With campus talk surrounding the USSU, and elections happening on the 27th and 28th of March, we wanted to shine the spotlight on the candidates for the next academic year. After attending the Candidate Forum held on Wednesday, March 20th, The Sheaf is back to report and give some insights on the candidates running in the USSU elections. 

The two-hour forum held at Louis’ Pub started off with the candidates all giving a short speech on their campaign before a microphone was set up for attendees to ask questions. The speeches were about as predictable as you can expect, but students showed up with important questions and comments in an attempt to push candidate responses beyond buzzwords and catchphrases. We had some of our own that we didn’t get to ask along with others in line due to time running out. 

Afterwards, the candidates lingered at Louis’ for a while to greet their friends in attendance and answer more questions from general attendees. During this time (and later over email for clarification purposes), we asked them to provide us with a maximum 400-word description of their campaigns to gauge the most important points. We also asked them to choose a student concern that was brought up in the forum or in an online platform and to provide us with a response.  

The Sheaf historically has courteously provided its platform to candidates, giving them a chance to further speak on their campaigns and for our student audience to be greater informed. This time, we decided to shake things up a bit by giving them a chance to address a concern of their choosing. The logic being that this would probably serve as a good indicator of the types of issues they’re mostly focused on.

Even though it was absolutely optional, one would think that preaching accountability and transparency in their campaign would encourage them to share their thoughts with The Sheaf. We learned that this was the case for seven out of the ten candidates. 

For complete descriptions of the candidates’ campaigns and to make a fully informed decision, please ensure that you’ve watched their promotional videos, read their posters in detail, and in some cases, visited their social media profiles. This article does not fully encompass their campaigns, and will only draw on the responses they provided directly to us.

President

Gurbaz Singh

Presidential candidate and current VP Student Affairs Gurbaz Singh’s campaign is based on five “Core pillars [;] financial security, safety, indigenization, transparency, and diversifying support and resources.” Gurbaz seems to have palpable goals such as assessing discretionary costs and advocating for “Adequate financial support through increased scholarships and bursaries,” and others slightly more ambitious such as “tackling the housing crisis.” 

Gurbaz’s “safety” pillar includes fostering a “culture of respect and dignity for all, denying bullying or harassment.” He claims to be “dedicated to creating an environment where every student feels safe and respected,” and explains he will advocate for “improved campus lighting” and “secure community spaces.” 

As President, Gurbaz claims he would be “committed to promoting awareness and integration of Indigenous cultures and perspectives,” through initiatives such as the Indigenous-backed USSU Symposium. His more general ideas include “support[ing] the journey toward reconciliation,” and “creating a campus that reflects the diversity and strength of our community.”

Transparency and effective communication are “critical to [Gurbaz’s] vision for the USSU.” His plans to achieve this include “providing regular updates on [the USSU’s] activities, accomplishments, and even failures” and “creating a space where student feedback influences [their] direction.” This issue is what he also focused his chosen question on. He claims that regular communication between the USSU and the student body, implementing multiple resources such as suggestion boxes, surveys, and dialogue, contributes to his vision of an “open and transparent USSU that ensures every student feels informed, involved, and empowered.”

Lastly, his “diversifying support and resources” pillar includes advocating for “holistic support systems” catering to different aspects of student life, including supports needed for students to “excel in their academic career.” 

Krunal Chavda

President of the Indian Students Association Krunal Chavda is basing his campaign on “four A’s”, which are:

Affordability: Krunal claims their main objectives are “reducing the financial strain domestic and international students face and enhancing career prospects.” Their way of achieving this is not by attempting to lower tuition fees, but by advocating for more need-based scholarships and bursaries from different sources. Their chosen question answers students’ inquiry on how they “[planned] to lower tuition,” to which they (rightly so) replied that that is not possible — but they can “advocate for need-based scholarships for all students.”

Advocacy: This category includes establishing a “Student Resident Committee” that will “address housing concerns,” “promote diverse representation in conferences by providing opportunities for Indigenous and International representatives to attend,” and “empower ratified student groups by increasing grants and providing logistical support.” 

Accountability: Policies Krunal claims they will implement center on ensuring “USSU Executives are held accountable by students.” They believe this can be accomplished by making meeting minutes more accessible and advocating for more frequent forums where students can give their input. They also think this will help “ensure [that] the University Student Council remains accountable to its constituents.” They claim “students should not be expected to go through the daunting process of contacting Executives.”

