VUSAC Semi-Annual Report Fall 2021

VUSAC SEMIANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021 Prepared by Anne Huynh, Communications Coordinator

TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE 2 4 6 8

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

COMMISSIONERS & CO-CHAIRS 10 12 14 17 20 22 23

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

STAFF 26 27 28 29 30

Chair Chief Returning Officer Communications Coordinator Finance Chair Office Manager

COUNCILLORS 31 39

Councillors International Councillor

EXECUTIVE

PRESIDENT Jerico Raguindin

This year has been unprecedented in a lot of ways for VUSAC, evidently due to a large part of the pandemic, however, I also believe that it’s also the result of the declining structure and influence of VUSAC over past years. My uncontested election as president was accompanied by a record low election turnout in the Spring of 2021, in votes (only beaten by Fall 2021) and amount of candidacies. I say this not to hamper the important part that VUSAC has in a myriad of services to the community, both unknown and unrealized, but to call attention to them, so please take attention and know that all students have roles to play and are invited to fill them: Helping students practice skills and knowledge beyond academia, such as equity, leadership, and community-building - for evidence on this, I would point to many of the roles and success that past student leaders receive after their participation in a Vic student organization Perpetuating student leader knowledge and important community organizing efforts that are important to this university, but our communities, both expansive and intimate Advocating for student issues and concerns - some examples this year are the hiring of Dr. Azarova, international student support amidst the pandemic, sexual harassment allegations across UofT and the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment, the University Mandated Leave of Absence Policy (UMLAP), increased mental health and academic supports for students, divestment, Victoria University’s search for a new president Regarding COVID and student life, we have been hamstrung by many barriers in regards to reopening and transitioning back to campus. As such, VUSAC has only held one in-person event thus far, whereas we would have held at least 5 or maybe even 10 at this point.

However all things considered, this was very successful, not just in terms of coming back from a pandemic, but in comparison to regular VUSAC events in 2019 and before. Over 60 students came to our event and contributed to our beautiful mural, chatted with other students, and picked up a hot chocolate. Capacity limits and COVID restrictions disallowed us from having too many students in one congregate place and putting on events with too much contact and touching. I want to note that a lot of our new council members have also gotten a slower start than usual, and that is a result of having to reorganize VUSAC’s structure and my own personal capacity limits as acting Vice-President Internal until functionally October. This means that where councillors would usually be busy planning and putting on events, they have been left in limbo with nothing to do, while Tabina, the terrific new life-saving VPI, and I have to figure out their tasks and roles for the semester. So as a note, the councillors are doing an amazing job and have lots of potential, eagerness, ideas, and rigour, and any shortfalls or misses this semester have been a result of me and the unique circumstances of this fall.

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My personal undertakings since the spring have been a number of things: Consulting and continuing work on the UMLAP, the Sexual Violence Policy, and the review on the role of Campus Police. These are very big picture items that go unread and/or forgotten from many students’ emails, sometimes because students just don’t have the capacity or that administrators leave students out of the picture. However, they are incredibly important and consequential to our experiences as students and we need to have a seat at the table and my role is to simply ask as many questions as possible and get as many students involved.

Developing institutional knowledge and student succession. One of many perennial issues student organizations face is succession and it is commonly the downfall of many student initiatives that would do well to better campus life and culture. I have been doing this in a couple of ways, shifting the VUSAC website as the catch-all resource for everything student life related at Vic, UofT, and more; developing a student leader guide, to be finalized by next semester before student turnover happens; collecting as much information lost in the past that needs to be cataloged, such as the bounds of this student government; standardizing and streamlining constitutions to be simpler, more intuitive Building bridges between other student organizations - other student organizations across colleges, faculties, and campuses at large have been very helpful in collaborating in ideas, keeping an eye on important policy and administrative developments as listed above, and learning from each others’ structures and bureaucracies General internal structuring, such as appointing two commissioners unfilled by the fall elections with the executive, training and on-boarding new members and planning retreat with the VPI, Tabina I want to conclude that my admittedly harsh, yet candid portrayal of this Council is a thoughtfully painted description of an organization I have spent, at this point, years of my life, serving. VUSAC is a wonderful, along with countless other superlatives, group that has become a cornerstone of my identity, my daily life, my beliefs, and my work. The remainder of the fall semester will be used to build momentum for a more successful winter semester, which involve current plans like reopening the VUSAC office and other student spaces, more in-person events (hopefully in one way or another a Highball of some in-person capacity), a finalized reforming and standardizing of all governing documents and organizational practices coalescing all work done in the past 3-5 years, exciting (in the strongest terms) advocacy work that will hold university administration to account and involved as many student voices as possible. Please join us in VUSAC meetings, Fall Caucus on the 26th, email me at president@vusac.ca, or message me on the VUSAC Instagram @vusac, if you want to get involved with anything I’ve written about or anything you are concerned about, experiencing, or ideating on.

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VICE-PRESIDENT EXTERNAL Sooyeon Lee

As the Vice-President External of VUSAC, I work as the liaison between VUSAC and external bodies. A lot of my portfolio is focused on advocacy work, where I’m able to deliver the needs of students to administrators at Victoria College. My goals are separated into shortterm and long-term goals. The short-term goals I have are to continue to open more pathways for students to talk to administration and to increase engagement between members of the VCU and VUSAC. The long-term goals that I have are to make mental health resources more accessible for students outside of Ontario and to increase diversity within Vic programs and courses.

To begin, I’ve been meeting with Dean Kelley Castle, Heidi Pepper-Coles, and Bergita Petro regularly since the summer, where we talk about ways in which Victoria College could best support its students amidst mental health concerns. This was motivated by the fact that the main mental health resource given to students is My Student Support Program (MySSP), which relies on a text-based system. This isn’t accessible for students who live in areas where texts are monitored by the government, as they can’t talk about issues that affect them without a significant risk. Unfortunately, I’ve come to realize that some programs can’t be tweaked due to legal restrictions around practicing licenses outside of Ontario. This meant that I needed to re-think how I wanted to find better mental health resources for students outside of Ontario. My current work around this point of my portfolio includes doing research on resources that are currently available from both the university and the city, as existing resources might be difficult to access or just be unknown of.

In addition, I’ve had meetings with Professor Ira Wells in order to talk about the diversification of courses. I’ve suggested different people of colour and women to be incorporated into the curriculum, as a predominant amount of the material being studied in Victoria College programs are produced by white men, which isn’t reflective of the students who are in said courses. Unfortunately, the academic committee will not be reviewing Victoria College’s academic curriculum for the 2021-2022 school year, but as a member of the academic committee in the Victoria College Council, I will continue to discuss the idea of incorporating more diverse voices in the classroom.

In order to achieve my short term goals, I’ve been in frequent touch with Cam, the Equity Commissioner, and Psalm, the Equity Co-Chair. We have created a survey asking members of the VCU about equity concerns that they may have. It’s similar to the nature of the survey that was released last year from the Equity Commission, but I anticipate that the answers may differ now that we’re halfway back to in-person classes and programming. The survey will also be asking students about any barriers that might be present for them to speak to the administration. I hope that the answers will be able to pinpoint reasons why students feel as though they can’t access administration, which will help me develop solutions to address those issues.

