SU Elections 2022 Q&A: General Faculties Council Candidates Part I

General Faculties Council (GFC) is the University of Alberta’s body in charge of making decisions related to academics. It consists of 162 members, including university administrators, deans, professors, and undergraduate student representatives. They meet every month and has subcommittees that meet regularly.

Candidates hoping to represent their faculties on General Faculties Council were announced on March 17. Voting is taking place on March 23 and March 24. This is part one of our Q&As with GFC candidates, part two can be found here.

The following interviews have been edited for brevity and clarity.

Arts (eight seats)

The following candidates are running in this race:

• Rebeca Avila
• Ariane Lamoureux
• Leo Huang
• Milan Regmi
• Jaida Han
• Hussain Alhussainy
• Haruun Ali
• Sarah Opeña-Sakar

The Gateway reached out to all candidates, but Lamoureux and Han were unable to provide comment before The Gateway‘s deadline.

Why are you running for this position?

Rebeca Avila: I am running for an an arts GFC seat because I am passionate about advocating for the student community. I am enthusiastic about working to amplify students’ voices and collaborate in the implementation of solutions to students’ needs and concerns. 

Leo Huang: I’m running for both Students’ Council and GFC because I’ve been interested in doing advocacy work, and as a political science student I feel I need to bring my knowledge to a test and experience the things that I study in-person. However, most importantly I run because I see there are many things that I feel our campus needs improving. This university is a great university, however, their great things sometimes need improvements and I think I’m the one go in and make those improvements.

Milan Regmi: I am running for Students’ Council and for GFC because I want the university to come out of this pandemic stronger than ever, and I think this is the opportunity we have to be able to do so. The last two years have been extremely hard for students, with a pandemic combined with continuous cuts to the university, which has deeply impacted the quality of education and services that students are receiving. From what I have seen, however, I believe that when students of different backgrounds and programs work collaboratively to solve common challenges, it gives us a meaningful framework and a purpose to keep advocating for the kind of university that we want to see. Coming out of this pandemic hopefully soon, I really hope to be able to lead that charge in Students’ Council and GFC.

Hussain Alhussainy: I am running for arts GFC councillor because I believe that having a bachelor’s of arts degree is incredibly valuable and I am passionate about making students get the most out of their education.

Haruun Ali: I am currently a Students’ Union councillor and would like to continue my work in mobilizing students as well as holding our executive team accountable to the promises. However, largely, I want to work specifically this year on the things that I said I would do if I had been elected as [Students’ Union] president.

Sarah Opeña-Sakar: I am running to represent faculty of arts students on both Students’ Council and GFC because I am simply passionate about ensuring that everyone’s thoughts and ideas are heard.

What previous experience do you have that would allow you to serve as a good GFC representative?

Avila: This year, I have had the honour to serve as one of the arts councillors. I have been part of the Council Administration Committee (CAC) and the Social Media Sub-Committee (SMS). I think I can bring this previous knowledge and experience to better serve in my role as GFC representative.

Huang: I’m only a first year so, I’ve never really done anything this big in my life until now. However, I was a student councillor in my high school in Calgary where I was in charge with event planning and helping at events. Currently outside the U of A I act as the Minister of Education in the Alberta Youth Parliament (AYP), previously the TUXIS Youth Parliament of Alberta, where I’m responsible for making and executing initiatives to help educate youth on public speaking and debate.

Regmi: In the past, I have been a fine arts councillor and the granting director for the Organization for Arts Students and Interdisciplinary Studies (OASIS). I have also been an Undergraduate Senator sitting on the University of Alberta Senate, and I have also been a part of the Sustainability Ad Hoc Committee. I think being able to understand just how diverse our university campus really is has really helped me be able to obtain more effective advocacy frameworks and create a strong foundation for how I want to govern, and I want to be able to carry that with me as both a Students’ Union councillor and a GFC representative.

Alhussainy: I believe that my past experiences in advocacy and leadership positions have prepared me to take on such an important role. I’ve had the honour and privilege of serving as both the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) director and the Non-governmental Organizations (NGO) Director in OASIS. I also was a voting member of the faculty of arts Academic Affairs Committee. I also served the City of Edmonton as a Student Senator representing and advocating for my high school. I’ve also been active in serving as one of three Student Trustees on the Edmonton Public School Board (EPSB).

