VUSAC Semi-Annual Report Winter 2022

VUSAC SEMIANNUAL REPORT WINTER 2022 Prepared by Anne Huynh, Communications Coordinator

TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE 2 5 6 8

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

COMMISSIONERS & CO-CHAIRS 10 12 14 17 19 21 22

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

STAFF 25 26 27 28 30

Chair Chief Returning Officer Communications Coordinator Finance Chair Office Manager

COUNCILLORS 31 39

Councillors International Councillor

EXECUTIVE

PRESIDENT Jerico Raguindin

As my final public report as President, I am writing this with both great sadness and relief.

Firstly, allow me to self indulge and report on what this role has provided me as a person, not just to selfishly self-reflect, but to show the intangible yet impactful and rather important aspects of this role. As President, I have gained the pleasure to work with over 100 students passionate about similar and different aspects of our community. From them, I have gained knowledge I would have never encountered and inspiration that I will carry for the rest of my life. I have faced incredible hardships in managing this role, my academics, my personal life, and my purpose (not to be too cliché). Looking back at my role, I have many regrets, but I have also taught myself, and hopefully others, that I should also be incredibly proud with what I’ve done. So what have I done?

One great issue that arose this year with a lot of student support and need was Burwash Dining Hall. Here we saw how it was an intersectional multi-faceted issue with a lot of aspects and students left behind. We reported on how Burwash Dining Hall had not considered the issues faced by students with dietary restrictions and the quality and authenticity of cultural foods at Burwash – food that isn’t North American and westernized.

The portioning of food at Burwash is also concerning and has been flagged because it exacerbates eating disorders and creates issues of disordered eating. It also affects those who would like and need to eat more, like student athletes or many other students for a myriad of valid reasons. We also saw, all the way since September, issues of sustainability, with mounds of plastic waste defining the Vic Quad and remaining an issue until now. On the same vein, but with a hidden cost, is the issue of food waste, which VUSAC has been calling for an audit and reduction for since 2019, in my membership with the Sustainability Commission, and co-chairing of it last term. I have been working with the UTSU to better organize a unified strategy as these are issues not isolated to Vic alone.

On this issue of sustainability and climate justice, I’m pleased to report a rebranding by Vic. They have changed the Physical Plant Office to the Infrastructure and Sustainability Office.

Regarding this, I have made sure to press Vic for tangibles, plans, and rebuke any attempt at greenwashing Vic’s physical campus, space, and presence. Regarding divestment, as a Board of Regents member, I am bound by confidentiality with regards to sensitive information and activities of the Board, but I will report that the student board members are working steadfast to make this a top priority of the Board.

On other matters of the Board, the most important role of the Board is to find a new President and Vice-Chancellor, and I have been so privileged to be a part of the process.

This process is incredibly confidential, but it is something I have undertaken with the entire Vic community in mind, as well as our principles of equity, accountability, and community, and I have made sure to share that with the rest of the search committee and Board.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

2

EXECUTIVE

Much of my work still revolves around the COVID-19 pandemic, unfortunately, and advocating for resources, communication, and plans from U of T senior administration in regards to classes, spaces, and extracurriculars, especially the communication for how finals will occur. At this stage, the university remains committed, and I personally don’t expect any deviations from this plan (although we do live in a global pandemic and we have been surprised before), to in-person final exams with few accommodations.

The working group I worked with over the summer, U of T SMART, will soon be launching its website, for students, by students, where students can find resources as experienced by other students and be able to navigate different situations such as finding a therapist, accessing an inaccessible accessibility services, requesting accommodations, advocating for oneself academically, and more.

As a follow-up to last year’s VUSAC’s great work with campaigning for and securing the VUSAC BIPOC Leadership Award, there has been a rather substantive issue. It seems the BIPOC Award has a potential to be in violation with Vic’s, U of T’s, and perhaps the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s award policy. At this stage, it is an issue to dispense the award to students of colour who are Black and/or Indigenous because it might conflict with whether or not students of colour can be proven to have the disadvantage or underrepresentation needed to have an award catered to them. The original and current intention of VUSAC for this award is that it will serve all students of colour (not because Black or Indigenous scholarships/awards aren’t worthy causes alone, but because this was what was advertised, donated to, and intended). If you would like to join the discussion for this and/or voice your thoughts, we will be discussing this at Caucus, and I would welcome your participation. As President, this is now my biggest issue and I have a list of demands and expectations that need to be carried along with this award.

Finally, regrets, of which there are many and which I feel is important to share because of VUSAC’s commitment to transparency, me being held accountable, and improvement for next year’s VUSAC. For many events, by levies, commissions, and clubs, there could have been more support, communication, clarity, and options provided. We were unable to plan things like Highball, the Gardiner Gala, Back to School Pub Night and Winterfest because of COVID, but also because I lacked the capacity, resources, and effort to better support and communicate with these groups. I feel with my advocacy, there could have been more student consultations, and co-creation not just to better represent voices, but to spread awareness. That’s why consultations like these are important. And regarding services, we are only beginning to open up the VUSAC office, where students are now able to print for free, chat with our VUSAC members, and pick up free stuff! To address these regrets in the longterm, I have incorporated into the transition process what I’m calling procedure sheets, adapted from a guide for student leaders. These will be as comprehensive as possible guiding future VUSAC members on everything VUSAC does in terms of services, events, and advocacy. This will not only make it more accessible to students who would like to join VUSAC, but also better communicate to the entire VCU the illustrious question of “What does VUSAC even do?” For the rest of the term, council and I will be working diligently to finalize these procedure sheets so that our activities next year will be better than this year. You can find them here.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

3

EXECUTIVE

Speaking of next year, you are very encouraged to run in our Spring Elections! Tell your friends, Malhaar and I have been working hard on getting them going!

If you would like to complain, critique, suggest, comment, praise, question, or clarify anything about VUSAC or its commissions, clubs, and levies, you are always welcome to message me on the VUSAC Instagram - @vusac, and/or email me at president@vusac.ca. It has been my utmost pleasure serving as your president.

In solidarity and service, Jerico Raguindin

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

4

EXECUTIVE

VICE-PRESIDENT EXTERNAL Sooyeon Lee

As we began to move into the winter semester, I have started to focus more on programming and events, which take up a significant amount of the VPE portfolio. There are two large events that are coming up: Winter Caucus and the Crescam Serviendo Awards.

In order to prepare for Caucus, I have had regular meetings with Ali, the Campus Life Coordinator (CLC). As Caucus during winter semester will also be held online, we discussed how we could better engage students and encourage more dialogue all while being mindful of the time we’re taking up. I took feedback from VUSAC council members after the first Caucus in the fall semester, which mainly consisted of wondering if representative members of the Dean’s Office would be able to stay for a longer period of time to hear students’ thoughts. Unfortunately, as scheduling conflicts arise, this is difficult to do; instead, I will be writing up a summary of notes consisting of students’ discussion points and bringing them to the Dean’s Office in a follow-up meeting. This is something that I did informally in the fall semester in a debrief meeting, but I believe that meeting regularly after Caucus to follow up on action items brought up by students will be more productive and effective in meeting student needs.

