SU Elections 2025 Q&A: Vice-president (external)

The Students’ Union (SU) vice-president (external) (VPX) represents the undergraduate student body at the University of Alberta through external advocacy. They work with all levels of government on issues impacting students, such as tuition increases. The VPX also works closely with post-secondary lobby groups, such as the Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) and the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA).

There are four candidates in the 2025 Students’ Union VPX race:

• Abdul Abbasi, a fourth-year law, crime, and justice studies student and current VPX
• Renson Alva, a fifth-year biological sciences student and current vice-president (student life) (VPSL)
• Nate Goetz, a fourth-year law, crime, and justice studies student and current Augustana councillor
• Juan C. Munoz, a second-year business student

The following interviews have been edited for brevity and clarity. Candidates were given 1 minute and 30 seconds to answer each question.

Why have you decided to run for VPX?

Abdul Abbasi: My passion for student governance started a long time ago. In my first year, I was an off-campus councillor for the Augustana Students Association (ASA). The next year, I represented Augustana in the SU council and General Faculties Council (GFC), and in the past year I have had the honour of serving as VPX for the SU. I have worked hard to make life more affordable for students, whether it’s securing millions in savings on tuition or fighting the affordability crisis. We have made real progress, but there’s still a lot more to be done and that’s why I’m running again. Especially with two elections coming up, whether it’s municipal or federal elections, and most [likely] we will see two new governments for both of those. I believe there is a need for continuation and experience, especially someone that already has those connections in the government like I do. If someone new is coming in, they will have to remake all of those connections across all levels of government. Whereas if I’m re-elected, I already have made those connections on the provincial level and a lot on municipal level, so I can put some more energy towards the federal level and make sure the SU’s point of view and the student point of view gets across.

Renson Alva: It’s going to be an exciting year for VPX with lots of elections coming up. To the VPX role, I’m bringing my VPSL perspective. I think that’s a pretty crucial part of it, so I just wanted to carry on that. Then, obviously, I’ll work with our counterparts like CAUS and CASA. I do have some exciting things on my platform as well, and I do bring the experience of leading some big initiatives this past year, whether that’s the Period Equity Initiative or the FlixBus pilot project, among others. I do also have experience during my time in residence as an intern hosting big events. I’m hoping to do a lot surrounding elections — encouraging a voter education campaign, registration campaign, things like that. That’s why I’m running. I think it’ll be an exciting year and I look forward to it. 

Nate Goetz: I’ve decided to run for VPX because over my last two years of student advocacy, both on the ASA and the SU, I’ve gotten to know a lot of the actual needs that are facing students and seeing where those issues come from. A lot of the time I’ve found that the university is actually agreeing with us on these issues. It’s just they’re withholden by government and the government’s lack of funding, essentially. A big thing for me is wanting to go to the government and be able to advocate rather than running into brick walls at the university where they can’t do anything. I think another reason why I want to stay in the SU is [that] I’ve seen the impact that this organization can have and a lot of the big discussions that we have in our organization, and it’s recognizing that I can actually make a big difference in the role of VPX.

Juan C. Munoz: I have decided to run for VPX because I believe in the power of students’ voices. Throughout my first and second year in university, I have had the opportunity to be involved with the [Alberta] School of Business in multiple clubs, and I believe that working with and towards the ideas and opinions of students and trying to push those ideas is really crucial and important for me. As VPX, I will have the platform to drive initiatives that not only benefit our immediate community but also have a lasting impact on students across the entire institution.

I want to work closely with CASA, CAUS, and the Alberta Students’ Executive Council (ASEC) to create tangible, meaningful changes, whether it’s through policy advocacy or financial support to students. By collaborating with these organizations, I aim to ensure that students have the resources and opportunities they need to succeed both academically and personally. The right to make a tangible difference in the lives of students is what motivates me to take on this role. I am passionate about creating positive change that will not only benefit campus today but will benefit future generations of students. I’m ready to fight for the issues that matter the most to students and ensure that their voices are heard louder than ever.

What would you say are the three main takeaways from your platform?

