Month: January 2007

This post was originally written by Gina Eom.

1. What skills that you had did you find most valuable in your capacity as President?

On the window of my office I wrote “my ambivalence will be my success” because I actually believed that my ability to dispassionately consider all sides of an issue helped me greatly as President. We often think of the President as an advocate for students, and they are, but they are also responsible for being a leader within Council meetings, supervising the Executive, and making decisions about personnel that the rest of the Executive don’t need to do. I think our year was a great success because I was a dispassionate President surrounded by passionate Vice-Presidents, which meant that I could reasonably balance those personalities and maintain a calm, professional image on behalf of the AMS.

2. What skills did you wish you’d had, in order to be a better President?

As the year went along I gained a greater understanding of how to gauge an employee’s effectiveness, but at the beginning of the year I didn’t have a clue. I wish I had had more experience managing people so I could more responsibly evaluate their behaviour on an ongoing basis.

3. What was the biggest challenge you faced as President?

The biggest challenge I faced was a lack of money. The AMS is one of the most efficiently run student organizations in the country, able to survive on $12.50 per student for its operating costs, compared to an average of ~$55, even at very small student societies like SFU’s. Our ability to create a more cohesive community at UBC, effectively lobby the provincial government, provide more student space, provide more funds for clubs, or mobilize students on various issues important to them like teaching evaluations, campus development, etc. requires money. Over the past few years the AMS has largely come in on budget because of the growth in our conference and catering business. These commercial bookings take up substantial space in the SUB, which could be used for clubs and students. Removing our dependence on these businesses and increasing our overall revenues will provide substantial benefits to students, by giving your elected officials the resources they need to implement their goals.

4. What would you identify as the biggest issue for an incoming AMS President?

The biggest issue facing an incoming President is to figure out how the Executive will work together and then set out your plan for the year. Entire years can be wasted if a President doesn’t figure out a coherent plan within the first month or two of taking office.

5. What advice would you give the incoming President?

When I left office I wrote a 60-page opus for Kevin Keystone but if I was to bring it down to the fundamentals it would be these: 1) There will be students, staff, and university administrators that don’t like you at various points for various reasons and that’s just the way it is, 2) Learn how to say “no” and make sure you’re spending your time on the things you care about, 3) Set up a support network for yourself outside of the AMS. Stay in a hobby. Hang out regularly with non-AMS friends. Go to counselling if you’re comfortable with that. What you don’t want is to become inseparable from the job, and 4) Be honest and up-front with the media. If you show them courtesy and respect, they will return that respect to you.

This post was originally written by Gina Eom.

I talked to Manj about her experience as VP Administration.
Prior to taking on the role of VP Admin she had been involved with SAC (Student Administrative Commission) for several years.

1) What skills that you had did you find most valuable in your
capacity as VP Admin?

-organizational/communication/interpersonal skillz
-goal-setting abilities and the drive to get them accomplished
-leadership skills to guide/motivate your team for the numerous projects
-mediation and conflict resolution skills
-a strong work ethic
-dedication to the AMS and the desire to see it thrive and move foward
-recognition of the nature of the work of the VP Admin portfolio (it is not an EXTERNAL/GLITZY-focused portfolio!)
-understanding there is no “i” in team but realizing that you also need to get your hands dirty

2) What skills did you wish you’d had, in order to be a better VP Admin?

-does wanting more time in a day count as a skill that i could have? if so, oh i wish that i had
-but seriously….i wish i had more social skillz! i was kinda a recluse and i think this excluded me a lot from bonding with council/exec (especially cuz i dont like beer gardens)
-being more of a politician –> i’m a pretty straightfoward kinda person and abhor playing political games but this lack-of-finesse can kinda get you into trouble sometimes…so being able to be “political” is a definate asset to can make things run more smoothly

3) What was the biggest challenge you faced as VP Admin? (there were a couple..)

a. understanding that what you do or say no longer is just as simple as it sounds. it was really hard understanding that whenever i was asked a question, i could not answer it simply as “Manj Sidhu, an individual” but i was answering it as “AMS VP Admin, representative of 40 000 students”. you’re no longer a single individual with opinions but you’re a representative of the student body and your statements have to be inclusive for all. so if you’re asked “what are you thoughts on the pro-choice or pro-life issue?” your reply has to be a delicate balance that shows that you support your constituents….this was a challenge!!!