Ali: I’m a current councillor and have been involved in the community for years now. You can see some of my community work at haruun.ca.

Opeña-Sakar: I have connected with hundreds of students over the course of this past year in my leadership role as vice-president (media and marketing) for University of Alberta’s Black Students’ Association (UABSA) where I had the opportunity to listen to the concerns and shared experiences of many.

Could you briefly and concisely describe your platform?

Avila: My main platform point is to conduct strong cross-disciplinary consultation initiatives throughout the academic year. I plan on working with fellow arts councillors and GFC arts representatives, alongside OASIS members, and other faculty of arts associations to better understand what students’ needs are and how we can better address them. 

Huang: I will be fighting for hybrid class structures. I will call for all classes be recorded by professors and posted on eClass as well as posting all assignments on eClass, so classes can accessed outside the classroom.

Regmi: My platform is all about collaboration and consultation. I believe that for any councillor to be effective, these two things must come hand-in-hand. As a councillor, my goal is to establish effective communication between myself and department associations, as we as arts students come from all different faculties and it is important that each and every perspective is taken into account. My goal is to also establish effective communication and collaboration with other councillors from other faculties as well on advocacy projects that will have a university-wide impact and are shared challenges that we have, such as tuition, accessibility, and mental health.

Alhussainy: My platforms parallels my platform for vice-president (external) of OASIS, another position I am running for. This includes advocating for students with disabilities and ensuring students with disabilities are provided the accommodations they require to level the playing field among all students. My platform aims to ensure that all students have consistent access to accommodations when they are needed, on every assessment. Secondly I aim to end the use of ableist proctoring software and advocate for alternate methods of completion for assignments upon student request. Thirdly, I will work to improve access to mental health supports. My platform aims to increase the availability of mental health support by reaching out to professionals in the community to establish a student-centered and culturally sensitive subsidized program for external mental health help, working to unify the messaging about mental health from the University, working with the SU to centralize the mental health information pages provided by the university to reflect the new programs, reaching out to students for constant feedback on mental health programs.

I also want to enhance mentorship opportunities which will connect undergraduate students with graduate students and professionals in the community in their field of study to enhance skill-building to better equip the student, provide insight into what it is like to be employed in that particular field, and build networks for future employment opportunities. Lastly, I want to better the student experience. My platform aims to improve the student experience by completely eliminating the use of online proctoring software, providing additional guidance on how to access existing resources like the University of Alberta Library online, and bringing campus events back on campus, while also offering the flexibility to participate online, and advocating for a mandatory hybrid class model.

Ali: My main platform point is to conduct strong cross-disciplinary consultation initiatives throughout the academic year. I plan on working with fellow arts councillors and GFC arts representatives, OASIS members, and other faculty of arts associations to better understand what students’ needs are and how we can better address them. 

Opeña-Sakar: My platform is all about outreach, accountability, and transparency. I plan to consistently touch base with both individual students and student groups/networks associated with the faculty of arts in order to keep track of any pre-existing concerns and ones to come up in the near-future as well. Of course, I will also commit to finding what is already in place that benefits arts students and advocate to continue such implements.

This is a really tough time for students, and there are many issues to address. What would your number one priority be as a GFC representative?

Avlila: My number one priority as GFC arts representative is to actively voice students’ concerns at GFC meetings, and to make sure to the best of my ability, that the academic and student affairs decisions are made in the best interests of all arts students.  

Huang: In [GFC] I will focus on transparency as a big priority.

Regmi: My number one priority as a Students’ Union councillor and GFC representative is to ensure that as we hopefully emerge back to in-person campus life, that the transition back is as smooth and as less disruptive as possible. I want to ensure that we have a strong foundation to support students as they make their way back to campus, whether that might be in the form of mentorship programs in order to assist students with any questions or concerns they might have as they experience campus life again, or advocating to ensure that we have the appropriate resources and accessibility for mental health, or for academic accessibility.

Alhussainy: In these challenging times, I recognize that there is a level of uncertainty about our education with the integration to an online environment. Rest assured that I will make sure your voices are heard regarding issues such as tuition increases, budget cuts, online education quality, and the betterment of students university experiences online. I want to be a part of ensuring you get what you need to succeed and make the most out of your time here.