Abbasi: If re-elected, my top priority will be pushing the provincial government for an operating grant increase. We have started doing that work with the press release that the SU did. I will also advocate for more transparent federal funding for post-secondary institutions (PSIs) — linking that to inflation and enrolment growth. At the same time, work-integrated learning opportunities — advocating for those provincially and federally so students can graduate with real work experience. As municipal and federal elections are coming up, I want to empower students to get out the vote because our voices matter. At the same time, focusing on housing, transit, and collaboration with students’ associations (SAs) and SUs across the province because we know CAUS isn’t working and it’s not worth staying in that anymore.

Alva: I think the main thing is obviously, with the elections, it’s pretty crucial that we have a plan.  Usually students have voter apathy, so it’s key that we try to harness the potential of student voters in the upcoming elections, whether that’s Get Out The Vote campaigns, going on information campaigns, maybe having registrations on campus, or forums for candidates on campus. A lot of the major issues impacting students have a chance of being improved through the platforms of these municipal and federal candidates. It’s crucial that they know about these candidates.

The second part would be representation. I would love to highlight some of the student job opportunities through the City of Edmonton through the SU job site. I would love to work with the Indigenous Students’ Union (ISU) and the International Students’ Association (ISA) leaders so that they can work with me in representing key issues affecting them. Something I worked on during my time last year is increased instalment plans for international students. I’d love to work on that as well, maybe even explore the potential for that for domestic students. The other part is obviously advocacy — continuing with advocacy that’s been in place as VPX representing at all federal, municipal, and provincial levels. I think the key fact about me is as an international student, I’m gonna be pretty unbiased here because I can’t vote [in Canada].

Goetz: I think my three main takeaways from my platform are first of all funding. Funding is easily the biggest issue facing the university right now. We don’t have enough of it and, quite frankly, that all kind of boils down to the government. I think in previous years the SU has been so focused on just getting governmental funding, but I think one thing that we need to actually do is look for funding sources outside of government. That could be working with the university on something like the Student Experience Action Plan (SEAP), also [the] SU doing some sort of fundraising to work with Student Representative Associations (SRAs) and getting them more funding. My other big platform point is transit safety — making sure that students feel safer on their way to and from transit. That could look like talking to the Minister of Justice about peace officers, gates, things like that. A third would be also standing up for the freedom of research on campus. We’ve seen with certain bills in this last year and we’re not sure what future governments might look like, but ensuring that students can research no matter what they want to look at — and even professors — without the fear of losing their funding. 

Munoz: Students make up a huge part of Alberta’s population, yet the government funding for PSIs has not kept up with this fact. Over the past three years, the university has lost over $222 million in operating grants. Meanwhile, tuition continues to rise for domestic and international students. I aim to advocate for the increased government support to index financial aid and to reinstate programs like the provincial education and tuition tax credit which will push for the expansion of the Canadian student grant, which delivers an incredible return on investment. I also aim to narrow the Indigenous post-secondary education gap by increasing funding for the post-secondary student support program. The goal is to reflect rising Indigenous high school graduation rates and ensure that more Indigenous students can access and afford higher education. I also aim to work with ASEC — addressing the rising cost-of-living and its impact on students. As well, expanding funding and also advocating for more funds for the Campus Food Bank (CFB) and for mental health as both are really important and increasing concerns within campus.

The CFB has seen a 600 per cent increase in usage over the last five years. With student food insecurity on the rise, how will you advocate for increased support for food insecurity?

Abbasi: I will be focusing on a food grant from the Ministry of Family Services. This year, I’ve also worked on supporting CFB, whether it’s through getting money from senate, working with execs, or connecting elected officials with CFB. My main goal is trying to solve all of those issues that result in the usage of CFB. When you’re talking about an operating grant increase, that has been the biggest reason for the increases in our tuition hikes, so I’m looking towards that when I’m talking about more transparent funding for the federal government. When students are doing work-integrated learning opportunities, those opportunities will result in them getting paid during those internships and co-ops. That would alleviate some of the pressure.

Housing is the number one reason why students are using CFB. We have seen an $380 increase in rent for two-bedroom apartments in Edmonton. What I want to work on is running a housing survey next year and using that to work on a housing strategy for students in the City of Edmonton, because right now they don’t have anything. As well, I’m looking into how we can make transit better for students so they feel more safe to travel through transit. Those are a lot of different options. I want to support CFB wherever I can.

