Lily PolenchukThe Myer Horowitz forum was the last forum before the Students’ Union (SU) elections on March 5 and 6, 2025, and vice-president (academic) (VPA) candidates gave their final word of their plans for student academic success. Each of the VPA candidates — Aamir Mohamed, Katie Tamsett, and Manyu Rathour —continued in their ambition to create a better SU. Some, though, have a clear advantage over others.
Aamir Mohamed
Mohamed has, from the beginning, been relatively subdued at the forums and has continued to ask more questions than answer them. Focusing on accessibility for students on campus is one of his big platform points. The intention to act on this is there, but the forums say otherwise. While at the International Students’ Association forum (ISA), Mohamed talked of mentorship programs but never discussed what he wanted to do to execute this plan. This follows in suit with his vagueness throughout the other forums.
But Mohamed has brought to light the idea of ethical research options. Ensuring research opportunities are ethical for students and more broadly as well is very admirable and beneficial for students. However, I never found myself in complete assurance that Mohamed will do what he says he will do. As well, it feels as though Mohamed, during the forums, had a bias towards engineering students. He, of course, is an engineering student, but having that narrow focus will not help him make informed decisions about what students in all faculties will need.
In thinking of international, Indigenous, and French-speaking students, Mohamed had very little to say. Not nothing, as he advocated for transparency for all of campus so that students can stay informed on decisions that affect them. This is a strong advocacy point, so it surprises me that he did not bring it up more often.
Katie Tamsett
Tamsett has been a strong candidate from day one with her strong and achievable goals. During the first forums, I found myself worried that her repetition of her goals may not make her very suitable for the position. But now, I believe that it’s realistic that Tamsett can deliver on a few strong points. Her platform considers different groups of students across each of the different campuses. I think it is good way to make sure academic quality is equal all across the board. Alongside that, she has repeatedly mentioned accountability as an academic concern. This is super important in making sure that issues students have are properly addressed.
When looking at the different student bodies such as the international, Indigenous, and French-speaking students on campus, Tamsett generally has a good understanding of how these groups need different types of support. As someone who is from the United Kingdom (U.K.), Tamsett understands some of the difficulties that come along with being an international student. And Tamsett has shown a greater grasp on how to make meaningful change for Indigenous students.
Manyu Rathour
Looking at the first forum to the Myer Horowitz forum, Rathour has continued to reel in his platform points. The most prominent of his points, I found, was his promise to inform students about exam accommodations. Like Rathour, I believe that people should always be given exam accommodations whether it is for mental health, physical accessibility, or learning disabilities. This part of his platform also seems to resonate with many others who have had difficulties accessing accommodations. This will likely bode well for him in the election.
Even from the very first Augustana forum, Rathour has had an energy that gets people hooked immediately. His ideas are strong and he has a desire to hear out students from all over every campus. I do believe that his relatability and understanding of the students around him will make him a very desirable candidate. Along with his consistency, his understanding of exam accommodations and mental health concerns is something many students have to deal with.
Looking at international, Indigenous, and French-speaking students, Rathour has brought in a lot of great inclusive ideas. From making sure that academic quality is the same across every campus, to making sure Indigenous students have their voices heard. As well, Rathour addressed the concerns international students face. Specifically the extremely high tuition fees they have to pay. On all of these fronts, I believe Rathour is a very strong candidate. If elected, I have faith he would make sure to hear and help each and every student when need be.
Who will win?
I do believe Manyu will win for VPA as the issues he wants to fix are the first priority for students everywhere. Unfortunately, I don’t think he’ll be able to achieve all that he promised in only one year. This is largely because it often takes a lot of time to implement get things and enact change. As well, Rathour’s limited experience as a first-year student in the SU will make it harder to learn the ropes and make changes at the same time.
If Rathour wins VPA, I won’t be upset or concerned about his desire to do a good job. My only concern is the vast amount he wants to accomplish in such a short amount of time. People may feel let down if what he has promised isn’t brought to fruition.
Who should win?
While I had my doubts as to who should be VPA, I believe Tamsett would be the best choice. Her ideas and platform are sound and the changes she does advocate for are realistic and manageable within a year. Tamsett also has plenty of experience from her time as president of the faculty of agriculture, life, and environmental sciences (ALES) student association and as a SU councillor. This helps her understand the academic issues that are truly important to students. I have made comments on my concerns for Tamsett in past forums, such as a limited scope. But I think they are relatively minor in comparison to the concerns I have for Rathour and Mohamed.
Overall, I trust that Tamsett will make thoughtful and meaningful decisions for students. Her platform around academic advising, menstrual accommodations, and research opportunities are all achievable, great ideas. Of course, there is also the worry that not everything will be achieved. But of all the VPA candidates, I am most confident that Tamsett will be able to follow through on all of her points — not just some of them.
