The 2022 SU General Election voting days are March 8, 9, and 10. Voting starts at 9:00AM on March 8 until 4:00PM on March 10 with the un-official results being announced in-person in the South Courtyard of MacEwan Student Centre at 5:30PM, March 10. You can also watch the livestream, same date and time. Link will be provided, here, on March 1.

You can find you candidate platforms below. All candidates, contested and uncontested will appear on the March 8 ballot, along with the three(3) referendum questions.

Candidate Platforms

The number following each position denotes the number of positions available. Uncontested candidates, those running with no competitor, will have a YES/NO marked on the ballot.

Presidential candidates (1)

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[entry][subheader]Nicole Schmidt – UNCONTESTED[/subheader]
[content]My name is Nicole Schmidt, and I am running for re-election as your Students’ Union President. As a fifth year Political Science student, I have previously served as Chair of the SU Review Board, worked with Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations, and completed an internship with the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia.

This past year I have worked hard to make a meaningful impact on the lives of university students, and I want the opportunity to continue to fight for you!

1. Directly Oppose Future Tuition Increases and Post-Secondary Cuts:
   1. Fight tuition increases through targeted provincial-level advocacy and lobby university administration to tie all future tuition increases to CPI
   2. Develop internal metrics for students to gauge the quality of their post-secondary education and to hold administration accountable for receiving education quality proportional to tuition increases
   3. Continue to increase the external advocacy capacity of the Students’ Union to maintain media and public pressure on government and university administration
2. Elevate Student Supports and Wellness Resources:
   1. Critically review the effectiveness of student wellness services offered by the university and develop monetary and social supports for students in response to gaps in currently available services
   2. Expand the academic appeals timeline and improve university-wide transparency for the student appeals process in order to support student mental health
   3. Develop internal resources for students to pursue employment opportunities external to the university so that they can gain work experience before graduation
3. Engage in Thorough Student Consultation and Engagement:
   1. Continue to emphasize inclusive, equitable, and accessible practices for students in all areas of student life at the university through ongoing consultation and engagement
   2. Finalize Students’ Union consultation guidelines that outline the best practices for administration to consult with students on key issues such as tuition increases and bookstore management
   3. Continue to engage with students to receive feedback by performing direct and regular outreach via social media.

Check out my social media platforms and be sure to vote March 8-10^th!

 Let’s #MakeSchmidtHappen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nicole4SUPresident/
Instagram: Nicole4SUPresident
Reddit: Nicole4SUPresident
Email: nicole.schmidt1@ucalgary.ca

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VP Academic Candidates (1)

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[subheader]Shaziah Jinnah – UNCONTESTED[/subheader]
[content]Hello! I’m Shaziah Jinnah, I’m running to be your VP Academic. Being an involved leader, my goal is to facilitate meaningful conversations between students and university to tackle pressing student issues. If elected, I will advocate for a more equitable and accessible educational experience for students by focusing on:

1. Empowering the Student

Through targeted consultation and advocacy, my primary goal is to empower all students. Namely, on issues pertaining to vulnerable students, mental health, collaboration and reading week.

• I believe that first generation, BIPOC, mature, and neurodiverse students face even greater challenges to navigate their academic journey, which is why I intend to work closely with faculty representatives and clubs to foster mentorship programs and provide tailored support.
• I plan to organize the first academic conference that brings together VP academics from various clubs to discuss pressing topics like the Student Bill of Rights, curriculum reviews for departments, and cross-disciplinary opportunities.
• To expand the school’s approach to mental well-being and academic success, I plan to create a long-term cooperative effort between key campus offices.
• Finally, I will advocate to ensure students have the liberty to decide how to use their time during fall/winter reading breaks, and ensure this obligation to be firmly established

2. Experiential Learning (EL) and Research Opportunities

Advocating for the creation of the necessary resources to fill apparent gaps, and promoting embedded certificates, my goal is to support the university in their plan to have all undergraduate students by 2025 taking part in at least two EL opportunities before graduating.

In addition, I will work with the Provost team to address the elitism implied by research opportunities and strengthen course-based research experiences to resolve barriers to creating qualifying research for URS.

3. Quality of Education Amidst Budget Cuts

To enhance our quality of education, I plan to collect data on students’ concerns about online lectures, in-person classes, textbook costs, online proctoring, and exams. The data will help us understand what opportunities and challenges COVID-19 have presented, and which components of those opportunities can be more effectively utilized to improve overall quality of education.