In addition to Caucus, I have been working with Ali to plan out the Crescam Serviendo Award ceremony. The Crescam Serviendo Awards are a set of awards given to students who have demonstrated exceptional efforts to provide service to both Victoria College and Victoria College students. In order to recognize the efforts of students - not just the Crescam Award recipients but nominees as well - the CLC and I decided that it would be best to award all nominees a gift package. I have also been working with Anne, the Communications Coordinator, to promote Crescam nominations on the VUSAC Instagram. As a result, we have currently received 25 nominations, and as the Co-Chair of the Crescam Awards selection committee, I’m very excited to have so many nominees who will be recognized for their contributions to the Victoria College community.

For the remainder of the semester, I will be focused on making sure that Caucus is filled with engaging discussions and following up with any action items that emerge from said discussions. I will also be working to co-chair the Crescam Serviendo Awards ceremony with Ali and celebrate the varying contributions of all of the student nominees. Once these two large events are done, I will be getting in touch with the Dean’s Office to discuss how the university can best encourage students to become involved with student life and how the university can reduce barriers to participation. In addition, I will be following up with the Dean’s Office about mental health support for international students; specifically, brainstorming alternative solutions outside of MySSP and working to create a more comprehensive resource list or flowchart that makes accessing resources easier for students.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

5

EXECUTIVE

VICE-PRESIDENT INTERNAL Tabina Ahmed Hello lovely readers, I am pleased to write my semi-annual report and would love to give you an update of all that I have been up to this semester. While there have been quite a few ups and downs I have dealt with in the past year, I have managed to make quite some progress with my portfolio.

Winter Retreat 2022 I was really hoping to have conducted a fully in-person retreat for my council members.

However, given the circumstances of the pandemic and the back and forth between public health policies/regulations, I have decided to run the event online to maintain the safety of all VUSAC members.

The retreat event itself consists of numerous unique workshops, which I had been advised to include into the programming by Jerico (President of VUSAC) and Psalm (Equity Co-Chair of VUSAC). Both have also been instrumental in helping me plan the schedule for Retreat as well. Students who are attending the retreat will also be compensated for food through my budget (which I will be updating soon, hopefully by the end of the council meeting on March 4, 2022). Here is a quick list of some of the events that I will be holding throughout the event, which will be held from 9am-4:10pm on March 5, 2022: Disability Justice Workshop with Kirsten Mendonça, Member of UofT’s Students for Barrier-Free Access Sexual Violence Training with Micah Kalisch, Founder & Director of UofT’s Prevention, Empowerment, Advocacy, Response, for Survivors (PEARS) Project Neutrality and Elections Workshop with Malhaar Mohrir, Chief Returning Officer at VUSAC VUSAC Sweaters This is a very exciting project that I have been putting together alongside my wonderful Councillor, Thomas Keough, and our amazing Communications Coordinator, Anne Huynh!

Throughout the month of January and February, I had been compiling responses from Council regarding the colour/size they would like for their VUSAC hoodies, which will consist of a VUSAC logo, name of member, VUSAC position and academic year. All members of council will be receiving this merch to commemorate their time at VUSAC this year, regardless of whether they had submitted their responses for the sweater – the only difference is that I chose the size and colour for those who did not send their responses in on time (I didn’t want to leave anyone hanging).

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

6

EXECUTIVE

The sweaters will be purchased and designed through UofT Bookstore’s services at the St. George Campus, and the “VUSAC Sweater Team” and I have been working closely with Caitlin Pirtovshek from UofT Bookstore to mediate the orders and invoice for the sweaters, as well. I have also budgeted about $2,200 for this project, and hope to be able to use all the allotted money for this initiative (and bring lots of smiles to everyone’s faces on council).

Orientation Co-Chair & Executive Team Hiring After lots of deliberation and hardwork, Ali Kehl, our lovely Campus Life Coordinator at VicU, and I were able to put together a hiring committee of individuals from the Vic Community and recruit the Orientation Co-Chair and Executives for the 2022 summer.

During the months of December and January, our hiring panel had decided on recruited Zach Groves as our Orientation Co-Chair, and we were also able to hire a team of about 10-11 Orientation Executives throughout the week of February 14, 2022. As Chair of the Orientation Hiring Committee, I would mediate interviews, give Ali my suggestions on her wonderful and meticulously planned-out interview questions, and help Ali with instructing the hiring committee on what to do during the interviews and deliberations.

This experience was one of a kind, because I really got to be an integral part of the hiring process in the Orientation Team, work with a team of incredible student leaders, and learn very useful skills that will benefit me in the professional world.

VUSAC’s Governing Documents: Updates I would like to preface this section by indicating my genuine intent to work harder on this area for the rest of time we have left in the semester. My updates for this will also be a quick read.

In the start of the semester, I had organized team members and committees for each of the three governing documents. Malhaar Mohrir, our amazing CRO, has been working very hard to revamp the Elections and Referenda Code document for the upcoming Spring Elections 2022, and is on his way to ratify the document as well. Moreover, our impeccable Councillors, Shane Joy and Thomas Keough, have been doing an amazing job coordinating and chairing the revamping of the VUSAC Council Policies document. However, I want to make sure that the Constitution is also updated, which has been at a standstill at this moment.

Next Steps... (point-form) 1. Work on getting the Constitution up-to-date!

2. Start sending out reminders, and a template, for transition reports from Council!

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

7

EXECUTIVE

VICE-PRESIDENT STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS Kate Haberl

Hello everyone! My name is Kate, and I am this year’s Vice President of Student Organizations here at VUSAC. I have the distinct privilege of working with all of the clubs and levies at Victoria College, numbering nearly 40 student groups in all. As I am sure everyone is aware, COVID-19 continues to cause issues for student groups and limit programming, so please keep that in mind as you read my report.

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 March 4th, I have completed the majority of levy check-ins and am well on my way to completing club check-ins as well.

All Clubs Meeting: The VPSO is mandated to chair a meeting for all club heads. The All Clubs Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 16th from 5:30-6:30pm. It will be an opportunity for clubs to raise issues and discuss their experiences, particularly related to COVID and the reopening process.

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. As of me writing this, in-person events are allowed on campus (outdoors) and off campus (both indoors and outdoors, providing that they follow provincial regulations).

The Victoria Student Event Form has now become a standard part of event planning for most groups at Victoria College.

