Fall 2024 Semi-Annual Report

SEMI- ANNUAL

REPORT FALL 2024

Prepared By

JUHYUNG YUN, PRESIDENT

TABLE OF

CONTENTS SEMI-ANNUAL CALENDAR OF EVENTS 3 4 5

August, September, October November & December Fall 2024 Elections

EXECUTIVE 6 8 10 12

President Vice-President External Vice-President Internal Vice-President Student Organizations

COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS 13 15 17 20 22 24 26

Academic Arts and Culture Commuter Equity Mental Wellness Scarlet and Gold Sustainability

STAFF 28 29 30 31

Chair Chief Returning Officer Finance Chair Office Manager

COUNCILLORS 32 39

Councillors International Councillor

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

SEMI-ANNUAL CALENDAR OF EVENTS

AUG VOCA PANCAKES (EVERY TUESDAY)

10

VUSAC’S BACK TO SCHOOL PUB NIGHT

31

05 SEPT

EAT AFTER EIGHT (EVERY TUES. & THURS.

12 ACADEMIC X VOCA - VISION BOARD & GOAL-SETTING WORKSHOP

02 OCT

16 VOCA X ARTS AND CULTURE - TOTE BAG PAINTING

03

ACADEMIC X S&G ANTI PROCRASTINATION NIGHT

11

GET TO KNOW THE MWC

S&G X INNIS X NEW COLLEGE X UNIVERSITY COLLEGE SPIKEBALL TOURNAMENT

17

ALL CLUB HEADS MEETING

MWC X VIC WELL: TASTEFUL THOUGHTS

OFFICE HOURS WITH PRINCIPAL HERNANDEZ (EVERY THIRD THURSDAYS)

17

TALK ABOUT CAUCUS WITH THE VUSAC EXECS

23

MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL CELEBRATION

VOCA MOVIE NIGHT

06 FALL 2024 BUDGET RATIFICATION MEETING

FALL INTO FALL WITH THE VUSAC EXECS

23

CENTENNIAL GALA & SEMIFORMAL

04

22

SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION KICKOFF SOCIAL

VUSAC DIWALI DINNER

VOCA X A&C PUMPKING PAINTING

MWC TERRARIUM WORKSHOP

SEMI-ANNUAL CALENDAR OF EVENTS | AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER 3

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

SEMI-ANNUAL CALENDAR OF EVENTS ACADEMIC X A&C NOTEBOOK DECORATING WORKSHOP

08 15

11 LATERN DECORATING WITH VOCA

A&C MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART TRIP

SUSTAINABILITY PETALS FOR PURPOSE

DEC

WE L L N E S S WA L K T O C A S A L O MA

A&C TAYLOR SWIFT FRIENDSHIP BRACELET MAKING

13

14

21

FALL 2024 CAUCUS

VOCA HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

22

NOV DO-NUT STRESS WITH THE VUSAC EXECS

25

NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AND ACTION ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN MEMORIAL

6

*As of November 14, 2024.

SEMI-ANNUAL CALENDAR OF EVENTS | NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 4

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

VUSAC FALL 2024 ELECTIONS Nominations Period: August 28, 2024 at 12 am to September 12, 2024 at 12 pm.

Elections Info and Q&A Session #1: September 3, 2024 from 6 to 7 pm at the VUSAC Office.

Elections Info and Q&A Session #2: September 4, 2024 from 6 to 7 pm at the VUSAC Office.

All Candidates Meeting: September 12th, 2024 from 6 to 8 pm in the VUSAC Office.

Campaign Period: September 12, 2024 at 8 pm to September 24, 2024 at 11:59 pm.

Town Hall (Day 1): September 17, 2024 from 5:30 to 7:30pm in the Wymilwood Lounge.

Town Hall (Day 2): September 18, 2024 from 5:30 to 7:30pm in the Wymilwood Lounge.

Voting Period: September 20, 2024 at 12 am to September 24, 2024 at 11:59 pm.

Silent Period: September 25, 2024 at 12 am to September 27, 2024 at 5:30 pm.

Elections Ratification Meeting: September 27, 2024 at 5:30 pm in the Copper Room.

Results Published: September 30th, 2024.

For more information on the VUSAC Fall 2024 Elections, please visit vusac.ca/elections-info.

SEMI-ANNUAL CALENDAR OF EVENTS | ELECTIONS 5

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

PRESIDENT

Juhyung Yun Hello Victoria College Students!

My name is Juhyung, the VUSAC President for the 2024-25 academic year, and it is my pleasure to be writing my Fall Semi-Annual Report to update you all on what I’ve been doing since I started my term in May! Summer 2024 In the first month of my term, I dedicated most of my time towards deciding the overarching goal for Council this year with the VPs, organizing the Full Year Timeline with Amoly, and sitting on the hiring panels for all VUSAC Staff and Co-Chair positions. This year, we received a great deal of interest with 16 applicants for our 5 Staff positions and 26 applicants for our 5 Co-Chair positions. That accumulates to having 42 applicants in total for 10 VUSAC positions.

After hiring, I also onboarded the hired and newly elected VUSAC members with Amoly. Alongside Jack, I was also part of the Cat’s Eye hiring committee, in which we were able to hire the new Co-Manager as well as the Cat’s Eye executive team.

A major responsibility of the VUSAC President in the Summer is being the Summer Office Manager, which entails opening the office and providing services for students 30 hours a week. Therefore, starting from May 01 up to August 30th, I worked a total of 706.25 hours, which you can learn more in detail about in my Summer Hours Spreadsheet on the VUSAC Website.

Another thing that I did this Summer was welcoming our incoming first-year students by holding a booth at Open Vic and working as an Orientation Executive. As an Orientation Executive, I had the privilege of working with amazing CoChairs and an exec team, spearheading the following events: Commuter Orientation, Registration and Name Tags, Dinner with VUSAC, Clubs, and Levies, and the Tri-College Dance. Throughout the Summer, I attended meetings with the Orientation Exec Team and the St. Mikes and Trinity Orientation Co-Chairs to coordinate the first-ever TriCollege Dance, which had over 1000 attendees. Victoria College leaders, TMs, execs, and staff were at the forefront of leading and making not only this event a great success, but this year’s Orientation as a whole! Therefore, I would like to express my immense gratitude for all the amazing leaders, TMs, execs, and staff members who worked tirelessly to make this year’s Orientation a huge success!

Throughout the Summer I also met with Wick to prepare our finances for the year by predicting our funding for the year, organizing the Summer Budgeting Term, and reviewing the Budget Steering Policy. Alongside the Budget Steering Policy, Amoly, Aiden, and I also reviewed the Equitable Hiring Policy.

Over the Summer, I also met and introduced myself to a lot of the Vic Administrators and other student leaders across UofT like the ASSU and UTSU to talk about some of our goals and areas of potential collaboration in the future.

Some of the internal meetings I initiated were 1:1 monthly meetings with all the VPs, bi-weekly Summer exec meetings, and later the Summer Budget Check-Ins in late-August with all Commissions to ensure that their plans for the year were well-constructed. With the absence of the Arts and Culture Commissioner, I also helped hire the Arts and Culture Commission execs with Amoly and Aiden, and supported the commission in budgeting for events that they wanted to hold in the first few months of the Fall Semester.

Last but not least, a small project that I was able to help facilitate was the community garden project, which was spearheaded by Amy Mann and her team, which I would like to thank them for all the hard work they put in to make the community garden a vibrant and successful initiative.

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VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

Fall 2024 The Fall Semester started strong with a relatively swift and productive Fall Budget Ratification Meeting, which happened much earlier than previous years in hopes to allow programming in the earlier start of the semester.

The Fall 2024 Election cycle also started, in which I acted as the EAC Chair and one of the ACROs. We were able to fill in all positions that were contested for and this year’s election was able to finish successfully due to Siddhant’s great leadership.

Apart from sitting on the various governing bodies (BoR, VCC, VUS) as a student representative, a chunk of my work has been with Medha, trying to bridge the gap between students and Vic Administrators upon our hopes to promote various resources and make them more accessible and approachable. Therefore, we have been organizing Office Hours with Principal Hernandez (every third thursday!), and a new “Meet the Admin” initiative that will be starting in November so stay tuned!!

