On top of my five main platform points, I have some more ideas I would like to see implemented if re-elected.
Here's one of them, to start. The AUS spends a lot of money on The Underground newspaper. The Underground is a campus tradition and obviously deeply embedded as part of campus life (having won the Voter-Funded Media contest), but I think that the AUS could make better use of it as a promotional tool. I want to work with next year's Editors to have regular AUS advertisements incorporated into the paper. I would also like to officially take over one page of the paper for reports from the AUS, as the SUS Executive does in the 432.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Platform Point #5: A Better Budget!
Each year, the AUS collects $13 in student fees from each undergraduate Arts student, giving it a budget of over $130,000 for the year.
Currently, this money is spent on a number of budget items: Arts Week, beer gardens, the Whistler Retreat, The Underground- you name it, the AUS Budget probably pays for it.
This year, the VP Finance and I have been working on restructuring the budget, so that it will be clearer and easier to read. We're reorganizing the budget into various categories; it will be easier to compare revenues and expenditures for any given event, and each Coordinator will have a better idea of what their Committee's individual budget. Our hope is that each Coordinator will then break down their own budgets, so that all Councillors (and students) will be aware of what student money is being spent on.
Currently, this money is spent on a number of budget items: Arts Week, beer gardens, the Whistler Retreat, The Underground- you name it, the AUS Budget probably pays for it.
This year, the VP Finance and I have been working on restructuring the budget, so that it will be clearer and easier to read. We're reorganizing the budget into various categories; it will be easier to compare revenues and expenditures for any given event, and each Coordinator will have a better idea of what their Committee's individual budget. Our hope is that each Coordinator will then break down their own budgets, so that all Councillors (and students) will be aware of what student money is being spent on.
Platform Point #4: Speaking for Students!
If re-elected, I will establish an Academic Lobbying Platform within the AUS. There will be two steps to establishing the Platform.
1) Conducting an Academic Survey: the AUS will consult students through a number of different means (focus groups, paper surveys, online surveys, discussion boards on the AUS website). Students will be asked to give their feedback in terms of academic priorities- whether they be smaller class sizes, lower tuition, better teacher training for TAs, more Arts Advisors, more study space in and around Buchanan, etc.
2) Putting the Platform into Action: based on the outcome of this survey, the AUS will form an academic lobbying platform that outlines our goals and priorities in order of importance. The platform will also outline how the AUS can achieve these goals. The AMS Representatives will then be guided by this platform in all their dealings with the AMS and its many Committees, and the Executive will also be guided by the platform when liaising with actors within the Faculty of Arts.
1) Conducting an Academic Survey: the AUS will consult students through a number of different means (focus groups, paper surveys, online surveys, discussion boards on the AUS website). Students will be asked to give their feedback in terms of academic priorities- whether they be smaller class sizes, lower tuition, better teacher training for TAs, more Arts Advisors, more study space in and around Buchanan, etc.
2) Putting the Platform into Action: based on the outcome of this survey, the AUS will form an academic lobbying platform that outlines our goals and priorities in order of importance. The platform will also outline how the AUS can achieve these goals. The AMS Representatives will then be guided by this platform in all their dealings with the AMS and its many Committees, and the Executive will also be guided by the platform when liaising with actors within the Faculty of Arts.
Platform Point #3: Improving Accessibility!
Surprisingly enough, lots of Arts students do want to be involved with the Arts Undergraduate Society. Many of them run in our Elections- a lot of them lose. Some want to be involved, don't want to run in elections.
There are many ways to be involved as a non-elected member of the AUS- on our Committees, on the Committees of the AMS, with planning specific events. Currently, the AUS is not a very open organization, and we have few students involved who do not serve in elected positions- those who are not elected are perhaps not viewed as equals.
I want to change this. I do not think that the past "Active Artsies" program was successful in recruiting students, so I will take a different approach. If re-elected, I will use the AUS website as a resource for encouraging students' involvement. I will publish AUS Committee meeting times and contact information, as well as AMS Committee member-at-large openings, with plenty of notice so that all students wanting to be involved are capable of doing so.
There are many ways to be involved as a non-elected member of the AUS- on our Committees, on the Committees of the AMS, with planning specific events. Currently, the AUS is not a very open organization, and we have few students involved who do not serve in elected positions- those who are not elected are perhaps not viewed as equals.
I want to change this. I do not think that the past "Active Artsies" program was successful in recruiting students, so I will take a different approach. If re-elected, I will use the AUS website as a resource for encouraging students' involvement. I will publish AUS Committee meeting times and contact information, as well as AMS Committee member-at-large openings, with plenty of notice so that all students wanting to be involved are capable of doing so.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Platform Point #2: Free Tutoring Services!!
