Questions are pulled directly from the candidate's Facebook event, and if you have any questions, submit them through there!
Question #1
Hi Dhati!
As the current VP Communications of SUS, I have a few questions for you regarding your platform:
- In what ways do you think your past involvement makes you the best candidate? In other word, what skills did you develop from these positions that you can carry over as the Communications for SUS?
- What steps would you take to increase the presence of FUSS with the science community?
- You mentioned that you wanted to update the SUS website. We are currently at the final stages of its remodeling. Do you plan on redesigning it again next year? Or did you have other ideas in mind to make it a more effective communications outlet?
- There is currently complaint and feedback forms on the listserv but both forms don’t receive many responses. How would you encourage constituents to fill out these forms so that every voice could be heard?
- Are there other social media platforms that you would consider using to broaden outreach? Do you think that Instagram and Facebook are the best platforms to reach the largest number of constituents?
- You didn’t discuss the committees under the Communications portfolio very much in your platform. Are there any changes you’d make regarding them? Do you have any ideas to make them more efficient?
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions!
Best,
Victoria
Answer #1
Hi Victoria! Thank you for the questions!
1. I think my past involvements have given me valuable experience in juggling work & extracurriculars with mental health & free time. These opportunities have allowed me to understand how to effectively plan ahead to optimize my time and responsibilities! Aside from this, they have provided an inside look onto the process of working with communications when it comes to listservs. On top of that, as being a part of a departmental council, I have seen first-hand the information dissemination between VP comms and councils. I can’t speak to this year, but last year valuable information for SUS resources were only given out to departmental councils in mid-second semester, which is not ideal. Overall, I think my past experiences have given me fairly well rounded skills which can be carried over to the position.
2. In terms of FUSS I would like to use SUS social media platforms to more effectively to promote FUSS applications and events at the beginning of the year. When I was a first year, I was very much aware of SUS and its platforms through frosh, but FUSS applications were published later on, by which time I had already made other commitments. I would like to facilitate a FUSS led stop during Frosh and release applications earlier so that FUSS can reach a greater amount of applicants and establish themselves early on! Lastly, I think it would be beneficial to FUSS to partner with a SUS led event (with SIC or after hours) at the beginning of the year to broaden their reach within the science community and give them increased insight into event running. Being a first year comes with a lot of questions and a huge knowledge disparity on how McGill committees work, I would like to reduce this gap as much as possible and ease the transition into university councils!
3. I had no idea that the website was close to being fully remodelled! Knowing this, I wouldn’t need to remodel it again next year.
4. While there is a suggestion form, I think that it is hard to find unless you are looking for it. Next year I would include it in the table of contents and add “as always feel free to leave any suggestions/comments/concerns in the form” at the end of each blurb!
5. I would say that facebook and instagram do serve to cover the majority of students, but as always majority isn’t enough and communication shouldn’t be restricted! I think broadening our communications to a public platform. For example, using a linked google calendar on the SUS website, and making it into a more centralized role for SUS event information.
6. In terms of the committees underneath VP comms, PR and constitutional affairs, I would like to do a review of the positions before the year starts to see if there are any positions that may be redundant or that should be modified to make better use of SUS’s resources. For example, the PR committee has 4 positions and I assume most advertising materials come through the graphic designers. If so, are all 4 positions vital? Is there too much demand for graphic designers? By doing a review beforehand I think that resources can be better distributed and anything saved can be directed to SUS community initiatives.
Thanks again for the questions! Feel free to contact me if you need any clarifications/have any thoughts. Hope you are doing well!!
Best,
Arundhati
Question #2
Hi Arundhati 🤗 Hope you had a wonderful spring break!
Every year constituents have criticized of the lack of outreach SUS does. Many chose to not use social media platforms like facebook and instagram due to privacy concerns and voiced their dissatisfaction of simply receiving listserv emails. Despite having the office open to students every single week day, SUS engagement with the student body still does not meet some constituents' expectations.
How do you plan to address the issue that conventional means of distributing information (apart from listserv email and having daily office hours) cannot reach every single constituent?
To what extent is it in you and the society's best interest to invest more effort (in terms of time, manpower and money) to address this specific issue in light of the fact that SUS is no where near as privileged in terms of finance, student space and community engagement as AUS, EUS, etc.?
🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
Answer #1
Hi Bob! Thank you so much for your questions.
1. I completely understand the concerns coming from students when it comes to accessing SUS communications, especially those who are not a part of social media platforms, where many events are advertised. While office hours do their best to be open to the majority of students, I do realize that there are physical/time restraints making it hard for the student body to take advantage of them. Thus, I would propose starting a public google calendar that could be found on the SUS website which will compile SUS events, GAs and career/academic fairs in a clear and accessible format. Of course, in addition to this, I would make it one of my goals to refurbish the website as a whole. I believe this could easily work around the physical constraints of office hours and privacy concerns of social media platforms.
2. I believe SUS should 100% be investing time into finding student spaces. While we may not be as financially privileged, I do think having a designated student space is integral to fostering a solid community, regardless of discrepancies in funding. The after hours initiative is a great example of such an initiative, which I hope will be continued in the following years. If elected, I would make a point to work alongside SUS executives to search for an on campus location for science students to have a common space. This is especially crucial following the loss of beloved Schulich (rip). Hopefully, we can work with McGill building services to find an area which can be repurposed as a science lounge.
I hope I was able to answer your questions! Please let me know if you have any other questions. :)
Best,
Arundhati
