Laura Schultz is the best candidate for Students’ Union Vice-President Academic.
She has practical experience as the Communication and Culture faculty representative
for two years. She is well-versed in academic issues. Ask her about any academic
issue (retention of professors, accessibility, etc.) and she knows her stuff.
On top of that, she is well-respected by faculty and administration. The student
body would be lucky to have her deal with both known and unknown academic issues.
Her two years of experience will provide much continuity and a smaller learning
curve than the other candidates. VP Academic is one position where previous knowledge
and experience is a huge plus.
Some of her ideas include having all faculty representatives and academic commissioners
be as well-versed as her. It is an admirable stance since it will increase discussion
on policies and awareness about issues, however, it might tax the less dedicated.
Schultz’s dedication will probably be enough to convince others to follow
her and make the weekly Students’ Academic Assembly meetings more productive.
Many candidates have mentioned linking whatever portfolio they seek with the External
portfolio, Schultz is among them. She wants to educate the public on a quality
education. She has good concrete plans like comparing the results of the SU quality
survey to the university’s Academic Plan and see what was lacking. Then,
she would go to the community and point out students’ needs were not being
met, which would perhaps translate into more support for funding.
Schultz’s personality will also help broker any fractures within the executive,
which is quite foreseeable with the diversity of candidates and slates running
in this election.
How do you plan to work with the university with regards to academic initiatives?
“I think the best thing we can offer, as we sit on committees, is a great awareness. We need to be sharp and we need to know our material to know what we want to do.”
What plans do you have with regards to future scholarships and bursaries?
“Currently, I’m involved in creating an award for students outside of the classroom that contribute to their campus community. We need to encourage the university and work with the development office and really try to look at ways we can increase undergraduate scholarships and bursaries.”
How do you plan to deal with accessibility?
“We need to look at trying to ensure transfer ability still available to students in school. Additionally, in our quality campaign, we need to make it aware to the public, accessibility is severely affected by top-down admission, by quotas, by enrolment caps. I think the SAA needs to develop stronger policy on this.”
How do you plan to effective use SAA?
“I want to see the academic commission more as a think tank. I want them to take on a project at the beginning of the year, research it and bring it back at SAA so we can develop policy that can be implemented, well-researched and is sound policy. I want the faculty reps to take the issues and policies back to their faculties’ council and present it in council.”