Steve, VP Internal

A 4A Arts student and Honours Sociology major, Steve Hayle has been heavily involved in student life at UW, both within the faculty of Arts, and across campus. Steve has spent the past four years representing Arts students in a number of capacities: as a FedS Arts Councillor, a VP Communications for the Arts Student Union, and currently, the UW Arts senator, a position which, places him in the highest academic decision-making body and, allows for him to be the voice for Arts students. Across campus, Steve has also served as a member of the FedS Board of Directors for two years, and has sat as on 4 campus-wide FEDS committees. Currently, Steve is a member of the UW Board of Governors, where he represents undergrads on the highest governing body of the university.

 

Steve has immensely contributed to student life during his time as an undergrad at UW. He worked as a student ambassador for 2 years, providing tours to prospective students, was a Student Life 101 Co-ordinator for 2005 and 2006, and has coordinated student volunteers for both UW Day in fall 2005, and Campus Day in 2006. Steve has also been a member of the Student Life Management Board from 2004 to 2006.

Platform:

The role of Vice-President Internal within the Federation of Students, according to its bylaws, is to work toward assuring that the University of Waterloo provides an environment wherein its members can pursue personal and social growth, as well as academic success.  Throughout the following pages, I will discuss the ways in which I envision the Federation of Students and the Vice-President Internal effectively working to ensure that an environment where personal growth, social growth and academic success can be achieved by everyone.  I discuss my viewpoints related to the Federation of Students and the Vice-President Internal position and explain what I would like to accomplish if given the honour to serve in this position.  It is important, like in any election, to make an informed choice when choosing who you wish to be your representative.

 

On the Internal Administration Committee and the Internal Funding Committee…

Two of the most important standing committees of the Federation of Students (FedS) are the Internal Administration Committee (IAC) and the Internal Funding Committee (IFC), which are both chaired by the Vice-President Internal and have membership made up of both student councillors and students at large who do not sit on student council.  The IAC supervises, maintains, and recommends changes to all clubs and commissions constitutions and operating procedures while the IFC is responsible for administering the Special Projects Fund and the Enterprise, Opportunity and Innovation Fund.  I believe that the responsibilities invested in both of these committees are very significant and that the decisions rendered through these bodies have a significant impact on the UW student community.  For this reason, I am committed to fighting to improve the accountability of both of these committees to the students that they represent.

It is important that students are aware of what decisions are being made by the committees that are elected to supervise clubs and services to help improve student life at UW and offer opportunities for students to grow as student leaders and pursue projects that intrigue them.  To bring students closer to the committees that serve them, I will begin by conducting a governance review of both committees, focussing specifically on reviewing the mandates of these committees, the bylaws and policies that govern how the meetings of both committees must be run, how official decisions can be made, and the nature of the records that are kept at each meeting.

I believe that it is essential that students who have the opportunity to sit on these committees and want to make positive contributions on behalf of students should be given every opportunity to participate.  I will strive to ensure that available positions on both committees are well advertised through the FedS website, feds pulse and the FedS office. Meetings of both committees are open for all students to attend and I want to create better awareness of this in the UW community encouraging students to join information mailing lists for both of the committees and advertising the meeting times for these committees to the student community.   

I feel that it is essential that students know what happens at the tables of both committees regardless of whether or not they attend the meetings.  I will ensure that information regarding this is made available to students by providing regular reports of what decisions are made on the FedS open mailing list, the FedS website and Fedpulse.  I will also establish a separate webpage linked to the FedS website and Fedpulse that is devoted entirely to providing information about clubs and services, commissions, funding initiatives, the mandates of the IAC and IFC and what decisions are made when they meet.      

 

On the Mayor’s Student Advisory Council…

I believe that one of the most successful initiatives that was spearheaded by students over the past year was the Mayor’s Student Advisory Council.  It was exciting for me to watch the group grow into the influential student body that it is today and I would be committed to working closely with this group to ensure that they have all of the necessary resources and assistance from the FedS that is required to assist them in providing students with effective and meaningful representation to the Mayor of Waterloo and the Waterloo City Council. 

