIMS alumni. Since a FIMS education can be versatile for a number of fields, students could gain a lot of direction in their own paths from listening to FIMS alumni. By pressuring the administration to fund a larger budget and to contact social media influencers, PR executives, journalists, entrepreneurs, lawyers etc.; students have the chance to make a connection right on campus. Making sure that people struggling with mental illnesses are not pushed aside is dear to my heart. I want students to be more aware of places in London, other than campus services, that can help them For example, there is a 24/7 walk-in crisis center located at 648 Huron street which most students are unaware of. Lastly, since FIMS students were not consulted about the MTP cut, I want to ensure that student’s voices are heard in the creation of the MPP program.
What is your current year and program?
Year 3, Honours Specialization in MPI, Minor in Film Studies.
Why are you running for president of your faculty?
FIMS being a faculty with interdisciplinary programs, consists of students with interdisciplinary interests. The passions are diverse, however the support and nurturing for them lack. Being in the faculty for three years and being a part of the FIMSSC for two years, I have had the opportunity to understand the inner workings of this university and our faculty and know where the holes in our support exists. Speaking to students in our faculty through General Assembly's I organized as part of the FIMSSC gave me significant insight into what students are struggling with and want the FIMSSC to do for them. From what I have learned, it is necessary for me to be able to be in a role where I am able to make more changes and bring more services to students. I feel that FIMSSC President is naturally the next step in my journey in FIMS and on the FIMSSC as the two years in which I have liaised between students and faculty has equipped me with the knowledge to form the basis of what the FIMSSC mandate should be and will be if I am elected.
What relevant experience do you have that makes you qualified for this position?
What do you see as the biggest issue facing students in your faculty?
FIMS students make up the largest group using psychological services on campus. If students do not feel their best, focusing on academics, pursuing interests, and participating in the community and in the faculty becomes increasingly difficult.
How will you engage students in your faculty with the faculty council?
Reach out to students rather than wait for them to wait to reach out to the FIMSSC. For long we have invited students to Council office hours but this initiative has not been met with the much success–it's easy for students to forget these exist and may be intimidating. If elected, I will personally go into classes to let students know that I will be outside when they finish if they wish to speak to me about anything, the FIMSSC will push earlier promotions for our General Assembly, and monthly Google Surveys will be sent out to check-in on what matters to students.
As faculty president you will also be a member of the USC council. How do you see your role on the council?
I plan to use the USC platform to voice the concerns of FIMS students and to better integrate FIMS into the larger Western community. FIMS is often misunderstood– council will allow me to bring more awareness about our faculty. The USC will also be a space to work with other councils to pool funding and bring events helpful to students from FIMS and other faculties. Lastly, it will be a place to work on campus-wide issues including health service waitlists, course approvals at partner exchange universities, funding and scholarships for students, and integration with the London community.
What are the top three initiatives you want to advocate for or accomplish in your term as president?
Awaiting responses.
What is your current year and program?
Year 3, Kinesiology.
Why are you running for president of your faculty?
I am running to be president to give back to a program that has given me so much. The Kinesiology Students’ Association has had an immense impact on my undergraduate experience and I believe the same holds true for a majority of students in Kinesiology. I am a proud Kinesiology student and believe the events and opportunities facilitated by KSA are an integral part of our unique program at Western. I want to deliver the same level of compassionate leadership that other presidents have done before me to allow other students to experience their undergrad careers to the fullest extent possible.
What relevant experience do you have that makes you qualified for this position?
I have three years of experience as a member of KSA and have held a variety of roles organizing both small and large scale events. I have sat on two Student Opportunity Fund committees (SOF) and a first year representative selection panel. As well, I have been fortunate to observe, learn and be mentored by three outstanding Kinesiology Presidents. They all truly demonstrated the heart and spirit of what is means to be Kin as well as the drive and leadership it takes to run successful events.
What do you see as the biggest issue facing students in your faculty?
One of the incredible aspects of the Kinesiology program is that it provides students with the foundations, skills and opportunities to be successful in a vast number of occupations and fields. However, too often students limit themselves to the ‘traditional’ Kin graduate options: PT, OT, Med, Dent, Chiro, trainer etc., and struggle to find other ways to extend their career search parameters which results in uncertainty and anxiety. I plan to promote some of the roads less travelled to help open doors to the many career opportunities available with a Kinesiology degree.
How will you engage students in your faculty with the faculty council?
KSA has a proud tradition of running many events each year that focus on engaging students and building a positive social, academic and athletic environment from the moment students arrive on campus for O-Week, until they walk across the stage at graduation. I will work hard to further extend our reach to more students through increased social media presence for ease of communication, including an open digital submissions box so that students can fully contribute their opinions on the events that we host.
As faculty president you will also be a member of the USC council. How do you see your role on the council?