Instagram: @shaz4vpa
Shaziah.jinnah@ucalgary.ca

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VP External Candidates (1)

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[subheader]Theodore McHugh – UNCONTESTED[/subheader]
[content]Hello Ucalgary, my name is Theodore McHugh and I am running to be your next VP external. As VP external, I will fight hard for students’ voices to be heard, for accountability, and for affordable and attainable education for all students.

My first major promise will be to advocate for greater accountability for the actions of the university. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that the University as a whole will act without considering the impact of their actions on students at large. As VP external, I will fight to ensure that students are kept timely informed of any major changes or updates that impact them and that the impact of these decisions on students will truly be considered. On top of that, I will push to create a system that holds university staff accountable for the services they provide to students, allowing the University to review and prevent behavior and practices that negatively impact a student’s ability to succeed.

My second major promise is to Push back against the cuts that continue to be brought on by the Albertan government. The financial stress that students are currently facing continues to build up with the current administration planning more budget cuts leading to tuition increases. I will not only fight against currently planned tuition increases but will push for this administration and the next to carry out proper fiscal policy instead of offloading the cost onto students.

My third major promise is to ensure that student voices are heard. Often due to a plethora of reasons, students and younger Albertans are poorly represented in the electoral process. With an election occurring during the next term, I will advocate for the return of on campus voting in the 2023 provincial election while also advocating for effective policy on all major parties election platforms in regards to post-secondary education.

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VP Operations and Finance Candidates (1)

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[subheader]Taimur Akhtar[/subheader]
[content]Hello Dinos!

My name is Taimur Akhtar, and I am running to be your Vice-President of Operations and Finance.

I have gained tremendous experience working on various campus initiatives as the current SU Engineering Representative. As a member of the Operations and Finance committee in the previous year, I have gained the leadership and expertise required to represent your needs!

My platform consists of the following achievable goals:

1. Improve Campus Spaces
   1. Ensure that all Mac Hall operations, such as seating and vendors, are ready to accommodate a full return to in-person activities.
   2. Improve Mac Hall’s sustainability by expanding the waste services and proposing alternative energy initiatives.
   3. Utilize Quality Money Funding to improve campus spaces including Mac Hall spaces and classrooms across campus.

2. Increase Student Engagement
   1. Connect with all students in all faculties through the creation of the Committee of Faculty Associations – which would include members from all faculty associations across campus on a single committee.
   2. Work with the Policy Analyst to organize formal committees at the individual faculty-level. This is necessary in larger faculties with numerous disciplines.

3. Advocacy Against Tuition Increases
   1. Oppose further tuition increases in consultations with the University Administration. Given the impact tuition increases have had on students, it is the responsibility of all student representatives to fight these increases.
   2. Advocate against tuition increases to the provincial government. With an upcoming provincial election next year, the entire SU team has the opportunity to apply public pressure during the election period.

4. Ancillary Services
   1. Directly oppose the privatization of the bookstore and advocate for the SU to take over operations – keeping the bookstore affordable.
   2. Engage with third party organizations to fight food insecurity on campus by expanding our Campus Food Bank.

As a student leader, I will continue to fight for your rights and ensure your voice is heard. Feel free to reach out to me at muhammad.akhtar1@ucalgary.ca or on any social media for more information about my platform!

Don’t forget to Vote Taimur Akhtar for Vice-President of Operations and Finance on March 8-10![/content]
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[subheader]Matthew Herring[/subheader]
[content]Hello Dinos! My name is Matthew Herring and I am running to be your next VP Operations and Finance! Navigating university the past two years has been incredibly tough for students, and I hope to use my position in the SU to advocate and make meaningful changes that directly benefit students. Here are some of the ways I plan to make the university a better and more affordable environment.

Increase Funding for Faculty Associations

Faculty Associations (FA) play an important role on our campus. Throughout my term as an Arts Representative, I have seen the impact that FAs have on students in their respective faculties. I’d like to strengthen these organizations by providing them with a bigger budget. Over the past year, the SU has worked towards implementing a FA fund, and if elected, I will help see that fund come to fruition, as well as look into alternate methods of funding.