Ali: My number one priority is ensuring deferred maintenance is tackled. As some art students can attest like myself, our Humanities Building is quite literally falling apart.

Opeña-Sakar: We can all agree that the past two years have not been easy for anyone and I believe that the newly elected executive team has brought tangible goals to the table which will improve the lives of so many students regardless of faculty. Therefore, my number one priority will be monitoring the progress of how each executive portfolio fulfills their platform points and ensuring that their plans positively affect all students in the faculty of arts.

Fun Question: Where is your favourite place to study or get work done on U of A’s campus?

Avila: My favourite place to study on campus is Rutherford Library. It is my comfort place where I can concentrate the most and get assignments done faster!

Huang: As of second semester I would say I enjoy it in the reading hall on the second floor of Rutherford South since I find it calming to study in there. It’s weird because I feel more distracted and hyper in Rutherford North; I blame the spirits in Rutherford South for calming me down (just kidding).

Regmi: My go-to spot has always been CAB. Can’t go wrong with Remedy Cafe and some really nice study spaces in the basement!

Alhussainy: Cameron Library because when you book a private room, you get access to your own computer which is not the case for other libraries.  

Ali: Dewey’s! If you see me there working on my laptop, pop by!

Opeña-Sakar: Whenever it’s cold outside (which is most of the time), I love studying on the fourth floor of Cameron Library. It’s nice and quiet which motivates me to stay focused on my work. However, during the warmer months I do try my best to sit outdoors and enjoy the beautiful scenery around campus!

Augustana (one seat)

The following candidate is running in this race:

• Abdul Abbasi

Why are you running for this position?

Abbasi: I am in my first year studying at Augustana Campus and there are many issues that can be solved in Augustana with the help of the UASU. I will work for the betterment of students, especially at Augustana.

What previous experience do you have that would allow you to serve as a good GFC representative?

Abbasi: Currently I am off-campus councillor of the Augustana Student Association and part of the Student Advisory Committee to the Office of the Registrar. I was also part of the Graduation Committee in high school. I will use my past experiences to give my best to the council and the students.

Could you briefly and concisely describe your platform?

Abbasi: I will be advocating to provide more resources to Augustana, not limited to providing more financial aid to the students at Augustana and making the Students’ Union play a more active role in the Augustana campus.

This is a really tough time for students and there are many issues to address. What would your number one priority be as a GFC representative?

Abbasi: My first priority would be to get more financial aid for the students all across the U of A and to get transportation between Augustana and North Campus.

Fun Question: Where is your favourite place to study or get work done on U of A’s campus?

Abbasi: The study rooms in Augustana.

Business (three seats)

The following candidates are running in this race:

• Fateh Arslan
• Levi Flaman
• Tessa Monaghan

The Gateway reached out to all candidates, but Monaghan was unable to provide comment before The Gateway’s deadline.

Why are you running for this position?

Fateh Arslan: I am running for this position as I have seen the inconsistencies that happened this year with the academic year being online one day and in person the next. I was really affected by these inconsistencies and I am sure everyone in the student body shares the same view I have. I want to make sure that everyone this next year has consistency and stability to help give the student body the normalcy they have craved for a long time.

Levi Flaman: To continue the work I’ve done this past year as a student-at-large member for the Alberta
School of Business representing Bachelor of Commerce students on the GFC.

What previous experience do you have that would allow you to serve as a good GFC representative?

Arslan: I have started a fundraiser before to help fund the organizations during the refugee crisis in 2017, and I am an International Students’ Association (ISA) marketing and engagement coordinator.

Flaman: I’ve previously served on the GFC as well as the Students’ Union Students’ Council, and as a department association executive.

Could you briefly and concisely describe your platform?

Arslan: Consistency to the academic year and help plan a hybrid/full in-person model and stick to it, to bring back normalcy to the student body, and to help in the fight for tuition hikes.

Flaman: Collaborating with both my fellow student representatives not just representing business students but those from the other faculties as well, in addition to the faculty and staff representatives to bring common-sense data-driven solutions to any of the issues that arise throughout the year that has the potential to adversely affect student life here at the U of A.

This is a really tough time for students, and there are many issues to address. What would your number one priority be as a GFC representative?

Arslan: Normalcy and consistency for the students.

