Faculty of Arts Students' Association

Emily LUNDY

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Hey Arts students! My name is Emily Lundy and I am running to be your next FASA President. I have had the opportunity to work with FASA for the last two years, first as your Political Science Representative and this past year as your Vice President Events! It has been my absolute pleasure getting to know many of you through the events I’ve been able to plan and attend – so I would love the honour of representing you! 1. Creating a Culture within the Arts Faculty

FASA was created to create community within the very large and diverse Faculty of Arts. Now that FASA has worked hard to establish a community, let’s continue to invigorate it by creating a culture that really unifies that community. As I am only one person, I cannot decide what that culture looks like – that is up to our 7,000 Arts students. The possibilities are endless, but I believe it is time for other faculties to greet us with more than just, “so…. what are you going to do with your degree?”

That’s why I want to work with Arts students to create a culture within the faculty that we can all be proud of. I hope to run a campaign at the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester to hear from you on what you want that culture to look like, so we can cultivate it throughout the year!

2. Supporting Students and Faculty Through Strategies

It’s no secret that post-secondary education has recently fallen on hard times. It may feel like there is not much we can do, but I disagree. The university has four important strategies that I believe we can use to our advantage to strengthen our relationship with the faculty AND benefit students. These strategies include:

1) The Campus Mental Health Strategy

Mental health is clearly a priority for most students on campus. I’ve been proud to work on several mental health events to help students, including Glow with the Flow yoga, boosting students’ spirits with a free coffee and hot chocolate during finals season, and the mental health wall we hosted last semester. I believe that if FASA can provide more mental health resources we have the potential to significantly improve your time on campus. I hope to accomplish this through events, pop ups with more freebies (like coffee!) and listening to your needs about ways we can lend an extra hand.

2) ii' taa'poh'to'p – The Indigenous Strategy

FASA opens each council and executive meeting with a land acknowledgement, because we believe in the importance of reconciliation. I believe there is still lots of work to do, and if elected, I look forward to seeing in what ways FASA can act as an ally to Indigenous students. Because I am not Indigenous, I am not in a position to definitively say what that looks like, but I plan to discuss this with the Indigenous Students’ Council.

3) The Sustainability Strategy

Sustainability is more than just helping our environment, it’s also making sure campus is inclusive and accessible. Dean of Arts Dr. Richard Sigurdson is actually the only dean on campus to sit on the Institutional Sustainability Strategy Advisory Committee. This year we had our first sustainable event certification, which is something I hope to increase. Additionally, I hope we can offer more events that will encourage students to be more sustainable in their daily lives.

4) The Research Strategy

FASA has worked hard over the last two years to get the Arts Undergraduate Research Symposium (AURS) off the ground. Research is an important part of our institution and I think it’s important for Arts students to be a part of it! As such, I hope to work closely with the VP Academic to improve opportunities for research for Arts students as well as continue to increase participation in AURS.

With the new performance based metrics set forth by the province, assisting the faculty in achieving their goals will put us on the same page and allow us to help more students.

3. Further Enrich the Student Experience

Being a university student doesn’t just have to be going to your lecture and going home. FASA has so much potential to offer programming that will spice up your resume, assist in your studies, and have a little bit of fun! I’d love to hear feedback from Arts students to hear about the ways in which FASA can enrich your university experience and make your time on campus even better.

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Emma STIRLING

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My name is Emma Stirling and I am running to be the Faculty of Arts Student Association’s next VP Academic! I know that the last few weeks have been filled with anxiousness and uncertainty, but students at the University of Calgary are resilient and we will all get through this together. It may seem hard to focus on the Fall semester but, as VP Academic, I want to ensure that Faculty of Art students have a positive and engaging school year when we all return to campus. Academics is a key part of student life at the University of Calgary, and as VP Academic I want to create new opportunities for students to engage with not only our campus community but the Calgary community as well. My promises to students are as follows!

1. Increase Academic- Focused Events

The Faculty of Arts is the largest faculty on campus, but it can often be difficult to access academic support and advising. Having opportunities to connect with other art students and having increased access to programs through the Student Success Center is a key aspect of creating more engaging academic assistance! If elected I will:

• Hold monthly workshops that focus on issues that are important to art students like writing support, time management, mental health, and research formulation
• Through student discussion and feedback, I will advocate for more access to scholarship, bursary, and award application assistance from Art’s Faculty members and Student’s Union Representatives
• Hold regular office hours in order to connect with students to ensure that student concerns about academics are being heard and acted upon
• Curate events that focus on student mental health during peak academic seasons by coordinating with the Student’s Union and University Wellness services

2. Undergraduate Research and Career Networking

The Arts Undergraduate Research Symposium is an excellent way for students to present their work to other students and faculty members. Having opportunities to engage in independent research projects can help secure job opportunities and holding networking events for Arts students is a key part of showing them what kind of options are available to them after they graduate. In addition to running the Arts Undergraduate Research Symposium, there are further actions I will take as VP Academic. If elected I will:

