We are so back, Golden Hawks.
This summer, your Students’ Union (SU) was busy. To kick off The Cord’s coverage of this year’s SU team, here is an overview of what you might have missed in preparation for the coming academic year.
Jessica Le will be kicking off her first year as the president of the SU, with 96 per cent of members voting in favour. Her platform seeks to establish transparency, listening, and a sense of community.
Le brings with her extensive experience working within the organization under several roles including, Committee Coordinator, Club Member, SU Desk staff, and Associate Vice President of Volunteer Operations.
In addition to this, Le will be joined by a new group of associate vice-presidents (AVPs) across the SU’s departments: Clubs and Associations, Government & Stakeholder Relations, Programming Services, and Volunteer Operations.
Together, these departments work hard to elevate the student experience and advocate on students’ behalf, at every level of representation. The new leadership will continue to work for student programming, services and support across WLU’s campuses.
The union’s preparations this year are also coming after a major milestone from last April, the students’ union celebrated its 50-year anniversary with a gift of $1.25 million in support of the Laurier student experience.
Of that $1.25 million: $250,000 will support the Students’ Union 50th Anniversary Volunteer Bursary Fund; $250,000 will support the Leanne Holland Brown Student Emergency Fund; $250,000 will support the Milton Campus Student Experience; $250,000 will support the Brantford Campus Student Experience; and $250,000 will support the Waterloo Campus Student Experience.
The Students’ Union 50th Anniversary Volunteer Bursary Fund gives financial aid in return for volunteer opportunities for undergraduate students.
According to the WLU alumni website, the Leanne Holland Brown Student Emergency Fund “ensures that the students facing such hardships are still able to pursue their education at the university and achieve their academic and professional dreams without financial stress.”
The remaining $750,000 has been split equally across our three campuses, Brantford, Milton and Waterloo, to support their respective student experiences.
“We wanted to do something meaningful to mark 50 years — something that reflects both how far we’ve come and where we’re headed,” Ryan Jobby, outgoing Students’ Union president and CEO, said. “At the heart of it all are our students; they are the reason we exist and the driving force behind everything we do.”
With a new president and executive team taking the reins after the Union’s 50-year anniversary, this year represents both a clean new chapter for the SU and a to-do list that builds on what came before them.
So, whether you’re new to campus or returning, there is plenty happening to make this year great. The new academic year has started, and this is just the beginning of what to watch for from your Students’ Union.
Graphic by Anna Koehler