b. learning to balance the AMS with the rest of your life….while being in the AMS is a great oppertunity, the AMS so easily can take over the rest of your life…you find yourself spending way too much time in the SUB/in your office/in meetings…and then your friends/family/loved ones (or anything that is outside the AMS clique) seem to fade into the woodwork and relationships start eroding. it isn’t intentional on your part but finding the balance between the AMS and non-AMS aspects of your life was a huge challenge for me.

4) What would you identify as the biggest issue for an incoming AMS VP Admin?

-hmmm….though question. i think david has done a great job this year with the portfolio (lots of projects completed and doing great with SAC, etc) and although i dont know what issues were big this year for him or the exec…but it always boils down to the students and what they think of the AMS. Yes, there are over 300+ student groups on campus but do all of them love the AMS? Do they fully understand what the AMS does for them? Or do they only see the AMS as being a burecratic organization that makes them jump through hoops? This is a general big issue that i think always needs addressing…through all exec portfolios

-portfolio specific issues to VP Admin: lack of office space for the ever-growing student groups on campus (how to accomodate?), the decisions between spaces for students vs. space for rent and of course…relationships with AMS student groups

5) What advice would you give the incoming VP Admin?

a. work your ass off (otherwise you’re screwed)
b. don’t let the AMS take over your life
c. set five goals at the beginning of your term and then follow through
d. have some fun. =)

This post was originally written by Gina Eom.

1) What skills that you had did you find most valuable in your
capacity as VPX?

I am pretty good at using a telephone, and I learnt about email quickly.
You have to be able to identify priorities quickly, and this means
choosing between competing needs. That can be difficult.

2) What skills did you wish you’d had, in order to be a better VPX?

I wish I was better at hiding my thoughts from the expression on my
face. I think people can very easily tell from a look of horror on my
face that I disagree, and that is not always a good thing. Also, if I
were a better morning person I would have had better mornings. I could
have benefited more from the ability to manage people, which apparently
I lack. And finally, a slightly more focused work ethic will always get
results. There are occasions where a little more would have gone a long
way.

3) What was the biggest challenge you faced as VPX?

Staying motivated. Sometimes you realize that people don’t care, and
that they are at the pit, and you want to go join them. Not going to
join them is always a challenge for me, even as I write this.

4) What would you identify as the biggest issue for an incoming VPX?

Learning to organize time. Although, I guess if you already know how to
do this it wouldn’t be such a challenge. Then there is the whole public
post-secondary debate that has been going on/not going on in this
country for several decades. You sort of have to get caught up there.
Once you have done that the biggest challenge is having firm convictions
and knowing that they represent what is truly best for students and for
the community (country, province, etc)

5) What advice would you give the incoming VPX?

Keep your stick on the ice. If you have an especially long stick, you
can do this from Wreck, Ontario or even California. I would say be very
clear about some key goals, but that is difficult to know right away.
The point still stands that you need to be very deliberate and clear
about what you wish to accomplish. Otherwise you’ll just barely do a lot
of things and that’s never good.

6) What did you learn from your experience?

That one really does get out what they put in. None of this comes easy,
it takes thought and time. There were moments when I wished I’d put in
more of both. I also learnt that Government is an arbitrary beast: very
finicky and unpredictable.

This post was originally written by Gina Eom.

I got to know Holly really really well because we ran in the same slate together back when they still existed. She was elected as VP External when I was in my first year of Senate and has since finished her undergrad degree in Political Science and is now studying Urban Planning at UBC.

1) What skills that you had did you find most valuable in your
capacity as VPX?

Communication skills, listening, asking for help when you need it, and realizing that you do not have all the answers and are not expected to… unless you are talking to Council. ;)

2) What skills did you wish you’d had, in order to be a better VPX?

It would have been very helpful to taken a short course on negotiation and mediation. These are two very valuable skills that the VP External needs to address many portfolio issues from lobbying with CASA to negotiating the U-Pass.

