David Andrews and Mohamed El Koussy won the two student seats on Carleton’s Board of Governors (BoG) on March 13 out of five candidates that ran in the election.
The voting period was from March 10-12. Andrews won with 1,258 votes, while Koussy won with 1,210.
According to university secretary Anne Bauer, a total of 2,093 students voted in this year’s elections. The voter turn out saw an approximate 86 per cent increase from last year’s 1,115 votes.
As student representatives, Andrews and El Koussy will be the outlet for undergraduate affairs. Their role is to sit on Board meetings and suggest motions, voice the concerns of their constituents, and vote on all available documents that affect the university.
This includes maintenance and construction of buildings across campus, the availability and efficiency of services provided to faculty and students, and the ability to vote on the annual budget for the next fiscal year.
During the election, tuition was a prominent subject with all five candidates that ran.
Each nominee ran on a fee-and-service oriented plan, demanding a stop to rising tuition costs and improving the resources that Carleton has to offer.
Both Andrews and El Koussy said they were grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Board and the overwhelming support they received from voters, family, and friends alike.
Andrews has promised to increase library hours to compete with the extended service that the University of Ottawa has, wants a better selection of scholarships to be available to students, and more student jobs on campus.
Likewise, El Koussy believes Carleton should expand on the times students can access the library they have at their disposal. He also wants to lower parking fees on evenings and weekends, and also advocated for the removal of hidden fees that clubs and societies pay.
El Koussy said it’s important to work closely with the administration in order to get things done.
“I think it’s important to first analyze where the administration is in terms of each issue to better make use of time and resources,” El Koussy said.
Carleton University Students’ Association president Folarin Odunayo said this year’s BoG election was more organized than the past, and is hopeful the new candidates will do a good job.
“I would hope that the two who were elected remember the conversations they have with students,” Odunayo said. “[I hope they remember] the things that matter to them and reflect that when they sit on the board.”
The candidates-elect both said they will work hard and continue to reach out to the people who voted them into the office.
“No matter who you are, where you’ve come from . . . the only way you can truly lose, is if you allow others to outwork you,” Andrews said.
The candidates will serve on Carleton’s Board of Governors for one academic school year, 2015-16.