Equity Training: I worked 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. The deadline for equity training has now passed, and I am currently working with the Equity and Diversity office to verify attendance records from Equity Training sessions over the past few months. Preliminary findings indicate that more groups completed the equity training requirement this year than last year, a positive indication that we are moving in the right direction. I continue to work with the Equity Commission on other Equity-related issues, such as those with VCDS, to ensure that all of our clubs and levies are fair and accessible to all.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

8

EXECUTIVE

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. The Cat’s Eye and Caffiends have both hired new co-managers, which is very exciting, and I look forward to working with all of the new student leaders who are elected and hired this semester. As an important note, in my capacity as VPSO I have taken over as President of the Victoria International Students’ Association following the resignation of its former president.

In that capacity, I have worked extensively with Katherine, VUSAC’s Finance Chair, and Tazneen, VUSAC’s International Councillor, to plan two wonderful events. One, which has already happened, was a very successful movie night, and the other is a raffle for NHL Hockey Game tickets that will be happening later this month.

Audits/Finances: I have also worked extensively with Katherine on our Levy Audits this semester, and to clean up all budgets related to VUSAC. I commend Katherine for all of her work in dealing with our surpluses, and I can happily say that I expect budget utilization to be much higher this semester, and for everyone’s surpluses to be much lower. Katherine and I are currently in the process of drafting some new finance policies for VUSAC that will make levy finances more transparent and less complicated.

Personal Initiatives: This semester, I have focused on several personal initiatives, including a Community Fridge and Pantry that I hope to have operational before the end of my term, and a new event series called “Squad on the Quad” where student groups get to interact with students inperson in a kind of small, serialized version of a typical Clubs Fair. I have also had the pleasure of working on our Council Policies review committee, and, as previously mentioned, serving as President of VISA. I have also greatly enjoyed getting to participate in so many events put on by our wonderful clubs and levies this semester, and getting involved with so many of them personally - find me as President of Women in International Affairs and the Unsanitized Project, visit me when I volunteer at Caffiends, or read my contributions to The Strand!

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

9

COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS

ACADEMIC COMMISSIONER Fatima Mohamed

As the Academic Commissioner, I promote events and programming that sets out to aid students in their academic and professional advancement. These events are often in collaboration with other groups within Vic such as the Alumni Affairs Office, other commissions within VUSAC, and the Dean’s office.

Most of my time this semester has been spent on planning Life After Vic: Vic Networking Night in collaboration with the Alumni Affairs office. Vic Networking Night is an online event where we will use Zoom breakout rooms to allow Vic students to have intimate networking conversations with Vic Alumni that they want to connect with. This year, we have invited 12 alumni in the fields of finance, law, education, health science, art history and more. There will also be a panel discussion towards the end of the event with one of the recipients of the Emerging Leader award. Vic Students who attend the event will be entered into a raffle to win a $25 Uber Eats Gift Card. This event has been rescheduled to March 2nd from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Students should register on the link in our Instagram account’s bio: @vicacademics and Zoom information will be sent out to those who register closer to the event.

We are also collaborating with the Commuter Dons to present Program Roundtables which is set to take place on March 17th . This is an event where upper year students from a variety of different programs will be invited to speak about their experiences in their programs, how they navigated specific courses, why they chose their program specifically, and answer students’ questions. Since the student mentors in this event would be sacrificing their time to offer their guidance, we will be awarding them with $25 Indigo gift cards. It is our hope that this event will help students through their program selection process and offer some guidance in general. So, if you are a first year and are uncertain about which program to enroll in or have questions about what to expect from your program of interest, I highly encourage you to attend this event. We will be posting more about the student mentors and the programs represented on our social media shortly.

The two other events we have planned for this semester are the BIPOC Professional Studies Panel and Exam Jam which are set to take place in late March and early April. More information about these events will be shared later, so keep an eye out on our social media if you’re interested.

The Academic Commissioner also usually sits as the Chair of the Graduation Banquet Chair hiring committee. I have been working with the Dean’s Office to assemble the committee and we will begin interviews shortly. If you are a graduating student and have any thoughts regarding the graduation banquet, please email me at academic@vusac.ca.

This has been a semester full of unexpected twists and turns, so if you have any concerns regarding academics or professional advancement, feel free to reach out to me at academic@vusac.ca.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

10

COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS

ACADEMIC CO-CHAIR Joy Wang

A report was not submitted.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

11

COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS

ARTS & CULTURE COMMISSIONER Alyssa Nurse

UofTiff This is a film festival happening on March 25th and will involve screening all of the entered short films. The submission period commences from February 25th until March 24th at 11:59 pm. The event provides students with the option to create their own short film. There are two options for students to participate in, either shoot their short film on a phone which must be 5 minutes or less. The other option involves using a professional camera to shoot their film and must be no longer than 15 minutes. There will be a submission form in our Instagram bio for students to submit their short films. The first fifteen submissions will receive a free merch bundle. The short films will be judged by the commission and we will be awarding category specific prizes such as best short film shot on a phone, best short film shot on a professional camera, etc. The winners will be announced on our website and Instagram exactly one week from the screening event. Depending on the restrictions in place, the event will either be virtual or in-person.

Merch Updates During late February we used the results from last semester’s feedback survey to place various orders for merchandise to be used as prizes for events. This included sweatshirts, stickers, enamel pins, drinkware, tote bags, etc. The orders are expected to arrive in March, such that they can be distributed when we have events.

Game Night collaborative event with GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums) This event took place on February 25th over Zoom. Early registered attendees were the recipients of gift cards in addition to the winners of various games that were played. The event fostered community building while engaging with the Vic student body through lighthearted conversation.

Vic Virtual Talent Show The Vic Virtual Talent show is expected to take place on March 16th, over Zoom at 5:30 pm.

Vic students will be required to register through a google form. This event will allow Vic students to showcase their gifts, talents, abilities, etc. and be celebrated for their contributions. There will be numerous prizes awarded to the talent show winners, in addition to providing all participants with a free merch item for taking part in the event.

Art Therapy Event This event is still in the early planning stages. We hope to have it right before exam season starts, so early April would be ideal. Essentially this event is catered to providing students with a creative outlet to channel any of their inner feelings, emotions, etc. We hope to have a professional expert to lead the session. All resources, materials etc. will be provided by the commission.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

12

COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

13

COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS

COMMUTER COMMISSIONER Mary Cortiñas

Hey Vickies! Here is an update on what VOCA has been up to since January and what we plan to do until April!

Surveys and Giveaways Winter Programming Survey: It was important for us to get student feedback on the type of events and programming that they would like to see. Most people wanted more inperson events, but there were still many students who liked both online and in-person options. Students also enjoyed giveaways such as care packages and gift card prizes.

Weekly Grocery Gift Card Giveaways: We are continuing our weekly $10 grocery gift card giveaways to replace our in-person weekly pancakes.

Reading Week Giveaway: We are giving away twenty $10 gift cards for Vic students to use while they get some rest during reading week!

Events Multicultural Event: The Advocacy Directors and First Year Executives ran an amazing trivia night where people also showcased one item from their culture.