My role does not sit on the USC council.
What are the top three initiatives you want to advocate for or accomplish in your term as president?
Mental Health and Wellness: As a health based program it is important that we emphasize a holistic approach to health and recognize that mental health issues are highly prevalent in any university setting. I will build on the current wellness portfolio and make it a priority to support students in the program, faculty and campus wide who may be struggling with mental health, through our events and wellness initiatives.
Improve Collaboration and Communication: I will improve collaboration and communication with the faculty council, as well as the other program associations to better address some of the issues facing students so they can be approached using a multifaceted and unified team.
Resource Awareness for Students: Many students are not aware of the extensive resources available from the School of Kinesiology and KSA. I will create a comprehensive resource document which will better delineate the resources available to students, how to access them, as well as some of the broader campus resources in one easy to navigate medium.
Awaiting responses.
What is your current year and program?
Year 2, Nursing.
Why are you running for president of your faculty?
I am running for president of the nursing faculty because I believe that the friendships and experiences we have during university will have a profound impact on our lives; therefore, I want to be able to provide opportunities and promote an environment that will create positive memories and improve the student experience. I believe that I have the ability to listen to fellow nursing students and use their feedback to advance the nursing program.
What relevant experience do you have that makes you qualified for this position?
I have been an active member of the Western-Fanshawe Nursing Student Association for two years as a year representative. This experience has given me the necessary skills to advocate on behalf of the nursing students, work with faculty and administration and it has also shown me the difference students can make in their university experience. I have had the privilege of being able to work closely with the current president, Hannah Gregor, and the others members of the council, which has taught me about the various roles within council and how I can help direct the council next year. Experience as a Soph has also taught me invaluable communication and teamwork skills that I will be able to apply when working with other members in the association to meet students’ needs.
What do you see as the biggest issue facing students in your faculty?
I believe that the biggest issue facing students in nursing is the lack of collaboration within the nursing program and the health sciences faculty. I think that if the nursing students came together and focused on being a strong community, we could enact positive changes throughout western life. I think that the nursing student body could become more united and through this, students would have a better university experience.
How will you engage students in your faculty with the faculty council?
In order to engage nursing students, I will actively seek out feedback from students of all years and I will incorporate their needs and opinions into the decisions the council makes. By starting a conversation with nursing students on what the council does and what it should do, I think that the council could cater our actions to meet the needs of the students and improve upon our previous activities. I believe that if more students’ views are considered, the council could provide opportunities that would benefit the most number of students.
As faculty president you will also be a member of the USC council. How do you see your role on the council?
I see my role on the council as an opportunity to represent nursing students’ opinions and bring up concerns students may have. I will take this role as chance to involve and inform nursing students on broader student issues while promoting transparency. I also hope to use my role as a means of communicating and working with other faculties in order to promote collaboration throughout the university. As a member of the council, I hope to drive change with the USC for not just nursing students, but all students to facilitate a better university experience.
What are the top three initiatives you want to advocate for or accomplish in your term as president?
What is your current year and program?
Year 2, Honours Specialization in Applied Mathematics.
Why are you running for president of your faculty?
Science is a community of passionate and creative individuals, striving for excellence. I want to provide the programming and services Science students need to pursue their academic, co-curricular, and post-degree goals. By bringing the community of Science together and supporting the visions of the students, I hope that together we can turn these visions into reality. I am so passionate about the positive impact we can make for students in Science, and I can’t see anything more worthwhile than investing in the success of my peers in the faculty.
What relevant experience do you have that makes you qualified for this position?
Currently, I am a Science Councillor on the USC, representing our faculty. I am also the Chair of the Advocacy Standing Committee of the USC and have represented Western, now three times, at the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance General Assembly. I believe that my experience in the world of student government, and more specifically, in the realm of advocacy, makes me a qualified candidate. As the Science Students’ Council has slowly been growing into a stronger body of advocacy to faculty stakeholders, I believe my expertise can help guide the direction of our council, leading to bigger and more supported asks in the faculty. Whether it takes the shape of restructuring a particular course or starting an initiative to lower textbook costs, I hope that I can be a valuable resource to the members of our council in representing what students desire.
What do you see as the biggest issue facing students in your faculty?
I believe that students in Science feel disconnected from their student government; they often feel forgotten and underrepresented. Every year, you hear presidential platform points on bringing the faculty together, myself included, but having consulted with various department club presidents, I really do believe my idea of a Presidents’ Roundtable with various department clubs is a feasible step in the right direction, allowing clubs to remain autonomous but collaborating whenever possible on different initiatives or events.
How will you engage students in your faculty with the faculty council?