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To add, I have been working on making the upcoming Fall Caucus more accessible for students along with Ali Kehl, the Campus Life Coordinator. Instead of giving updates and reports, Caucus will be more discussion focused and students will be invited to submit discussion items. I believe that this will incentivize more students to attend Caucus, as discussing topics that might be of interest to students (re-opening spaces, accessibility concerns, etc.) would be more engaging than listening to different groups give presentations about what they’ve been up to, which I would predict to be very repetitive because in-person events have not been happening regularly this semester so far. Lastly, the Office of the Dean of Students, Principal’s Office, President’s Office, and Registrar’s Office will be giving updates first, with an informal question and answer period afterward. This will also engage more students to attend caucus as they would have a chance to speak to members of the administration in an informal setting.

Aside from these initiatives, I have been working on organizing the December 6th memorial with Ali, Cam, and Psalm, as December 6th is the National Day of Remembrance and Violence and Action on Violence Against Women. The event commemorates the 14 young women who died in the massacre. We are currently in the process of reaching out to VUSAC members who may be interested in being a part of the event.

For the rest of the semester, I plan on focusing on running a smooth and successful Caucus, and then reaching out to the Mental Wellness Commission about organizing a list of mental health resources to be clearly laid out for students.

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VICE-PRESIDENT INTERNAL Tabina Ahmed

Hello! My name is Tabina Ahmed and I am the new VPI at VUSAC this year! I was elected in the Fall 2021 Election cycle, so I am quite new to the role. Nonetheless, I have enjoyed every moment so far and cannot wait to get started on new initiatives to make Victoria College a better place for our students, especially in a time of rigorous transition.

In October, I was ratified into my role as VPI and had the chance to conduct on-boarding meetings with all members of VUSAC alongside Jerico to understand their goals, ways to best support each member of the team and provide guidance with their ideas and initiatives for the upcoming year. I also had a chance to start creating review committees for our Council Policies, Constitution and Elections and Referenda Code documents, which will ultimately allow me to update each of the governing documents to standards that will reflect current operations at VUSAC more accurately. I was able to put together a hiring committee for the upcoming Orientation Co-Chair.

In November, I worked with various members of VUSAC to plan our very first in-person event: “Vic Paints a Mural”. We were able to acquire an attendance of 80+ students and hosted a successful event overall. I also worked with Jerico to create and finalize the councillor assignments to the different commissions and roles, and was able to assign all councillors to their preferred portfolios. I advised all portfolio supervisors to organize meetings with their respective councillors and commission members.

Finally, one of the initiatives that I have developed during my time is the establishment of Drop-In Check-Ins for council members, where they will be given one day per week to set-up a meeting with me to chat or access resources. This initiative is one that I had campaigned about during the elections cycle, and was extremely excited to bring to life. I will be commencing this program on November 21, 2021 and aim to continue to provide my help to the VUSAC students as they need it.

This year is a little bit different from the past couple of years due to the ongoing learning transition that we are all facing as a collective. While in-person events are heavily anticipated this year, we need to be able to integrate in-person programming in a way that is safe and sustainable for all individuals in our community. My goal is to work with Sooyeon on this matter, alongside Jerico and Kate, to implement a re-opening plan for the VUSAC Office.

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Another one of my goals is to implement a system in which students at Victoria College can give feedback to all commissions at VUSAC, and be able to communicate with us through a forum that is accessible to both students and commissions. Often, I feel that students at Victoria College have trouble reaching out to us regarding things that concern them, and it is up to VUSAC to be able to effectively represent them. This also means being able to provide students with all the resources they need in one spot. I would like to work with the councillors, Jackson and Ali in order to plan an initiative that will address this issue.

Lastly, an issue that President Robins had brought to my attention was regarding the mental health of student leaders and staff working at Victoria College. Since part of my portfolio is to watch over all members of VUSAC and intra-council operations, I want to be able to contribute to this matter and look into creating a program that can best support our VUSAC members at moments where they are in need.

I have full confidence in our VUSAC team this year, and am very thrilled to be working with amazing, intellectual, and fun individuals who are dedicated to making Victoria College a wonderful place for students to gather. In the next coming months, I will be sitting on various hiring committees, including Winterfest/Highball, along with chairing the Orientation Co-Chair Selection Committee, and aim to focus on my priorities. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at vpi@vusac.ca! I am always open to answering any questions.

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VICE-PRESIDENT STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS Kate Haberl

Hello! My name is Kate and I am this year’s Vice President Student Organizations on VUSAC. To preface my semi-annual report, I would like to note the fact that I sustained a serious concussion in September of this year, which has severely impacted my capacity and ability to complete the regular responsibilities of the VPSO position. I am indebted to the other members of the executive and many others who have helped me to keep things afloat during my ongoing recovery.

Club Ratification: As VPSO, I am responsible for facilitating the ratification of VUSAC clubs each year. Early in the summer, I opened the primary application period for ratification, beginning on June 7th, which later closed on July 26th. All clubs who applied during this period and met VUSAC’s standards were ratified at the Club Ratification Meeting on July 30th, and therefore were able to take part in Orientation (provided they met the requisite deadlines to participate).

Applications have continued to be accepted on a rolling basis since the end of the primary application period, and I still continue to review, follow up on, and bring forward these applications for ratification at VUSAC’s regular meetings. Club ratification has been more sporadic this year, with new clubs continuing to be ratified at each VUSAC meeting, which I attribute to the chaotic situation with COVID and the changing nature of student life on campus.

Club & Levy Check-Ins: As VPSO, I am required to meet with each Levy Head three times a year (once in the summer and once each semester), and each Club Head twice a year (once each semester), to better grasp what each student group is up to and how I can support them in their work. As of November 11th, I am in the process of completing these check-ins for the fall semester (summer levy check-ins were completed in August), which were pushed back due to my brain injury.

Orientation: As VPSO, I was responsible for helping to coordinate the annual club and levy orientation events. As I was also an Orientation Executive, I coordinated and oversaw the clubs and levies fair directly, as well as Meet VUSAC and an Upper Year Advisory Panel.

All Clubs Meeting: The VPSO is mandated to chair a meeting for all club heads. The All Clubs Meeting will be taking place later this month, and will be an opportunity for clubs to raise issues and discuss their experiences with other clubs and myself.

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Reopening: One of my main focuses this year has been facilitating the reopening process for clubs and levies, including the use of club and levy spaces and in-person events. I have been working with the Dean’s Office to develop a safe reopening plan, and to advocate for in-person student life. Happily, in-person events have now returned and students have increased access to their spaces on campus.

Equity Training: I have been working with the Diversity & Inclusion Training Coordinator (who runs U of T’s Equity Training sessions) to set up equity training sessions for Victoria College’s club and levy executives. Unfortunately, this is yet another area that has been derailed by my injury, though I am hoping to make training available to executives by mid-November, and carry it on throughout December to allow executives to attend. Once sessions begin, I will assist clubs and levies with the registration process (through CLNx), track registration numbers to ensure they’re all on course to meet VUSAC’s requirements, and follow up if they’re not.