Dinner and Movie Night: Spearheaded by the Events Directors and the VUSAC councillors, 10 students received $20 Doordash gift cards to order food while watching the movie of choice during our event.

Valentine’s E-cards: To continue the successful event ran by the Communications Coordinators last Winter, we brought back commuter-themed Valentine’s E-cards that students can send to their peers and loved ones. We sent out over 100 E-cards!

Resources One thing I wanted to focus on this year was accessibility. Transitioning from online to inperson can be difficult especially for students who have not been to campus before.

Therefore, the Co-Chair and I created two one-stop resources for students to use!

Student Spaces Resource: This document lists several spaces on Victoria College and around UofT where students can study or eat. This document is updated regularly.

Getting Involved – Student Resource: This document is a guidebook that lists many opportunities to get involved at UofT. We showcase clubs, elected, hired, paid, and unpaid positions!

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

14

COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS

Upcoming Events Book Giveaway: In collaboration with Boundless Books, we will be giving away books authored by UofT alumni. We thought that it would be a great way to end the school year and to start summer break with a good read!

March Event: This event will be led by the First Year Executives and the VUSAC councillors in mid-March!

March Giveaway: We will be giving away $200 worth of gift cards as we all try to finish the semester on a strong note!

Commuter Appreciation Week: This is an annual initiative where UofT colleges come together to host multiple events and give away many prizes from March 7-11. We will be joined by: Innis, New, St. Mikes, Trinity and Woodsworth.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

15

COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS

COMMUTER CO-CHAIR Jiawen Chen

VOCA’s winter semester programming has centered around providing diverse experiences, and honouring student feedback from our programming survey. VOCA executives ran two main events: a multicultural food event, and a movie night. We have also been continuing with weekly grocery giveaways, and brought back TTC-themed eValentines gift cards.

Commuter Appreciation Week The bulk of my efforts have been put towards organizing Commuter Appreciation Week, an annual UofT-wide week of events in mid-march. I reached out to the other colleges and faculty in January, and am leading our collaboration. This year we have five other colleges collaborating with us (New, Trinity, Woodsworth, St, Michaels, and Innis) and each will host an event on one day of the week. I am ordering supplies and planning Victoria College’s Commuter Appreciation Week event - a build-your-own pancake kit giveaway. Hopefully, it will bring back some of the fun and community that the weekly free pancake events VOCA hosted pre-pandemic provided.

Hiring In mid-February, I was on the orientation executive hiring committee and was on the panel for multiple interviews.

Resources I have also been working with Mary to create additional resources. We published a document outlining all ways to get involved at Victoria College on our social media, along with some resources for other UofT opportunities. We are continuously updating the document Mary created in the fall for study locations, and adding places where students can eat on campus as well.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

16

COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS

EQUITY COMMISSIONER Cam Miranda-Radbord

With the invasion of Ukraine, the resurgence of COVID-19 because of the omicron variant, and anti-vaccine protest steps away from Vic, it has been another challenging term. The Equity Commission consistently supports and delivers for students, both proactively organizing initiatives and responding to the challenges Vic students face.

The largest projects are still in progress - a multi-thousand dollar giveaway, the promotion of better equity training, and ongoing advocacy to make menstrual products free in Vic buildings.

The Equity Commission also played a leading role in demanding and securing better policy from the Burwash dining hall, engaging in direct consultation with students through the eating disorder survey and playing a key part in drafting a letter to Vic administration.

On social media, we collaborated with and amplified the voices of other student organizations seeking equity, distributing material from Vic Pride and BLVCK. In my role as Equity Commissioner, I collaboratively resolved equity issues within clubs and levies and provided guidance on facilitating equitable processes.

When the so-called “freedom convoy” staged a demonstration outside Queen’s Park, despite controversy involving members of the student body opposed to vaccines, we issued a strong statement against it.

It has been an honour to serve as Equity Commissioner. While I intend to step away from the role, I am phenomenally grateful for the Equity Commission — Shane, Jane, Cynthia, Rebecca, Sharon, and Zareen – and my fantastic Co-Chair, Psalm.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

17

COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS

EQUITY CO-CHAIR Psalm Tesalona

Coming out of the fruitful fall term, the Equity Commission was proud to have circulated two large surveys polling Victoria College students alongside, and another one on students’ equity concerns with the support of our VP External, Sooyoen Lee. We look forward to sifting through the data, concerns, and opinions of our student community as a team in the hopes of coming up with both short and long-term solutions to issues of food insecurity, racism, classism, inaccess, and inequity on campus in the months to come.

Although we were met by unique challenges throughout the winter as our campus has had to adapt to a third-wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, we move forward with the hopes of being more efficient in supporting students, developing a stronger outreach strategy, and being more proactive about supporting the work of other student groups and student organizers both in the Vic and UofT community at large. Keeping in mind the zoom and event fatigue of students at this time, we have shifted our focus away from live events and zoom workshops, and towards alternate means of engaging with students and providing students with greater access to the resources they may need. One major way we hope to do all of this is by establishing an online marketplace and forum for students to access when they are in need of grocery giftcards, sexual health resources, gender-affirming products, and more that they may not be able to afford in these precarious times.

I feel the weight of all that needs to be done for students at this moment, but both my Commissioner Cam and our Equity Commission team members remind me with every meeting that we are never alone in this work. As the school year comes to an end, I hope that the Commission can keep adapting alongside our student body and adjusting how we might be able to support our student community in the most equitable, meaningful and intentional ways possible.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

18

COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS

MENTAL WELLNESS COMMISSIONER Erin Hill

The unpredictability of this year (and the consequent ever-changing nature of events and initiatives) has been an ongoing challenge for the Mental Wellness Commission so far.

Regardless, we have been navigating our way through with optimism and are very excited about the future of the commission! Please find below some details regarding our immediate plans for the rest of the semester and some long term goals that will hopefully be implemented in future years.

Immediate Plans The Mental Wellness Co-Chair and Exec team have been planning various exciting initiatives to take place in the foreseeable future! The format of the events are subject to change with COVID restrictions, but we are optimistic that many of them can occur in a drop-in style manner with health and safety precautions present. We currently have plans for the following: a journaling workshop, a mental health art night, a book fair collaboration, a collaboration with Caffiends, and a to-be-determined in-person event to take place at the end of the semester. In addition to our small events, we have budgeted for several giveaways, including the following: a journaling giveaway, a weekly giveaway, a plant giveaway, and a community event giveaway. Finally, we hope to distribute the leftover mental wellness kits (from last year) to Vickies very soon!

Long Term Goals While COVID may have dampened our ability to achieve all our goals for this year, I hope that what we did accomplish has been beneficial to the Vic community in some way. I also hope that our long term goals within the commission will be realized and will continue to progress in future years. In my remaining months as the Mental Wellness Commissioner, I hope to create a foundation for the progression of accessible therapy and mental health education at Victoria College. Ideally, next year’s Mental Wellness Commission team will be able to integrate these goals into their programming without taking away from their own contributions to the commission!