This year marked a special year for VUSAC and student leaders, as we celebrated the 100th year anniversary of student leadership at Victoria College, using the establishment of the Student Parliament as our starting point. Alongside Ali, I spearheaded the organization of the Centennial Gala, which was a formal dinner with over 170 students, alumni, staff, and faculty members that would be followed by the Semi-Formal, which was led

by Isha.

Overall, a large portion of my responsibility has been supporting the various projects that this year’s council members are working on. Whether that is rethinking the office space and cleaning it out, or meeting with Lila and Medha on a new resource library and Vic student leadership opportunities resource guide. Furthermore, before the new Arts and Culture Commissioner was elected, I supported the commission in running some events and holding bi-weekly exec meetings. I also took on the responsibilities of the Communications Coordinator after her resignation in September.

*By Cher Yan

Concluding Remarks Before I end my report, I just wanted to say how grateful I am to have had the support of so many Vic students and Administrators for a smooth sailing of my first few months as President! I look forward to seeing all the amazing things we will accomplish together, and I also can’t wait to support and cheer you all along the way!

EXECUTIVE | PRESIDENT 7

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

VICE-PRESIDENT EXTERNAL Medha Barath

As Vice-President External, I have been working on the advocacy and outreach of VUSAC. My primary goals have been to work on initiatives surrounding affordability and accessibility at Victoria College, while also building VUSAC’s relationship with students and the various administrative offices.

Over the summer, I worked with Juhyung, Aiden, and Sijil to structure what a student subcommittee for EDIA at Vic could look like. We were able to draft a Memorandum of Understanding for this group and will be working with Lesa Williams-George to figure out the next steps.

I have continued building upon last year’s Eat After Eight initiative, where leftovers from the Burwash Dining Hall are safely redistributed to students on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So far, I have worked on reinstituting the program and improving some aspects of its delivery. I am also collecting feedback from students to enhance the initiative. My future plans involve increasing the number of days this program is offered. I also want to create an Eat After Eight volunteer system, where students from across the college can contribute to distributing food. Additionally, I am supporting a team comprised of members from the UTSU and the Aidtrium project to implement Eat After Eight across campus.

From the advocacy standpoint, I have been continuing efforts started by VUSAC and VicPride! last year to institute a scholarship to honour 2SLGBTQIA+ advocacy at Vic. This is an initiative that I am working on with Lesley, who is the Co-President of VicPride! We hope this award can honour students who are doing fantastic advocacy work.

I have also been focused on increasing VUSAC’s outreach to students and generating further channels to gain feedback. I spearheaded the organisation of our monthly “executive office hours” where students can drop in and have a chat about student life or school with the VUSAC exec. This is a way for us to build a better rapport with the student body while also learning more about their thoughts about Vic and VUSAC’s activities. Our first event took place in the Quad and was definitely a success!

Our second event was focused on gaining student opinions about the college for Caucus, and while we had less participation, it did help generate many exciting discussion topics.

Juhyung and I have been working on an initiative to increase students’ awareness about the administrative offices at Vic. We created a new “Meet the Admin” initiative, VUSAC picks one administrative office to highlight to students each month. This will include a video introduction, posts about the office’s resources, and a meet-and-greet with its members. We will kick off the series with the Dean’s Office this month! We also met with Principal Hernandez and helped organise and promote his office hours for Vic students, which he holds on the third Thursday of each month. We hope that many students will participate in these events!

A large part of my work this semester has been dedicated to Caucus. In contrast to previous years, I would like to increase student group participation in this meeting so that students are more aware of the activities of each organization. I would also like to change the structure of the event and the set-up of the space to foster focused discussion on topics pertinent to student life at Vic, such as student spaces at Goldring Student Centre. Overall, I hope our conversations can be productive and result in concrete action items for the rest of the year.

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VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

I have also been liaising with the student representatives sitting on the various governing bodies at Vic throughout the semester to assist with their activities and ensure they know what their role entails.

While student attendance at external governing body meetings is often low, I hope further check-ins and support can raise these numbers.

Following Caucus, I will be preparing for VUSAC’s National Day of Remembrance activities with the Dean’s Office. Juhyung, Ali, and I have been meeting to discuss passive programming that can take place to increase student participation, and we are hoping to host these events in the week leading up to our ceremony.

For the rest of the year, I plan to work with other council members to implement a VUSAC resource library, where students can donate and borrow academic resources for Vic classes. I also hope to support my councillor Lila’s initiative to create a guide for student opportunities at our college while helping my councillor Albert’s work to create an off-campus buddy system. I also plan on working with my councillors to discuss initiatives to increase food affordability at Vic. Examples include cheaper meal plans.

I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of the year holds!

EXECUTIVE | VICE-PRESIDENT EXTERNAL 9

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

VICE-PRESIDENT INTERNAL Amoly Agarwal

Hi everyone, I’m Amoly, your Vice-President Internal for VUSAC 2024-2025!

This summer, I took the lead in strengthening our team through onboarding and hiring processes. Juhyung and I facilitated the onboarding of elected members, where we took the time to learn about each individual—not just their roles on council, but also their personal ideals, visions, and goals. It was inspiring to meet the new faces and hear the fresh perspectives that would shape the council’s work and passions moving forward.

Additionally, each newly elected member had a transition meeting with their outgoing predecessor to get a deeper understanding of the role’s responsibilities.

I also oversaw Staff and Co-Chair hiring, receiving 16 and 30 applications, respectively. The strong turnout was a promising indicator of growing interest in VUSAC and its operations. Once hired, new staff members underwent onboarding and transition meetings with outgoing staff to ensure a smooth handover. While the workload in the summer may be lighter, it was clear from these sessions how eager the new team members were to innovate and contribute to the council’s efforts.

We also hosted a Commission + Co-Chair roundtable, where I outlined the commission's timelines, projected budgets, and potential collaborative opportunities for the year. It was exciting to see many commissions eager to work together, and the roundtable provided a valuable space to discuss shared budgets, brainstorm event ideas, and align on key timelines for the upcoming year.

During Orientation’s Dinner with VUSAC and Levies, we had the VUSAC booth to publicise the role of VUSAC in the community for first years and promote elections and our upcoming Pub Night. Commissions also publicised themselves and collected information of students who were interested in general membership.

Based on the great number of applications we received for elections, I like to believe that we were successful in reaching new members of Vic.

We had the VUSAC Pub Night in spearhearded by the Isha, the Scarlet and Gold Commissioner at the end of August which garnered about 200 students. This was an event that Isha, Juhyung and I had been planning the entire summer, so it was really exciting to see it come to life. There was food available for free while drinks were for sale. The location this year was a lot larger than previous years which helped in attendance, attracted more students and urged them to stay longer. I want to give a huge shoutout to Isha for being so organised and ensuring that things ran smoothly!

As the Fall semester was kickstarted, I supported the Elections process by being the Assistant CRO. Once elections concluded, the newly elected Councillors and Commissioners were onboarded.

We then held VUSAC Retreat. This was a two-day event where the council got to learn, bond, and integrate. One standout activity was VUSAC Jeopardy which was a relaxing time for the council and helped the council connect more with each other and build trust and a sense of belonging among the members.

We also had First Aid Training, where 10 council members were able to be first-aid trained. This was conducted by Caitriona, a Victoria College and VUSAC alumna who teaches first aid. This was successful and we now have more people equipped to support during council events.

I also played a significant role in planning the Centennial Gala which was the 100th year anniversary of student leadership at Vic! This was a once-in-a-lifetime event that was held at Burwash Dining Hall and we hosted around 150 student leaders whose contributions to the VCU were indispensable.

I also took part in planning and executing the SemiFormal of the Scarlet and Gold Commission which took place immediately after the Centennial Gala in Old Vic! It was great to see Old Vic decorated so well, people dancing throughout the night, and our candy bar was an extreme hit!

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We had to re-open hiring for one of our Staff positions of the Communications Coordinator. Over the last few weeks, I have been spearheading interviews, transition meetings and most recently the onboarding meeting!

