Sofia OsborneThe undergraduate Board of Governors Representative is a volunteer that sits on the highest governing body at the University of Alberta. Of the Board’s 31 members, only three are students: the president of the Students’ Union, the president of the Graduate Students’ Association, and the Board of Governors’ Representative.
In their term, the Board of Governors’ Representative will partake in discussions about operational charges to students (such as tuition increases, rent increases, and meal plans) and vote on these issues at the Board. Student representatives are often the only Board members to vote against motions like substantial tuition increases.
Because of their importance, we had current Board of Governors Representative, Colin Champagne, talk to candidates Armand Birk and Mike Sandare about their ideas.
- Read introductions to each candidate here: SU Elections Q&A: Undergraduate Board of Governors Representative
Birk, meanwhile, is running with experience from being president of the association in Residence Saint-Jean, and aims to set up a consultation network that will allow him to gather data from specific constituents in the weeks leading up to Board meetings.
Sandare, this year’s Students’ Union Vice-President (External), is running on a platform of using “confessionals” to communicate student needs to the board, and says he wants to address issues such as racism and employment with Board committees.
Listen to them defend their platform points and explain ideas of what the Board of Governors Representative should be.