Moreover, I plan to work with VUSAC’s Equity Commission to develop more relevant equity training for clubs and levies in the spring semester.

Hiring: Throughout my term, I have aided in hiring for various groups in various capacities, such as through my position as Chair of both the Cat’s Eye and Student Projects Advisory Boards.

Hiring for the Student Projects Chair has run throughout the fall semester, and we hope to have a complete Student Projects Committee imminently. I also assisted with hiring for other groups such as The Bob and several of VUSAC’s commissions, in addition to supporting clubs and levies in their respective hiring processes.

It is my hope that as I continue to recover from my concussion that I will be able to return to working on my priorities for this year, which includes revamping equity training for clubs and levies, increasing student engagement and exposure to Victoria College’s student groups, and continuing the transition to a (fingers crossed) post-pandemic world.

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COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS

ACADEMIC COMMISSIONER Fatima Mohamed

As the Academic Commissioner, I promote events and programming that help students advance their academic and professional careers through the Academic Commission. In July, I hired a new Academic Co-Chair and we have been engaging with the Vic Community on our social media and planning events for you from that moment on. The commission has just gained two Councillors, and we plan on hiring a Communications Director and an Events Coordinator over winter break.

Before going into the progress that the commission has made so far, I want to address the slower pace we’re experiencing this year. As a new member of VUSAC, I spent a lot of time researching and reading through programs initiated by the Academic Commission in previous years. However, as we entered this phase of ambiguity regarding in-person events, a lot of the plans would not have been feasible, or they required a lot of additional planning so they can work in this hybrid setting.

While we were navigating the transition from online to in-person learning and programming, we prioritized the Academic Commission’s activities on social media. Since the beginning of the year, we have released infographics to give you tips about setting up timetables and courses for the year and to transition into an in-person learning environment. You should expect to receive a survey from us about the challenges of the academic year so far and how we can help you alleviate stress or mitigate some of the factors causing the distress in the first place. We aim to work with the Vic community to tackle all academic issues, so prevailing concerns will be discussed with Dean Wooden.

In regard to events and programming, now that we are able to plan in-person events again, we have started planning our first BIPOC Professional Studies Panel, Exam Jam, and the Life After Vic networking dinner. Keep an eye out for a list of students and alumni that will be featured in these events! The dates for all events have yet to be released but you should be on the lookout for them on our social media (@vicacademics) as well.

There are also a handful of projects that are currently in the works. Last year, my Co-Chair initiated a project called Vikipedia in which she compiled a list of links and resources regarding academic and career-related issues, student discounts and food places surrounding campus. We are also continuing projects that have succeeded in the past such as the iClicker project and the LSAT and MCAT book lending systems. I plan on working with the ASSU president to find what other academic sources students may need so we can have those available for you as well. All these projects will be run in a very different way this year as we are still in a complex blend of online and in-person programming, so more research is going into them than usual, but these projects should be in effect by the Winter semester.

Looking forward to reaching out and working with you all this year!

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ACADEMIC CO-CHAIR Joy Wang

As the Academic Co-Chair, I work alongside the Academic Commissioner to support upcoming initiatives and events. My responsibilities focus mainly on planning and generating social media content, in addition to drafting an events timeline for the commission.

One thing we wanted to post more this year are infographics relating to school and career planning, and we kicked off the semester with an infographic on course selection during the summer. When the school year started, we collaborated with Victoria College’s Learning Strategist Ben on an infographic, detailing some ideas on how to transition from online to in-person learning. We are excited to share more infographics in the future regarding studying abroad, applying for work-study, and any other topic that is of interest to the student body.

We are looking forward to hosting a list of exam related events in December, including a possibly in-person Exam Jam where students can study together and receive study material goodie packs. Additionally, we want to be able to host an Exam Destressor that wasn’t able to happen during November. Students can look forward to receiving more gifts by answering Instagram polls and engaging with the Academic Commission’s social media.

We have so many more events planned for next semester, including many networking events and program roundtables. We look forward to working with the two Councillors – Jocelyn and Dixshant – for this and next semester.

Stay tuned with our commission and follow us on social media @vicacademics!

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ARTS & CULTURE COMMISSIONER Alyssa Nurse

Assembled Commission The Commission was able to add four new members to the team in the positions of Events Coordinator, Social Media Manager, Content Lead and First Year Representative. First, second, third and fourth year students comprise the commission, which is highly representative and important in designing events and future programming. The commission was unable to acquire a Graphic Designer but the job will be done primarily by me for the time being. The application, created via google form was opened on November 1st and was closed on November 8th. The first official commission meeting will be held on November 16th, 2021. We also received information on two councillors that will work alongside the commission.

Feedback Survey This survey is to receive feedback directly from the student body on the types of programming they wish to see moving forward. The survey is expected to be released on November 20th, 2021, with the incentive to win gift cards to boost response rates. The survey will also be promoted with the use of Instagram Ads. This will significantly assist in the planning process and any potential future collaborations in the Winter Semester.

Collaborative Event with Equity Commission (AGO Equity Field Trip) The Equity Commission is conducting “Equity Field Trips” across campus and across the city.

The first of which is scheduled to take place on November 19th, 2021 from 11-3 pm. The location will be at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) to observe the “Fragments of Epic Memory exhibit”, the McLean Centre for Indigenous & Canadian Art, and whatever else we have time for. This is an in-person event that will be socially distanced, masked and observing all COVID-19 protocols.

Collaborative Event with Commuter Commission (Home for the Holidays Event) The Commuter Commission's Home for the Holidays Event is scheduled for November 25th, which we will be participating in by having an activity stand.

Bob Comedy Sketch Review To my knowledge, they have conducted the auditions already for the show. The specific dates and logistics have to be confirmed by the producers of the show to me.

Transition Information I have encountered a bit of difficulty in meeting with the previous commissioner to discuss the Arts and Culture Website, linktree, etc. For the time being, the commission is working as best as it can without them but hopes to have them up and running ASAP.

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December Holiday Themed Event The logistics surrounding the event are still being decided upon by the commission, but we are looking to have the event possibly in the first week of December.

Next Semester Plans UofTiff We hope to continue this event in the Winter Semester. It is a film festival which hopes to showcase the talents of Vic students, with the option to win prizes.

Merch We hope to continue the production of Arts and Culture Merch to be sold and even distributed as prizes at some of the events held in the Winter Semester.

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COMMUTER COMMISSIONER Mary Cortiñas

Hello! Here is an update on what VOCA has been up to for the past six months!

In May, I was initially hired as the Co-Chair by the previous Commuter Commissioner. In June, 10 executive members were hired through an application and interview process. Further, we worked on creating a budget and timeline for both the Fall and Winter semesters to have a foundational idea of the programming we would like to carry out for the 2021/22 year. The Commissioner stepped down in early August and VOCA was without a Commissioner until October 2021. However, both the previous Commissioner and I were present at Commuter Orientation and Orientation Week to promote VOCA programming such as our events, free lockers, and grocery gift card giveaways!

