Your UWSA executive

A look at who will lead the U of W’s student body in 2013-2014

President: Megan Fultz

Experience

Fultz, a fourth year international development and human rights student at the University of Winnipeg, brings a breadth of experience to the presidency, having served as a volunteer for the UWSA as well as a director on its board of directors. In 2011, Fultz was the recipient of a Youth in Motion Top 20 Under 20 award for her leadership role both in the field of human rights studies and in general as a campus youth leader.

Mandate

Fultz, whose position was not contested in the election, won on the basis of a diverse platform that included improving student services - from academic advising and the availability of scholarships to ensuring more campus study space - as well the need for further transparency in the way the UWSA handles its over $4 million in annual student money. She ran as part of the Candidates United Slate with three other executive candidates.

Vice President Student Services: Nawal Tajdin

Experience

Tajdin, an international student from Kenya finishing her degree in international development studies at the University of Winnipeg, brings several years of experience as coordinator of the International Resource Centre to her job as VPSS.

Mandate

Tajdin, who ran for the uncontested position as part of the Candidates United Slate, will be acting on a mandate similar to her slate companion Fultz in terms of improving access and transparency at the UWSA. She will also be tasked with managing a potential growth in student groups after the recently approved UWSA budget outlines funding increases for student groups, part-time UWSA employees and events staff.

 

 

Vice President Internal: Andree Forest

Experience

Forest, an environmental studies graduate from the University of Winnipeg, has already served one full term as vice president internal and has long acted as an environmental advocate at the University of Winnipeg. Last August she was one of three Manitoba representatives selected to participate in the All Climate Reality training conference where she received firsthand training from former United States vice president Al Gore.

Mandate

Forest, who beat out Candidates United Slate challenger Kevin Tan by 691-387, ran on an incumbents platform based on continuing and strengthening the initiatives of her first term. These initiatives include the imminent re-imagining of the beleaguered Soma Cafe in a new location in Lockhart Hall, as well as an increase the UWSA events budget by roughly $20,000. Additionally, Forest hopes to bring the UWSA into surplus by the time she tables her next budget and has committed to creating accountability mechanisms to ensure potentially wasteful spending is flagged and sent to a committee of UWSA directors.

Vice President Advocate: Rorie John Mcleod Arnould

Experience

Arnould, a politics student at the University of Winnipeg, brings five years of academic experience to the position as well as experience as a volunteer for the UWSA’s bike lab and as a former director on its board of directors.

Mandate

Arnould, who beat out Candidates United slate challenger Dayne Moyer by 620-476, inherits a complex legacy from his predecessor, Zach Fleischer, who successfully held a referendum around an annual university bus pass with majority support. The U-Pass has run into several funding roadblocks, however, that the new VPA will have to overcome if it is to eventually be implemented at an annual rate of $200 or less. Arnould also hopes to build his own legacy by bringing the UWSA back into the political spotlight through nuanced advocacy, particularly around access to education.

Published in Volume 67, Number 24 of The Uniter (March 21, 2013)