Flaman: Students were recently blindsided with the recent introduction of a new fee to purchase their Verification of Enrolment on Beartracks through MyCreds. Student consent is not required any time a fee such as this is implemented. This $10 fee may not seem like much on its own but can add yet another financial hurdle to our already expensive post-secondary education and was done with little to no consultation. If re-elected, I will work with my colleagues in business as well as the other faculties so solicit feedback on this new fee, bringing it to the council in an attempt to reduce or reverse this user fee from being charged in the future and attempt to keep similar fees from being charged as we already pay a portion of our Academic Support Fee towards the Office of the Registrar for services such as this.

Fun Question: Where is your favourite place to study or get work done on U of A’s campus?

Arslan: I love to study in the Students’ Union Building (SUB) Atrium during the weekend and ECC during weekdays 

Flaman: SUB as it is one of the few places on campus open 24/7. It also has various options for food and caffeine that are open fairly late and reasonably comfortable furniture for relatively long study sessions.

Education (four seats)

The following candidate is running in this race:

• Pien Steinbusch

Why are you running for this position?

Pien Steinbusch: I have decided to run for the UASU and GFC because I want to be part of the decision-making process at the university as it directly influences the well-being of my faculty, its students and my educational journey. In addition, I want to be a voice for the education students, ensuring their concerns, ideas, and needs are being addressed.

What previous experience do you have that would allow you to serve as a good GFC representative?

Steinbusch: Although I do not have much experience at a university level that would serve me well for being a GFC and UASU, I was part of my high school council. Even though my school was small, I played a significant role in ensuring the betterment of the school to the extent I could contribute, and I took my role as the student’s voice very seriously. I am a very determined and passionate individual who does not easily give up or give in on an issue I care deeply about.

Could you briefly and concisely describe your platform?

Steinbusch: Since this is my first time running for a councillor position at the university level, I have not yet created a solid platform. I aim to develop and build my platform as I expand my skills while on the UASU and GFC. I want to experience the position and speak with education students to discover the issues facing the students and build a platform with goals from there. As of now, my biggest goal as the education councillor would be to ensure the issues affecting the students are heard and addressed.

This is a really tough time for students, and there are many issues to address. What would your number one priority be as a GFC representative?

Steinbusch: The past two years have been incredibly tough for students; education students, in particular, have had to deal with online practicums and not being able to interact with students in classes where they typically would. Hopefully, as we move towards a more regular semester, my biggest priority is to reduce the stress and prevent education students from experiencing any more stress.

Fun Question: Where is your favourite place to study or get work done on U of A’s campus?

Steinbusch: My favourite place to study on campus is the first level of the Cameron Library. I love the bustling sounds of other students doing work; it helps me be motivated and complete my work.

Engineering (six seats)

The following candidates are running in this race:

• Adrian Wattamaniuk
• Aiman Saif
• Chanpreet Singh
• Deep Rajani
• Dhir Bid
• Gurbani Baweja
• Jayden Brooks
• Polina Reisbig
• Tahmid Al Hafiz
• Warren Leung

The Gateway reached out to all candidates, but Saif, Reisbig, Al Hafiz, and Leung were unable to provide comment before The Gateway‘s deadline.

Why are you running for this position?

Adrian Wattamaniuk: GFC is an incredibly important body, and student representation is critically important. I want to be a solid voice for the student body on GFC, and bring a nuanced perspective to faculty and administration. I’ve had the pleasure of doing this for the past two years on GFC, and would be honoured to continue this work.

Chanpreet Singh: I have served in GFC for one year and have been a vocal student leader who raised engineering student issues or bought forward engineering student prospects on every item. I am also newly elected co-President of the Engineering Students’ Society (ESS), so being in GFC shall further enable me to advocate for my engineering constituents. I have been the bold voice that engineering students deserve, and I want to continue it! I am there for students!

Deep Rajani: I am extremely passionate about advocating for my fellow engineering community and ensuring that their views, opinions, and interests are listened to and given consideration. For example, the recent tuition hikes, transition between different learning platforms, and decrease in quality of education has made our community feel helpless. Therefore I am determined to make a change to this to ensure that nobody feels like they have no say in any decisions impacting us or that their opinions are irrelevant in any decision making. I am confident in my ability to be able to keep our community engaged through transparency and ensure the problems we all face are identified, discussed, and resolved in the best way possible through strong and brave advocacy.