Begin Work to Implement a Food Cooperative and Address Food Insecurity

Food insecurity is one of the most immediate issues facing the student population. Throughout the pandemic, food insecurity among post-secondary students increased exponentially. As VP OpFi, I want to work with advocacy and food security groups on campus to set up a food cooperative run by students, for students, that can provide food to those in need without putting them in a financially unstable position. I will also enhance the preexisting food insecurity infrastructure within the SU.

Protect the Future of the Bookstore

Students came out in unprecedented numbers to protest the sale of the bookstore to a multi-million dollar corporation last April that would’ve lead to increased prices and worse service. The outcry successfully lead to the university pulling out of the sale, which was a huge win for affordable post-secondary. However, this situation isn’t over yet, and as VP OpFi I plan to work alongside the university to explore options for an affordable future for the bookstore.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email me at matthew.herring@ucalgary.ca or message me on Instagram @matthewherring4opfi. [/content]
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[subheader]Rafael Sanguinetti[/subheader]
[content]I am Rafael Sanguinetti, a 3^rd year Biomedical Sciences student running for Vice-President of Operations and Finance! Over the past year, I have had the privilege of serving as a SU Representative for the Cumming School of Medicine, and through my term I have noticed issues affecting students across the university. I aim to address these issues in three ways:

Negotiating the Best Deal for Students

The SU’s Student Health and Dental plans have not been changed in almost 30 years, and students this election will determine the future of our insurance plans. I will ensure that the SU negotiates the best deal for students, as we deserve to have the most comprehensive coverage possible when it comes to our health and dental needs.

Continue the Fight Against Bookstore Privatization

The university has still not decided on the fate of our campus bookstore, which presents a huge opportunity for students. Acquiring the bookstore as a SU business would ensure reasonable prices for textbooks and class materials, and any excess revenue can be funneled back to the student body by improving SU services like the Food Bank. I will work closely with the SU President and the university administration and hope to acquire the bookstore under SU operations.

Increase Student Engagement and Assure SU Accountability

In recent years, the SU has seen low engagement from the student body and elected officials. I would like to resolve these issues by updating current SU policies in two ways:

(1) Allow students-at-large to serve on more SU Committees, such as Clubs Committee and Operations/Finance Committee. This would allow students-at-large to participate in their SU and fill empty seats on these committees.

(2) Introduce further accountability measures for SU elected officials. While the SU has policies to ensure that representatives are fulfilling their duties, there is room for improvement. Far too often, several representatives have failed to submit weekly reports, while others have regularly submitted empty reports. Elected officials have a responsibility to their students, so I would like to introduce measures such as mandatory weekly report submissions and pay deductions for repeated offenders.[/content]
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VP Student Life Candidates (1)

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[subheader]Adrian Alcantara – UNCONTESTED[/subheader]
[content]Hello Dinos! My name is Adrian Alcantara, and I am running to be your next Vice President of Student Life. At the University of Calgary, I have had the pleasure of serving as Director and Vice President of Student Life for the Haskayne Student Association, Executive Student at Large on the Haskayne Wellness Society, a mentor and supervisor for Haskayne’s First Year Mentorship Program and as your Haskayne School of Business Representative for the SU. These experiences reflect my passion for supporting our student community and I Intend on focusing on the following:

1. Wellness Advocacy and Initiatives

In the upcoming year I would like to build stronger relations and work alongside our Student Wellness Services to help improve our meaningful impact on students.

• Granting students and club leaders access to mental wellness training.
• Improved incorporation of our wellness resources through our campus events such as orientation.
• Work alongside Student Wellness Services to better meet the needs of students on residence and international students.

2. Community Engagement

I plan on engaging with our campus as much as possible and giving students a platform to engage with each other as well.

• Prepare events and drop-ins when it is safe to do so.
• Review our SU event approval process to ensure ease of use for newer club executives.

3. Diversity on Campus

I had the honour of being one of the students to spearhead Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Week this year and I want to continue to foster this community’s strength.

• Continue working with our Office of Indigenous Engagement with the implementation of the Indigenous Strategy.
• Continue to work alongside our EDI Office in joint efforts regarding Anti-Racism.
• Celebrate the vast diversity we have on campus but also engage in difficult and meaningful discussion.
• Work on the sustainability of EDI within the SU through allocated funds and policy review.

Thank you for considering me as your next Vice President of Student Life. Remember to vote on March 8^th – 10^th. If you have questions or concerns email adrian.alcantara@ucalgary.ca.

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