Five undergraduate students are in the running for two elected positions to sit on the Board of Governors, Carleton’s highest decision making body.
In this position, they will represent and lobby the board on behalf of students as well as vote on decisions such as the approval of the university budget and new construction projects.
Each representative is taking a strong stance towards decreasing tuition costs, student service opportunities, and greater campus involvement.
David Andrews, a fourth-year criminology student with a minor in business, has been a part of community-based organizations in Ottawa for the last few years. He was a job training instructor for Operation Come Home, an organization that supports young adults dealing with homelessness. He has also worked as a YOUCAN conflict resolution organizer, an organization that works to reduce youth violence.
His platform points include the creation of more student job opportunities on campus, better student access for students on the Board of Governors, and a greater diversity in scholarships offered by the university.
With student finances as the figurehead, he said his “main objective is to create jobs and career experience for students.”
If elected, he said he will ensure sufficient resources are allocated toward jobs on campus so students have jobs during their education and are prepared for the workforce.
He said he wants to continue pressuring the Board to lower tuition and cited the letter sent by the Board of Governors to the provincial government to increase accessibility to education as an example.
Andrews said he would also host regular office hours to meet with students and educate them on the functions and current actions of the Board.
Adam Carroll, a third-year history student, has been involved in student politics since his first year at Carleton. He is currently an arts and social sciences councillor on the Carleton University Students’ Association council. Carroll is also the co-founder of the Carleton University Student Action Movement, a student group lobbying for lower tuition.
He said he believes in lowering tuition by seeking out alternative solutions to raising student fees and has been actively involved in the process as a student and a councillor by lobbying the Board of Governors and pressuring the university.
Transparency is also an important part of Carroll’s platform. He said he wants to ensure students are aware of the nature and outcome of decisions the Board will be making at each meeting.
He promised to create a self-run blog, which would detail the meetings of the Board and make this information accessible to all. He said his objective is to keep the Board and himself accountable to the student population.
“I intend on fighting tooth and nail against any potential increase both inside the Board of Governors and outside,” he said.
Mohamed El Koussy, a third-year neuroscience and mental health student, has been involved on campus in roles such as director of social programming for the Muslim Students Association and vice-president (operations) for Carleton Academic Student Government in the 2013-14 academic year.
He said the “opportunity to meet and discuss issues with students from a diverse range of backgrounds” is what makes him a good candidate, and he is dedicated to maintaining open lines of communication with the student body.
His platform focuses on policies he said relates to the daily issues students face. El Koussy wants to see a variety of food selections made available to students, more affordable rates for student parking on campus, and to extend library hours, which are significantly less than the hours the University of Ottawa library has in place.
El Koussy said he wants to lobby the Board of Governors to promote a breakdown of expenses to keep a healthy awareness of students financial decisions. His major platform point is the increased transparency of financial documents for clubs and societies as well as student organizations that receive student money.
Samiha Rayeda, a third-year law and human rights students, is the only female student in the running. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for OPIRG-Carleton, an on campus activism resource centre funded by a student levy. She is also the vice-president (internal) of the Carleton University Student Action Movement, a student group lobbying for lower tuition.
Rayeda’s platform consists of advocating to lower tuition fees, fiscally-responsible investing on the part of the Board of Governors, and the implementation of student polling so they remain updated on issues that matter to them.
If elected, she will “ensure that the voice of all students and specifically marginalized groups are represented.”
In recent years, Rayeda said she has lobbied against the Board of Governors’ tuition increases and fully intends to keep her fight up if elected by consistently voting down motions to increase tuition.
Disappointed that many students simply don’t know what goes on at the Board of Governors, Rayeda said it is her goal to educate fellow students through class talks and meeting with clubs on campus so they know how her decisions will affect them.
Reilly Vamplew, a second-year political science student with a minor in sexuality studies, said his experience in campus affairs started as a floor representative for fourth floor Dundas in his first year. Later he was a team member for the Pride Toronto Donations Team, and helped to bring in the most donations the fundraiser ever made.
Vamplew said a part of his platform would be to increase student financial literacy.
“I want students to be armed with the financial know-how to be able to set up a sustainable life when they leave here,” he said.
In his platform, Vamplew said he wants conclusive action regarding tuition fees and improving the state of residence maintenance, so students know their money is being spent wisely.
Concerning tuition, Vamplew said he will reach out to other universities to organize a collective effort to reduce program fees at Carleton and across the province.
If elected Vamplew also said he will better advertise the proceedings of Board meetings by utilizing several strategies such as: direct correspondence with school newspapers, emails through Carleton Central, and online banner ads.
“Maybe if students were given this chance to know, it would breed more participation in whats happening at our school,” he said.
Voting dates are March 10, 11, and 12. Students will be able to vote online through Carleton Central.