Dhir Bid: I believe the best person to represent you is yourself. As an engineering student and an international student, I experience first-hand many of the issues my colleagues face. Stemming from an innate quest to make the university experience better for all of us, I am running for this position to hold the university accountable to us and make decisions that are in students’ best interests.

Gurbani Baweja: I am running because I believe in uplifting those around me and I want to use my experience and voice to advocate (which is one of my greatest strengths!) for engineering students. I believe that there is an essential need of holding those at positions of power accountable for their work and transparency and I wish to accomplish that while representing you. We have all taken the bumpy road towards completing our degree during the pandemic and as we navigate back to normal, students need a representative who understands their hardships and is willing to listen and be their voice. I have never been afraid to boldly advocate for the best interests of my community and that is why I am the right fit to represent engineering students in GFC!

Jayden Brooks: I have been involved in student governance over these past two years and have slowly expanded in scope what I have done. With this, I have looked to continue into different avenues when it comes to student governance and hence decided to pursue representing all engineering undergraduates and run for a representative position in Students’ Council. A lot of this decision also came from my unique position as a president of the Electrical Engineering Club which I believed would offer a unique perspective in Students’ Council.

On a more personal level, I have always been interested in SU governance over the past few years, whether it be contacting candidates with questions, watching the forums, etc. And with that, I have built an interest towards it, and it has been something I have hoped to pursue further.

What previous experience do you have that would allow you to serve as a good GFC representative?

Wattamaniuk: I have been on GFC for two years, in addition to serving on the ESS and Board of Governors. Throughout that time, I’ve learned a ton on how to be an effective advocate, and to have the student voice heard. I believe this gives me a solid foundation to continue on GFC.

Singh: I have been two-time president of the International Students’ Association (ISA) and Council on Student Affair Member along with being a GFC member. I am also co-president-elect of the ESS. I have been in governance for two to three years now and thus bring a lot of experience to be a strong engineering councillor who is always ready to question things and bring student prospects.

Rajani: I have served as the director of external relations at the ISA as well as a resident assistant at the University Residence. These two experiences have allowed me to really strengthen my leadership skills as well as my ability to listen and understand the issues faced by a diverse range of individuals and come to a mutually beneficial solution through conflict resolution. Although these positions have not been directly related to an advocacy-based role, I strongly believe that my passion and desire to serve our community and act in its best interest will make me a good candidate to represent our community as an effective and driven councillor.

Bid: I was the chair of the Council Administration Committee (CAC) of the U of A Students’ Union (UASU) Students’ Council and also a member of the Council on Students’ Affairs (COSA) of the GFC. Through my roles in these committees and as an engineering councillor in both these organizations, I have built relationships with people that fosters strong advocacy. Knowing the procedural rules is a key advantage, too, because often student voices are lost while determining precedence and navigating the complexity in submitting motions.

Baweja: Over the past two years I have ensured that international students across all faculties are empowered by breaking the norms of their underrepresentation at the U of A. My major accomplishments during student governance as the vice-president (external) of the ISA were: advocating for retention of talent in Alberta by working with the Ministry of Advanced Education, setting up a committee on campus to take feedback from students from all
across the globe, forming an advocating body to unite the voices of students across Canada by collaborating with several other universities, and fighting for transit safety, online learning options, permanent residency pathways
and against tuition increases. There is much more that I have advocated for. Likewise, I want to represent my engineering community in the Students’ Council and GFC so that I can make a lasting positive impact from my work.

Brooks: My 2021-2022 presidency for the Electrical Engineering Club has provided me the opportunity to sit on both the Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) Department Council and the ECE Department Undergraduate Studies Committee. Through these committees, I have built up my experience of working with the faculty of engineering and ECE department on academic matters similar in scope to the GFC.

Could you briefly and concisely describe your platform?

Wattamaniuk: Similarly to council, my goal is to spend a lot of time reading the pulse on student issues through consultation, and bring that perspective to GFC. The biggest role of representatives is to bridge the gap between the student body and administration.

Singh: My platform consists of three main points. Firstly, I will do student-first advocacy by being your voice and my advocacy shall always be in your best interests! Secondly, I will advocate for more awards and bursaries to provide more financial support for engineering students. Third, I will be transparent and accountable to you all by sharing updates about SU and GFC and taking your feedback on all important matters!