Action: Krunal mentions in their response that “change requires action; not just promises made annually to be elected.” We sincerely hope that should they be elected, this is upheld. This category includes ensuring that “Indigenous/International Student Advisory Committees run more efficiently,” and collaborating with marginalized groups to combat stigma. They explain that there are “resources in place to help all students, but we need an Executive who is able to make sure these resources are being used.”

Vice-President – Academic Affairs

Diya Khamar

Diya claims their campaign has four central principles that are the “foundation to [their] commitment to serving … students.” These are innovation, integrity, inclusivity, and an interdisciplinary approach to academics.

Innovation: Diya aims to “[normalize] the use of AI [artificial intelligence] in writing assignments and advocating for diverse and innovative writing centers.” Diya aims to “empower students, especially non-native English speakers, to express their ideas confidently and clearly.”

Inclusivity: Diya aims to increase “connections between the USSU and AES services,” ensuring that their platforms are user-friendly and spreading awareness through social media. They aim to “promote inclusive practices and foster a sense of belonging within our diverse community.”

Integrity: In this regard, Diya plans to “[protect] students’ rights by addressing the emotional and financial strain [created] by lengthy academic grievance trials.” We had some concerns about this during the forum, given the implications it could have for the credibility of the university and in turn the value of graduating student’s credentials. However, Diya assures us that “upholding academic integrity is non-negotiable,” and that they will take proactive measures such as pro bono legal support and “stand by students to ensure their voices are heard and their rights protected.”

Interdisciplinary: Diya “envision[s] organizing events that showcase diverse career paths and initiatives … to alleviate financial burdens.” They explain that their goal is to “prepare students for success in today’s interconnected world.”

Their question of choice concerns bridging the gap between theoretical and experiential learning — a fascinating question asked by a student during the forum. Diya explains they aim to “[collaborate] closely with career services to organize more diverse career fairs.” They also “intend to host more events where industry leaders and alumni can engage directly with students.”

Elisabeth Bauman

Elisabeth is the current VP Academic Affairs. Though she did not provide a question she was particularly interested in, she explained that her campaign “reflects the structure of the VP Academic role,” and presents three dimensions: advocacy at the university level, awareness and support for students, and academic networking.

At the university level, Elisabeth explains that “we [the USSU] need to change how the policies are carried out and how they affect each college, department, and classroom.” She hopes policy revisions will help address barriers present for many groups of students in university procedures. She “hope[s] to continue bringing together groups of diverse students to share their perspectives and have ALL our voices heard by the university.”

In the “awareness and support” dimension, Elisabeth explains that she “realized how important it is for students to be equipped to navigate the complicated academic systems (and bureaucracies) at USask.” She builds on her actions this past year by adding that if elected, she would “[make] the pathways of raiding complaints for classroom malpractice better known, [advocate] for better policy navigators, and [equip] students to know where to go to when they need help.” 

As far as academic networking goes, Elisabeth claims that projects she’s currently involved in are “most effective if done in collaboration with large networks of student representatives, university administrators, and passionate advocates,” and that she looks forward to “strengthening and expanding these networks, building relationships with people who can help me [Elisabeth] improve academic life for students at USask.”

Overall, Elisabeth explains that her goal is “to not only help students know their rights and feel enabled to bring up concerns and fight injustice, but also help students know that they are not alone.” Elisabeth claims she brings “compassion and understanding to every single student case meeting (of which there are hundreds every year)” and that she strives to meet underlying desires, whatever they may be.

Vice-President – Operations and Finance

Hamza Saghir

Hamza, who serves as VP Operations and Finance for the USask Debate Society, claims to be “driven by a vision of transparency, affordability, and accessibility for all students,” explaining that throughout his campaign, he has “emphasized [his] experience and commitment to delivering tangible results.” 

He explained that transparency is “key to rebuilding trust between the USSU and student body,” and that he has “proposed practical steps to increase transparency, such as revamping the USSU website to provide easily accessible and interactive budget updates.” Hamza claims he is “committed to ensuring [students] have that information at [their] fingertips.” His question, although not asked during the forum, is as follows: Under a Reddit post made by Hamza, a user mentioned that his plan for increasing transparency is all “glitz and glamour.” Hamza’s response to this is he intends to “[create] a new web page offering details on the budget/expenditure at different levels of depth,” that will also have a “broad overview in graphic form” for easier digestibility.

Hamza explains that food insecurity is a personal priority for him. He claims to have “pledged to increase funding for the Food Center,” and to “collaborate with [clubs offering meals to students] to create a comprehensive resource to connect students with available food resources.”