In October, I was appointed as the Commuter Commissioner by VUSAC since there was no Commuter Commissioner candidate for the Fall 2021 elections. After being a part of VOCA as an executive member two years prior, and my experience as Co-Chair, I accepted the appointment. Co-Chair applicants from May 2021 were contacted once again and interviewed with the assistance of the President and the VPI, and Jiawen was hired as the best candidate for the Co-Chair position.

Fall 2021 events that the wonderful team of VOCA has carried out: - Fall 2021 programming Survey: Carried out by myself and the Advocacy Duo. This received 73 responses and we gave away three $20 gift cards as an incentive!

- Back to School Giveaway: We gave away eight $20 gift cards to Staples or Indigo to promote VOCA and to help student expenses. We had 102 entries!

- Trivia Night with the Commuter Dons - Starting on September 15: Weekly President’s Choice grocery gift card giveaways. Similar to the previous year, we gave away twenty $10 gift cards to Victoria College students in replacement of the weekly pancake brunches.

- Fall Locker Assignment: With the re-opening of Goldring Student Centre, we were able to assign lockers once again!

45 students are currently using our lockers.

- First Year Exec Hiring - Student Spaces Resource: I created a document for students that lists all the requirements, hours, and available spaces for students to eat or study on campus. This was due to a handful of students emailing about where it is acceptable for students to stay on campus.

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- Commuter Tips: Social media initiative initiated by me with the support of the Communications Coordinators.

- Photo Scavenger Hunt: Collaborations Duo event - 2000s Halloween TV Episodes Viewing Night: Event Duo event - Halloween Playlist: First Year Execs - Home for the Holidays: 70 gift packs distributed, and outdoor holiday market event.

Due to the high number of events that VOCA runs annually and the absence of the weekly pancake brunches, which are integral to our programming, we have asked the Finance Chair and the President to ratify our budget in September. This has been a great help, as I was covering VOCA’s expenses during September alone.

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COMMUTER CO-CHAIR Jiawen Chen

The Commuter Commission has been busy this fall, offering a wide variety of programming for commuter students. I officially started as Co-Chair mid-October, and allocated the bulk of my attention to Home for the Holidays, VOCA’s largest event of the semester and its first in-person event since the start of the pandemic.

Home for The Holidays This year, Home for the Holidays will not be the semi-formal event it once was. The Commissioner and I have been in contact with other commissions, clubs, and levies at Victoria University to collaborate in hosting an outdoor market-style event on November 25th. We hope the new format will be more accessible and beneficial to students, as well as be more COVID-safe.

Other Programming Our Duos have been busy this fall. Our latest programming includes a scavenger hunt, Halloween TV throwback watch party, trivia night in collaboration with the Commuter Dons, Halloween playlist, and weekly commuter tips. To fill the absence of weekly pancake brunches, VOCA has continued the weekly gift card giveaways it started last year. We give out 20 $10 PC gift cards every Wednesday. We also do separate monthly $10 gift card giveaways.

Moving Forward I hope to continue to collaborate with other groups, especially on in-person programming.

In early December we will have Home for the Holiday gift packages available for pickup for all Victoria University students, while supplies last. We are in the process of confirming our December events.

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EQUITY COMMISSIONER Cam Miranda-Radbord

Victoria College is one of the most diverse campuses in Canada. As a first-year, getting to know so many folks - and the issues they care about - is a unique experience I’m deeply grateful for.

It was an honour to be elected Equity Commissioner in early October. Stepping into the role midway through the term was a challenge, but, working with the Equity Commission Executive and my Co-Chair Psalm, we’re delivering on urgent priorities that matter to students. As we move into the Winter, I have a strong plan for advancing equity at Vic. In October, the Strand released “Unravelled: Ticket to Dine”, an article describing concerns students on residence had been voicing for months: the dining hall was hurting folks with eating disorders. The new dining hall system devised by the Dean’s Office was created without consulting VUSAC, and without sufficient care for students affected by disordered eating. To drive our advocacy, the Equity Commission is collecting student input and data through a survey we’re currently finalizing. I want to challenge the current dining hall system with thorough information showing how devastating its effects on students can be.

Outside of advocacy, I’m also bolstering the Equity Commission’s slate of events. On November 19th, we’ll hold our first Equity field trip to the AGO - participation, including transportation to the gallery, is free for Vic students. In the future, when the weather facilitates outdoor screenings or COVID-19 case numbers fall, Equity Commission Doc n’Talks will resume. I’m working closely with the Equity Commission and the Dean’s Office on programming for December 6, National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Delivering high-quality events is crucially important, providing both education and an opportunity for students to make new friends.

I delivered a substantial Equity Commission budget for students from VUSAC. Most of the budget will be redistributed back to students, paying for gift card giveaways at consultations, funding for student initiatives, and care packages for Vic students. The Equity Commission needs to do more than advocacy and events to be effective: giving the financial resources we have back to students is a meaningful step I’ll build on over the rest of the term.

This term, students are seeing rejuvenated, effective leadership from the Equity Commission. They’re seeing meaningful consultation and advocacy on improving the dining hall. They’re seeing fun, educationally enriching events in-person and online. They’re seeing real financial investment in programs that directly support them.

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Being a part of this work is incredibly rewarding and I’m so excited to see how the Equity Commission grows over the next few months. So much of the work I was able to do is thanks to the Equity Commission executive, Cynthia, Jane, Sharon, and Zareen, and Psalm, whom I can objectively say is the most amazing Co-Chair I could ask for. Getting involved in the Equity Commission is a fun, low-commitment way to give back to Victoria College, and I would encourage anyone interested to email equity@vusac.ca.

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EQUITY CO-CHAIR Psalm Tesalona

At the start of the semester, I had the privilege of assembling the Equity Commission's executive team and I am so excited about the diversity in the life experiences, passions, and talents of our mighty team. Cynthia Brillinger, Jane Wen, Sharon Kgomotso Matshipi, and Zareen Hossain were recruited in October, and as elected Councillors Shane Joy and Rebecca Muscant joined our growing team, I know we have so much more to look forward to.

From discussing our advocacy goals this year, to developing student feedback forms to address timely issues of inequity on campus, to coming up with creative ways to bring students together in community, our team is slowly and steadily figuring out a way to execute our goals intentionally, sustainably, and safely as we navigate students’ evershifting access needs during this time.

Before the year ends, the Equity Commission will be reaching out to the Victoria College about two distinctly important matters of equity, inequity, accessibility and wellness on campus: the first being a survey on disordered eating and food insecurity at Burwash Hall, and the second being a general survey on students’ concerns about equity at Victoria College. Cam and I are so thankful to Soo, VUSAC’s VP External, for her support throughout this. As we analyze the information we gather this semester, we hope to move forward not only advocating for students at the administrative level, but developing social, communal, and relational peer-support programs for students in the new year as well. Before the semester ends, students can also look forward to announcements regarding our new Equity Field Trips community event series, and a collaborative event with the Dean’s Office on the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

Lastly, Cam and I are so excited to continue strengthening our relationships with other VUSAC Commissions as we remain creative and attentive to the multitude of ways equity and social justice can be promoted in our community.