The AUS is a subsidiary of the AMS (Alma Mater Society), and as a result receives many perks and benefits. The AMS helps us maintain our finances, and gives us free room bookings (especially for Arts Week).
The AMS also offers a number of student services, including AMS Tutoring. AMS Tutoring has a few branches: free, drop-in tutoring in the South Study Lounge during the week; online tutoring over MSN; and appointment tutoring (they'll find you a tutor, but you have to pay). Unfortunately, they currently only tutor Physics, Chemistry, Math, and English for free, and will soon be dropping English due to a lack of interest and some jurisdictional overlap with the UBC Writing Centre.
Arts students pay almost twice the AMS fees that go towards AMS Tutoring, yet receive a meagre proportion of the benefits compared to Science students. This makes little sense, especially since there are classes in Arts (specifically Psychology and Economics) that are both large but also "textbook" classes (that is, the information learned is fairly standard across course sections).
If elected, I will seek a partnership with the AMS that establishes free drop-in Economics tutoring in the SUB as well as the Meekison Arts Students Space. While Psychology students are less likely to need ongoing tutoring throughout the semester, I will work with AMS Tutoring to recruit tutors to hold midterm and final exam review sessions for courses such as PSYCH 100. The AUS would contribute some money to this service to ensure that students would be paying as little as possible. For $25 or $30, students could attend up to 6 review sessions to prepare for their exam (think Dan the Tutor, or Prep 101, but more in-depth and less cramming).
If there are other courses you think that are "tutorable", please let me know!
The AMS also offers a number of student services, including AMS Tutoring. AMS Tutoring has a few branches: free, drop-in tutoring in the South Study Lounge during the week; online tutoring over MSN; and appointment tutoring (they'll find you a tutor, but you have to pay). Unfortunately, they currently only tutor Physics, Chemistry, Math, and English for free, and will soon be dropping English due to a lack of interest and some jurisdictional overlap with the UBC Writing Centre.
Arts students pay almost twice the AMS fees that go towards AMS Tutoring, yet receive a meagre proportion of the benefits compared to Science students. This makes little sense, especially since there are classes in Arts (specifically Psychology and Economics) that are both large but also "textbook" classes (that is, the information learned is fairly standard across course sections).
If elected, I will seek a partnership with the AMS that establishes free drop-in Economics tutoring in the SUB as well as the Meekison Arts Students Space. While Psychology students are less likely to need ongoing tutoring throughout the semester, I will work with AMS Tutoring to recruit tutors to hold midterm and final exam review sessions for courses such as PSYCH 100. The AUS would contribute some money to this service to ensure that students would be paying as little as possible. For $25 or $30, students could attend up to 6 review sessions to prepare for their exam (think Dan the Tutor, or Prep 101, but more in-depth and less cramming).
If there are other courses you think that are "tutorable", please let me know!
What do students have to say?
Here are some pieces of feedback I've receieved from students so far. Feel free to comment and your own to the list.
Arts Advising
-inconsistent advice- different Advisors give different information, making multiple visits necessary
-phoning a week ahead to book an appointment sucks- should be able to book by email
-Degree Navigator: inaccurate, and unable to account for transfer, exchange, or AP credits (leading many students to panic when it tells them they can't graduate)
Course Registration
-Second Year Sucks- difficult to get into courses, especially pre-requisites, that students need for their degree
-summer session- "year-standing" not updated until September, meaning that a student entering 3rd-year has to register as a 2nd-year (at a later date), putting them at a disadvantage twice over
Study Spaces
-not enough within Buchanan
-benches hard and uncomfortable
-line-ups for computers and space at library way too long
-more public-access computers/computer labs in Buchanan would be very helpful
Arts Advising
-inconsistent advice- different Advisors give different information, making multiple visits necessary
-phoning a week ahead to book an appointment sucks- should be able to book by email
-Degree Navigator: inaccurate, and unable to account for transfer, exchange, or AP credits (leading many students to panic when it tells them they can't graduate)
Course Registration
-Second Year Sucks- difficult to get into courses, especially pre-requisites, that students need for their degree
-summer session- "year-standing" not updated until September, meaning that a student entering 3rd-year has to register as a 2nd-year (at a later date), putting them at a disadvantage twice over
Study Spaces
-not enough within Buchanan
-benches hard and uncomfortable
-line-ups for computers and space at library way too long
-more public-access computers/computer labs in Buchanan would be very helpful
Platform Point #1: Listening to Students!
The Faculty of Arts is composed of over 11,000 undergraduate students, and they are all represented by a mere 40 or 50 students serving on the Arts Undergraduate Society Council. Currently, the AUS does not conduct a lot of broad-based consultation with Arts students, and thus it may be the case that it does not accurately represent the views of all Arts students.