I hope that our remaining events, initiatives, and overall goals will foster wellness in the Vic community in some way, be it small or large! If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas that you’d like to share, please reach out to me - I’m always happy to chat! :)

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

19

COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS

MENTAL WELLNESS CO-CHAIR Julie Seeger

The Mental Wellness Commission has shifted towards more in-person events and giveaways as a result of COVID-19 easing up! Here is an exciting look at some of the initiatives and events we have planned for this semester.

Weekly Wellness Giveaways Our main goal as the Mental Wellness Commission is to foster community at Vic and create a culture which prioritizes mental health. One way we are doing this is through our weekly wellness giveaways on social media. We ask students to share and send photos of an act of wellness/self-care they completed in the past week, and we give away prizes (e.g. journals, gift cards, yoga mats). We hope that by continuing this practice, students will be encouraged to take action of their own mental health.

Plant Giveaway Plants are wonderful ways to increase mental health and liven up a space, as environmental psychology has proven (biophilia). However, they can be very pricey and unaffordable to students. We are purchasing and propagating plants for students to take home.

Journaling Kits There are so many benefits to journaling, from allowing us to reflect on our experiences and providing a space for us to figure out our emotions through self-reflection. However, it can be difficult and overwhelming to figure out how to build a journaling habit. We are giving away “journal kits” which provide students with the tools and resources to begin their journaling journey.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

20

COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS

SCARLET & GOLD COMMISSIONER Kayla Man

Last semester we ended off with an event collaboration with VicPride called Bountiful Winter Bonanza. It was held during exam season on 15th December and had various booths run by VUSAC commissions, clubs, and levies including VicRecords, VicXposure, Victoria Black Student Network, and the Arts and Culture commission. We also had take-home meals for all attendees with vegan and non-vegan options. This was the last in-person event that was held as the announcement of campus closures and exam cancellations also came out that day.

During last year, we had planned to host a week of events for Winterfest that would have occurred the first week back to school. However, these plans were canceled and adjusted due to the campus closures. Moreover, I halted hiring for Winterfest and Highball committees as I did not foresee the possibility of hosting in-person events this semester. We had planned to include a self-care fair, movie night, trivia night, karaoke night, and a semiformal event. In place of this, my councillors and I hosted online synchronous and asynchronous activities that took place at the end of January. Jocelyn and David planned and hosted an online trivia night with gift card prizes on January 17th, Dixshant planned and hosted a listening party with a gift card giveaway on January 26th, and Thomas planned and hosted a movie night with a gift card giveaway to attendees on January 27th. In addition to these, I hosted a Winter photo contest where VUSAC’s Instagram followers voted on stories for the top three photos and each of them received a gift card prize. In place of semi-formal, I also sent out 50 $25 UberEats gift cards and encouraged the recipients to use them to celebrate at home. I didn’t want to host many synchronous online events as engagement is not usually very high and Zoom fatigue has been setting in for the past 2 years.

For Valentine’s day, I held another UberEats gift card giveaway with 25 recipients receiving $25 gift cards. I wanted to encourage people to use the gift cards to treat themselves or someone they loved with a little help from the Scarlet and Gold Commission.

Finally, I am currently working on coordinating care packages in place of Highball. We may still plan an in-person event for the end of the year but everything is still uncertain right now. I think that most students, including myself, are exhausted by the plethora of online activity we have engaged in over this pandemic and so I do not intend to host an online Zoom Highball. Instead, I will be putting together 125 care packages that will be available for Vic students to receive around the end of March to the beginning of April.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

21

COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS

SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSIONER Justin Dylan Lim

As the Sustainability Commissioner, during my tenure, I worked alongside the amazing Sustainability Co-Chair to help achieve the commission's goals. Our key goal for the semester was to promote the Sustainability Commission through the promotion of a variety of projects to increase awareness of our commission's mandate. We hold our meetings biweekly and we use this space to generate ideas, coordinate logistics, and to help ensure that conversations on sustainability are held to the benefit of the Victoria College community. I appreciate the effort each member in my commission has put into the commission and each one of them has made a large impact on the Victoria College community and beyond. Here are some of the projects we as a commission engaged in: Fall Semester Throughout the fall semester, we have primarily held the majority of our events through the online platforms. Our main event was the Career Sustainability Networking Event which was successful. We were able to invite 2 speakers to join us from different fields of sustainability to give a talk about their career to Victoria College students. To incentivize students to participate in the event, we offered to give away gift cards to thank them for their effort in giving time to learn more about sustainability. We as a commission had more events planned; however, due to the unforeseen circumstances many of them did not follow through.

Winter Semester Sustainability Policy: We are currently in the talks with the VUSAC Administration in the implementation of some aspects of the mandate in the Vic Zero report. The main focus of the commission is to promote line-items that are relevant to the current state at Victoria College and also enforcing this policy. We are currently focusing on operations and how Victoria College mainly deals with energy consumptions, investments, and also waste management.

Programming: The Sustainability Commission has and will hold three key events this semester. Firstly, our online collaboration with Caffiends to encourage sustainable diets.

This is done through a social media campaign getting individuals to share their recipes with us in exchange for a chance of a raffle. The event was from February 8 to February 15th. In addition, we have great plans with Caffiends for an in person programming for Vic students this coming March. Second, we will continue our Sustainable Career event where we connect individuals from sustainable industries to talk about their careers to increase people's interest in the industry. Lastly, we are in coordination with the David Suzuki Foundation to bring a talk on sustainability and its intersection with policy.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

22

COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS

Environmental Equity Week: In the past, the Sustainability Commissioner traditionally ran the Environmental Equity Week. Because of the effects of COVID-19 on our ability to run events and speaker's interest, the project has been delayed. We have been in talks with the Equity Commission to continue to run the event after reading week.

Overall, my experience with the Sustainability Commission has been amazing. I got to meet many people that will remain unforgettable and life-long connections. My time as the Sustainability Commissioner for the past 10 months has been fruitful and I hope to complete the rest of the year with a big bang. If you are interested in any of our projects or would love to collaborate, please reach us out at sustainability@vusac.ca.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

23

COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS

SUSTAINABILITY CO-CHAIR Alisha Zhao

As the Sustainability Co-Chair, I contributed and made progress on the Sustainability Commission’s strategic plan and objectives. Despite the uncertainty COVID-19 has caused, working in conjunction with the Commissioner, we successfully organized projects such as the Sustainability Career Spotlight series and Plant-Based Recipes collection (in collaboration with Victoria College Caffiends). During the journey, I actively have communicated with my colleagues and commission members to build an inclusive sustainable environment. I contributed to the success of events and sustainable programming by bringing up unique perspectives and possibilities to facilitate valuable conversations. I assisted the Commissioner in communicating with other clubs and levies and delegating work within the commission.