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MENTAL WELLNESS COMMISSIONER Erin Hill

Coming into a Commissioner role later than in typical years, I have found these first weeks to be a busy but exciting adjustment period. So far, I have spent this time familiarizing myself with the Mental Wellness Commission, communicating with the current executive team, and learning from the previous Mental Wellness Commissioner. Some of our plans for the future of the Commission include continuing the work from previous years, while other plans are fresh ideas and initiatives that we would like to begin.

Continuing Past Work I am grateful for the amazing work that has gone into the creation of the Mental Wellness Commission and its previous projects. This year, I am hoping to continue the following initiatives: the MWC Resource Guide; Vic Across the Globe; and collaborations with other Commissions. I’d like to utilize the talents of the executive team to promote these projects (for example, via social media) and hopefully, make their existence more well known and accessible within the Vic community.

New Initiatives In addition to continuing the work of my predecessors, I hope to establish new initiatives within the Mental Wellness Commission. I am grateful to have an already-established executive team with many great ideas and lots of passion. Some of the Commission’s current plans include the following projects: Mental Health First Aid; Accessible Therapy; and Panel Discussions. Additionally, due to our current stock of mental wellness kits, I’d like to create an event where Vic students can come pick up a kit and simultaneously learn about the Commission and the mental health resources available at Vic, UofT, and the larger Toronto community.

Overall, I hope to grow the presence of the Mental Wellness Commission on Vic’s campus this year by focusing on events and initiatives that are both informative and engaging. I am always open to hearing new ideas, feedback, and any other relevant comments, so please reach out if you would like to chat!

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MENTAL WELLNESS CO-CHAIR Julie Seeger

The Mental Wellness Commission has planned both events and research-based initiatives to be released virtually. Here is a quick overview of the first three initiatives I have been working on as the 2021-2022 Mental Wellness Co-Chair.

Start Here: Mental Health Self-Help Our first event, planned for late November, is a workshop aimed to aid students in developing mental health strategies and navigating resources at UofT. Students will develop a checklist of activities that promote their mental health to complete regularly and be introduced to coping strategies to implement when their mental health is poorer.

Affordable Mental Health Care An ongoing initiative is researching and compiling resources regarding affordable therapy options available to students. Finances are a commonly-cited barrier to accessing therapy, and by compiling this easy-to-navigate resource, I hope students will be able to make decisions with all of the information in front of them. I will be reaching out to other mental health organizations, as well as the UTSU to compile this, and hope to release it in early 2022.

Warm and Fuzzies A more light-hearted initiative to foster community and encourage friends to check-in on each other is our Warm and Fuzzies. We will begin spreading the word in mid-November and hope to send them out in mid-December.

If you ever wish to get in touch, please don’t hesitate to reach out at mentalwellnessco-chair@vusac.ca

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SCARLET & GOLD COMMISSIONER Kayla Man

As you may or may not know, the Scarlet and Gold Commission is involved with planning several social events for Vic students throughout the year, including back-to-school pub night, Semi-formal, and Highball. For the past year and a bit, however, we have been unable to host any in-person events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The commission has been unable to host any large-scale, in-person events since early 2020 and we are hoping to begin holding these events as soon as possible.

During the summer, I released the More Scarlet! More Gold?! Survey to gauge what Vic students want from the social programming for the year. With over a year of online learning, many students were eager to return to campus and revive their social lives. However, the regulations still in place due to the pandemic prevented me from hosting back-to-school pub night and other events of that nature. I planned a back-to-school arcade night in a similar manner to my predecessor, but unfortunately, the turnout was abysmal. Student engagement has been incredibly low with the pandemic’s ongoing presence so this wasn’t too unexpected, although disappointing.

For Halloween, I hosted an online asynchronous costume contest and students were able to vote for the most creative costume on the VUSAC Instagram page. At the beginning of November, I aided with the planning of “Vic Paints a Mural,” VUSAC’s first in-person event of the year. Although I was unable to attend as I had a class, the event was a success and reflected how interested students were in in-person events. Currently, I am planning a Red Taylor’s Version listening party with trivia for the week back after reading week in collaboration with VicRecords and our Communications Coordinator. I am also in the process of planning the Scarlet and Gold Commission’s contribution for the Home for the Holidays in-person event hosted by VOCA which will occur at the end of November.

Lastly, I have created a logo for the Scarlet and Gold Commission.

The commission has not had a logo before and was the only commission without one so I thought it was definitely time to create one. The logo colours are scarlet and gold and it includes an image of a chandelier to represent the social events that the commission is responsible for.

In preparation for events next semester, I am in the process of hiring a Winterfest Committee and Highball Committee. The Winterfest committee will be responsible for planning events at the beginning of the semester, including Semi-formal and the Highball Committee will be responsible for planning Highball, VUSAC’s end-of-year gala. I am hopeful that we will be able to plan and execute these events next semester and look forward to planning even more things for the Scarlet and Gold Commission!

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SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSIONER Justin Dylan Lim

Jochen Zeitz once said, "sustainability is no longer about doing less harm, but it is doing more good". I think this quote really illustrates our Commission's goal: to do more good for the Victoria College community. This year has been filled with uncertainty in regard to school delivery. I, alongside the Sustainability Commission, have been closely working on redesigning events and value offerings for Victoria College members, while adhering to the main purpose of the Commission. I ascertained that the Commission continues to remain committed to promoting sustainability and greening initiatives for the campus’ operations and functions. This semester our Commission mainly focuses on providing both programming and advocacy. Here is a brief overview of the projects and various initiatives I have done as of this writing and planned for the rest of this semester: I hired a Sustainability Co-Chair for the Commission I alongside the Co-Chair have been working on hiring 4 executives (i.e. graphic, communications, and administrative) to help execute various team tasks I hired 2 student reps in accordance with the hiring policy of VUSAC I alongside the Co-Chair and Vic Zero subcommittee carefully assessed the current situation of Victoria College in regard to sustainable practices based on the criteria listed in the Vic Zero Sustainability Strategic Plan.

I alongside the Co-Chair then advised and discussed with the Victoria Bursar and Plant and Property manager on various follow ups on implementing demands outlined in the Sustainability Strategic Report (1) composting services, (2) metering systems, among others.

I alongside the Co-Chair created and presented a sustainability event training and best practices framework for internal use with the intention of helping (1) focus on sustainable practices, (2) help others understand the current climate justice environment and the intersection of discourses on sustainability.

I worked in conjunction with Commission members to draft the strategic, tactical, operational, contingency plans for the 2021-2022 school year which serves as a lodestar to guide our commission in dealing with the high uncertainty in planning events/initiatives for the Victoria community during the pandemic.

Given unique restrictions this year, our Commission executed a Sustainability Career Networking Event inviting guest speakers from the sustainability industry to discuss their experiences. Our Commission has planned to have 2 other similar events in the Winter semester.