Having been on the SSC, I have yet to see a student-at-large attend a meeting to hear discussion on motions/other topics controversial or of large importance to Science students. I think a big reason for that is that students don’t have regular access to the initiatives that the SSC is running. I’m hoping to work with the incoming VP Communications to work on “council updates” to be shared through our social platforms. With almost 4,000 likes on our Facebook page, rolling out updates to students could really catch their attention, even if feedback were in the form of Facebook comments.
As faculty president you will also be a member of the USC council. How do you see your role on the council?
As faculty president, I would make sure to be a strong resource for Science Councillors. I also see myself working closely with the other faculty presidents and the USC executive in order to bring forward initiatives across our campus and to provide feedback on USC initiatives. However, I do not see myself sitting on the USC itself. I want to open up my seat for another student-at-large to become involved with student politics and to represent our faculty of Science; this would also allow me to coordinate more faculty-facing initiatives, such as the Presidents’ Roundtable.
What are the top three initiatives you want to advocate for or accomplish in your term as president?
Open Textbooks: I hope to work with the faculty administrators to launch a pilot project on Open Textbooks, similar to the OpenEd initiative in BC. This means little to no cost for textbooks; it may sound too good to be true, but with the creation of eCampus Ontario, we’re seeing that even the provincial government is supporting initiatives to lower students’ financial burden.
Mental Health Support (Faculty): Often, course instructors and TAs are the first to see the burden that university may have on students’ mental health. I want to work to provide more robust resources for faculty to access, directing students to the resources they need.
After the Degree: I want to work with professional development stakeholders in Science to initiate a Professional Development Expo, bringing in industry leaders, the Science Internship Program, and other resources for students to find opportunities to develop skills applicable to their future.
What is your current year and program?
Year 3, Medical Sciences, Honours Specialization in Physiology.
Why are you running for president of your faculty?
I think it’s important to recognize that everything can always be improved. Having experienced how other people see SSC for the past three years and being involved on council puts me in a position where I’m aware of major issues that exist and what can be done to fix them. I’m impassioned by the work done by previous SSC presidents but I believe Western Science still has so much more untapped potential. That’s where I want to step in and ensure students are having the best possible student experience.
What relevant experience do you have that makes you qualified for this position?
USC Science councillor: Sit on both USC and SSC. Being able to convey the concerns and experiences of science students to the motions that we make on USC allows me to ensure that science student voice is accurately represented.
USC Student Experience committee: Ensure that the services and programs we provide are what students want.
University Strategic Planning Committee: Model the vision that we have for Western for the next few years based on real student feedback from all over the University.
USC OUSA Delegate: Represent the voice of Western on a stage where policy is written to improve the student experience of 144,000 undergraduate students across Ontario.
I’ve also held leadership positions from around the community which demonstrate my ability to lead teams and spearhead initiatives.
Co-President HOSA Western: one of the largest science clubs at Western where we teach students practical healthcare skills and have them compete on an international scale.
Director of #HashtagLunchbag Ontario: organization dedicated to supporting the disadvantaged and homeless in our communities.
What do you see as the biggest issue facing students in your faculty?
The disengagement of the SSC and the students is a huge problem. The SSC is the largest body supporting science students. If students are unaware of its activities or feel that the SSC is not actively working to improve their experience, then that is a huge problem. Increasing awareness will increase student interaction with council and generate more feedback to be used to better target our efforts and conversations with administration.
How will you engage students in your faculty with the faculty council?
Working with the science-oriented clubs and Science Orientation team will be an incredible first step in increasing student engagement. Having direct relations between these organizations and the SSC will allow us to target more niches of science students and allow these students to see that the SSC cares about them. The Science Orientation team is the direct link to first years and that is a huge connection that we are missing out on. Rather than creating new tracks to target the students it would be much more efficient and create a better foundation to have strong connections with these organizations.
As faculty president you will also be a member of the USC council. How do you see your role on the council?
I see the role of the Science President on USC is to lead science councillor engagement and act as a role model for the Science councilors. As a current USC councillor, I have seen firsthand that the best way to be actively involved in USC is to be trained and unafraid to bring up concerns that go against the status quo. Many students that apply to councillor don’t have previous experience on council and when the President fulfills a role to train these students to be comfortable in their position is an incredible asset.
What are the top three initiatives you want to advocate for or accomplish in your term as president?
Closer collaborations with science clubs: Science clubs work with huge amounts of science students to get them involved and active in university and community life. Working with science clubs by providing better access to money, volunteers, and publicity via our page would have an immense impact on the clubs that need it.
Engaging department representatives on council: Many department representatives feel like their involvement on council is minimal. Creating working relationships with the representatives and their respective administration will give them independence as well as allow specific concerns to be brought up faster.
Online textbook supplement fees: Many courses require external programs to be purchased that act as a form of graded evaluation. This puts students who can’t purchase them at a disadvantage as grading is often not shifted. Discussions need to be started about changing or removing these forms of evaluation.
Awaiting responses.
