Posts Tagged ‘President’

This is the second installment of our blog series, “Our Dirty Linen”. Once again, the goal is to be open about areas needing development, to spark a discussion around what we’re doing to address those areas, and then to welcome feedback from all of you on those changes.

The core of any union is to represent its members to a greater extent than the members could have done individually. The UNB Student Union was formed in 1914 to protect and promote student rights in and out of the university. Since it began, the Student Union has grown to host events and provide extensive services to enhance the student experience. I applaud the work of past and present students who’ve developed and coordinated the services in the past; it’s now time to make sure that one of our core reasons for existing - to represent students - can excel to the same extent our services have.

Our Computer Science Councilor, Ash Furrow, recently posted a blog about the barriers to getting involved with the Student Union. Our current structure and way we work may be hurting us more than helping us, and so we’re now looking to fix that. Here are a few things we’ve done to improve how we represent you (feel free to ignore any words that sound boring):

Governance Review

On September 21st, the UNB Student Union Council passed a motion to “strike a committee” to evaluate “effectiveness, representation, and comprehensiveness”. Admittedly, this sounds a little dry. The fact that committees work so formally puts off a lot of people who could be involved with them, but that’s one thing this committee will consider (is that ironic? I’m not sure). In the next few paragraphs, I’ll clear up exactly what the committee is going to look at.

Effectiveness: Is the way we work getting everything done that we want to get done? For example, our Student Union does a lot of work with government at all levels that more students could be excited about. Perhaps we’d be more successful working with government if we had more students mobilized to work on projects they’re passionate about. But one key roadblock is that our structure may not be effective in empowering students so they can do what they want to do.

Representation: Are students’ concerns genuinely being heard and considered? If I’m a first year student, new to campus, or even shy, I may not be comfortable approaching my Faculty Councilor or an Executive Councilor to express my concerns. The committee will investigate how to make it as easy and comfortable as possible for any student to have their voice heard.

Comprehensiveness: Is there something we’re missing? I believe the members presently working for the Student Union are excelling and doing fantastic work in their portfolios, but our concern is that topics and issues might exist outside of those job descriptions. For example, if you have a problem with ITS, there is currently no one specifically responsible for helping you. We need to find the gaps and fill them.

Policy & Research

A good Student Union is a smart Student Union. In July, Council voted to hire a new employee responsible for policy and research. This person amplifies our ability to address student needs and produce solutions to them. Well defined solutions, or policies, make it dramatically easier to affect change when working with the administration, government, and more.

Policy helps representation in two ways. First, research will help us when determining how to reshape the Student Union in light of the governance review. Second, in any structured Student Union, research helps us come up with creative answers to best address student concerns.

Consultation & Communication

If you read Our Dirty Linens, Part 1, our communication strategy has seen some dramatic changes this past year. Communications, in turn, is a tool to make sure you can be involved in the process of reshaping the Student Union. Council voted in favour of having at least one first year student sit on this governance review committee to make sure that the disconnect that sometimes exists between early and later students is acknowledged. The committee will be working to host extensive consultations on campus, so we gladly invite you to help your Student Union by sharing your thoughts and plans.

This is just the beginning of an exciting academic year. With improved communications and internal changes, we’ve working to become a better vehicle for you to make the change you want to see. Want to get involved? Just let us know! Feedback is both welcomed and encouraged.

Take care,
_
Jon O’Kane
President – UNB Student Union
Phone: 506.452.6091
Twitter: UNBSU_Jon