Sustainability Commission’s strategic plan in the winter semester revolves around collaborations with other Vic clubs and VUSAC commissions such as Environmental Equity Week with VUSAC's Equity Commission and Sustainability Recipe Sharing Week with Victoria College Caffiends. We are also planning to invite more individuals to share their insights about sustainability and sustainable living with Vic members. The purposes of the events are to present different perspectives and implications of sustainability and to propose diverse approaches for Victoria College members to support sustainability.

I appreciate the learning experience as it has offered me an opportunity to listen to what others have to say about sustainability and to contemplate what I could do to help make the world a better place.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

24

STAFF

CHAIR

Fatima Rana Hi again, Vic! For me as Chair, the second semester looks ultimately quite similar to the first.

Regular meetings are planned for the semester, again taking place biweekly on Friday nights on Zoom. At the beginning of the semester, I ensured that everyone knew the dates and were okay with the timing. I also made sure everyone knew how important it is for them to be at the meetings as members of VUSAC and the Vic community.

I’ve been trying to work with the council this semester on ensuring better communication within the council - especially when it comes to attendance. I gave a quick update during our meeting regarding this and will be reaching out to members to ensure that the way VUSAC operates in terms of the expectations of council members is communicated clearly and fairly. This will be taken into account when going over VUSAC policies - to ensure not only that the policy reflects realistic expectations of students, but also to ensure that all members know what is expected of them.

For the rest of the semester, my goals are to ensure that our meetings continue to run smoothly and to see what my role is when the policies are updated and not only ratified by council, but retyped, uploaded onto the website, and kept within VUSAC’s internal memory (hopefully!). I’m also hoping to get an early start on a transition report so that whoever takes on this role next year has a good starting point for the summer - and can then work to make this position their own!

It has truly been my pleasure to serve as your Chair for the 2021/2022 school year. I know that we wanted to go back in person, but hopefully we can heal as a community from what the world has thrown at us and can progress to in person meetings next year. Thank you all, and have a great rest of the semester!

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

25

STAFF

CHIEF RETURNING OFFICER Malhaar Moharir

As Chief Returning Officer, my primary focus for the remaining month of the VUSAC term will be to organize and manage the Spring 2022 Elections. These elections are incredibly important as here we will elect the new VUSAC Executive for next year (including the President and Vice-Presidents), all our commissioners (ie. Academic, Wellness, Sustainability, etc.), numerous ‘ex-officio’ positions including the Board of Regents, as well as the UTSU Representatives from Vic. Along with the current President and Communications Coordinator, our first priority was establishing a timeline for both election dates, which can be viewed on the VUSAC website and social media platforms. Prior to the opening of the nominations period, we made a few small amendments to our governing document, which is the Elections and Referenda Code. Due to time constraints, we weren’t able to conduct as comprehensive a review of the document as I would have liked, and we decided to postpone that until Spring Elections are over.

The biggest change we have from the Fall 2021 Elections however, is that we will be permitting in-person campaigning after two years! Candidates will be allowed to poster inperson as well as seek out votes from the Vic student body in person. However, main events like Town Hall and the All Candidates Meeting will continue to operate online due to capacity limitations. Thus, we will be running a ‘hybrid’ election that involves both in-person and online components, that will ensure maximum accessibility and fairness for all candidates and voters running.

Once more, the most significant challenge I expect in running the elections is voter turnout.

For the past few election cycles, we have noticed a significant drop in engagement, both among candidates and voters in the elections. We are hoping that a more dedicated social media campaign as well as the prospect of getting the word out in-person will allow more of the Vic Student Body to hear about nominations. Furthermore, like last semester, potentially having a raffle or prize giveaway of sorts to incentivize individuals for coming to our events (maybe even for voting itself), will increase engagement as well. Additionally, like last semester, Jerico and I have run a few Q&A sessions where we have been able to talk to interested candidates about the process and describe the roles and responsibilities of each position, which has been helpful for those who may be on the fence about running.

Overall, however, I am quite excited for this next round of elections. We already have a number of candidates interested in running, and with the prospect of having an in-person component to the cycle, I believe these elections will be great!

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

26

STAFF

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Anne Huynh

This semester has been less busy than last semester but I’ve been working on many things nonetheless!

Main Responsibilities As usual, I have been using two communications request forms, one for internal council members and one for clubs and levies, to collect post requests for Instagram, Facebook and our website. This has again been a smooth process and I’ve been successful at processing these requests within a week. I have created many graphics for events and programming such as Winterfest, our VUSAC meetings, the Equity in the Dining Hall survey and Scarlet and Gold’s Valentine’s giveaway to name a few. I’ve also been emailing council members, clubs and levies for newsletter and events calendar submissions every month. I’ve used the newsletter submissions to compile VUSAC’s monthly newsletters, although I have noticed that submissions have steeply decreased this semester. I’ve also been updating the VUSAC website with events for the calendar, meeting packages and minutes from our bi-weekly meetings, opportunities for students to get involved and the Fall and Winter ratified budgets. For elections, I have been creating graphics and posting them on our Instagram and Facebook to keep the VCU updated on all the details. I have also updated the website with the relevant information, sent out an email to the student body notifying them about nominations opening and put up posters around the Vic campus about elections. Lastly, this semi-annual report has been something I’ve been working on! Hopefully you’ve enjoyed it and learned more about what council has been up to.

Other Projects Since VISA’s levy head has resigned, Kate, our VPSO, has asked me to take over their Instagram and website for the time being. I've created a graphic for their movie night event and hockey game tickets giveaway and posted those on both their Instagram and ours. I met with members of the Student Projects Fund and Kate to come up with ideas on how to get more submissions for the levy. I plan to create and post some stories to inform students of what the Student Projects Fund is and what kind of things they can get funding for. I met with Tiffany, my councillor, to figure out what we want to do for the rest of the semester. We decided to set a goal to post a Tiktok once a week and Tiffany sent out an email to all of council inviting members to make Tiktoks.

My time on VUSAC has been incredibly fulfilling and I'm excited to end of the year strong!

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

27

STAFF

FINANCE CHAIR Katherine Hovdestad

This brief report will highlight three major areas of the Victoria College Students’ Administrative Council (VUSAC) financial performance: Fall 2021 budget utilization, Fall 2021 levy audits, and ongoing matters.

1) Fall 2021 Budget Utilization VUSAC finished the Fall 2021 semester with a budget utilization of 49%. That is, of the Fall 2021 budgeted expenses for clubs, commissions, executive Council members, and staff members, 49% of it was spent for. 51% of budgeted expenses were never realized (spent for).

