With the Student Representative Council spring election around the corner, News Editor Haley Stairs checked in with the STUSU executives to see if they’re fulfilling their campaign promises from last year.
Brianna Workman, president
Four campaign promises: build relationships in the STU community, re-engage council, make the Union professional and accountable and prevent sexual violence on campus.
- Worked with the New Brunswick Student Alliance and Canadian Alliance of Student Associations on initiatives like Get Out the Vote campaign and a proposed sexual violence policy.
- Updated job descriptions for the STUSU representatives, requiring councillors to complete two projects with another councillor.
- Along with starting office hours at the Help Desk like the other executives, and promoting that on social media, Workman also updated and elaborated on Section 10 of the code of conduct within the human resources document. The change blatantly says that harassment will not be tolerated.
- Brought legislation forward to the provincial government last year regarding sexual violence prevention on campus. It was put as a motion in the legislature, however, the Liberal government amended it. This year, she met with Trevor Holder, Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour to discuss bringing this policy back to the legislature.
Still work to do
- Develop a strategic plan outlining certain goals and how to accomplish them for the next executive team.
- Update STUSU’s code of conduct and make it its own document, so it’s more accessible to members and is no longer buried in the human resources document.
Emma Walsh, vice-president education
Five campaign promises: create an international students week, create a student-voting campaign, increase health care funding for students and regulate international tuition and secure an operating provincial grant for students at STU.
- Created International Education Week in partnership with St. Thomas University International Student Association and the International Student Services, which was held the week of Nov. 12.
- Organized the Get Out the Vote campaign in partnership with Workman and the New Brunswick Student Alliance.
- Organized the three-day Students Let’s Act campaign, which started on Jan. 30 and ran across approximately 20 campuses in Canada.
- Submitted an International Identity Ask in November. This is an ask for the provincial government to issue identification cards to international students so they can don’t have to carry around their passport, which if lost, needs to be replaced by an embassy.
- Submitted an ask to the Committee on Citizenship and Immigration last semester that students are granted their work visa or student visa at the same time that they apply for their study visa.
Still work to do
- Complete the memorium of understanding, which each university signs to see how much money they’ll receive from the government.
- Draft a policy on predictable tuition for international students.
Husoni Raymond, vice-president administration
Four campaign promises: enhance support for clubs and societies on campus, establish a student advocate position on campus, increase transparency and accountability of the Union and increase insurance coverage for students who access counselling on campus.
- Created a policy during the summer, distinguishing the difference between ratified and non-ratified clubs.
- Created the first-ever clubs and society training which was a day-long workshop in September.
- Verified which clubs and societies are still active and has listed them on the STUSU website with descriptions for students to access.
- Created the first student advisory committee at STU. Upper-year students were trained by Student Services on the university’s policies. These students can now advise others if they’re confused about anything policy-related at STU.
- Started conversation with Campus Trust, STU’s student benefits system, which covers a mental health app called Beacon. He’s hoping it will be accessible to students next year.
- Started posting the Union’s budget monthly so students can see what they’re spending their money on.
Still work to do
- Rebrand the clubs and societies board in James Dunn Hall.
Wasiimah Joomun, vice-president student life
Five campaign promises: work on overall health and wellness on campus, sexual assault prevention and awareness, inclusion, partner with student services on and off campus and create a transparent union.
- Created self-care packages with the STUSU mental health committee that were distributed to students in James Dunn Hall on Dec. 5.
- Organized anti-slut shaming poster campaign with the sexual assault prevention committee, Campus Sexual Assault Support Advocate, the Fredericton Sexual Assault Centre and the University of New Brunswick.
- The sexual assault prevention committee is hosting a panel on consent on Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. Professor Carla O’Regan will speak, as well as someone from FSACC, to discuss consent, the legal meaning and reporting sexual assault.
- Organized a sexual assault bystander training session on Jan. 25.
- Organized the Winter Clothing Swap & Drop in collaboration with the International Student Services and campus ministry in JDH on Nov. 21 and 22.
- Partnered with the student employment office to organize STU Lead’s conference and career fair.
Still work to do
- Joomun has been in contact with members of the city to collaborate on inclusion of students with disabilities.
- Joomun wants to organize a blanket exercise for student leaders to attend. The exercise would be facilitated by an elder-in-residence.