For the upcoming semester, our Commission plans to continue working alongside the Equity Commission to work on the programming for the environmental equity week.

Additionally, we plan to run the regular Doc n Talks event the following semester as per COVID-19 regulations and university policy on event planning.

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Ultimately, my goal as a commissioner is to help foster a deep sense of interest in environmentalism in the Victoria College community. Today, we are in a dire situation in which there is a lack of real effort to address the issue. I believe the Sustainability Commission as a strong robust community can tackle the problem together through education, encouragement, and systematic change.

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SUSTAINABILITY CO-CHAIR Alisha Zhao

Sustainability can be interpreted in a range of contemporary contexts from environmental investment to food security. As Sustainability Commission Co-Chair, I strive to use my creativity and insights about sustainability to build a welcoming, inclusive environment to connect culture and sustainability and foster action. As of this writing, the Sustainability Commissioner, Commission members and I have dedicated ourselves to seeking effective and sustainable ways to reach out to more Vic students. Here are some projects and tasks I personally helped with in accomplishing the mission: I have been working on enhancing and expanding social networks with other UofT environmental clubs and lobbies via cross-promotion on social media to reach out to more environmentally conscious student groups and individuals aimed to educate the younger Canadian generation about the importance of sustainability.

I improved the existing minute taking system and created new strategies to organize information for the purpose of creating a more effective way to access old documents which helped the team in brainstorming and sharpening new event ideas to become more accessible and inclusive for all Victoria College communities.

Working with the Sustainability Commissioner, I facilitated the creation of new job structures within the Commission to further boost up the productivity and motivation in the team which contributed to the success of the recent speaker event, Sustainability Career Spotlights.

By comparing with the historical records, I helped budget for Sustainability Commission’s operation and event funds for fall and I have been working on composing the budget for the upcoming winter semester.

As a broad concept, sustainability, in essence, advocates a future where the current generation can access the resources necessary to thrive without diminishing the future generation's ability to benefit from these resources. As a Commission, we have been continuously advocating for changes at the front line and I firmly believe that our efforts alongside effective solutions and actions will conquer the challenges on the way to a more sustainable future.

For more initiatives my team and I have been working on, please refer back to the Sustainability Commissioner’s Report.

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CHAIR

Fatima Rana Hi everyone! My name is Fatima Rana and I am VUSAC’s Chair for the 2021-2022 school year.

So far it has certainly been a learning process and a very enlightening experience. My job is to host and chair the VUSAC meetings that usually take place on Fridays at 5:30 pm on a biweekly basis. Due to the nature of COVID-19 and the school year, these meetings take place over zoom and the link can be found online on VUSAC’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.

This semester so far, I have hosted regular meetings and have tried my best to ensure that all resources are feasible to students. I went over our meeting procedures and Robert’s Rules documents, as well as the instructions for following these rules on an online platform at the beginning of the semester. I made sure all the information was well understood by not just me, but students attending the meetings as well. I also made sure that these rules and instructions were updated and posted on our platforms for easy access. They are also included in the meeting package.

My main focus this semester was to have the new council be transitioned into the meeting procedures smoothly. Regularly going over the procedures aided in that process.

Additionally, I have been creating comprehensive meeting packages and have been sending them to everyone attending the meetings a few days before the meeting. I also ensure that sufficient time is being given to students to submit agenda items.

Apart from the regular meetings, I also chaired the Fall VUSAC Budget Ratification meeting online, and presented to VUSAC students about rules and regulations, as well as meeting expectations and procedures during the VUSAC Fall Retreat.

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. Giving the presentation during VUSAC Fall Retreat helped with that a lot, 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!

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CHIEF RETURNING OFFICER Malhaar Moharir

As the Chief Returning Officer, my primary responsibility is oversight of the Vic elections, held biannually in the Fall and Spring. After I was hired in the early summer of 2021, planning for the Fall 2021 elections began almost immediately. Along with the President, Communications Coordinator and former VPI, our first task was creating a timeline for the elections period (all of which is available on the Vic website, and which will also be released in the comprehensive elections report). The full period encompassed five main stages: prenominations, nominations, campaigning, voting, and post-voting, spanning between August and October. As we have been doing for nearly the past two years, the elections were run 100% online this year, both to limit the health risks associated with in-person events and to ensure equity in campaigning since not all students were able to return to campus by the time nominations had opened in September. Jerico and I facilitated four Q&A sessions: two before the nominations period and two after. We had quite a substantial turnout for many of the Q&A sessions, and indeed many chose to run afterward, highlighting their success. The biggest change that we enacted during this period was reducing the number of nominators required for all positions save the ex-officio ones. Following this, we facilitated two All Candidates Meeting which all prospective candidates were required to attend, going over rules and regulations, as well as the Town Hall the following week. Town Hall was probably the most successful event, with a number of non-candidate students attending, and we even got a few questions asked through our Google Form we had set up the previous week. The rest of the campaigning period mostly consisted of Instagram promo, including setting up a questions forum through the CRO Instagram account and using the VUSAC platform to publish bios and candidate profiles, which was something new we did this year.

Every other aspect of the elections ran quite smoothly and cleanly, with only one minor penalty issued, and results were able to be quickly ratified at the first VUSAC meeting in October.

Over the next few months, I’ll be slowly working towards getting things organized for the Spring Elections. I plan to facilitate a re-organization of the Elections & Referenda Code, and ensure that elections regulations remain airtight to support the whole range of possibilities for elections (ie. online, hybrid, in-person, etc.), as I don’t believe the ERC has adequately adapted to the extraordinary times of COVID. Additionally, I would love to enlist the support of our newly-elected VUSAC members and perhaps even create a committee for elections planning with the goal of increasing both candidate and voter turnout for the Spring Elections. Overall, I believe that while the elections period went well, there’s been a noticeable drop in engagement with VUSAC elections since COVID began, and over the next few months, I will strive to do my best as CRO to reinvigorate VUSAC’s relationship with the wider student from an electoral perspective.

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COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Anne Huynh

I was hired as Communications Coordinator in the Spring and it has been a busy but exciting experience ever since! My job is to promote and advertise all things related to VUSAC. Main Responsibilities One of my main responsibilities is posting on VUSAC’s Instagram and Facebook accounts.

Council members, clubs and levies have been filling out a communications request form and I have been going over their submissions and processing them within a week. Before the fall elections, I met with the President, VPI and CRO to discuss the best advertising methods and ways to get people involved with our upcoming election. During the elections, I produced many graphics to post on our social media accounts and updated our website accordingly. I also sent emails to all Vic students to update them on the elections. Another one of my duties is to update the VUSAC website. I regularly update the opportunities page with ways to get involved at Vic and the meetings page with our meeting packages and minutes.

Something new we’ve introduced this year is including bios for each member on the council page so I worked on getting those onto the website. Jerico also thought it would be a good idea to add a page for our ex-officio members so I recently created that. I’ve also added the events calendar to the front page of the VUSAC website and created a new form for council members, clubs and levies to submit events to put on the calendar. When allowed, I plan to print this calendar at the beginning of each month and post it around Vic. I have also been compiling and sending monthly e-newsletters to our subscribers. I have sent three so far, with one more in the works for December.