I also had October Check-ins with all Commissioners, Staff, Co-Chairs and Councillors which was incredibly enlightening and informative and I’m glad that I was able to help council members feel better and less stressed since student leadership can be overwhelming sometimes.

Lastly, I was on the hiring panel for the Sustainability Commission’s Exec Hiring which has also just been concluded and was very smooth so I want to give a shout out to Justin, our Sustainability Commissioner, who despite being elected in the Fall has showed grit, mettel and a strong desire and willingness to work passionately on the commission.

With the help of Ali and the Dean’s Office, I have also been assisting on one of the Commuter Commission’s biggest events of the year: Home for the Holidays! The event will be a winter-holiday market style event in Old Vic on 21 November from 4 PM - 10 PM. The event will be an absolute hit and I have really enjoyed assisting on it.

I’ve loved every moment of this position, even when the workload felt endless! The amount of work has definitely been a challenge, but the rewards have been equally huge. There’s something so satisfying about being part of a team that is always striving to improve and create meaningful change. Watching our ideas come to life and knowing I played a role in that is incredibly fulfilling. It’s been a lot of effort, but it’s made me more passionate about what we’re doing than ever before.

EXECUTIVE | VICE-PRESIDENT INTERNAL 11

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

VICE-PRESIDENT STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS Jack Cochrane

Hi everyone! My name is Jack Cochrane and I am your VPSO for the 2024-2025 academic year! Once I was elected in May, one of my top priorities was to strengthen the bond between VUSAC and student groups at Victoria College. I wanted to achieve this by actively supporting any endeavors they may have, provide opportunities to expand their engagement with students, and fight for their needs and wants.

One of the first things that I was tasked with when I stepped into the role was to ensure that the levy heads successfully transitioned into their new roles. This was done through a summer check-in with all the new levy heads. Within the check-in, I would ask about the executive hiring, signing authority transfers, and any future plans that they had for the upcoming year. Also, as my predecessor did, I went through the clubs and levies handbook and updated a couple sections that I deemed necessary.

Along with check-ins, I spent the summer setting up clubs for the school year. Club applications first opened on June 12th and any potential club applications will continue to be reviewed on a rolling basis until the end of the fall semester. Upon closing the first application period, we ratified 20 clubs during the club ratification meeting on July 21st and have ratified 3 more clubs since then. Since we are still taking club applications, I am expecting a few more before the end of the semester and am super excited to see all of the brilliant events these clubs have!

Once the fall semester approached, my focus switched from helping set up clubs and levies to supporting them. One of my biggest tasks so far has been aiding in the revival of VISA. This included helping with their constitution, transferring signing authority to the new co-head, and providing any answers to questions they may have. Our aim is to have VISA fully running by the winter semester. Along with VISA, I have been helping resolve any issue that a club or levy may have. This included helping with any internal conflicts, aiding with booking spaces, and helping solve storage and financial problems. I have also been actively helping with the integration of VEFS into VUSAC along with Juhyung Yun and the newly elected sustainability commissioner, Justin Liou.

As VPSO, I have to conduct several check-ins throughout the course of the year, including one summer check-in with each levy and a fall and winter check-in with each club and levy. So far, I am conducting check-ins with each club and am planning to finish all of my check ins by early December. I also hosted an all clubs heads meeting on October 3rd in which I discussed important info that club heads could use/need and also provided an opportunity for clubs to collaborate with one another. I thought the event went well as it was the first time I was meeting the various club heads and it gave me an opportunity to talk about their clubs and the exciting things they had planned.

Focusing on the future, I have a lot of things I want to accomplish before my time as VPSO comes to an end.

One of the biggest things is the Winter clubs fair. The idea of hosting a clubs fair , similar to the one for orientation, has been popular amongst levies and clubs, so I thought it would be appropriate to see this come to fruition. So far, I have had multiple meetings with Ali, the campus-life coordinator, to discuss the details about the event. I have managed to book Alumni Hall for January 13th from 1 to 4pm and will continue to iron out the details so the winter clubs fair happens without any issue. Along with the club's fair, I have noticed that there have been problems with the security of the club's storage. I am hoping to set up a more secure system for locking items in the storage (i.e. rentable padlocks for large lockers) so that storage is not an issue for clubs.

The last big thing I want to do is set up Vic Black. The previous levy head left the levy without a leader so the levy has remained dormant since the summer. My goal is to ensure the levy is up and running by the end of the winter semester, so the new VPSO can aid them.

To conclude, my main goal this year is to ensure each club and levy has all of the support and resources they need to have a successful year. I want to make sure students are proud to be a Vic student and I believe that starts with the student groups we have.

Thanks!

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VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

ACADEMIC COMMISSIONER Rohini Patra

This report is such a wonderful opportunity for me to share more about the Academic Commission especially about the events we plan to host for the remainder of the semester.

For a little bit about context for 2024, this year I was elected in the fall election which typically takes place in the month of September, as a result of which most of the commission event planning and exec interviews with onboarding was looked into by the Academic Cochair who was hired in the Summer by VUSAC. After being elected, here are the few things that the Academic Commission has done so far. The Commission had hosted the first Anti-procrastination night in collaboration with the Scarlet and Gold Commission on Wednesday October 02. A few takeaways from that is we will try to host these sessions at diverse time ranges and locations so that we can incentivise more students, especially the commuter students at VIC who often have to miss this event because of its usual 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm time frame.

On November 18th, we plan to host a panel-style research workshop in collaboration with the Registrar’s Office. The goal of the event is to help Victoria College students learn about available research opportunities and how to become strong candidates. We have invited two upper-year students to share their experiences, providing attendees with the chance to connect with them and gain motivation to apply for these opportunities During the exam season, as a commission we thought it would be a good idea to have a Community Board in the atrium where students can write their peers notes of encouragement during the final exam season.

Finally, we are working to increase our social media presence through collaborations with other Vic clubs and levies, and we're planning to start a monthly newsletter.

Additionally, we have a Notebook decorating and Notetaking event with the Arts and Culture Commission planned on Friday, 8th of November. The commission thought it would be a fun event to socialize with peers while at the same time learn about their personal study habits that would optimize their learning goals at school.

During the nearly one-month break, I was on boarded into the role. I had an initial meeting with the Academic Commission executive team to emphasize the importance of each member participating in at least one event, fostering a holistic experience and providing valuable skills in event planning and teamwork.

Additionally, as the Academic Commissioner I had a meeting with the Dean’s Office to discuss a collaboration with the VIC Ready team for the Life After Vic event, scheduled for February 27th. To prepare, the Commissioner and Co-Chair agreed to meet weekly throughout the fall semester, with plans to increase the frequency of meetings in January and February.

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VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

ACADEMIC CO-CHAIR Erica Chong

Hello! I am thrilled to share an update on the Academic Commission and the work I’ve done since being hired in the summer.

Summer: In August, I hired 10 executives (3 event coordinators, 2 collaborations directors, 3 communications coordinators, and 2 advocacy directors) and created a timeline of events for the year. Additionally, I arranged for the Academic Commission to participate in the Mingle & Munch event and the Dinner with VUSAC and Levies, which allowed my team and I to engage with first-year students and promote resources and our upcoming events.

Fall Semester: So far this semester, we’ve published and promoted our online resource guide, launched a newsletter, and organized 5 events, all of which were collaborations. We kicked off the academic year with our vision board designing and goal setting workshop in collaboration with VOCA, where students created vision boards, engaged in discussion, and learned tips for setting and achieving goals from Ben, the learning strategist. We then went on to collaborate with the Equity Commission for their Mid-Autumn Festival celebration, Hart House Debating Club for our public speaking workshop, the Scarlet and Gold Commission for our first anti-procrastination night of the year (“Cram Before Semi”), and most recently, the Arts and Culture Commission for our notebook decorating event. I am grateful for all the hard work that commission co-chairs/club heads and my executive team put in to make these events a success!

Since the summer, the Academic Commission team has grown considerably as we welcomed 5 new members: Rohini, the Academic Commissioner; councillors Tyler and Lila; and two first year executives.

It has been truly wonderful working with the executive team thus far, and I am looking forward to the rest of the year with Rohini and our new members!

COMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS | ACADEMIC 14

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

ARTS AND CULTURE COMMISSIONER Jia Li Liang

As the newly elected Arts and Culture Commissioner this fall, I transitioned and onboarded in October, quickly familiarizing myself with the commission’s activities. Over the summer, the Bob Sketch Comedy Revue hired Alex Teschow and Madeline Thompson as this year’s co-directors. They have since hired their cast, with performances scheduled for December 13th and 14th.

In similar fashion, the Arts and Culture Commission hired three executives over the summer: an Administrative Director, an Event Coordinator, and a Communications Coordinator. Fall hiring for the executive roles of Programming Director and First Year Representative commenced at the end of October and will continue until mid-November. Additionally, during the reading week, I onboard three VUSAC counselors: a First Year Counselor, an Upper Year Counselor, and an International Counselor, thereby enriching our team with diverse perspectives and fresh ideas!

As for events we have held this fall, there has been a positive rise in collaborations between the Arts and Culture Commission and other student groups. In early September we collaborated with VOCA for the Tote Bag Painting event. In mid-September we had a Photo Frame Decorating event where students were able to socialize and explore collaging and decorating picture frames. In October we partnered with the Equity Commission, Scarlet and Gold Commission, and the International Councillor to host the Diwali Dinner. The event was a resounding success as students packed the Wendy Cecil Atrium for festive activities such as getting their henna done, decorating diyas, lighting sparklers, and enjoying delicious food! Additionally, we collaborated with VOCA again to host a Pumpkin Painting event. Multiple students showed up to unwind and decorate their own pumpkins into creative designs.

For November, we started it off with a collaboration with the Academic Commission for the Notebook Decorating and Note-taking workshop, promoting better notetaking strategies and motivational notebook decoration.

Looking forward, we have multiple fun activities planned for November including: Taylor Swift bracelet-making, a museum trip to Toronto’s Museum of Contemporary Art, linocutting, Home-for-the-Holidays postcard decorating and pin mapping with Scarlet and Gold Commission, and a Holiday Artist Alley Market. These events aim to showcase students' craft, explore new mediums of art, and delve into the Toronto art scene more.

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VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

ARTS AND CULTURE COMMISSIONER Jia Li Liang

Furthermore, we are launching a monthly newsletter, spearheaded by our Administrative Director. The newsletter will contain information on events we have held in the month, upcoming events, and feature sections on the Toronto art and cultural scene. Our first issue is set to be released in the month of November, with more editions to follow in the winter semester!

Lastly, in conjunction with the Dean’s Office, Ali and I have been reaching out to the Gardiner Museum staff to finalize a date for the Gardiner Gala. We will be discussing ideas regarding incorporating a central theme and including an exhibition for student art.

We are very enthusiastic about the upcoming events and initiatives taking place and look forward to continuing our efforts of enriching the arts and culture community at Vic!

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VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

COMMUTER COMMISSIONER Sophie Erenberg

This semester, we hit the ground running with an amazing team and lots of new event ideas for VOCA. Over the summer, I had the pleasure of hiring my CoChair, Onyi, through the hiring committee, and together we designed a full-year plan for the commission. We opened up summer locker rentals, budgeted for the fall semester, and hired a dedicated team of 10 executives for our five core duos. In October, we welcomed our three first-year executives (Hiba, Sharmin, and Yu Wei), and with the assignment of VUSAC Councillor Tyler, our team was complete.

One of our first events was a pancake brunch during Commuter Orientation in late August, where Onyi, a few of our executives, and I welcomed incoming students. I also participated in Dinner with VUSAC and Levies, which presented a great opportunity to connect with incoming first-year commuters and introduce them to VOCA’s mission and programming for the year.

Once the fall semester began, we launched Fall Locker Rentals and resumed our popular weekly pancake brunches. These brunches have consistently had great turnout, and we have had three collaborations with other student groups to date. Our Halloween-themed pancake brunch was a hit with festive toppings, and we're excited to roll out more special edition pancakes in the months ahead.

In September, we expanded VOCA’s reach by opening general membership for all Vic students, allowing them to support events and receive our monthly newsletter.

An exciting new initiative underway is a collaboration with the Innis College Student Society’s Representatives of Off-Campus Students to introduce their new commuter buddy system to Vic. This initiative is still in the early planning stages but promises to be a valuable resource for off-campus students!

COMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS | COMMUTER 17

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

In addition to managing the VOCA team with Onyi, we organized a series of successful co-chair events, which started with a Tote Bag Painting session in partnership with the Arts & Culture Commission, VOCA’s first event of the year. We also hosted a mini pumpkin painting event in October in Wymilwood Lounge. Looking ahead, VOCA’s signature event – Home for the Holidays – is set for November 21st, and we’re excited to see it bring students together for food, fun, and holiday spirit!

Here is a brief overview of what each VOCA duo has been working on since September: Administrative Representatives (Aanya & Shauri): Updating the Commuter Lounge whiteboard and maintaining pancake inventory Taking minutes at VOCA’s executive meetings Publishing VOCA’s monthly newsletters Communications Coordinators (Maryam & Razan): Creating Instagram posts and stories for VOCA events and initiatives Updating VOCA’s website Fall photo contest (upcoming) Advocacy Directors (Aidan & Jia Li): Fall 2024 Programming Survey and giveaway Movie night in the Commuter Lounge Collaborations Directors (Defne & Jusleen): Vision Board & Goal-Setting Workshop with the Academic Commission Trip to Kensington Market with the Sustainability Commission (upcoming) Coordinating pancake collaborations Events Directors (Savanna & Delisha): Lantern decorating (upcoming) Working alongside the VOCA team and VUSAC this semester has been both fulfilling and impactful. I’m grateful for the opportunities we’ve had to engage and support the Vic commuter community, and I look forward to an equally successful Winter semester!

18 COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS | COMMUTER

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

COMMUTER CO-CHAIR Onyi Oguamanam

This fall semester has been an incredible experience working alongside Sophie, VUSAC’s Commuter Commissioner, after I was hired over the summer as Commuter Co-Chair! Together, we built a dynamic team of 10 upper-year executives, divided into five duos: Academic, Collaboration, Communication, Advocacy, and Events. In August, we kicked off our activities by hosting a “VOCA Brunch” during Commuter Orientation, where we ran a pancake station with the guidance of VUSAC President Juhyung.

As the fall semester began, we launched our weekly pancake and event schedule, starting with a tote bag painting session in the Quad. We successfully assigned over 65 lockers in the commuter lounge, available for Victoria College students to rent free of charge each semester. In October, we expanded our team by onboarding three first-year executives and welcomed Tyler, our new first-year councillor.

To date, we have hosted nine pancake brunches, including a special Halloween-themed one, as well as three collaborations with various Vic clubs. We’ve also organized six events, with another one just around the corner, and partnered with several VUSAC commissions such as Academic and Arts & Culture. Be sure to follow @viccommuter for updates on our remaining events this semester.

Our biggest event is fast approaching: “Home for The Holidays” on November 21st at Old Vic, from 5-9 pm. Sophie and I are putting in our best efforts to create an H4TH that captures the spirit of past years. We hope to see you there for festive treats and to support your favorite Vic student groups!

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VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

EQUITY COMMISSIONER Aiden Kong

Over the summer, I hired my Co-Chair, Sijil Jindani, and then we hired our four-person executive team: Kiara and Purvaai, our Directors of Events, Hana, our Director of Advocacy, and Delisha, our Communications Coordinator. They have all been amazing additions to our team and helpful with our events, programming, and marketing. We also have two councillors assigned to our portfolio, Ashleigh and Ruhi, and are so excited to work with them.

Our first event of the year was the Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration on Tuesday, September 17 in collaboration with the Academic Commission and International Mentor team. We had lots of food from different East Asian cultures, such as fried rice, mooncake, and mochi, as well as paper lantern making. About 40-50 people attended and everyone enjoyed the event.

For National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, we made orange ribbon pins and distributed them leading up to and on Orange Shirt Day. Not everyone has an orange clothing item to wear in solidarity with indigenous children and residential school survivors, so we thought that making pins would be a good way for people to still be able to show their support. In the end, we made over 100 orange ribbon pins and successfully distributed all of them to Vic students. Many students appreciated us making the pins and I saw many students wearing them around campus, so I would consider this initiative a success. Additionally, our directors created flyers talking about National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, the history of it, and why we wear orange on that day.