Club budget utilization was 35%. Performance by specific clubs can be reviewed on a perline basis from the Fall 2021 budget available on the VUSAC website. I (the Finance Chair) contacted clubs with lower-than-expected budget utilization to discuss further. The general sentiment provided by clubs was that the uncertain nature provided by this Fall 2021 semester restricted their abilities to accurately budget and forecast events. We continue to observe a similar pattern through the Winter 2022 school year.

Commission budget utilization was 45%. To note, not realized in this utilization are further expenses attributed towards the Scarlet & Gold Commission through the Finance Chair contingency fund. The commentary provided by commissions on budget utilization was similar to that of clubs.

Executive expenditure was the highest amongst all, at 80% budget utilization. The 20% of unutilized funds were primarily attributed to unspent funds from the VPSO contingency fund, and less than expected VUSAC Fall retreat costs.

Staff budget utilization was below average, at 43%. The deviance was largely due to lowerthan-expected equipment costs (e.g., expenses associated with photocopier usage).

2) Fall 2021 Levy Audits VUSAC has largely completed its Fall 2021 levy audits. As of February 28th, 2022, the only audit outstanding is that for the Victoria College Drama Society, expected to happen this week. Levy audits showed that most levies are underbudgeting, based on their annual student fees, and are expected to end the academic year with student fees surpluses.

Further details will be published on the VUSAC website shortly. However, many levies have responded to their audits with a tremendous amount of effort to introduce new programming to increase budget utilization. The Vice President of Student Organizations is leading great efforts to improve programming.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

28

COMMISSIONERS AND CO-CHAIRS

3) Ongoing Matters As of February 28th, 2022, VUSAC is entirely up to date on its financial obligations. Contact with the Dean’s Office is strong. As Finance Chair, I am currently putting together a Winter 2022 budget utilization report to identify budgeted funds from clubs, commissions, executive Council members, and staff members that are unlikely to be realized, so they can be redirected to other initiatives at VUSAC. As Finance Chair, I have noticed a significant increase in programming (expenditures) this past week, as the University of Toronto transitions back to in-person learning.

Best, Katherine Hovdestad Finance Chair

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

29

STAFF

OFFICE MANAGER Jackson Leslie

My primary role on VUSAC has been taking meeting minutes. VUSAC holds bi-weekly meetings and others where I must record the meeting minutes. I highly recommend checking out our website/Instagram page for more information. This usually entails reviewing the recording, sending a rough draft to the attendees, and making any necessary adjustments before being posted to the VUSAC website.

When I wrote my Semi-Annual Report last semester, I was very hopeful that I would have accomplished more by the time Winter Semi-Annual Reports came around. Things were beginning to look promising for in-person reopening until our plans were unexpectedly halted due to the Omicron wave in December. Though my promises have yet to be completed, the goal remains the same!

Now that in-person activities are finally resuming; I am excited to announce that the VUSAC office will be re-opening! I mentioned before and still firmly believe that it is more important now than ever to create an environment where students feel safe and welcomed. I intend to use my budget items to decorate the office and distribute safe-sex/menstrual supplies. I hope to increase return engagement by having a gift card giveaway for students who visit the office once we reopen. Towards the end of my term, I will be releasing a survey where students can provide feedback on VUSAC and our physical space to best guide my successor on a smoother transition next semester.

Thank you for taking the time to read this report. 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!

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

30

COUNCILLORS

COUNCILLOR Bright Anthony

After many months into VUSAC, I can confidently say I have found my footing. I’ve been immersed in the Mental Wellness Commission as well as the VPI. I helped give ideas for an event the committee executives planned, called ‘Winter Wellness’ where they help to bring warmth to the Vic community in the coldest part of the year.

I’ve gotten the privilege of getting an insight into the important activities carried out by VUSAC, ranging from budget ratification meetings to caucuses. I got to discuss issues plaguing my fellow first years, specifically the Burwash dining hall issue, and brainstorm viable solutions. I hope to integrate a fun activity that I know everyone will enjoy during exam season in the spring, to help give everyone a breather. I’m planning to organize an Easter egg hunt and eventually pitch the idea to the entire VUSAC community and work my way from there. I’m so excited to see the next step for VUSAC as we approach the end of the year.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

31

COUNCILLORS

COUNCILLOR David Zhang

Hello fellow Vickies, it’s David Zhang, a current first-year councillor at VUSAC. I am involved in the Scarlett and Gold Commission and work with the Finance Department for VUSAC functions. I joined VUSAC because I was passionate about the community here at Victoria College, and want to contribute to this loving place as much as I can.

I am proud to say that I have been able to organize a few events with the Scarlett and Gold Commission. I hosted Winter Ball, even though the event had to be shifted online. The Trivia Night was the main event that I hosted, and it was a success as over 200 dollars worth of gift cards were delivered to participants. I also helped organize and set up several in-person events, especially during the end of the fall semester during Christmas season.

In regards to the Finance Department at VUSAC, I have been learning and growing under the leadership of the Finance Chair, and hope to become more involved in that aspect.

I look to expand my roles beyond what I am currently participating in, and hopefully become a more valuable member of VUSAC in the future as I look to run for the Scarlett and Gold Commissioner and Academic Commissioner.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

32

COUNCILLORS

COUNCILLOR

Dixshant Shree Shreemal Over the past few months, I have been working mostly with the Scarlet and Gold Commission in planning Winterfest and Highball. However, due to the unprecedented circumstances of COVID, Winterfest and its events scheduled to be in person had to be canceled. Nonetheless, I planned and hosted Vic’s listening party for a chill session where students could come and take a break from academics. I am currently working with the Scarlet and Gold commission on booking venues for an end of year party and am also looking into the items to have in care packages.

I was also involved in helping with the reforms associated with the Burwash Dining hall with respect to its wastefulness and cultural representation of food. I helped with editing the google form survey that was sent to students to voice their input with regards to the issues in the dining hall.

I continue to enjoy my role as a VUSAC councillor and organizing so many events for the students of the Vic community. Going forwards, I hope to continue planning more events with the Scarlet and Gold Commission while also focusing on my other 2 portfolios.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

33

COUNCILLORS

COUNCILLOR Jocelyn Mattka

Since the Fall 2021 Semi-Annual Report, I have been involved with the Scarlet and Gold Commission and part of a working group with VUSAC’s President, Jerico.

The Scarlet and Gold Commission typically hosts a range of engaging in-person events for Winterfest; however, health and safety restrictions required us to host events online. We replaced typical in-person programming with a variety of fun events hosted on Zoom, including a trivia night, a movie night, a listening party and gift card giveaways. I was personally responsible for co-hosting and organizing the trivia night alongside a fellow councillor, David. We led a group of students through several trivia games and distributed electronic prizes after the event.

In the working group led by Jerico, we are working towards updating the information available on VUSAC’s website. We hope that when we are finished, the website includes more accessible, organized and relevant resources. I have personally been involved in drawing up an event procedure, which details the responsibilities of a VUSAC member hosting/organizing an event. Additionally, I have been working on compiling academic resources, which we plan to include in the updated version of the website.