Other Projects Outside of my regular tasks, a project that I worked on over the summer was the Levies Showcase. I met with Jerico and we discussed the best way to promote our levies on the VUSAC Instagram so that students can learn more about them. From there, I contacted and planned with the levies to bring our vision to life. I would say it was a success, with 7 of our 12 levies participating! In October, I met with our newly elected councilors to discuss new and better ways to promote VUSAC’s events and initiatives. They had many wonderful ideas which I am currently now working through. My lovely councillor, Tiffany, presented a few action items she wanted to pursue and we are now working together to bring them to life.

This includes creating a TikTok account and revamping the Youtube account. I’ve also been planning a listening party event with our Scarlet & Gold Commissioner and Vic Records. This has been an enjoyable process and I’m very excited to host it.

Lastly, one of my main responsibilities is putting together this report that you’re reading. I would say it was a success and hope you think so too!

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FINANCE CHAIR Katherine Hovdestad

I am happy to report that VUSAC’s finances are in an orderly place. VUSAC is currently up to date with its cheque requisitions to students at Victoria College and financial obligations to external vendors. We aim to maintain this status throughout the rest of 2021.

At this time, the cheque requisition submission portal is open for Victoria College students (i.e., clubs, internal VUSAC members) here. Students are encouraged to submit their cheque reimbursement requests as soon as possible. Presently, due to the closure of the VUSAC office, all reimbursements are currently being issued to students via mail.

Moving into the Winter 2022 semester, members of Victoria College can expect the following: The Winter 2022 budget package will be released in late December 2021. This aims to ensure the Winter 2022 budgeting period can be completed in a timely fashion, ideally in early January.

All levies at Victoria College will be contacted in late December/early January regarding levy audits. Audits will be conducted with a representative from Victoria College.

Lastly, should any clubs or levies have concerns or questions regarding their finances, they are encouraged to contact me at finance@vusac.ca.

All the best, Katherine Hovdestad

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OFFICE MANAGER Jackson Leslie

It would be an understatement to say that the state of the world is unpredictable. When I was hired as the 2021-2022 VUSAC Office Manager this past spring, we were hopeful that I would be able to oversee the physical office space in person. However, as September approached, it became evident that this would not be a possibility. With a large portion of my responsibilities put on hold, my primary role on VUSAC has been taking meeting minutes.

VUSAC holds bi-weekly meetings along with others, highly recommend you check out our website/Instagram page for more information, where I am required to record the meeting minutes. This usually entails me reviewing the recording, sending a rough draft to the attendees, and making any necessary adjustments before being posted to the VUSAC website.

Though I may not have much to report for this semester, I am excited and hopeful for what the upcoming year will bring. Our President Jerico has already submitted a plan for the reopening of our office, which we hope will be approved before the end of the semester.

When this does happen, I plan on taking the weekend for a long-overdue deep clean and inventory review. I have also contacted the necessary bodies so I can restock the station outside the office with information on the resources available, as well as including safe sex and menstrual products.

My overall goal for this year as it pertains to Office Manager is to create a safe space for all students on campus. After all that we have been through this past year and a half, it is more important now than ever to create an environment where students feel welcomed. As a member of VUSAC, a more personal goal I have is to join the Constitution Review Committee to make the necessary adjustments for any unfair advantages, biases and other flaws that may be evident.

Thank you for taking the time to read this report. I am optimistic that I will have more to report next semester. As always, if you have any questions, concerns, ideas, whatever it may be, don't hesitate to send me an email at officemanager@vusac.ca! Hopefully, we will have the opportunity to discuss this in person, but until then, take care and stay safe!

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COUNCILLORS

COUNCILLOR Bright Anthony

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others” is a quote I never thought I would understand until I joined VUSAC. From the first moment I heard of VUSAC, I instantly knew it was the perfect catalyst to give back to the Victoria Community, which has brought me so much pride and joy in my first three months as a first-year student.

I’ve been lucky enough to be assigned to the VPSO, Arts & Culture Commission, and the Mental Wellness Commission. My first obligation is to aid the Sustainability Commission in any way I can to put an end to the unnecessary waste that’s being accumulated every day at the Burwash Dining hall. As a student-employed worker at the dining hall, I continuously experience this unfortunate event first-hand and I hope I can volunteer with the Sustainability Commission to tackle this issue.

Furthermore, I’m looking forward to attending the meetings held by the Mental Wellness Commission as we discuss strategies to minimize the damage COVID-19 has had on our mental health. I hope I can help make a difference by raising awareness for mental health in my community, especially the issues surrounding the first-year students who haven’t had the best freshman university experience they might have hoped for. Ultimately, through the Arts & Culture Commission and the VPSO meetings, I can integrate the change I wish to see in my community and leave my first-year position better than I entered it for the next batch of first-years.

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COUNCILLOR David Zhang

I arrived at Victoria College about two and a half months ago, and VUSAC immediately caught my eye as I wanted to be a more active part of my community. Since joining, I have picked up roles in assisting the Finance Chair, Vice-President Internal, and Scarlet and Gold Commission. Although there have been a few conflicts preventing me from making some events and meetings, I really enjoy hanging out with you guys and hopefully, our bonds will strengthen over the next few months. I particularly enjoyed the one on one meeting session that was held to discuss my interests and plans in VUSAC, which really warmed my heart as the people on the board were very accommodating and welcoming. This made me feel like I had people who support me, even though college may be a place where I sometimes feel a bit isolated. Other than that, I've also been involved in Vic Records as a member, and I am also playing Zeke in Highschool Musical (Vic drama society). I also play soccer and basketball for Vic's intramural teams, although we didn't qualify for the playoffs this time, I think in the winter, indoor soccer will be a great season where we can pick up a good amount of wins. For the rest of the year, I want to make sure we have as much fun together as possible, and I want to brainstorm some amazing events for y'all to attend. So, please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions, I'd be happy to talk about it or just have a chat.

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COUNCILLOR

Dixshant Shree Shreemal Being a second year councillor in a world recovering from a pandemic, it was an absolute joy to finally be able to host our first in-person event of the year: Vic Paints A Mural! Going ahead, with the ambition and hopes of organizing more in-person events for Vic students, I am looking forward to working with the Academic, Sustainability and the Scarlet and Gold Commission!

From the first VUSAC meeting, there were concerns about the Burwash Dining hall. Topics regarding its sustainability food goal, cultural inclusiveness of their dishes and other equity issues were raised. In a follow up meeting, I offered solutions to minimize the use of plastic bags and cutleries by incentivizing students (with a free cookie/fruit) to bring their own bags to pack the food. Furthermore, I am planning to talk with representatives at Burwash to discuss if the compost and recycling waste is dealt with appropriately.

Therefore, with the Sustainability and Scarlet and Gold Commission, I aim to reduce the amount of non-renewable resources that are used in planning events. To begin with, I will be closely working on the Winterfest and HighBall events being held in the winter semester, ready to have a deep discussion into how the budget should be adjusted to accommodate plastic alternative resources. Additionally, with the Academic Commission I aim to provide the best resources via my office hours to Vic students to help them succeed in their respective fields.