Our biggest event of the year so far has been the VUSAC Diwali Dinner on Wednesday, October 23, in collaboration with the Scarlet and Gold Commission, Arts and Culture Commission, International Councillor, and International Mentor team. An estimated 120 students attended the event, making it a huge success.

We had lots of South Asian food, henna, diya painting, and sparklers at the event. The atrium was packed with people eating, socializing, and bonding over this shared cultural experience. I am extremely grateful to everyone who attended and everyone who helped plan and execute the event, especially Sijil, Isha, Jia Li, and Ruhi.

Coming up, we are planning a collaboration with Boundless Books to read a short story or article highlighting a marginalized identity and then have a large discussion over tea and snacks. Our Director of Advocacy is planning an event called All Ears where native speakers of a language will come teach Vic students some phrases in the language and talk about their experiences navigating a place that mainly speaks a different language. We also want to host movie nights centered around underrepresented identities to showcase stories and people that might be overlooked.

Lastly, we want to make informational resources and flyers regarding the Transgender Day of Remembrance to memorialize people who have been killed as a result of transphobia.

For the Palestine Issue of the Strand, Sijil and I decided to write a statement expressing our thoughts concerning the Palestinian genocide and how it has affected students on campus. With this statement, our main goal was to represent the sentiments of Vic students and show that we hear their concerns and sympathize with anyone who has been affected by the genocide.

20 COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS | EQUITY

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

EQUITY CO-CHAIR Sijil Jindani

After being hired as Co-Chair over the summer, I helped Aiden hire our exec team and worked with them to plan out the fall semester.

One of the Equity Commission’s mandates is to highlight different identities at Vic through events and advocacy. So far we have done this through our Mid-Autumn Festival event with the Academic Commission and International Mentor Team. This allowed people to learn about different East Asian cultures and enjoy delicious food. For National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, Aiden and I made and distributed Orange Ribbon Pins for students to wear to show support for Residential School survivors and Indigenous people in Canada who continue to face oppression.

Another major event was our Diwali Dinner with Scarlet and Gold, Arts and Culture, the International Councillor, and International Mentors. The event was a success with a very high turnout. People enjoyed Indian food and celebrated as a community by participating in traditional activities. It was a great opportunity for cultural appreciation, which we will continue fostering through similar events in the future.

Aiden and I submitted a statement to The Strand for their recent Palestine Issue, expressing solidarity with Palestinians facing genocide and appreciation for students holding UofT accountable for the institution’s complacency. We hoped to uphold our commitment to equity by reflecting a wider range of voices at Vic, particularly those of marginalised communities whose experiences have been dismissed by administration.

In addition to our planned events for the remainder of this semester, I hope to increase our advocacy efforts and educational campaigning, specifically around days that recognise marginalised groups such as women, transgender people, and people with disabilities.

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VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

MENTAL WELLNESS COMMISSIONER Albert Deok-Hyun Ahn

Events Department Get to Know the Mental Wellness Commission Event To kick off the semester, we hosted a “Get to Know the Mental Wellness Commission” event. This introductory gathering provided an opportunity for students to learn about our mission, meet commission members, and discover upcoming events and programs.

Terrarium Plants Workshop Recognizing the therapeutic benefits of engaging with nature, we organized a terrarium plants workshop. This hands-on event gave students the opportunity to create their own terrariums while learning about the mental health benefits of connecting with nature.

Weekly Events with Victoria University Wellness Interns The MWC also collaborated with wellness interns at Victoria University to conduct weekly mental wellness events with a new theme each Thursday.

The Events Department will continue to expand its programming, aiming to create more engaging, impactful experiences that promote mental health awareness and provide a supportive community for students.

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Social Media & Graphic Designing Department Logo Update and New Theme In our efforts to modernize and visually unify our platform, we updated our commission’s logo. The new design represents our mission and values, as whales exhibit strong social bonds and cooperative behaviors, similar to how the MWC aims to promote socialization, presenting a polished and recognizable symbol of our commitment to mental wellness. This updated branding has contributed to a cohesive look across all our materials, reinforcing our identity within the student community. Ocean and related aesthetic elements connote liveliness and abundance of life. Ecosystems of the ocean foster a sense of balance, cooperation, and belonging, which are values MWC wants to emphasize.

Moving forward, the Social Media & Graphic Designing Department will continue to develop new, engaging content that strengthens our connection with the student body and reinforces our message of mental wellness and support.

Tech Department Website Development We are currently in the process of building a website from scratch. The website will serve as a hub for mental wellness resources, providing students with easy access to a variety of support tools and information.

The site will include tutorials on how to navigate these resources, helping students make the most of what is available to them.

The Tech Department’s commitment will create accessible tools for students, helping them engage with mental wellness resources and support networks.

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Advocacy Department Collaboration with Wellness Interns In partnership with the wellness interns, the Advocacy Department has been working to spread awareness of mental wellness across campus through gatherings every week at Goldring. This collaboration has allowed us to engage in ongoing mental wellness initiatives through engaging themes and activities.

Mental Wellness Resources Research Project The Advocacy Department has recently launched a research project on mental wellness resources around campus. This project aims to identify existing resources, assess their accessibility and effectiveness, and discover potential gaps in support for students. The insights gained from this project will inform future advocacy efforts and help shape our approach to mental wellness at Vic and U of T. Through these initiatives, the Advocacy Department is actively working to create a campus environment that prioritizes mental wellness, ensuring students feel empowered to seek support and maintain their mental health.

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22 COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS | MENTAL WELLNESS

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

MENTAL WELLNESS CO-CHAIR Armiti Zarbakhsh

This semester, the MWC has worked on building a stronger brand identity and increasing student engagement. We introduced a new logo—a whale—to symbolize the close social connections and peaceful environment our commission aims to promote. This new symbol marks a shift from traditional mental health imagery to something more distinctive and representative of our approach.

Our social media efforts have been revamped with Instagram takeovers and reels that offer relatable content, engaging the student body effectively. Through these platforms, we aim to keep a steady interaction with students, advocating for mental wellness and community building.

We've also started an advocacy project to assess and improve the accessibility of mental wellness resources at UofT and Vic. Our goal is to make these resources more user-friendly and transparent for all students. We hope to have our website up and running with an easy guide to wellness resources, where students can easily access and decide which resources fits their individual needs.

Our events this semester have included weekly sessions with the Wellness Dons that began on October 1st. These gatherings are part of our efforts to foster community bonds. At our "Get to Know the Commission" event, we held a terrarium workshop where more than 30 participants made their own terrariums, connecting with nature and each other.

Looking ahead, we're excited about the upcoming Wellness Walk to Casa Loma, which will offer free drinks and snacks, continuing our series of engaging and wellness-centric activities.

COMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS | MENTAL WELLNESS 23

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

SCARLET AND GOLD COMMISSIONER Isha Mathur

It's been such a pleasure serving as the Scarlet and Gold Commissioner this semester! I'm incredibly proud of all the events I've successfully hosted and grateful for the energy and enthusiasm everyone has brought to them. I would also like to extend a warm welcome to Maggie and Angela as this year’s Scarlet and Gold Councillors, and also super excited to work with the newly hired Highball Committee!

“Spike it Up” - A Spikeball Tournament This event was the first of its kind and a huge success!

In collaboration with Innis College, I planned a spikeball tournament with a playoff style competition for a cash prize! We had over 40 people sign up, with a $5 buy-in per team, and it was an all around great evening!

Collaborating with Innis College was a memorable experience and I hope to organize this event again next semester!

Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue this momentum, planning even more amazing events for next semester.

I’m especially thrilled for our biggest event of the year, Highball, and can’t wait to make it an unforgettable experience for everyone involved and attending!

Here’s a few highlights from some of the events we’ve had this year!

Pub Night at the Firkin on Bay As my first event of the year, Pub Night at Firkin on Bay was a huge success! 130 students attended on August 31st at the conclusion of orientation! The food was great, the vibes were amazing and the fun was endless!