Alva: I’ve been on the board of CFB this past year, and we’ve undergone a lot of consultations. We’re undergoing transition changes with the executive director. The biggest part of CFB is staying afloat, and that’s more internal looking for the upcoming year at least. That’s as far as I can say that next year, whichever executive gets to sit on it, it will be mostly internally focused. At some point, you’ve got to realize that the university advertises CFB as a resource and it does a lot of advertising for CFB. But the university does not fund CFB at all, so if it’s being advertised as a resource and more and more students are being led to it, obviously there’s a problem right there, right? So it’s an internal problem — externally there are things you could do. We did some things last year as well. We wrote a letter of support for them for the Food Banks Canada grant. I look forward to advocating with Food Banks Canada for them.

Goetz: I think there’s some big things there that we can do. We can look to the government for more funding, but as we know that’s not always likely to happen. We can also look for external stakeholders who might also be sympathetic to our cause to put more money into CFB or put more money into different UASU programs that feature food security purposes. I know one big thing the ASA does is they’ll get a lot of different funding from those external sources. If we can work with SU alumni, if we could fundraise off them and use that alumni network to pick up more funding and then give that [to] CFB, that would definitely be a big thing we could do. One other thing I’d also like to look into is outside of CFB because that’s important. We don’t just want students have to rely on CFB. Just advocating for maybe more price controls on different foods as well as looking into possible student discounts at grocery stores around Edmonton. 

Munoz: I will try to work with the university to focus more on trying to help our current students. For example, the university has the U of A 2030 vision where they plan to increase enrolment. Meanwhile, there’s many students who are suffering from food insecurity. My aim is to put our students first and try to talk with the university, with councils, and try to get them to understand the immediate needs of our student population. I’m planning on trying to advocate for an increased support of CFB as it’s really important for students to have food security. I believe it’s more important for the university to focus on solving the current issues rather than trying to, for example, increase enrolment. For this enrolment increase in the future could bring even more people to need to access CFB.

As VPX, you’ll be responsible for working with all three levels of government (municipal, provincial, federal). Given the significant funding cuts to PSIs in Alberta, how do you plan to advocate for students amidst the cost-of-living crisis? 

Abbasi: I think there is a need for more focus in terms of the realistic stuff we can get done in the upcoming years — working with other SAs and SUs in the province. Externally, nothing gets done because there are so many other factors that are playing a part in all the stuff we put into external advocacy. But at the same time, making sure that we are finding those collaboration opportunities and those partnerships with organizations that can help us, whether it’s the Office of the Mayor that has helped us with Campus Saint-Jean (CSJ) funding this year or whether it’s the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce. I’m coming in with that experience. I’m coming in with all of those connections that will help me get a head start. With four years after not having a VPX continuing as VPX or VPX becoming president, a lot of time in the summer and fall went into remaking those connections. With two new levels of government, I believe we need that continuity and experience to make sure we’re putting the time in.

Note: A VPX has gone on to both continue as VPX and serve as president of the SU within the last four years. 2023–24 SU President Christian Fotang served as VPX in 2022–23 and 2021–22.

Alva: There’s going to be lots of campaign promises. But keeping an eye out that this is [federal and municipal] election season, sometimes candidates would love to listen to students, and I think it’s a great opportunity for students to express themselves by showing up to the polls and showcasing those candidates. That will be most beneficial for students. The second thing I would say is I would look into the possibility of the SU advocating for increased provincial minimum wage. Obviously, Alberta has kind of been lacking, and I think it’s about time that the SU steps up its advocacy. I think the domestic tuition cap is continuing. I think I would love to pursue one for international students too. With that there’s also potential for the Panel on Post Secondary Institutions (PSI) to evaluate what other areas universities can get their revenues from which are not dependent on tuition, so take the load off of students there.

Goetz: The big thing with the cost-of-living crisis is students just not knowing where they’re gonna live, what they’re gonna eat, how they’re even going to pay their tuition. We definitely need to look at giving both the SU and SRAs more supports to actually support their students through that. I think that we’ll probably have to look at other external funding sources in future years because we can’t necessarily rely on the government to keep funding us. It all goes back to those root causes. If students can’t find affordable housing, we need to find a way to advocate to all three levels of government, whether that’s through zoning, funding more housing, funding more low-income housing for students potentially, so that students can actually afford their housing. Going back to my food insecurity answer, finding those deals at grocery stores and working with them to make sure that students can actually get those discounts. Also advocating for resources that are essential to student life to be just cheaper in general from all three levels of government, and that can be through all sorts of savings that we can get from governments. 