I am so glad to have been a part of VUSAC this 2021-2022 academic year, and I look forward to continuing to work with the team for the rest of the semester!

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

34

COUNCILLORS

COUNCILLOR Rebecca Muscant

This semester has been quite busy for me. I continue to advocate for equity and sustainability at Vic among my peers, and have been using my position as a VUSAC Councilor to enact positive change wherever I can.

My main achievement thus far has been the publication of the Report and Requests Re: Burwash Dining Hall 2021-2022, a document outlining the many concerns that students have expressed with the state of Burwash Dining Hall this year. Along with International Councillor Tazneen, I created a feedback survey that gave students a platform to anonymously detail their experiences with the former ticketing system, food waste, cultural insensitivity, and portion size limitations. The results of this survey were disappointing, so we wrote a report that detailed many prominent issues that students raised.

Currently, we have seen some great improvements, with more variety in food served and the removal of the ticket system. There is still room for improvement, though we are now collaborating with Food Services and Ancillary Services to ensure that student voices are heard. The two of us are working with VUSAC President Jerico to reach out to those who will best be able to help.

As this semester continues, I plan to continue working on the Burwash project, as well as look for opportunities to help both the Equity and Sustainability commissions in their other pursuits. I look forward to ending this year knowing that I have contributed to creating change here at Vic.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

35

COUNCILLORS

COUNCILLOR Shane Joy

I’m thrilled to explain what I’ve been working on as a VUSAC councillor since my SemiAnnual Report in the Fall semester.

December was busy for me as a councillor. On 6 December, it was my honour to present a short speech at the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women Memorial. I am both proud and happy to have had the opportunity to devote my energy as an ally to bring greater awareness to the issues that surround gender-based violence in Canada and the world, and what we can do to address them.

I also had the pleasure in December of working with members of council and the VCU to draft two open letters, namely, “Open Letter Re: David Gilmour,” and “Re: President Gertler’s Letter on Divestment.” The brevity of this report prevents me from expanding on these letters, but it was a great accomplishment for me as a student and a member of council to contribute to these causes, both of which are immediately important to members of the Victoria College community.

The initiatives I hope to complete before the end of my term as councillor is to finish our review process of the VUSAC’s Council Policies, which we’ve made more accessible for online proceedings, and, of course, putting on more events for the Vic community. This will become easier as the university continues to open. I also look forward to seeing what the councillors that succeed us can accomplish during the next academic year.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

36

COUNCILLORS

COUNCILLOR Thomas Keough

My primary task of the Winter semester has been to review and amend VUSAC’s Council Policies document as Co-Chair of its review committee. We sought to make Council Policies more accessible for online proceedings at VUSAC given the ongoing restrictions regarding inperson interaction. Additionally, we improved the document’s readability where possible while maintaining uniformity with its 2021 version. The review committee for Council Policies has met each week since early January and we recently finalized our suggested amendments. We will be presenting our amendments for approval at the next VUSAC General Meeting on March 4th.

Given the de-facto return to online classes and events at the beginning of the Winter semester, event plans were shaken up. In response, I hosted an online movie night on January 27th as part of the Scarlet & Gold Commissions Winterfest. In the remaining weeks of the Winter semester, I will be aiding the Scarlet & Gold Commission in planning end-of-year events for the student body at Victoria College. Unfortunately, it remains unclear as to whether in-person events will be able to take place in the same capacity as they once did (such as Highball). To close out the semester, I will be contributing to the organization and execution of events for the Scarlet & Gold and Mental Wellness commissions. Furthermore, I will continue to assist the VPI. My time as a councillor has been a wonderful learning experience. Looking ahead to the 2022 Spring Elections, I am excited to consider other roles on VUSAC.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

37

COUNCILLORS

COUNCILLOR Tiffany Seo

Although the fall semester was met with lots of great hurdles and challenges stemming from COVID-19, our entire council, including myself, have anticipated the winter semester to bless us with some in-person events to plan for our community. As councillor I promised that my duties would benefit and add value to our Victoria College community, and although it seemed difficult to carry that promise forward with everything being online, I don’t count it as a valued excuse anymore to just wait around for better circumstances to come.

With that being said, this semester I have focused more on the planning and execution of online events so far within my commission areas–Commuter, and Arts and Culture. With the Arts and Culture commission, we are concentrating more on meeting the specific demands of our community members and participants. We customized a survey for our students asking them various questions such as merchandise preferences, what kind of events they would like, etc. With this information we are now planning to execute most–if not all–of our services based on the demands of the survey in order to feed our community with what they are truly hungry for. I plan on carrying out this practice of surveying and asking our audiences directly for what they want and when they want it throughout the winter semester since this year we have all been struggling so much with what we didn’t ask for–ie. COVID-19 circumstances. Within the Commuter Commission, I had the privilege to organize a dinner and movie night for Victoria students with Shane–my councillor partner, and the Events Coordinators Emilie and Maarib. The planning and execution process was extremely fun and educational, and it was super rewarding to see that our efforts had progressed into a successful event. Although online events struggle to attract lots of attention and attendance, we were very happy with the results of our January event which motivates me to carry forward with event planning for the rest of the semester.

Although my first time being on student council this year was so much more different than what I anticipated, I am still looking forward to contributing efficient and resourceful services for our community. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunities I’ve had thus far, and I promise to continue supporting our council internally and externally for the rest of the semester.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

38

COUNCILLORS

INTERNATIONAL COUNCILLOR Tazneen Tamanna Mahmud

Hello again! Days got colder but I can keep myself stimulated, thanks to VUSAC! Unlike last semester, this semester has definitely been busier for me. I have worked/am working on several projects and all of them have greatly contributed to enhancing my experience as the International Councillor: The Burwash Project This has been my biggest project so far. After conducting a survey regarding the dining hall services in December, Rebecca (councillor) and I wrote a report summarizing the survey results, highlighting the major improvements that students at Vic would like to see at Burwash. We hope to discuss the issues further with the Food Services Committee and bring about the necessary improvements as soon as possible.

Council Policy Review Committee I am also currently working on reviewing and updating the VUSAC council policies along with Shane and Thomas (councillors).

VISA Movie Event With the help of Kate (VPSO) and Katherine (Finance Chair), I have also had the opportunity to organize a movie night and gift card giveaway for 15 international students.

Other than that, I have also mentored students who are interested to know about how to get involved with VUSAC or Vic in general. Overall, it has been a great experience so far and I hope to successfully finish all my projects by the end of this term.

VUSAC SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT FALL 2021

39

CONTACT US EMAIL info@vusac.ca

WEBSITE www.vusac.ca

INSTAGRAM @vusac

FACEBOOK facebook.com/VUSACuoft Brought to you by the Victoria University Students' Administrative Council