A Night at Vic - Semi Formal 2024 This year's annual semi-formal, themed “A Night at Vic” was a two-part event in collaboration with the VUSAC Executives “Centennial Gala” and was an amazing night!

We had 297 students who signed up for tickets, resulting in a waitlist! The night was so much fun with the first ever Scarlet and Gold CANDY BAR which ran out super quickly, a VicXposure Photo Booth, and music throughout the night! Thank you to all of the VUSAC volunteers who helped with the decor as I was writing my back to back midterms!

Diwali Dinner Diwali Dinner was probably the most successful event of the semester! With over 130 students lining up for our free indian dinner catered from Little India, this event was super fun! Also, for the FIRST TIME EVER, we lit sparklers outside of Goldring and were able to share a bit of Diwali traditions with all of our participants (in addition to painting diyas and having henna artists throughout the night)! Huge shoutout to Ruhi, Aiden, Sijil and Jia-Li for their help on this event!

24 COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS | SCARLET AND GOLD

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

SCARLET AND GOLD COMMISSIONER Isha Mathur

Highball Plans for Highball 2025 are underway! Hiring is complete and the 2025 Highball Committee is complete!

Welcome to everyone who was successful and thank you to all 19 applicants in taking the time to apply. It was a difficult decision to make with the overwhelming number of highly qualified applicants this year!

Throughout November, I will be visiting venues and will finalize the location for Highball by the end of the semester.

Home for the Holidays This year, Scarlet and Gold is collaborating with Arts and Culture for our booth at VOCA’s annual H4TH! We will have post-card making as a token and a world map for everyone to come by and share a bit about their homes and appreciate the diversity at Vic!

25 COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS | SCARLET AND GOLD

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSIONER Justin Liou

The Sustainability Commission has had a later-thanusual start to the year, since I was elected in the Fall 2024 election, and started working on the commission at the beginning of October. As part of my duties on VUSAC, I have participated in biweekly council meetings, held regular office hours, and am currently working on the Governing Documents Review Committee. However, I have been working hard to get the commission started and I am super excited to see what the rest of the year will bring!

For the remainder of the fall semester, we have a few events planned for the commission. On November 15, we will be having “Petals for Purpose”, an event where students can paint terracotta pots and plant flower bulbs in their pots! In the same week, we are collaborating with VOCA to host a thrifting event, which promotes the sustainable upcycling of clothing. I am also organizing a booth for the Sustainability Commission to run at VOCA’s annual “Home for the Holidays” event.

The commission opened applications for exec positions in the commission from October 6 to October 23, and my hiring panel and I have conducted interviews through the first week of November. We have had twenty-three (23) applicants for seven (7) available exec positions. We also onboarded three VUSAC councillors, Ashleigh, Angela, and Elena, to the Sustainability Commission. It has been difficult to choose candidates to interview, since there have been many strong candidates who have applied this year. The councillors have been helpful with assessing and interviewing the exec applicants, and I am super grateful for their help! We have also had eleven (11) people register for general membership in the commission! I am thrilled to see high levels of engagement from the Vic community and look forward to working with my new exec team shortly.

For the winter semester, I am looking forward to the exec meet-and-greet in early January and Environmental Equity Week in February. I am also excited to see what ideas the new exec teams bring for expanding current projects or bringing on new ones.

My co-chair and I have also discussed bringing back eco-grief cafes and educational speaker panels on sustainable living and climate justice.

This semester, the Sustainability Commission meets Thursday evenings from 6 to 7 PM. To learn more about the commission, check out our Instagram @vic.sustainability or email sustainability@vusac.ca.

Near the end of October, right before Fall Reading Week, my co-chair and I also held our first event, a kickoff meet-and-greet social.

We collaborated with Commuter Dons Luca and Mursal in their “Souper Soup” event. At the event, we introduced ourselves, the commission, met a few potential new members, and handed out commission stickers!

26 COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS | SCARLET AND GOLD

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

SUSTAINABILITY CO-CHAIR Anandita Vishnoi Hey Vic Students!

Despite a later-than-usual start this year, the Sustainability Commission has hit the ground running! Justin and I have been working hard to build momentum, and we are beyond excited for what the next few months have in store.

Our first major initiative was launching the exec hiring process, which ran from October 6 to October 23. We were thrilled to receive 23 applications for the 7 available positions. Interviews are set to take place during fall reading week, and we are eager to finalize the team. In addition to the exec applications, we’ve also seen great interest from the wider community, with 10 sign-ups for general membership! This level of engagement is a testament to the growing enthusiasm for sustainability within the Vic community. We’d also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Angela, Ashleigh, and Elena for including the Sustainability Commission in their councilor portfolios — your support has been invaluable!

In terms of events, we kicked things off with a meet-and-greet social on October 22. It was an amazing opportunity to introduce ourselves, meet potential new members, and hand out some fun commission stickers! We also collaborated with commuter dons Luca and Mursal on their "Souper Soup" event, where we connected with students over warm bowls of soup and shared our plans for the year.

Looking ahead, we’re working on a few exciting projects. In early November, we’ve been invited to collaborate with VOCA on their thrifting event, which we hope will spark more conversations around sustainable consumption. MidNovember will see us hosting a flower pot decorating and planting event, where attendees can get creative by painting their own clay pots and planting flower seeds to take home. And before the semester ends, we plan to wrap up with another meet-and-greet social, which our future exec team will take the lead on. We can’t wait to continue building community through these fun and eco-conscious events.

That’s all for now from the Sustainability Commission. Thank you, VUSAC, for your ongoing support — we’re excited to grow and make a lasting impact together!

27 COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS | SCARLET AND GOLD

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

CHAIR Sophie Mutch Hi all! My name is Sophie mutch and I am VUSAC’s Chair for the 2024-2025 school year. My job is to host and chair the VUSAC meetings that usually take place on Fridays at 5:30 on a biweekly basis. These meetings take place in the Copper Room of the Goldring Student Centre.

So far this semester, I have hosted nine meetings, three over the summer and six during the fall semester, including co-chairing the Summer and Fall VUSAC Budget Ratification meetings. During the VUSAC retreat, I went over our meeting procedures and Robert’s Rules documents, as well as our Regrets and Agenda Items forms, so that new VUSAC members could have a better understanding of our processes. I also gave a brief explanation of our meeting procedures before both budget ratification meetings so that the broader VCU community also feel comfortable in our meetings!

During these meetings, we’ve continued to use placards for additions to the speakers’ and to manage discussion. We have also continued to have snacks, and I have been consulting with VUSAC members on which ones they would like most!

My main focus this semester was to have the new council be transitioned into the meeting procedures smoothly.

Regularly going over the procedures has helped with that. Additionally, I have been creating comprehensive meeting packages and have been sending them to everyone attending the meetings the Tuesday before the meeting. I also ensure that sufficient time is being given to students to submit agenda items by sending out the call for agenda items email a week and a half before the meeting. All VCU members are invited and encouraged to attend meetings!

My goals moving forward are to ensure better communication within the council, especially when it comes to attendance and providing proper notice if they cannot attend, and I plan on continuing to remind students to ensure that VUSAC continues to operate in terms of the expectations of council members in a clear and fair way. I want to be able to follow the realistic expectations of students, while also reminding them of what is expected of them.

It has truly been my pleasure to serve as the VUSAC Chair for this semester and I cannot wait to continue working in this position and learning more about this role as I go! Please feel free to send me an email at chair@vusac.ca for any questions or concerns about VUSAC Meetings.

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VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

CHIEF RETURNING OFFICER Siddhant Kulkarni To the members of the VCU, This semester, as the CRO, I ensured a smooth and transparent VUSAC election process.

Starting with an extended nomination period to encourage participation, I organized the All- Candidates Meeting, where we set out campaign guidelines and a timeline, ensuring clarity and readiness. Throughout a vibrant campaign period, I upheld strict standards to address policy violations promptly, which helped reinforce fair practices.

Our online voting system was optimized for accessibility, offering multi-language ballots and a flexible voting mechanism that allowed students to revise their votes before final submission.