• Further collaborate with the Student’s Union to help Art’s Students easily access resources such as research jobs, SU workshops, and the SU Undergraduate Research Symposium
• Collaborate with student clubs and organizations to create an Artswide Undergraduate Journal in order to publish academic work and create opportunities for students to gain recognition for outstanding research done at the University even if it was not independently supervised
• Hold two networking events, one per semester, to facilitate opportunities for undergraduate students to connect with potential employers and mentors
• Collaborate with Arts Faculty staff and the Student’s Union to provide more ‘artfriendly’ options for career fares and other campus networking initiatives

3. Academic Advocacy and Transparency

After the release of the latest Provincial budget in Alberta, many University students are anxious about tuition increases and access to services on campus. All students deserve transparency about how budget cuts may affect student or academic life and should have student organizations that advocate on their behalf. If elected I will:

• Focus on voicing student concern to Faculty members and elected officials
• Provide frequent updates about events or policies that may affect Faculty of Arts Students and hold open office hours in order to hear student concerns before meeting with Faculty staff
• Support students, clubs, and organizations in order to facilitate empathetic community action and response to government policy regarding postsecondary
• Curate events that focus on how students are able to advocate for better access to university programs and tuition assistance alongside studentrun organizations

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Nandini AGARWAL

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Hello Arts Students!

I am Nandini Agarwal, and I am a third-year English student. I am running for the Faculty of Arts Students’ Association (FASA) Vice President Academic (VPA) position in the upcoming election. I have been a Representative for the Department of English, and been an integral part of a number of other associations and clubs. If elected, I want to work towards making your 2020-2021 academic year less stressful, and more successful.

My main priority is you, the students of the Faculty of Arts. I will be working towards making your academic year easier by providing assistance, opportunities, and being your voice. In the biggest faculty on campus, students can sometimes feel lost, however, I want to provide a space for you to raise your concerns and voice your opinions. Every step of my campaign, and if elected VP Academic, will be taken based on what is beneficial for you. The three most important platform points I would like to talk about are:

Platform Point 1: Advocacy

1. I will work towards making sure that the students know where and how to access the resources related to them, such as meeting minutes, and campus-wide support systems available to the students by working on a monthly newsletter.
2. I will spend as many hours as needed to make sure that I represent the role of VP Academic and the voice of Arts students to my full potential. I have previously handled multiple roles for associations and clubs at the same time, however, if elected, I will be stepping down from many of those positions in order to focus on my role as VP Academic.

Platform Point 2: Engagement

1. I will work towards organizing academic events with the other elected members of committees, and associations such as our Student Union Representatives, FASA Executive team and department representatives, and residence and campus based associations and clubs.
2. I will be overseeing the Arts Undergraduate Research Symposium (AURS) and will advocate for larger participation from students by promoting the event throughout the year through various mediums. I will work towards expanding AURS by including more departments in our faculty and further enhancing and broadening the opportunity. In order to achieve that goal, I will collaborate with the respective department representatives and heads.
3. I will work towards organizing more academic events for the betterment of students throughout the year. One of the many events I would like to have is study-sessions. This will be an opportunity for students to be able to meet other students within their majors, for students to be able to support each other, and ultimately, learn from each other.

Platform Point 3: Accessibility

1. If elected, I will work towards providing accessibility to students to reach out to me regarding any academic concern they may have. I will hold weekly office hours and make sure that there will be no delays from my side in providing support. I understand that office hours can be hard for students to attend, hence, I will also be reachable through social media, and other platforms, such as email and phone number. I want to work towards providing as much support needed.

I am extremely dedicated towards my community and I will fulfill each promise I have made, to the best of my abilities. I am all-in on this endeavour, and if elected, I will put-in the time, the effort and make full use of my platform and your feedback to ensure I am the best VP Academic I can be. Thank you so much for your time. Stay safe amidst Covid-19. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out at (825)-994-5425, any of my social media, or nandiniforvpa@protonmail.com. Voting begins at 10:00am on March 26, and ends at 3:00pm on March 27!

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Sarah RIZVI

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My name is Sarah Rizvi and I am running for VP Events in the Faculty of Arts Executive Elections. This past year I have become part of the FASA community as the Political Science Department Representative and a Director for the Arts Undergraduate Research Symposium Committee. These roles have enriched my undergraduate experience and allowed me to develop meaningful connections with the Arts Faculty. As VP Events, I want to provide advantageous opportunities for Arts students to engage with the faculty through a broader role. Furthermore, my experience as a Department Representative and Director provide me unique insight on how to engage with the Arts Faculty. If elected, I would focus my role on three main facets: collaboration, department representative support, and community engagement.

Collaboration

As a Department Representative, I have found that collaboration among faculties, organizations, and department programs yield greater results. Not only do we receive a larger turnout, but we are also able to work with multiple groups to address a variety of interests. Moreover, collaboration helps facilitate community building amongst the Arts faculty and between external organizations. As VP Events, I would make the effort to collaborate with my fellow FASA council members and external bodies, such as department representatives, the Student Union, and various campus clubs.