Munoz: I will advocate for establishing the provincial education and tuition tax credit. This tax credit was cut in 2020, and I believe this program could be really beneficial for students, bringing students extra income and also giving them relief. I also plan to work with ASEC to address the rising living costs and its impact on students. I also plan to advocate to increase the funding for the Canadian Student Grant Program. This program benefits many students and it’s really important to keep its funding and establish it as a permanent established fund.

Also, I will advocate for expanding the New Beginnings Bursary or other funding opportunities for students. I will work with CAUS on increasing the total number of bursaries available, increasing the amount of funding the bursaries provide, and increasing eligible programs as right now, it’s primarily focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs. I will also advocate for ensuring that funding levels remain indexed to inflation so students are not disadvantaged over time and I’ll also advocate for the creation of programs that promote employment opportunities for students. I’ll push for trying to re-establish the Summer Temporary Employment Program (STEP) program and also to push for the expansion of the Student Work Placement Program to make sure that these programs remain and are established in the long-run.

International students are facing a 10 per cent tuition increase and the federal government has reduced study permits. How do you plan on advocating for international students as they’re facing these growing issues?

Abbasi: I think the operating grant is another reason why the international tuition is increasing. International tuition is not legislated by the federal or provincial government, but what I want to work on is making sure that any of the changes that are coming by the federal government regarding international students are told to international students. But again, whether it’s supporting CFB which supports international students, whether it’s working towards work-integrated learning stuff. Tuition is a little bit harder because it’s not legislated by any level of government and we know this is a challenge that we have in terms of the environment that is around international students across the country. Also making sure that we’re working towards telling how much international students mean to the country. I will be doing that through meetings and media as well.

Renson Alva: This is something that’s very near and dear to me. I care about this issue a lot. Essentially I’ve been paying $30,000 a year for a degree when I joined in 2020, and now the same international student is paying upwards of $45,000 a year. For the same degree, the same services, the same classrooms, same instructors — maybe even worse off right now. I would love to pursue an international student tuition cap. I think it is about time the university looks at alternate sources that are not reliant on students themselves, and I think that’s going to be a big burden lifted if there is a tuition cap. 

Speaking of current students that are already here now, we want to see our experience being improved. This year, as VPSL, I am co-chair of the newly formed International Student Experience Committee along with lots of folks from all our campuses as well as the ISA. I came up with the idea for the increase in instalment plans, and I’m looking forward to expanding on those ideas. I’m looking forward to sitting at the table with lots of international students and saying this is how we can improve our experience while we’re here, this is how you make sure that the education you’re paying for is worth it. Because if you’re paying almost triple the tuition of domestic students, it’s got to be worth it from the moment you land to the moment you leave. 

Goetz: The biggest thing with that is, obviously, they’re going to be struggling a lot with their money, so making sure that we can make life as affordable as possible while they’re in Edmonton at the U of A. That can go back to some of my other issues such as making sure housing is more affordable, food is more affordable, making sure that we have programs in place to actually support them. And then maybe even making sure that we can give the ISA more funding through different fundraising efforts to ensure that they can actually bring in things to help their students even more. The 10 per cent increase … it does make it harder for future students who are coming down the pipeline. Just ensuring that we tell the university when international students come, we don’t want them to be here struggling. We should make sure that they can either get sufficient funding through the government or the university. We have to make sure that there’s still potential supports through scholarships and things like that even after they come here. 

Munoz: I will aim to open the access for international students to financial assistance programs. I’ll advocate to bring international differential fees under provincial regulation. I’ll try to advocate to create a provincial strategy between employers and universities to hire more international undergraduates in meaningful positions to keep them living in Alberta for years to come. With this change in the federal policy on study permits, I’ll advocate for revisiting the comprehensive ranking system (CRS) to propose that the CRS points increase for Canadian degrees. I’ll aim to maybe change the distribution of points, giving more importance to students who complete their education in Canada. For example, I’ll say change it maybe to 80 points for post-secondary programs lasting at least three years and change it to 30 points for programs lasting one to three years. With this change, I’ll aim to encourage highly skilled international students to stay in Canada as permanent residents. Also, I’ll aim to prioritize the well-being of students by advocating for them to get access to more funding opportunities.