While voter turnout remained around 10.2%, consistent with previous trends, we implemented strategic email reminders to boost engagement, peaking on the initial voting day.

During this cycle, candidates contested for the Councillor, International Councillor, VCC member, Board of Regents member positions along with uncontested positions from the Winter 2024 cycle such as the Academic Commissioner, Arts & Culture Commissioner, and Sustainability Commissioner.

During the Silent Period, I verified the election results for accuracy, which were presented in the Election Ratification Meeting. This report was shared transparently through social media and our website.

Reflecting on this election cycle, I extend my gratitude to the Elections and Appeals Committee, and all involved for their unwavering support, which was instrumental in upholding our commitment to integrity. Lessons from this term will undoubtedly strengthen our future electoral processes.

Yours Sincerely, Siddhant Kulkarni

29 STAFF | CHIEF RETURNING OFFICER

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

FINANCE CHAIR Wick Reitsma

I took over the finance chair position on the 28th of April 2024 from the previous finance chair Callan Murphy.

During the summer I collaborated with the VUSAC executives, staff, commissions and levies to create the summer 2024 budget. During the summer period I also held a budgeting workshop. The summer budget ratification meeting was done online and after the meeting and subsequent amendments there were 91 ratified lines. Of those 91 lines 50 of them were from levies, 10 were from commissions, 15 were from VUSAC executives, and 4 were from VUSAC staff. A summary of the total expenditure and revenues can be seen in the table below.

In September, I prepared the fall 2024 budget with this budget including the new clubs that will operate during this academic year. Prior to the budget ratification meeting I formed this semesters’ budget steering committee. This committee consists of members of council, representatives from clubs and levies and myself held 2 meetings where we flagged any lines that we wanted more information for or violated the budget steering policy. As of November 9th, there are 400 ratified lines in the fall budget, 175 from levies, 60 from commissions, 55 from VUSAC Council, and 110 from clubs.

During the fall budgeting period I also had to deal with a banking issue with TD. To summarize what the issue was, when the outgoing president and finance chair step down we have their signing authority for the bank account transferred to the incoming president and finance chair. That process didn’t go smoothly due to an error by the bank and ownership of the bank account was still in the name of the previous members of council. When I was signed out of the account that meant that I was unable to change the credentials locking me out of the account. After numerous discussions with the bank and its staff the issue was resolved in late October.

Since then, I have mostly been writing checks for reimbursements and logging them into our book keeping system called quickbooks. As of November 9th I have written 78 checks totaling $10,843 in reimbursements.

I have also completed bank reconciliations from March to August with Hannah from the bursars office and am currently organizing the first of three levy audits this year.

STAFF | FINANCE CHAIR 30

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

OFFICE MANAGER Linxi Wang

Hi everyone! I just wanted to start with what a privilege it’s been to be the VUSAC Office Manager for the 20242025 term! As the office manager, my main task is to oversee the office space and its services, while also supporting the overall productivity of the office! This report will briefly cover the administrative, officerelated, and event-related things I’ve been working on so far!

Administration: Office Hours Schedule – At the beginning of the semester I organized a schedule to allow for the office space to be used by students under VUSAC member supervision.

Meeting Minutes – I’ve been taking meeting minutes during each VUSAC meeting and distributing them to all attendees.

Office Space: Office Clean-up – Over the past few weeks, I’ve worked with other VUSAC members to finish cleaning up the VUSAC office, a big portion of it involving the organization and decluttering of the back room and storage room!

Office Supplies – I’ve been restocking supplies in the office, most commonly printer paper and snacks, and ensuring that other essential supplies are accessible in the office. I’m also looking into carrying first-aid supplies in the office.

Office Decorations – I’ve been making sure the office is staying festive and decorative for each season and holiday!

Board Room Booking – A new thing I’m trying to implement is an official booking system for the VUSAC office board room. This will become another meeting space option for student groups, levies, or clubs to use!

Events: This year, I’ve been trying to hold events in the office that are ‘office friendly’, in terms of being easily accessible to students and requiring a little time commitment! These kinds of events I hope will bring more students to drop by the office.

Trick or Treat in the Office – I held my first mini event in the office, where I prepared a bunch of small goodie bags to give out to students to celebrate Halloween!

Office Furniture SPF Application – I’ve been working closely with Juhyung, Amoly and other VUSAC members to write up the SPF application. Our SPF application is going towards new furniture for a full office makeover, to bring a more new and welcoming feeling to the office!

I expect to submit the SPF application very soon and hold an office re-launch party in the winter semester!

The event required students coming in to say “Trick or Treat”, and they would receive a small bag of candy!

Art Cart Revitilization – This year, we’ve decided to clean-out and replace a majority of the old paint brushes and paint we supply to support students who use the VUSAC art cart! I hope to also place a higher emphasis on cleanliness by providing a more accessible way to clean brushes, as well as a new cart.

November Hot Chocolate Bar – A hot chocolate bar for students to freely access in the office to celebrate the holiday season!

31 STAFF | OFFICE MANAGER

What I’m Planning: November Jar Guessing Game – A jar guessing game for students to come by and put in their guesses to have the chance to win a jar of candy!

Please let me know at officemanager@vusac.ca if there’s anything I can improve on with the office, or if you have any comments to make! Thank you for your continued support and I look forward to updating you all soon!

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

COUNCILLOR

Ashleigh Chu Cheong Since starting my position as a councillor in October, I have been actively contributing to the Sustainability, Equity, and Arts and Culture Commissions within VUSAC. At the time of writing this I have been involved in the hiring process for the executive members of the sustainability commission. I reviewed candidate statements, attended interviews, and gained valuable insight into the vision and enthusiasm of those eager to lead sustainability initiatives. I am excited to help bring their ideas to life and contribute to leaving a sustainable impact at Vic (be on the look out for upcoming events!).

Within the Arts and Culture Commission, I’ve taken on the role of Communications Coordinator, which will allow me to promote upcoming events directly. As I grow more comfortable in this position, I plan to explore creative strategies for event promotion, such as making reels or TikToks, which can serve as engaging, fun ways to reach the Vic community. I am also keen to strengthen the connections within the team and enhance our collaborative efforts for future promotions.

Looking ahead, I hope to leverage my councillor role to amplify outreach and engagement at Vic. I hope to collaborate with the Communications Coordinator (Sunethma) about potential ideas, like launching a series called “VUSAC Meets Vic” to showcase behind-the-scenes planning within VUSAC to help amplify engagement leading up to events and encourage community involvement. With careful planning on my part and support from my fellow VUSAC members, I am confident these initiatives can come to life and positively contribute to our community!

COUNCILLORS 32

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

COUNCILLOR

Maggie Stewart I’m incredibly grateful to have been elected as one of your upper-year councillors on VUSAC. It’s been a truly exciting experience so far, and I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with so many inspiring and intelligent people. I’ve been amazed by the energy and enthusiasm of the Victoria College community, and I’m looking forward to continuing to grow in this role.

I was recently assigned to two portfolios and have been working closely with the Scarlet and Gold Commission and the Commuter Commission.

In October, Scarlet and Gold organized and hosted a very successful semi-formal dance! I helped with decorations, setting up the photo booth, and hauling a balloon arch halfway across Vic. The ‘Scarlet and Gold’ theme and colours came together perfectly, and the hall looked amazing! The Scarlet and Gold Commission is now deep into planning Highball, and I’ve been hard at work researching venues and coordinating preparations for this huge event! I’m also working on Home for the Holidays in collaboration with the Arts and Culture Commission. I helped choose the booth theme, which highlights global holiday traditions, featuring an interactive map that will allow students to place pins showing where they’re from, helping us learn about the diverse holiday customs within the Victoria College community.

My other roles have included hosting office hours, attending meetings, voting on initiatives and budgets, and volunteering at events hosted by commissions. So far, I am loving my time as a councillor on VUSAC, and although there is still much to learn, I am excited to see where the year takes us!

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VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

COUNCILLOR Angela Qin

I would like to begin by offering my most sincere gratitude to the students of Victoria College for providing me the honor and opportunity of working as first-year councillor on VUSAC. Since my election at the beginning of the semester, I’ve been assigned to the Arts and Culture Commission, Scarlet and Gold Commission, and the Sustainability Commission’s portfolios, all of which I am beyond excited to collaborate with in the coming year.