I will strive to continue to play an active role in the Advisory Council and support its commitment to ‘community service learning’ and its encouragement of students to participate in ‘community groups and charities’.
I firmly believe that one of the most important steps that should be taken by any Vice-President Internal when they step into office is establishing strong relationships with the city Mayor.  I will be committed to advocating for student issues related to student life on our campus through having one-on-one meetings with Mayor Halloran, the city councillors, and by providing a student presence at city council meetings and voicing student issues in presentations before the city council.

This commitment, however, cannot stop short in the city of Waterloo.  With two satellite campuses established in the two sister cities, Kitchener and Cambridge, both myself and the incoming President Elect Justin Williams would make it a priority, while in office, to establish strong working relations with themayors of Kitchener and Waterloo, and the regional chair.
On first year student involvement with the FedS…

Since my first year as a student on this campus I have felt that there can often be a disconnect between first year students and the FedS.  I have worked as a councillor and senator to help first year students recognize the leadership opportunities that are available to them. I would strive to strengthen the relations between the FedS and residence councils and the Off Campus Dons student service, and work with President-Elect Justin Williams to fight to ensure that first year students are aware of the services and opportunities that are provided to them by the FedS. 

I will establish a FedS First Year’s Student Council that will be open to all interested first year students.  I envision this committee serving as an effective forum for first year students to voice their opinions, and generate ideas for ways that the FedS can better serve them and improve student life on his campus. 

I will hold regular meetings with first year representatives who serve on all faculty societies, residence councils, and university college student unions, and collectively discuss how FedS can ensure that first year student interests are being met. 

On University Colleges…
I believe that student societies play an invaluable role in the enrichment of student life on our campus.  I feel that it is essential for the Vice-President Internal to continually work to strengthen the relations between the FedS and the students and all student unions and societies across campus.  I will also fight to ensure that their unique concerns are being brought directly to the FedS. 

One of my priorities will be to strengthen working relationships that FedS has with the student unions and the students they represent at St. Jeromes University College, Renison University College, St. Paul’s College and Conrad Grebel College.
I will encourage the presidents of the four university college and academic residence student councils to play an active role on the Committee of Presidents (COPS) that is made up of the presidents of all faculty societies, residence councils and university college and college student unions.
I will work with incoming President Justin Williams to explore the possibilities of amending the FedS bylaws, policies and procedures to give all university and college residence student council presidents a non-voting, but recognized seat on FedS Student Council.

On FedS services…
I believe that what makes the FedS truly unique and provides UW students with a thriving campus is due in large part to the services operated through the FedS.  As Vice-President Internal I will make it a priority to work closely with all of the service co-ordinators and service volunteers throughout the year. 

I will begin a tradition of holding regularly scheduled meetings with all of the service co-ordinators.  I will establish a FedS standing committee that is composed of the Vice-President Internal and the service co-ordinators.

I will encourage service co-ordinators and volunteers to attend FedS Student Council meetings in order to educate student councillors and interested students about what services are provided to students by each of the respective FedS services.
I will conduct a year-long, ongoing service review that will investigate ways to ensure that the funding and space allocation needs of each of our services are being met, and that the services are receiving all of the resources that they require from the FedS in order to operate their programs effectively.

 

On fostering student leadership…
The FedS provides leadership for all undergraduate students at the University of Waterloo.  As an organization that exists to provide leadership for its shareholders, I firmly believe that the FedS should be playing an active role in fostering leadership potential among those that the organization represents and those that it may potentially represent in the future. 
I will establish strong relations between the FedS and the Waterloo Region District School Board and other school boards in order to promote FedS and its leadership opportunities to secondary students considering post-secondary education.

I will explore possibilities for FedS to hold leadership conferences for high school students who demonstrate strong leadership potential.

I will advocate for the FedS to provide UW students with the resources necessary to develop and enhance their leadership abilities through attending conferences, holding leadership positions, and taking part in volunteer opportunities.