Rajani: My platform is based around three major points. Firstly, the student learning experience in the context of hybrid learning environments. This will include advocating for more flexible teaching platforms in the short term to ease the transition process back to in person learning, as well as look for potential solutions to offer hybrid learning in the long term. My second point [is] exceptional tuition increases and quality of education. I will strongly advocate for more financial aid in the form of scholarships and awards as well as opportunities for all students to gain industry experience and offset their tuition costs. Lastly, I want to place a strong emphasis on the students’ voices. I want to ensure that they feel informed and engaged in the decisions being made that ultimately impact us.

Bid: I am running on three primary goals, which I believe is what will do justice to being elected to this position. My last goal is the most important because making students’ voices heard and representing their interests is vital, but sometimes the university will not carry out due diligence in their consultation. They will go ahead anyway with their proposed changes, and that is where we need student leaders to hold them accountable and question their actions. I will ensure the university listens to how issues such as tuition hikes impact us, advocate for our needs to uplift the quality of education being offered to us, and push against every unconsulted decision that impacts us such as the exceptional tuition increases.

Baweja: My platform is centred around three major promises: ensuring that my constituents’ voice is heard, providing better support for our community, and advocating boldly for the interests and needs of my constituents.

Brooks: For GFC, my platform, very briefly, is really focused on two major things: communicating what is going on within the GFC to the engineering students with an emphasis on what will affect engineering students and their programs, and advocating for the various programs and disciplines which are growing within the province.

This is a really tough time for students, and there are many issues to address. What would your number one priority be as a GFC representative?

Wattamaniuk: I think the biggest issue that needs to be addressed is continued hybrid learning and accommodations to allow for additional flexibility. The ability to attend both in-person and online is not only helpful for those more comfortable attending virtually, but also for students who are on co-op, working, have family commitments, and more.

Singh: Recently, the U of A has started charging $10 for verification documents, which is absurd! I have raised it in GFC meeting on March 21, and will keep on pushing Registrar to continue providing PDF verification letters for free so students don’t have to pay additional $10. I will be always opposing more tuition and fee increases and this is what I would want to start my term with.

Rajani: My first priority will be to ensure that students are satisfied with the way the university plans to operate in the near future. This includes whether students feel safe returning to campus and whether students are comfortable with returning to fully in-person classes.

Bid: The biggest challenge we are seeing is that students are paying more for an education quality that is below par. Instructors are facing a hard time transitioning into a hybrid model, and students are taking the hit with their experiences leading to poor learning and grades. We need the university to train, support, and encourage the faculty to make sure no student is left behind — be it in-person or online.

Baweja: Coming straight out of my platform, my number one priority as a GFC representative would be to understand the hardships of my constituents and I wish to accomplish this by permanently creating a feedback system where students can anonymously fill in their concerns and I would consult on those concerns raised with appropriate stakeholders.

Brooks: Many engineering students do not know what the GFC is or what it does. This lack of communication, like Students’ Council, is something I wish to work on. The GFC affects every single engineering student and I believe what is going on there should be easily accessible to all engineering students for the sake of their prospects and their degree.

Fun Question: Where is your favourite place to study or get work done on U of A’s campus?

Wattamaniuk: I’ve recently taken to the [John] Scott Health Sciences Library to study. It’s far away from the engineering quad (which is nice when you need some individual working time), and medical students are remarkably quiet.

Singh: I love Cameron’s fourth floor and DICE eighth floor to study or work! The SUB Food Court is my favourite dining space!

Rajani: I’m sure this is a popular place amongst engineers — DICE eighth floor. I like having the option of the view and having a personal workspace as well as tables where you can study together in a group.

Bhid: I love to study on the silent floors of Cameron Library, where I feel I maximise my productivity. Though, when I just want to be around people, I work at ECERF or any communal space.

Baweja: I absolutely love studying on the fourth floor of Cameron Library!

Brooks: This will be a little bit of a different answer compared to most people, but I love studying on MecE fifth floor. As most of the discipline clubs and ESS is up there, there’s always a friendly, relatively quiet, environment up there! Being said, table space is limited compared to other places sadly!