Treaty Recognition
We would like to respectfully acknowledge that our University and our Students’ Union are located on Treaty 6 Territory. We are grateful to be on Cree, Dene, Saulteaux, Métis, Blackfoot, and Nakota Sioux territory; specifically the ancestral space of the Papaschase Cree. These Nations are our family, friends, faculty, staff, students, and peers. As members of the University of Alberta Students’ Union we honour the nation-to-nation treaty relationship. We aspire for our learning, research, teaching, and governance to acknowledge and work towards the decolonization of Indigenous knowledges and traditions.
Message to Students
Hello fellow Students,
My name is Shuaa Rizvi and I am running to be your Students’ Union Vice-President Student Life. With my diverse experiences on campus and my ongoing commitment to working with a variety of people I hope to take this position and make it as approachable as possible. Campus should be a welcoming place for all people, and we need to strive together to make it happen. I will work hard to tackle issues on campus such as inaccessibility to mental health services, residence/campus safety and security for all students and fostering a more positive campus culture.
During my time at the University of Alberta, I've had the opportunity to serve on the Students' Council and the General Faculties Council as an undergraduate representative for the Faculty of Science. I've had great fun in volunteering for different SU services such as Week of Welcome, and student groups such as TeamUP Science. One year while sitting on the Dean of Students Advisory Committee, I had the chance to understand and debate things such as the Lister Meal Plan and had the chance to get an insider view of safety and security on campus while doing an internship with the Department of Environment, Health & Safety.
I am running for VPSL because I empathize with students. I genuinely felt that I could not sit back and watch students struggle to get access to resources. Or even if they did, then the wait times were so, so long. I listened and learned, and I know that I will continue to collaborate with the various groups on campus to ensure growth. We need student representation and I believe that it’s time to change things up!
So on March 6 & 7, I hope that you’ll vote RIZVI for VPSL together lets
#ShuaaChange! (pronounced like “show a change”)
Sincerely,
Shuaa Rizvi
Goal 1: Foster a Positive Campus Community
As your VPSL I will strive to make campus a welcoming place for all peoples. Although there are existing services, the lack of a collaborative approach deters students involvement. As a Students’ Union we need to consider the various perspectives and situations to ensure that all students get the most out of their university experience. The following are some concrete ways I hope to engage our campus community
1. I was very fortunate to be a permanent member of the Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Committee (ARRC) this past year. The committee worked towards a list of recommendations which was done through collaboration with representation from the Native Studies Students’ Association, Aboriginal Students Council and the Students’ Union. My goal is to actively encourage the implementation of the ARRC recommendations so that we as a student body can move towards reconciliation efforts on campus. This will give us the chance to practice being an active ally on campus while promoting collaboration.
2. Currently, many of the student events organized by the Students’ Union are not designed for students who parent. This hinders student involvement and doesn’t create an all-inclusive environment. My focus would be to improve the number of child-friendly events that are supported by the SU. Examples include more child-friendly programming during the Week of Welcome and more child-friendly movie nights. By working with the Campus Social Work Team we will be able to look into data collection about the number of students who parent and potential steps that we can take to make the campus more accommodating for them.
3. Work with the International Student Association and support them to strengthen their association. This will be through working together on advocacy, furthering relationships between international student services and International Students Association, I would be advocating for more bursaries and awards and continuing support. By collaborating with the VP External I will ensure that international students are not left out of the conversations for tuition regulations.
4. By facilitating cross-campus collaboration with our friends at Augustana and Campus St. Jean, I hope to bring the specific services that they need. It is our responsibility to ensure that students from all campuses and faculties have access to the services provided by the university based on their needs. Through advocacy and collaborative efforts, we can bring the required programs to Augustana Campus and Campus St. Jean, all the while supporting their student associations to reinforce their agency. It is very important that we start having these conversations now, and that we make sure that their perspective is present at the table.
Goal 2: Improve Mental and Physical Health and Wellness Efforts
Mental health is more than just about life being stressful, it is a crucial issue and will be a priority for me as your next VPSL. Even with the many campaigns to reduce the stigma around mental health, there are various issue that make mental health services inaccessible. Whether it be language barriers, the high demand of these resources on campus, or a lack of awareness we need to hold ourselves accountable to be able to adequately provide support for our peers. With the following steps, I hope that I can improve current efforts in promoting mental and physical health.
1. Organizations such as Campus and Community Recreation, the Health and Wellness Centre, the Healthy Campus Unit and others work to improve physical health and wellness on campus. I will collaborate with these organizations along with the residence associations to promote and encourage use and cooperation in organizing events. I will also investigate which types of services are widely used on campus and which physical health supports students want more of and need.