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COUNCILLOR Jocelyn Mattka

This fall, I have been assigned to the Scarlet and Gold Commission, President, and Academic Commission portfolios. In the coming months, I intend to contribute to the Winterfest and High Ball committees under the Scarlet and Gold Commission. I am also interested in academic resource consolidation, which I would like to make a project under the Academic Commission. Students often struggle to find resources for academic support and information about various academic options (for example the pros and cons of a CR/NCR option) can be difficult to find. Making information accessible and easy to understand is essential in order to get it into students' hands. Finally, when I begin my in-person office hours, I look forward to making my office hours an opportunity for students to express any concerns/ideas to VUSAC. I’d like to consider ways to make the office a place where students can study, or engage in relaxing activities. I believe that our office environment will be critical to its effectiveness.

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COUNCILLOR Rebecca Muscant

As a first year councillor, my role in VUSAC so far has been very flexible. Though the circumstances of this year have made for a bit of a slow start, I have made an effort to help wherever possible. I joined my fellow VUSAC members in running the “Vic Paints a Mural” event, and look forward to future in-person activities like it. I will also be holding VUSAC office hours on a weekly basis once the office officially opens, which will be a great way to get to know more Vic students.

Having recently been assigned to the Sustainability, Equity, and Vice President External portfolios, I am thrilled to get to work with these amazing people to make Vic a more welcoming and environmentally-conscious place. I am currently working on gathering student feedback in order to make some changes at Burwash Dining Hall, primarily focused on addressing issues related to equity and sustainability. I have two main goals with this project: first, to minimize food and plastic waste, and second, to reduce equity-based barriers to students eating at the dining hall.

Additionally, I am excited to work with VPE Sooyeon to learn more about Vic and U of T’s governing bodies outside of VUSAC. I plan to advocate for Vic students and achieve greater change through connections with these other groups.

I greatly appreciate the opportunity to create positive change for students at Vic, and look forward to the rest of the year working in this position!

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COUNCILLOR Shane Joy

I'm excited to share what I've been working on so far since my election in September, and what I plan to do in the near future. My position as a councillor on the VUSAC has given me much flexibility, and the opportunity to pursue multiple assignments and portfolios.

In October, I had the opportunity to take part in the organization and facilitation of Vic Paints a Mural, in which VUSAC bought a massive canvas and asked Victoria College students to let their imaginations and creativity run wild. The turnout was much larger than expected, which was a great surprise for us, and we were astonished by the artistic ability of the students of Victoria College that came to take part. As my first experience event planning, I couldn't have asked for anything more than my experience at Vic Paints a Mural.

Moving forward, I plan to co-chair a policy review committee with fellow councillor Thomas, in which we will go over the VUSAC's council policies with the goal of making sure that the values of students at Victoria College are reflected in the VUSAC's legislation. Furthermore, with the President and Equity Co-Chair, I have been able to help draft a response to Meric Gertler's divestment letter and suggest further action that Victoria College can take with its investments. Both of these opportunities allow me to accomplish the goals I had coming into my position as councillor, namely, to make a positive impact on the Victoria College community and ensure that the voices of VCU students are heard and reflected through our actions.

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COUNCILLOR Thomas Keough

As this is my first year being a part of council, I needed to familiarize myself with many new processes. Meeting structure, voting procedures, and the administrative layout of Victoria University were all new to me. Thanks to workshops held by VUSAC Executives and Commissioners, I have strengthened my comprehension of these components. Moreover, I have gained a deeper understanding of the VCU’s values of equity, sustainability, and mental wellness. I seek to uphold these principles throughout the entirety of my time on VUSAC. Looking ahead, I will contribute primarily to the portfolios of the VPI, the Mental Wellness Commission, and the Scarlet & Gold Commission. I am particularly passionate about upholding mental fortitude at Vic given the unique challenges that students face in the world of COVID-19. For instance, I believe the prevalence of online communication contributes to feelings of isolation, and as a result, I want to organize in-person events and interactions to strengthen the Vic community. This goal synergizes well with my ambitions for the Scarlet & Gold Commission. The Winterfest and Highball events serve as excellent opportunities for developing social solidarity and making positive contributions to mental wellness, especially with a return to in-person events.

Lastly, I have expressed interest to the VPI in co-chairing a policy review committee for VUSAC’s core governing documents. While I await further instructions, I have been reflecting on these documents with a focus on the Elections & Referenda Code.

I am looking forward to continuing my work on VUSAC.

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COUNCILLOR Tiffany Seo

During my time as Councillor, I have been working hard on organizing, drafting, and proposing my ideas to improve our VUSAC community’s social media outreach and overall services. More specifically, I have been collaborating with our lovely Communications Coordinator on a new VUSAC TikTok account that will hopefully bring in a wider audience to our social media pages. We are also hard at work on revitalizing our VUSAC YouTube account where we plan on uploading regular content that will be entertaining and informative at the same time. A couple of video ideas we have involve guessing majors around campus, and showing our viewers around our favourite hotspots within UofT. Overall, we intend to make our services more resourceful, educating, and entertaining to our students especially with information that’s hard to find anywhere else.

Additionally, I am working on compiling a ‘campus handbook’ which I hope will provide our students, and prospective students, with an insight on where to go around campus when we run into specific circumstances--eg. where to eat and study, where to attend online classes with and without the use of microphones, etc. Although the most useful time to have had this resource may have passed, I think it’s better late than never to finish this handbook and have it ready for future use. Moving forward, I hope to orient our services to be more in tune with the needs of a typical student throughout the academic year. Overall, I hope I can be a useful pair of eyes and ears for our students by being attentive towards the desires of our community.

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COUNCILLORS

INTERNATIONAL COUNCILLOR Tazneen Tamanna Mahmud

Hello everyone! As the International Councillor, my aim is to increase cultural awareness and inclusivity within the Vic community. Not only will this encourage Vic students to be more confident as international students, but it will also foster a safer and friendlier environment for them.

So far, I have helped in organizing the “Vic Paints a Mural” event. We had some amazing artists showcase their talent on our canvas, which will most likely be hung at Goldring Student Centre soon.

Due to COVID, unlike previous years, Burwash Dining hall services have been very different this year. Although these measures were taken to reduce contamination, the use of so many plastic bags and containers, tickets, fixed proportioning of food for each person and decline in food taste has become a serious concern for many of us. With the help of the Sustainability Commission, Equity Commission and other Councillors, I am working on how we can reduce some of these problems.

Other than that, I plan to organize an event called the Vic Cultural Fashion Show in future.

Students will not only be able to represent their country’s culture and tradition but will also be able to learn about other cultures and become more aware of them. The event will aim to introduce diversity within the Vic community in a unique way to both current and future Vic students.

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CONTACT US

EMAIL info@vusac.ca

WEBSITE www.vusac.ca

INSTAGRAM @vusac

FACEBOOK facebook.com/VUSACuoft

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