I see a few possible solutions to this problem.
1) Encourage the Faculty to listen to students. With the current University budget cut, the Faculty will inevitably need to cut certain services and programs, and so I have asked the Dean to tell all Departments to start their own student focus-groups, to find out what the priorities of students are in terms of their academic experience (be it smaller class sizes, better teaching, more focus on research within the undergraduate degree, etc.).
2) Conduct a survey of all Arts students to find out what their individual academic experience has been like, and what their priorities are for spending by the AUS. This survey has been in the works for a while (being spear-headed by the current Academic Coordinator), and should come out sometime in the fall.
3) Hold public office hours in the SUB Concourse. Essentially, the AUS, and especially its Executive, would set up a booth or table in the SUB two or three times each month. They would be available to answer student questions and concerns, to distribute information about the AUS and its goings-on, and to listen to student feedback and suggestions for improvements within the Faculty. These office hours would also help to increase the inadequate level of visibility that the AUS currently suffers from.
Thoughts? Let me know at auspresident@gmail.com!
I see a few possible solutions to this problem.
1) Encourage the Faculty to listen to students. With the current University budget cut, the Faculty will inevitably need to cut certain services and programs, and so I have asked the Dean to tell all Departments to start their own student focus-groups, to find out what the priorities of students are in terms of their academic experience (be it smaller class sizes, better teaching, more focus on research within the undergraduate degree, etc.).
2) Conduct a survey of all Arts students to find out what their individual academic experience has been like, and what their priorities are for spending by the AUS. This survey has been in the works for a while (being spear-headed by the current Academic Coordinator), and should come out sometime in the fall.
3) Hold public office hours in the SUB Concourse. Essentially, the AUS, and especially its Executive, would set up a booth or table in the SUB two or three times each month. They would be available to answer student questions and concerns, to distribute information about the AUS and its goings-on, and to listen to student feedback and suggestions for improvements within the Faculty. These office hours would also help to increase the inadequate level of visibility that the AUS currently suffers from.
Thoughts? Let me know at auspresident@gmail.com!
Friday, March 16, 2007
My Record
For those of you who weren't aware, I served as AUS President from 2006-2007, and am looking to serve a consecutive term for the 2007-2008 school year. I thought it might be useful to outline what I've been doing within the AUS for the past year.
One of my major goals as AUS President this year was to make sure that the AUS put on a solid Arts Week, and I think that we achieved this. Arts Week 2007 featured a number of highlights- Gladiator competition against other Faculties, our Performing Arts Showcase in the Freddy Wood Theatre, sweet Merchandise, a Career Fair in the SUB Concourse, a Storming of the P.I.T., a crazy purple party van, excellent sponsorship, a tasty BBQ and crepe sale in SUB South Plaza, and of course a successful Mardi Gras to wrap everything up. As President, I used my knowledge of the past 2 Arts Weeks to direct the Arts Week Committee to run successful events. Of course, it helped that the Committee was composed of competent and enthusiastic Councillors. While this year's Arts Week was great, we realize that there is always room for improvement, and a Post-Mortem was held to reflect on ways to make next year's Arts Week even better.
Those who have ever attended an AUS Council meeting know how time-consuming Dean's Grant presentations can be, especially with the associated deliberation. As a result, a number of Councillors (including myself) decided that we should institute some sort of Committee that could consider all applications with due diligence and that could ensure that all applicants were treated fairly and equitably. I think that the new Dean's Grant process has so far achieved this due diligence and fairness thus far. It has also significantly streamlined the process, meaning that we have more time in meetings to consider other important AUS business.
I think that my leadership style this year has fostered a friendly and comfortable environment within the AUS. In the past, the AUS has suffered from 'cliques', and I have made efforts to avoid this through existing team-building opportunities (especially our Whistler Retreat). I sincerely hope that all Councillors have felt included and valued as a result.
Additionally, I planned the first-ever "Meet the Dean" BBQ this year, an event designed to both promote the AUS for its September By-Elections and to showcase the different departments and courses available to first-year Arts students (almost a follow-up to Imagine Day). Moreover, I have expanded the AUS' promotional efforts onto Facebook, inviting over 2000+ Arts students to the Arts UBC Facebook group, in order to become more accessible to all students and to let students know about our events through word of mouth. Lastly, I am currently in the midst of purchasing more furniture for the Meekison Arts Students Space (Buchanan D-140) so that more Arts students are able to study in the space between classes.