Community Engagement

FASA strives to mobilize the Arts faculty and engage students in their undergraduate experience. As VP Events, I would work with services at the university such as the leadership and student engagement office, sustainability office, the Art’s Co-Op, and the Student Union to provide engagement opportunities for Arts students. For example, I would like to work in collaboration with the Arts representatives and Arts Co-op office to provide information sessions for students. In regard to existing FASA events, such as Arts Welcome Evening and Dodge with the Deans. I would focus on achieving a greater turnout across the faculty through advance planning so as not to overlap with other events and work with the VP Communication to develop engaging marketing campaigns. Lastly, I would utilize the platforms professors have to market events across a number of students.

Department Representative Support

Executing events, especially as a new Department Representative, can be difficult. Previously having been in this position, I am aware of the struggles Department Representatives might face when planning events. My goal is to actively support them by conducting monthly check-ins in regard to their events and providing insight on the event planning process. Further, due the numerous programs in the Arts faculty it can be difficult for smaller programs to receive recognition and representation. I would address this by collaborating with smaller, interdisciplinary programs such as the School of Languages, Linguistics, Literature and Culture and encouraging interdisciplinary events across the Arts Faculty.

My experience with FASA has been incrediby rewarding and if chosen as VP Events for the FASA Executive Council, I would do my best to deliver engaging, collaborative, and dynamic events. If you have any questions about my platform, please feel free to contact me at sarah.rizvi1@ucalgary.ca.

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Rayane ISSA

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Hello Arts!

My name is Rayane Issa and I am running to be FASA’s (Faculty of Arts Students’ Association) Vice President, Operations and Finance (VP OpFi). Over the past two years I have been an active member in the Arts faculty with last year being an effective Student’s Union Arts Representative. FASA has been a vigorous voice for all Arts Students and I realize the importance of this role in ensuring that students are continuously being represented. I have consulted past VP OpFi, fellow students and different faculty clubs and after much input, I am very humbled to share my three core platform points with you.

1. Improved Student Spaces and Infrastructure:

When elected for my role as an Arts Representative one of my biggest goals was improving infrastructure for students. Currently, the fine arts building is located on top of the arts parkade, Craigie Hall is lacking in maintenance and other Arts building are clearly dater and falling apart. This is problematic. With the suspension of the Infrastructure Maintenance Program (IMP) and the shrinking size of the Campus Improvement Fund as well as overall budget cuts. If elected, there are three main things that I want to accomplish:

• Work closely with the infrastructure team and the Board of Governors to create a feasible plan for improvements for the students.
• Work closely with students, especially fine arts students, to collect letters of support for a Quality Money Application dedicated for infrastructure improvements.
• Submit a Quality Money Application for said improvements with the input of students in the faculty.

2. Faculty Wide Budget and Mentorship:

With the current COVID-19 set backs and the cancellation of mentorship events as well as the diminishing budget that we are facing, it is more important now, than ever, to ensure that a formal budget is established to sustain our diverse students needs for next year and years to follow. The reason I have chosen to combine Budget and Mentorship is because they go hand in hand, since we cannot bring the student body closer to opportunities without securing opportunities that will be contingent on our budget. In order to accomplish this, I have come up with a three-step plan:

• Secure funding from the faculty at the beginning of my term to ensure the feasibility of the events being put forward.
• Review all FASA event proposals with hosts at the beginning of the term to ensure that all events are beneficial to our diverse student body.
• Work to secure sponsorships as well as alumni support in order to ensure that our student body is receiving all the support that it requires.

3. Accountability and Transparency:

In the past two years, FASA has solidified its presence on our campus as an organization that is set to represent the student’s body and work towards unifying our diverse community. If elected, I will utilize this role to continue the work of my successors in shaping the long-term framework of FASA. By utilizing my role as the chair of FASA’s Policy Review and Amendment Committee I will ensure that FASA’s policy is transparent and easily accessible. Additionally, through the utilization of FASA council and PRAC I want to facilitate ways to hold us accountable. In order to accomplish this, I want to accomplish this through the utilization of four main points:

• Work to secure faculty committee appointments from FASA membership. Right now, FASA holds two seats on Faculty Council only. If elected, I want to work with the administration to provide seats for members on decision making committees aside from FC.
• Utilize the newsletter to communicate with students more effectively.
• Review the accountability form and commitment with the rest of the executive team and consequently, our council.
• Introduce email and document memory; this will be an easy and effective way for new executives to take on past projects with minimal complications.

If elected, I will be utilizing this role to be a true advocate and a liaison between FASA, the Student’s Union, the Student Body and University Administration. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns regarding my platform, experience or FASA in general.

Thank you for your consideration and don’t forget to vote March 26 and March 27!

Facebook and Instagram – @Rayaneissa4

Email – Rayane.issa1@ucalgary.ca

Phone – (403)608-8815

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