3) What was the biggest challenge you faced as VPX?

Negotiating the sticky waters of CFS/CASA politics.

5) What advice would you give the incoming VPX?

Take time out for yourself. You may forget your friends, but they will not forget you. Ask them to bug you throughout the year. They are also good at keeping you real. HAve fun, laugh and remember that life-after-AMS is wonderful.

Be nice to Val and Paramjeet, they are wonderful, wonderful women.

6) What did you learn from your experience?

So much! The most valuable experience that the position afforded me was the ability to actualize my potential. I was given the freedom and responsibility to act in a manner that was relatively foreign to me. It was the first time in my life that I was paid to be creative and to creatively implement my ideas.

This post was originally written by Gina Eom.

Josh Bowman ran for office back in 2003 when the AMS elections still allowed slates. He ran with the Student Progressive Action Network (SPAN) the first year it was created (under this name). He was instrumental in laying the groundworks for the Bike Coop, the Food Coop Sprouts, and the recycling system in the student residences. It’s been two years since he graduated, but I tracked him down for an interview.

GE: Which skills served you best?

JB: The skills that served me best as VP Admin were: diplomacy, a willingness to
be extroverted and socialize, an understanding of clubs and club dynamics,
an open-mindedness on both political and social issues, the ability to
negotiate, conflict resolution, and knowledge, or the desire to learn more.
You should know at least the fundamentals about conservative budgetting,
sustainability/environmentalism, clubs/resource groups, and building
renovations.

GE: What skills did you wish you’d had, in order to be a better VP Admin?

JB: There were times when I could have been more diplomatic. There were also
times where I could have been better researched. I think I did a great job,
under the circumstances, but I know that I learned by making a lot of
mistakes. The best thing you have in that position is staff support. Hire
good people for SAC; not just your friends. Work with the staff that’s
already existing to support you; they’re your greatest allies.

GE: What was the biggest challenge you faced as VP Admin?

JB: Internal change. If you change the mechanics of the system itself, you will
do something lasting. Unfortunately, that is nearly impossible. Tradition is
often the reason things don’t change, and it takes real vision to make
anything last. As VP Admin, you can make permanent changes to the SUB
itself, but what you want to try to do is change how the rules work, for the
betterment of students. Throwing a great first week is fine, but it doesn’t
last. Changing the way the rules and system work means that future student
execs will be impacted, as will years of students. Working in a mixed-slate
exec, this is what I found the most challenging.

GE: What would you identify as the biggest issue for an incoming AMS VP
Admin?

JB: I’ve been away for a while, and issues are always changing. The biggest
issue for VP Admin is probably dealing appropriately with all the delicate
politics of the clubs and resource groups. There is a lot of history with
clubs and resource groups, and you have to know about that history, and know
when to tread lightly. It’s a juggling act. When do you take a stand, when
do you remain neutral. Being in a position like this means negotiating the
demands of your supporters and friends, as well as other lobbying students,
with doing what’s ultimately right for the student society and students, no
matter what your politics are. It means willing to do the best thing, even
if it means that you lose friends or political allies.

GE: What advice would you give the incoming VP Admin?

JB: Learn to work with people. Learn who you can trust and who you can’t. Be
willing to take stands and stick to them, when you’re certain they’re right.
Be willing to change your opinion when necessary. Be open-minded. Learn to
trust and be trusted. As a manager, be willing to work harder and longer
hours than your staff. Work with your exec, and find where you can all meet
on issues, and where you have to agree to disagree. Learn to negotiate, and
learn everything you can about the job and the position. Don’t forget who
you’re doing this for; it’s not you, and it’s not your friends. Try not to
let it destroy you; after all, it’s only student politics.

GE: Thanks Josh!

This post was originally written by Gina Eom.

AMS VP Finance Sophia Haque

Throughout this schoolyear I’ve communicated with Sophia Haque (VP Finance) on a weekly basis, which was convenient as her office is located right across from mine. It was a pleasure to once again sit down with her and chat about her term in office.

SH: I feel like it was just yesterday that I was doing this whole campaigning business and here you are asking me to reflect on my year.