I will assist and encourage UW students in their efforts to reach out to the Waterloo region community and search for opportunities to develop their leadership skills via community activism, roles on committees, and positions on community event programming teams.
On the FedS Arts Commission…
The FedS Arts Commission is responsible for calling for requests for funding of artistic projects, reviewing these applications and making recommendations for approval.  The commission is to report bi-monthly to the Vice-President Internal during the term that the Commission is active.

I am strongly in favour of supporting FedS initiatives that allow for the expansion of artistic projects in the UW community, and would like to work with the Arts Commissioner and students to expand the role of the FedS Arts Commission

I will hold regular meetings with the Arts Commissioner and members of the Arts Commission       

I will examine the current structure of the Arts Commission and work to enhance the structure and organization of the arts commission

I will work to expand the activities of the Arts Commission from its current event programming to include a wider range of events and initiatives that support the production of art on this campus

I will work with the Arts Commissioner and Commission, along with faculty societies, the administration and the Student Life Centre Management Board, to explore opportunities for featuring student art in the student life centre as well as student society lounges and C&Ds across campus.

 

On a positive space initiative…

As Vice-President Internal, I will support and provide advocacy for the implementation of a positive space initiative at UW

Through the Vice President Internal position and the seat that they hold on the LGBTQQ advisory committee, and meetings with Gays And Lesbians of Waterloo (GLOW)- The Queer And Questioning Community Centre executives and volunteers, I will work with student representatives to advocate for the university administration to recognize a positive space initiative at UW. 
* I define a positive space initiative as a program in which certain locations on the university campus are designated by students, faculty, staff and others as being a safe space for those members of the queer community.  A positive space initiative will involve the training of volunteers who will be involved in delivering services to queer and questioning students.
I will work with students and university administrators to work as a team and collectively discuss possible ways in which such an initiative could be implemented that would be agreeable to both students and administrators, but placing the interests and safety of all students as the main priority.
Support the Gays and Lesbians of Waterloo (GLOW) service in their continued operation of the GLOW ALLY network and its training programs.

Cooperatively work with the administration as they seek opportunities to extend various forms of ally network training to student services and university college training programs.

On FedS clubs and funding

I believe that the incredible campus culture that exists at UW is a direct result of the operation of over 100 active FedS clubs.  I believe that the cumulative impact of all of the events organized events taking place on campus through these clubs makes UW a university campus unlike any other.  Challenges that clubs continue to face involve the allocation of funds across FedS clubs.  I will explore various alternative forms of funding for FedS clubs to ensure that all clubs are well supported and that they have the resources and capabilities to serve their membership and the student community at-large.  As well, such models of funding will also require executives and student members to work to increase the accountability of clubs to their students, particularly through carefully explaining how all of their expenses are utilised.
I will explore options for different forms of club funding thorugh the researching various alternative models that are used at other universities across Canada.    

I will work with the IAC, IFC and all interested parties to discuss various alternatives for allocating funds to clubs that serves the best interests of students and student life on this campus.

On the UW Diversity Awareness campaign…

The purpose of the One Waterloo Diversity Campaign is to nurture a community where students feel comfortable and safe to learn, express and explore.  I believe that this campaign has had tremendous success in raising awareness of issues pertaining to cultural diversity on this campus and that it is crucial for the Vice-President Internal to continue allowing that the campaign to develop through the adoption of more projects, assuming a greater role on campus, and generating more student involvement.

I will provide strong and effective support for the Diversity Awareness campaign driven through effective student representation.

Through the Vice-President Internal’s role as co-chair of the Diversity Awareness Campaign, I will ensure that students have a strong voice in the discussion and decision making activities of the campaign.

I will ensure that students are regularly updated on developments of the campaign through reports at student council meetings, the FedS website and the FedS office.
I will promote opportunities that encourage students to assume leadership positions through the Diversity Awareness Campaign.

I will promote opportunities that encourage students to become involved through volunteer opportunities with the Diversity Awareness Campaign.

I will work to help improve the visibility of the Diversity Awareness Campaign and its initiatives to the UW student community and the Waterloo regional community.