It’s not every day students gets to meet with university administrators to discuss class sizes and safety on campus.
But that’s what Rabia Sajun did Feb. 28 after winning York University’s first-ever President for a Day essay contest — she also cut down her usual hour-long commute to 20 minutes thanks to the presidential parking pass.
Sajun, a third-year biology and education student, said she entered the contest so York’s president Mamdouh Shoukri could see firsthand how busy life is for students.
“It’s been a long time since he’s been a student.” she said. “[The contest] lets the administration see what students care about the most.”
Many American universities host similar competitions as a way to boost student engagement, but York was the first Canadian university to run a President for a Day contest, according to a university press release.
The contest asked students to submit an essay where they listed three issues they would address if they were president.
Sajun beat 40 other applicants with her suggestion for smaller classes, more space in the science library and better safety awareness across campus.
“I think the class sizes are a big issue for new students,” Sajun said. “They are used to classes of 30 people and then they take first-year chemistry and they’re in classes of 500 people.”
She said her day kicked off with a string of meetings with the vice-president (academics) to discuss class sizes and with the vice-president (finance) to talk about safety on campus.
“It was great to meet with those people and see how enthusiastic they are about what they do,” she said.
The prize also included a $200 gift certificate to the university bookstore and a catered lunch for Sajun and three friends. They were served grilled chicken and fruit skewers in the president’s suite.
Rajun said she then attended a roundtable discussion where all the other applicants for the contest offered ideas on issues like school pride and campus safety.
The group suggested ideas for joint events that could be held among York’s student clubs to connect residence students with commuters.
Sajun said the most surprising thing about her day was the fast-pace of Shoukri’s daily routine.
“It was one meeting after another,” she said. “It’s like that everyday for him.”
“I really enjoyed the experience, but I never appreciated how busy he is,” she added.
Shoukri, meanwhile, took the bus to get to campus. He attended Sajun’s two lectures and a physics lab.
He then went to a meeting of the chemistry society of which Sajun is co-president, according to a press release. From the library to the microwave lineup, he introduced himself to the students he met during the day.
“It was very clear to me as a student that student space is lacking, most notably in both libraries and the student centre. Almost all the seats were filled in the middle of the day,” he said in the press release. “On a personal level, the day was a lot of fun and it was fantastic for me to be able to engage with the students.”
