A glimpse into who your elected student leaders are and a better understanding of their roles.

The Executive Committee of the University of Saskatchewan Student Union (USSU) is excited to make your university experience memorable and help you succeed academically. The USSU’s purpose, says President Krunal Chavda, is to act as a backbone to support students and advocate for their interests. Elisabeth Bauman, VP of Academic Affairs, echoes that sentiment, explaining that “regardless of the student experience, know you’re not alone … if a student is in distress, in whatever situation, to come here and know that they’re not alone.”

Krunal Chavda (He/Him)

President 

Chavda is a fourth year computer engineering student who is specializing in software systems. He enjoys playing racket sports, reading and coding in his spare time. For the past three years  he has been an active member of the Indian Students’ Association as a Director of Communications, VP of Operations and Finance and lastly as President. Additionally, he has been a member of the Student Council for international students. 

When asked to describe his role, Chavda says that the President of the USSU is the chief advocate for all students. “I work directly with the university administration and all of our stakeholders like the provincial government, federal government [and] the municipal government, to ensure that all of our student concerns are addressed,” he remarks. Krunal also mentions that he is the chief spokesperson for the USSU, assuring that communication between the students and the university is constant. 

Chavda is passionate about student leadership. He “firmly believes in this thing where one person, one quote, one video or one book can change someone’s entire life, like one interaction can change someone’s entire life. So one of my main, main reasons for running for this position was just how much I will be able to contribute to student life, and that motivates me on daily, because I know that my actions are going to have an impact, which is going to be generational and transformational in 22,000 undergraduate students’ lives.” 

He wants to ensure that other undergraduate students don’t experience the loneliness he felt while in difficult situations, and that’s why he is committed to having an open door policy. This academic year his focus is on the “A’s”: advocacy, awareness and alliance. He wants to advocate for students, raise awareness about the resources available to students and create alliances between the various campus departments saying that “becoming an ally and working together with someone has huge power.”  

Moses Ahiabu (He/Him)

Vice-President Operations and Finance 

Ahiabu is in his final year of a Bachelor of Commerce degree, majoring in finance. He has loved getting to be part of many different groups offered on campus, such as the Pan African Students Association and International Students’ Association. In the past he has been the Brand Ambassador and Vice President of Marketing for the Marketing Students’ Society. In his spare time he enjoys posting memes on social media.

Ahiabu says his passion for supporting student initiatives and “ensuring that our resources are used effectively to benefit the entire student body” is what first prompted him to run for VP Operations and Finance. He believes that efficient resource management and strong financial oversight are important to fostering campus communities. As VP Operations and Finance, he is responsible for overseeing the USSU’s budget and making sure that funds are allocated accordingly for student events, services and initiatives that are important for students and align with the USSU’s mission. 

He also acts as a liaison to ensure essential services, such as transit and health services, are offered to students. Ahiabu says he “noticed that effective management of resources can directly impact transportation solutions, ensuring that students have access to reliable and affordable transport options by overseeing the budget and working with various stakeholders.” 

In the interview, Ahiabu discussed some of the work done in the Spring and Summer by the other executives and him in improving the public transportation for students. “Now we can see that Brighton has its first route. Aspen Ridge has an on demand bus route. And then we are hoping that that could transition into a fixed route shortly.” Ahiabu also pointed out that “Rosewood extended the operations to the Meadows and other areas, and we [are] working with stakeholders to see where issues are and [how] we can address them accordingly.” 

Ahiabu is excited to bring his skills in financial management and strategic planning to impact student life this academic year. 

Elisabeth Bauman (she/her)

Vice-President Academic Affairs 

Bauman has been involved in the USSU for five years, and has been in her current position as VP Academic Affairs for two. She is in her final year of an Honours degree in English, minoring in Classical, Medieval and Renaissance Studies. In her spare time she enjoys music, playing the piano, reading, writing and going to Church. She has enjoyed going to department events such as the English Undergraduate Student Society and St. Thomas More college events, and recommends students go as it’s a great way to meet new people. 

Bauman breaks down her role as VP Academic Affairs in three parts: external, internal and one-on-one support. Externally, her responsibilities include representing undergraduate student interests on university governing bodies and creating groups of student representatives to “work on these policies, and give feedback and advice for how these would be impacting students. So, making sure that the student voice is reflected in the university’s guidelines, policies and procedures,” Bauman expressed.

She continues to say how her very own perspective on policies changed over time; “Policies actually affect a lot of things, and that bothered me for a long time, because I don’t actually like policies that much, but I’ve come to value and respect policies, because if we can get them in a way that helps students, that affects so many students across campus.” 

Internal to the USSU, she organizes events such as the USSU Symposium and the Excellence Awards. Bauman’s role also includes supporting students in academic distress, explaining that this could be “you’re accused of cheating, you think your grade is unfair and want to appeal it, you’re in conflict with your instructor, [or] you’re freaking out about your course registration.” 

When asked about why she ran, Bauman explained that she doesn’t like politics. “I like people,” she argued. “And so if there’s a position where I get to interact with people and help people and support people … that’s great.”

Upkar Singh (he/Him)

Vice-President Student Affairs 

Singh is in his fourth year of computer engineering, specializing in software and digital systems. He loves sports and has played in basketball and football recreational leagues. As VP Student Affairs, he is responsible for creating an exciting student life, through supporting and managing events that contribute towards an inclusive and vibrant campus community. His own experience as an international student coming to USask influenced his passion for fostering a community. He summarized his experience as  “new city, new university, everything brand new, still figuring things out,” but that through time he learned about all the “amazing things that exist, the facilities are the services that can be used to your advantage.”

Singh’s role deals with non-academic grievances, such as sustainability and safety on campus. He believes that “if somebody has to go through an unwanted experience, or have to deal with something that they felt uncomfortable with, trying to create a platform for them or just trying to support them in a way that [takes] their voices to the right place, [can make them feel] heard and their situation can be dealt with in the most efficient way possible.” 

Singh is invested in making sure that student voices are heard at all levels of government — municipal, provincial and federal — especially with elections coming up. Some concerns include housing shortages, safe communities, and funding for students to make life more affordable and give them more career opportunities. 

Singh is also focused on creating a strategic organizational plan to have better continuity. “I think we have had this problem where there is lack of continuity among the shared vision and the shared goals of the executives who come into these roles, because the turnover rate in these positions is so high,” sharing that he has goals that future executives might not have. He adds that he wants to leave “our union in better shape, not just in this year, but going forward in the next five years and ten years.” 

USSU Message to Readers

The USSU would like to leave readers with this message: “Don’t hesitate to reach out.” Chavda encourages students to drop by, email the executives or interact with them around campus, as they are eager to learn more about the students they represent and their inspiring stories. Chavda ends the interview stating this importance with “if we do not know what you want, I don’t think we can effectively advocate for you. So just reach out to us if you have any issues, anything. We are here for you all the time, every day, every hour.”