In October, I began my time as a councillor by helping to facilitate the Semi-Formal dance. While my primary roles were to support guest check-in and clean up, my job as a volunteer also allowed me to communicate with many of the Victoria students that attended the event.

Within the scope of my responsibilities for the Arts and Culture Commission, I assisted in the successful execution of the Gardiner Gala and am currently engaged in conceptualising and implementing forthcoming events under the commission's purview.

Additionally, for my third portfolio, the President, I am continuing my work on the development of an honoraria report to evaluate the impact of honoraria on VUSAC’s financial efficacy. Moreover, I am involved in the reutilisation of office space, including the repurposing of the back room for graduation photography sessions.

Getting to meet the members of the Victoria community is an aspect that I most enjoy about the councillor position, and just one of the reasons that I am looking forward to participating in the organization and planning of other Commission-led events, such as Highball with the Scarlet and Gold Commission, and the Gardiner Gala by the Arts and Culture Commission. On a shorter timeline, I’ll also be painting succulent pots with fellow Victoria students at the upcoming Petal for Purpose event in mid-November, led by the Sustainability Commission.

As the semester progresses, I truly look forward to engaging more with fellow Victoria students, as well as the amazing team at VUSAC to best support the diverse and inspiring community here at Victoria College.

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VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

COUNCILLOR Elena Sun

I Hi everyone! First off, thank you so much for voting me as a First-Year Councillor. It has been a pleasure volunteering and connecting with the Vic community, so I extend my sincere gratitude.

To report on my weekly duties, I have been hosting office hours and diligently attending VUSAC meetings. My office hours are every Thursday from 9-11 AM. It has been such a joy to open up the bright and welcoming office in the mornings as the sun shines through the windows. During my office hours, I assist with printing, ensure snacks are stocked, and answer inquiries. Please consider coming in during office hours to chat, do homework, or enjoy snacks!

Our beautiful office space and snacks are open for all students. To top it off, CommuniTea also takes place starting at 10 AM, so there is definitely no shortage of drinks and treats.

As for my role in VUSAC, I am happy to share my assignment to three portfolios: Finance, Communications, and the Sustainability Commission. I will be assisting in the Finance portfolio through helping with audits. VUSAC will be revisiting our TikTok account, which I am beyond excited to contribute to through engaging and fun video ideas.

Lastly, I have been involved in the Sustainability Commission hiring process. My contributions included reviewing and ranking applications/resumes and interviewing applicants. I am looking forward to collaborating with successful applicants as we plan our upcoming events and initiatives!

Moreover, I have volunteered for two Vic events so far. The first event was the Centennial Gala and Semi-Formal on October 4, 2024. I greeted everyone at check-in, and I must say, everyone looked spectacular! I hope those who attended enjoyed their night. The second event was Fall Campus Day on November 3, 2024. I welcomed prospective Vic students at Goldring, answering questions and sharing my experiences at Vic. Obviously, I was a little biased, and could only rave about the Vic community and how much I am enjoying Victoria College. Let’s hope some of those prospective students make it to Vic next year!

To wrap-up my report, I would like to, again, express my gratitude for your vote. I am fully committed to serving my fellow Vic students, so please don’t hesitate to reach out. Cheers to a successful first term and cheers to the next!

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VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

COUNCILLOR Albert Huang

Hello! My name is Albert Huang, and I am a First Year Councillor! For the Fall 2024 term, I have been assigned to the Mental Wellness Commission and the Vice-President External (VPE).

I would first like to extend my thanks to the whole VUSAC and Orientation team for the warm welcome they gave to my fellow first-years and me. Without them, I would have never considered running for a councillor position. I am extremely grateful and pleased to have the privilege of working with so many smart, capable, and compassionate peers over the next year, and it is an experience I will never forget.

Under the VPE, my fellow councillor Lila and I have worked to improve and expand the Eat After Eight program, which gives away leftover food from Burwash on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I was given a lot of feedback on how to improve the program, and many people, most of whom did not have meal plans, were extremely grateful for the program since it meant spending less on groceries. In addition, we are also looking to collaborate with the Innis College Student Society (ICSS) to further expand their Commuter Buddy Group to Victoria College and improve commuter life. I also helped to promote the Mental Wellness Commission’s Wellness Walk to Casa Loma by hanging up posters around Victoria College. I look forward to working to contribute and improve the community of Victoria College for the year to come!

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VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

COUNCILLOR Lila Carr

I’m happy to have this opportunity to share what I’ve been working on! In mid-October, I was assigned to the Vice President External and Academic Commission portfolios. I’m excited to work on these portfolios this year as the objectives of each align with the ideas and goals I ran on in the Fall Elections.

I have begun making a Vic-Opportunities Booklet with the help of the President and VPE. The booklet will act as a guide for Victoria College students who are looking to get involved around campus and will include student leadership opportunities through student groups, the Deans Office, and Residence Council. The booklet will also include volunteer and work opportunities.

As part of the VPE portfolio, I am helping Medha manage the Eat After 8 program along with Albert. We are thinking of ways to expand Eat After 8 and use it as an opportunity to connect and gather feedback from Vic students. I am also on the hiring panel for the Highball Committee, and we are in the hiring process as I write this report.

For the rest of the year, I am hoping to work on continuing the VUSAC tabling that was done by the VPE last year. This was an effective way to hear about concerns from residence students in the Burwash Dining Hall; however, by expanding this to Eat After 8 we could hear from more students. This will help ensure that VUSAC is addressing students’ concerns and could be discussed at meetings such as the Fall and Winter Caucuses. I look forward to the remainder of my term and am excited to see what else I can accomplish.

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VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

COUNCILLOR Tyler Wong

Since being elected as a first-year councillor in the Fall elections, I have greatly appreciated the versatility of my role on VUSAC. I am able to both work within my portfolio assignments and support VUSAC as a whole on larger projects.

Through this role, I will remain committed to my philosophy of supporting student spaces on campus.

As one of the councillors for this council term, I have been assigned to three portfolios: Commuter, Academic, and President. With the Commuter Commission, I have started helping with organizing our Tuesday pancakes, and I am looking forward to helping with events such as Home for the Holidays. With the Academic Commission, I am looking forward to being a part of outreach initiatives to inform students about academic and career opportunities. As a part of the President portfolio, I have had the honour of representing the VUSAC president on the orientation steering committee, and the student projects fund committee.

Additionally, I helped Linxi, our office manager, with office cleaning. So far, along with other council members, we have decluttered the back storage room and we are planning improvements to the office that will include more seating and more places to study. We will continue to improve the space for students to study and hang out.

Lastly, I want to thank you for reading this report. Your active participation in student life is what makes the Victoria College community so amazing! If you have any questions or concerns, you can stop by the VUSAC office in the Goldring Student Centre during our office hours, or you can reach me directly by email tyler.wong@vusac.ca.

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VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2024

INTERNATIONAL COUNCILLOR Ruhi Chopra

As the International Councillor, I recognize international students as a cornerstone of the Victoria College community. My initiatives are guided by this understanding, as I aim to build meaningful connections with members of Vic’s international student body.

So far, I have collaborated with the Scarlet & Gold, Equity, and Arts & Culture Commission to host a Diwali Dinner event. After extensive planning and coordination, we welcomed over 100 attendees who enjoyed an evening of delicious Indian food, sparklers, henna, and diya painting—an attendance that exceeded our expectations!

Looking ahead, I am piloting a project that brings together Vic’s artists to collaboratively create an artwork that showcases the diverse elements and styles of different cultural art forms. I hope to display this piece in a Vic space, as a tangible representation of the contributions international students bring to our community. I am also excited to continue working with the Victoria International Students’ Association (VISA). I have already assisted in their executive team hiring process and plan to join VISA as an executive member.

In all of my work, I am mindful of my role as a representative of Victoria College’s international students. However, I am also aware that my knowledge is disproportionately focused on my own culture.

Therefore, I am committed to ensuring that all international students at Vic feel represented, regardless of their background, and to avoiding an overrepresentation of my own culture.

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