Here is a brief list of the Committees I have sat on for the past year:
AUS Committees
-Dean's Grant
-Renovations
-Promotions
-Code Review
Faculty of Arts Committees
-Careers in Arts
-Beyond 2nd Year
-Arts Career Expo
-Martha Piper Scholarship
AMS Committees
-Budget
-Compensation Review
-Voter-Funded Media
-SASC Fund
-Aquatic Centre Manager Committee
-Student Social Space Committee
I hope to continue to hold a spot on the Student Social Space Committee to fight for more Arts-specific social and study spaces- we have 11,000 spaces and everyone knows how long the line-ups are at the Library. Moreover, the AUS ought to lobby for more public-access computers on campus- not everyone owns a laptop!
One of my major goals as AUS President this year was to make sure that the AUS put on a solid Arts Week, and I think that we achieved this. Arts Week 2007 featured a number of highlights- Gladiator competition against other Faculties, our Performing Arts Showcase in the Freddy Wood Theatre, sweet Merchandise, a Career Fair in the SUB Concourse, a Storming of the P.I.T., a crazy purple party van, excellent sponsorship, a tasty BBQ and crepe sale in SUB South Plaza, and of course a successful Mardi Gras to wrap everything up. As President, I used my knowledge of the past 2 Arts Weeks to direct the Arts Week Committee to run successful events. Of course, it helped that the Committee was composed of competent and enthusiastic Councillors. While this year's Arts Week was great, we realize that there is always room for improvement, and a Post-Mortem was held to reflect on ways to make next year's Arts Week even better.
Those who have ever attended an AUS Council meeting know how time-consuming Dean's Grant presentations can be, especially with the associated deliberation. As a result, a number of Councillors (including myself) decided that we should institute some sort of Committee that could consider all applications with due diligence and that could ensure that all applicants were treated fairly and equitably. I think that the new Dean's Grant process has so far achieved this due diligence and fairness thus far. It has also significantly streamlined the process, meaning that we have more time in meetings to consider other important AUS business.
I think that my leadership style this year has fostered a friendly and comfortable environment within the AUS. In the past, the AUS has suffered from 'cliques', and I have made efforts to avoid this through existing team-building opportunities (especially our Whistler Retreat). I sincerely hope that all Councillors have felt included and valued as a result.
Additionally, I planned the first-ever "Meet the Dean" BBQ this year, an event designed to both promote the AUS for its September By-Elections and to showcase the different departments and courses available to first-year Arts students (almost a follow-up to Imagine Day). Moreover, I have expanded the AUS' promotional efforts onto Facebook, inviting over 2000+ Arts students to the Arts UBC Facebook group, in order to become more accessible to all students and to let students know about our events through word of mouth. Lastly, I am currently in the midst of purchasing more furniture for the Meekison Arts Students Space (Buchanan D-140) so that more Arts students are able to study in the space between classes.
Here is a brief list of the Committees I have sat on for the past year:
AUS Committees
-Dean's Grant
-Renovations
-Promotions
-Code Review
Faculty of Arts Committees
-Careers in Arts
-Beyond 2nd Year
-Arts Career Expo
-Martha Piper Scholarship
AMS Committees
-Budget
-Compensation Review
-Voter-Funded Media
-SASC Fund
-Aquatic Centre Manager Committee
-Student Social Space Committee
I hope to continue to hold a spot on the Student Social Space Committee to fight for more Arts-specific social and study spaces- we have 11,000 spaces and everyone knows how long the line-ups are at the Library. Moreover, the AUS ought to lobby for more public-access computers on campus- not everyone owns a laptop!
Thursday, March 15, 2007
What is the AUS anyways?
Why should you care about the Arts Undergraduate Society, and moreover, about its elections? (After all, rational-choice theory shows us that we shouldn't incur costs if we don't think they will be outweighed by the potential benefits).
Well, the AUS spends its money. In fact, it spends $130,000 of it. Each undergraduate Arts student pays $13 to the AUS every school year, $5 of which goes toward funding the mortgage of the Meekison Arts Students Space (in Buchanan D-140).
The Arts Undergraduate Society also provides student services. The AUS provides locker rentals in Buchanan, as well as a free water cooler and microwaves in the MASS. The Sports Coordinator also processes discounts on intramural registration fees for any teamscomprised of at least 80% Arts students. The AUS is also in charge of giving out money. We disburse close to $50,000 each year in the Dean's Grant and Departmental Club Grants.
The AUS Elections are coming up. Campaiging happens from March 16-23, and voting takes place at 3 separate polling booths in the SUB and Buchanan Buildings between March 25-30. You shouldn't be able to miss it. More information about other candidates should be coming out soon, and www.ubcinsiders.blogspot.com will be providing useful coverage on the election as well. Be sure to make an informed vote, because the AUS election is important after all!
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