GE: What skills that you had did you find most valuable in your
capacity as VPF?

SH: Knowing how to deal with people/conflict management. A lot of the students the VPF deals with are students angry over student fees, frozen accounts, or a budget that hasn’t been approved. This may seem minor but these students are amongst the most active students on campus and it’s important that the interactions they have with “the AMS” don’t perpetuate the belief that the AMS is a slow, bureaucratic organization that’s out to slow them down.

GE: What skills did you wish you’d had, in order to be a better VPF?

SH: More/better organized. I’m pretty anal retentive but it’s the end of my term and I still haven’t figured out what would be the best way to organize all the information. Having a better understanding of university issues (particularly those surrounding development) at the beginning of my term would have been very useful to aide in my role as an executive as well.

GE: What was the biggest challenge you faced as VPF?

SH: Very related to the comment above. There are the specific duties and responsibilities that come with the position but, as VPF, you’re also a member of the executive team and council so it’s important to stay informed about campus/university issues. Coming into the position I had to play catch up to come up to speed about some of the key issues in, for example, the VP External and VP Academic’s portfolios which I felt were important to understand in order to do my job more effectively.

GE: What would you identify as the biggest issue for an incoming VPF?

SH: A potential fee referendum. Athletics is looking to hold an October referendum and the AMS will need to look at the trade-offs created by running an Athletics fee referendum that will, in the eyes of students, increase the amount of money that the AMS collects from students.

Also, there’s still lots of work to do on continuing to make AMS financial systems and businesses more efficient/relevant.

GE: What advice would you give the incoming VPF?

SH: Your year is going to go by really fast so be sure to set priorities and timelines to separate your short term goals (those achievable during your term) from the long term ones (those that will require the support of future VPFs to implement). Having this distinction clear in your mind will help you keep your focus (and sanity) throughout your term. And, have fun –you’re in for a very exciting year.

GE: What did you learn from your experience?

SH: So much. Everything from internal business and financial operations to how to most effectively work and deal with the university. I’m definitely coming out of this year with a deeper understanding of how the AMS does what it does, and why the AMS hasn’t been doing what many feel it should be doing. At the end of the day, the AMS is a large organization that is often constrained by by-laws and issues of turnover when it wants to make changes. But, while this change takes time, it’s not impossible. Small changes (such as making financial procedures easier for clubs, introducing debit cards at AMS Businesses) have a large impact on students lives. It’s important to not discount the small changes that we have the capacity of making while working towards the larger changes.

This post was originally written by Gina Eom.

A few candidates did not show up to the All Candidates Meeting and according to the election rules, may be disqualified. The Elections Committee will be voting on this soon. These include, among others, incumbent Senator Jaspreet Khangura, and several of the BoG candidates.

There was also an abnormally high number of nomination forms which were allegedly handed in but have not been documented by the Elections Office both in Brock Hall (for BoG and Senate) and for the AMS Executive race. As per below, these include incumbent Senator Tariq Ahmed, AMS Councillor Tristan Markle, and VPX Candidate Thomas Masterson.

We’ll keep you updated on the situation. More information is below the cut.

For example, incumbent Senator Tariq Ahmed (from the Faculty of Law, and my colleague) told me he had handed in his nomination form to the Student Service Desk at Brock hall three days before the nominations were due. He was present at the All Candidate’s Meeting, but the AMS Elections Office hadn’t received anything from Brock Hall and thus he was not listed as a candidate for this race. The same situation goes for Tristan Markle, who is running for the Board of Governors.

I really hope it’s a case of some staff in Brock Hall having forgotten the time-sensitive manner of these things and delayed the submission of these forms to the appropriate Governance Officer (Christopher Eaton), who then notifies the AMS election office (yes lots of bureaucracy).

But then there is the case of other candidates who did go to the AMS office directly. Thomas Masterson (running for VP External) is one of them.

We hope this will clear up within the next 24 hours such that we can all focus on the issues, and not the paperwork. We do realize, however, that reasonable people don’t return to work until Monday, so we’ll give them that much. Yeah, we know. We’re not reasonable. Ha ha.