Month: January 2007

Categories
AMS Elections 2007

VP Admin Portfolio

This post was originally written by Tim Louman-Gardiner.

Primary Responsibilities:

  • Overseeing the maintenance, renovation of the SUB. If there’s something wrong with the building, or any other issues relating to AMS buildings, that’s it.
  • Chairing the Impacts committee, which handles sustainability
  • Planning the Student Leadership Conference
  • Oversee SAC – Student Administrative Commission. SAC is responsible for:
    • Communicating with clubs, and organizing their activities
    • Regulating clubs, and organizing clubs days
    • Liaising with bookings of SUB space

The typical contentious issues include:

  • Controversial bookings/use of space. For instance, the annual “Genocide Awareness Project” or Israel/Palestine forums
  • Access to SUB spaces, and ensuring that students have access to the space
  • Balancing needs in renovating spaces. How to make the Conversation Pit more appealing, for example?
  • Ensuring that clubs don’t get too much of a run-around from the AMS, yet ensuring they’re accountable and follow the rules.
  • Trying to make sure everybody has a chance to book the SUB.
Categories
AMS Elections 2007

Childcare at UBC: a small step forward

This post was originally written by Gina Eom.

AMS Council Meeting was productive today. This is the 3rd last meeting before turnover.

What came forward as an addendum to the Agenda was a motion for the AMS to contribute 100 000$ a year for the next 10 years to expand the childcare program at UBC, such that the current 2-3 year waitlist is alleviated at least in part, adding 145 more childcare spots of the 1300 that need to be met. This is a small step forward but a significant one. As Jeff Friedrich (one of the leading executives in this initiative) said, this needs to be seen as a movement, not an end solution. The university/Province is expected to meet us with roughly $400 000 a year, and this will be voted on at next week Board of Governor’s meeting.

Right now the 2-3 year long waitlist is ridiculous and it’s unfeasible for students to access the service. Moreover, faculty members often get a head-start, as they register months in advance before they come to UBC. A lack of childcare service to students with children is an enormous barrier to their education. A lot of them are graduate and more mature students, bringing in a diverse perspective into the academic community.

So the motion today was a very positive one, and I thank the VP Academic Jeff Friedrich (whose portfolio childcare is under) and President Kevin Keystone who worked on this. I also thank the council for unanimously passing this motion tonight. What’s even greater about this is (if it passes at Board next week) that 40% of childcare spots from Phase I and II (we are not contributing to Phase II of the expansion project at all!) will be designated and protected to go towards students.

My initial concern which I raised was that we the student society are offloading the responsibility of the Province and the University to fund these glaring needs. Stephen Toope himself called the childcare situation a “crisis”. However my concerns were appeased before the council meeting by the aforementioned executives:

“CPAC was originally established to fund childcare, so we’re just seeing out a key piece of it’s mandate – students voted in 1999 to create the fund to increase the number of childcare spaces on campus, and we tried but the proposal we put up money towards fell through. So even if we are doing the university’s job, students voted to do it.” (Kevin Keystone)

Whoever the next President and VP Academic will be, they will have to follow up on this initiative and see negotiations through. They will also have to continue the important dialogue created tonight in committing to childcare needs for students at the Vancouver campus of UBC.

(Photo: taken in 2004 at the UBC International House)

Categories
AMS Elections 2007

Why VFM

This post was originally written by Gerald Deo.

So, dear reader, you may be wondering why in [deity]’s name Gina Eom and Tim Louman-Gardiner are bothering with this here VFM project.

First, they’re bored.

Second, they happen to (perhaps naively) believe that AMS and UBC elections have a tremendous impact on student life, and that the student representatives, like it or not, are the face of students to the administration. And the administration are responsible for every facet of student life, so it follows that student representation, done well can play a very important role in the university experience.

“But Tim and Gina,” I can hear you now. “Isn’t student politics the domain of approval-seeking wannabe political hacks and resume padders?” Well, you wouldn’t be wrong. But for every med or law school applicant, there’s also someone trying very hard to make a difference in the student experience.

And therein lies the real reason we’re doing this blog. To help you, the voter, to identify those candidates who are serious, who have the skills, and who are making an earnest and sincere experience to better the student experience at UBC. Because if the right candidates get elected, then you, and we, will notice a difference.

We also see the Voter-Funded Media contest as a unique experiment. Quite frankly, we’re interested in how it turns out. And hope we can play a part in its success.

And yes, there’s also prize money. And no, we haven’t yet decided exactly what to do with it. But it will most definitely involve martinis.

Categories
AMS Elections 2007

Who are these people

This post was originally written by Gina Eom.

This is a completely self-promoting post which hopefully no one will read.

If you’re wondering who the heck we are, I suppose this will give you a better idea.

Tim is a law student, but prior to this obtained a BA Hons in PoliSci (also at UBC). He is interested in Canadian politics, sports, and gets very worked up over TV shows such as Arrested Developments and 24. In the past he has been the president of the Debate Club, a program director for Imagine UBC, and a Board of Governor and AMS councillor. He likes to think of his politics as issue-specific, but they are ultimately driven by a fundamental idealism of making the world a better place (Boyscout alert!).

Gina is studying immunology, but is an in-closet artsie. She is interested in international politics, philosophy, and fine arts. She has been on the Senate for three years, and has been involved with the Red Cross both on and off-campus.

Both Tim and Gina are graduating this year, and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to offer the student body honest insight and experience accumulated over the many years they’ve been at this university.

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