2. One of the major advocacy roles that I will champion is to pressure the university to stay committed to their 2018 Suicide Prevention Framework strategies. University has stated within the framework that there should be the creation of a full-time prevention coordinator position. To ensure that the university is accountable to the implementation of their priorities, I will advocate for the hiring of a coordinator. You can access the framework here: https://bit.ly/2NzBnso
3. With twenty-one percent of students reporting that they experienced at least one unwanted sexual experience at some point in their life it is clear that sexual assault and violence which can have huge implications on the mental health and academic success of the individual. Unfortunately, due to the stigma associated with the sensitive topic of sexual assault, in addition to gaps in policy and resources, survivors find it difficult to seek help. Many of the Sexual Assault Centre workshops, including their bystander intervention training and their workshops for supporters, are underused. I will maximize the accessibility to services by collaborating with the Sexual Assault Centre to improve awareness and promote open dialogue and communication among students. Furthermore, I will ensure that we advocate for the accessibility of these resources for our peers over at Augustana and Campus St. Jean.
4. Due to my training with Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) and Unconscious Bias training through the Ministry for the Status of Women, I would bring this training to the council. Through collaboration with the portfolio of VP Academic and Discover Governance to educate student leaders on the implications of their personal biases and striving towards the university’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion frameworks. You can read more about GBA+ training here: https://bit.ly/2GTJBLj
5. It can be very difficult to take steps towards accessing mental health services, and it becomes even more difficult when you’re not able to convey what you’re experiencing due to language barriers. As your VPSL I hope to encourage language and cultural sensitivity training for our existing services, such as the Peer Support Centre.
Goal 3: Collaborating for a Memorable University Experience
Everyone’s university experience is different. Whether you live in residence or if you live at home it is your right to feel safe when studying or living on campus. Safety and security on campus has been a big issue, with strides being made we need to continue collaborative efforts to ensure that we don’t end up excluding vulnerable groups from the conversation.
Furthermore, the plethora of events offered on campus through a variety of groups, residence associations or student organization/clubs gives students an outlet to find friends and make memories. As VPSL I will give supports to clubs and associations to build participation and plan for future sustainability.
1. There are currently nine main residences present at the University of Alberta: HUB, East Campus Village, Lister, Newton Place, Michener Park, I-House, Augustana Residence, Residence Campus St. Jean and Peter Lougheed Hall. With nearly 5000 students in residences, their voices are represented through their associations at the Council of Residence Associations (CORA). As VPSL, I will ensure that the different issues of each residence are addressed by strengthening the different associations to regain agency and ensure longevity. Select issues that will need to be addressed are mentioned below.
With Michener Park set to close in 2020, there will be discussions of how to accommodate those students, a large part of which are students who parent. Through insight and student surveys, I will be able to convey their concerns to the administrative decision making bodies.
With the recent formation of the East Campus Students’ Association, procedural steps will need to be taken to ensure association autonomy and sustainability. I hope to introduce executive onboard training as well as helping to compile transition documents for future executives.
With the distribution of different organizations in Lister, it will be a personal goal to ensure that Floor Coordinators (FCs), and the LHSA executives have sufficient training similar to the support and training as an RA. Furthermore, I would serve to support the executives with completing their own mandates rather than taking charge.
With issues surrounding the Lister Meal Plan, I would like to implement convenient Grab n’ Go stations so students aren’t bound to a few locations.
Formation of Residence Association where there currently isn’t one. Form transition documents to help ensure smooth transitions of students into executive roles. In addition, this will guarantee the year-to-year consistency of the Residence Association.
2. Working towards affordable rental options for students living in residence. With the rent in residences increasing based on the Academic Price Index (API) rather than Consumer Price Index (CPI), means that the university directly controls the prices. I will continue my predecessor’s work on advocacy to implement rent controls on University residences to make sure that the rent is predictable so that students can budget accordingly. Rent should follow market price CPI, not API. Through data collection of students’ inputs, I hope to communicate with the university the importance of rent control.
3. Collaborating with Risk Management Services, Residence Services, and the UAPS to outline safety and security issues on campus and the best way to address them. Through consultation and education, I hope to promote a safe and inclusive environment for all students.
4. As your VPSL I hope to be a support for existing organizations. I will provide the tools and resources you would need to plan, organize and carry out diverse events. I would also like to work with the International Students’ Association to make sure that we have culturally appropriate supports to ensure that everyone is included.
Closing
Thank you so much for taking the time to read through my platform, hopefully, my goals resonated with and addressed some of your concerns. In the coming week, you will be seeing my face around campus and I hope that I get a chance to personally speak with you during the campaign. If you have any questions, comments or insights please don’t hesitate to contact me at:
Email: shuaa@ualberta.ca
Facebook: Shuaa Rizvi
Twitter: @s_rizvi96
Instagram: @shuaarizvi
Once again, I hope that you will vote Shuaa Rizvi for VPSL!