Hamza also claims he will “fight to improve dental, healthcare, pharmacare, and vision plans to ensure students have access to the essential services they need to thrive.” And regarding transportation, Hamza expressed his commitment to “ensuring our campus is accessible to all students,” by, for instance, benchmarking the cost of the USSU bus pass against other universities to ensure the USSU’s pass is competitive. He explains that he intends to “[meet] with city officials to lay out concrete steps that we can take to ensure the University gets a rapid bus terminal.”

Hamza claims he will “oppose any proposals to increase tuition fees and will work to reduce or eliminate ancillary fees.” While acknowledging that lowering tuition is not easy, he explains that he will “lobby for decreasing tuition costs” as much as his role allows him to.

Mohamad Al Hmaydi

Did not provide a response. 

Moses Ahiabu

Fourth-year Finance major Moses Ahiabu proposes a “vision driven by the desire to enhance our university experience through three fundamental pillars: financial transparency, operational efficiency, and inclusive decision-making.”

Moses explains that “every dollar spent will be accounted for,” and that this can be done by introducing “regular user-friendly and easy-to-read financial reports for transparency and accountability.” He aims to “ensure equitable funding and support for campus groups by speeding up the funding process.”

Moses also claims that if elected, he will “streamline USSU operations to better prioritize student welfare and engagement.” He aims to “establish a platform for open dialogue, where [students’] voices are not only heard, but actively shape our strategy and decisions.”

Moses claims he is committed to “collaborating with Saskatoon Transit and Stakeholders to improve accessibility and frequency in Brighton, Aspen Ridge, Evergreen, etc.” His question of choice relates to how he will actually address transit accessibility issues. He addressed this by explaining that if elected, he will work with the aforementioned parties to “enhance routes and frequency, especially in [low-accessibility areas], making it easier for students to commute to campus.” He also explains that this “can be achieved by gathering student support through petitions.”

Moses also “prioritizes sustainable initiatives and fostering innovation to meet the evolving needs of our student community.”

Vice-President – Student Affairs

Dhairya Mehta

Did not provide a response.

Ilona Rafiq

Ilona gave four main points: Sustainability, promoting accessible mental health services, cultural sensitivity and inclusion, and enhancing campus security and equity services.

Regarding sustainability, Ilona aims to “influence students to [start] a sustainable project using the USSU sustainability grant,” and promote the university’s Sustainability Strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. She plans on achieving this in multiple ways, including “[planning] more events and workshops to make students aware and mindful of their actions and the impact it has on the environment,” and “[engaging] more students in activities to help the environment.”

To promote accessible mental health services, Ilona plans to “advocate for the hiring of multiple mental health professionals from different backgrounds” and especially professionals of color, to support the needs of all students, “promote collaboration with the Department of Psychology” to multiply the sources of support, “promote more Help Centre events to spread awareness, and advocate to make therapy dog sessions more frequent.”

Regarding the promotion of cultural sensitivity and inclusion, she advocates for “the creation of safe spaces where people of different backgrounds” can interact. She aims to collaborate with the International Student and Study Abroad Centre (ISSAC) to host workshops/orientation sessions for new international students to ensure their awareness of the services available. She aims to “prevent all kinds of discrimination on campus” and “[establish] learning sessions of different cultures.”

To enhance campus security, she aims to encourage students “to use the Safewalk Services and the USafe App.” She aims to “advocate for more street lights in darker areas of campus to increase student safety and ensure movement is not hindered due to low visibility.” Other points include collaborating with Protective Services and advocating for accessible transportation. 

“What makes a good leader?” was her chosen question. She explains that it’s “a good person who has the best interest at heart is someone who has a high potential of being a good leader,” and that if your intentions are not “good for the welfare of the community as a whole.” She adds that knowledge does not make you a good leader — but also says that a good leader should be well educated in their field. She also explains that a “good leader should possess the quality of empathy and make sure the people are heard and understood.”

Upkar Singh

Did not provide a response.

—

Voting opens on Wednesday, March 27th at 9:00 a.m. and closes on Thursday, March 28th at 4:00 p.m. The candidates’ full promotional video is available on the USSU website to learn more about their campaigns. There is an additional virtual forum on Tuesday, March 26th at 7:00 p.m. should you want to ask the candidates any questions regarding their campaigns. 

Lastly, the only way to make a real, tangible difference is by doing some research and making informed decisions. This article is just one of many sources of information on candidates out there. Do the leg-work – after all, what your future student experience shapes into is partly in the hands of the candidates that come on top following elections. Make sure those hands are attached to someone you believe will make good on their promises.