Please note that this post was a collaborative effort by all editors.
President
1 Natalie Swift
2 Bijan Ahmadian
3 Sean Kim
4 Pak Ho Leung
Do we want Haack to be the next hack? What about the wide-open race for Senate? The full list of endorsements after the jump.
These are the last two referenda that need to be covered for this year’s elections. They’ll be covered together because they are relatively straightforward so there is not a whole lot to say.
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Click here to skip to profiles of the candidates in this race.
The President is the visionary and leader of the AMS. In the most fundamental sense, the job of the AMS President is to ensure the organization is fulfilling its mandate. This mandate is a set of eleven objectives which can be found in the society’s constitution, or holistically in the simpler AMS mission statement:
To improve the quality of the educational, social, and personal lives of the students of UBC.
We feel we don’t know enough about the candidates, so in partnership with The Ubyssey we’re presenting The Presidential Debate.
One hour of questions directed at the candidates, intended to point out differences between the candidates. We’re scouring through voting records, we’re watching the old debates, we’re researching what’s been said, and we’re fact checking. Come out and watch your hero triumph or fluster. Instead of a rigid format, Geoff Costeloe will be moderating in a style to encourage interesting debate.
Tuesday, January 26th, 7pm at the Centre of Student Involvement (main floor Brock Hall). Afterward, there will be a casual reception with refreshments. Bring a friend!
UBC’s longest serving Vice-President has been asked to continue to serve at his post as Vice-President, Students, pending the completion of a review process. Brian Sullivan, who came to UBC from his former post as Associate Vice-President (Student Affairs) at the University of Guelph in 1999, was appointed by then-President Martha Piper. Upon the arrival of Stephen Toope, all of the other VPs under Piper either left, were asked to leave, or did not have their contracts renewed.
More about the job and how you can be involved in the review process, after el jump.
As per UBC Insiders tradition, we asked this year’s president to make some endorsements. As Blake cannot due to slate rules, this is a guest post by Mike Duncan, the illustrious president of the AMS in 2008-09, and current Board member.
If you know me, you know that I care deeply for this school and for the AMS. I want to see the best for students and think that the AMS must play a role in improving this campus. It is with this in mind that I tell you who I think would be the best for the future of the AMS.
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Click here to skip to profiles of the candidates in this race.
Note: Alex was a student 2008-2009 senator.
The Senate represents one of the places where students can influence the most change over the lives of every student. The highest governing academic body on campus, the Senate drafts the academic calendar, is the final body of appeals on academic issues, and is consulted on all issues pertaining to the academic side of the house, such as the University’s budget and academic building use.
Why the most important basis for the job is showing up, after the jump
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Click here to skip to profiles of the candidates in this race.
The 21-member Board of Governors at UBC is composed of “the Chancellor, the President, eleven persons appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council (representing the province), three students elected by students, three faculty members elected by faculty, and two employees elected by employees.” Two of these students are elected during AMS Elections from the student population at UBC Vancouver. (the third student is from UBC Okanagan).
These elected representatives are privy to a vast amount of information about UBC, as essentially every major decision is passed by the Board. They also have a unique opportunity to speak before the Board about student issues, and ensure that major developments at UBC are not negatively impacting quality of education or the student experience.
We asked candidates about which Board Committees interest them; what the biggest problems with the Board are; what is important about the role of the Board; and how they will advocate and increase student accountability to the Board.
See Candidate Profiles and what would make Andrew’s ideal BoG candidate, after the jump.
The following is a guest post by Bowinn Ma, EUS President 2007-2008; AMS Councilor 2006-2008; Former Hack, less so now.
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Couldn’t attend the debate?
The Ubyssey will be streaming and recording all the elections debates live! Archived debates and live streams can be found at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ams-elections-2010
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The attendance at today’s debate was disheartening and frustrating—that is, candidate attendance, not audience attendance. Exactly 50% of all candidates in all three races did not attend the debates and only one of these missing candidates, Sean Heisler for Board of Governors, had bothered to send proxy representation. In two of these races, the total number of candidates running was two, which meant that there was a lot of leg and elbow room for the one that did show up.
Before we start, this is important to note: Since this referendum proposes a bylaw change, the referendum needs 75% approval in order to pass.
Background
During the past year, a movement to get a non-voting seat on AMS council for students with disabilities had been slowly building. It was felt that there were barriers to participation by students with disabilities both in the structure of the AMS and the layout of the SUB. It was also felt that their councilors were not in touch enough with their issues, and because there was no one on council advocating for their issues, that change was not to come soon. It all came to a head on November 18, 2009, when the question was put to council about whether they’d like to create this seat. After an emotionally-charged debate, council decided 21-10 against creating the seat, causing advocates of students with disabilities to leave the room in disgust. Having been rebuffed by council, this set in motion a movement to bring this question to referendum, which brings us to where we are today.
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