“Student Focused, Student Driven“
Running for UWSA President
My name is Bradley and I am a third-year Human Kinetics Movement Science student whose day-to-day life is oriented around volunteering within our on-campus community. First, I am currently the Co-President of the Human Kinetics Society. This role has allowed me to bring about positive change within my faculty and create a sense of community through overseeing the planning and execution of events such as our annual faculty gala, as well as charity fundraising events for the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Movember Canada. Under my supervision, we have also partnered with Relay for Life to increase awareness of this charity event, not only in my faculty, but in the whole campus community. From 2021 to 2022, I sat as the Student Experience Committee Undergraduate Chair in the Faculty of Human Kinetics. My main responsibility was to advocate for the wants and needs of the undergraduate student population in order to support them both socially and academically. From 2020 to 2021, I had my first exposure to UWSA through my position on the First Year Council. This position allowed me to represent my faculty and present ways in which the UWSA could better support us as well as be attentive to the needs of other faculties across campus. Although many of my experiences are geared towards enhancing the experiences of specifically Human Kinetics’ students, these positions have enabled me to witness how the UWSA operates and ways in which it can be improved from a student and club perspective.
If elected, I would undertake several initiatives and projects to achieve certain goals. The first goal I would strive to accomplish is to improve the quality of Student Accessibility Services (SAS). One way to achieve this would be to incentivise students to act as note takers to ensure students with impairments such as dyslexia are able to have access to proper accommodations while in the classroom. These incentives would be funded by proceeds stemming from a number of fundraisers and charitable events hosted by the UWSA throughout the year. The second way to achieve this goal would be by working with SAS to ensure that the length and intensity of the application process in minimalized. Whether you have a life-long impairment, are an athlete coming off of an injury, or have any other extraneous circumstances, you deserve to receive readily accessible, reliable, and equitable treatment. The second key goal I would aim to accomplish is to use the UWSA’s resources, such as social media platforms, operating spaces, and funding, to improve the publicity and financial support that our various clubs and societies receive. I believe that by providing students the tools and space that they require, it will inspire them to grow beyond their previously believed confines. My final key goal is to further simplify the bus pass opt-out and cheque requisition process so that it is more readily accessible and easy to complete.
I plan on utilizing my previous leadership experiences on campus to facilitate growth for those around me, both within and outside of the board. For members within the UWSA, I believe in order to increase our team cohesion, we need to establish an informal relationship outside of our roles through team building events. As well, as a result of my growth-oriented mindset, I will provide opportunities in which other board members can gain valuable experience in a leadership role and support them to achieve their goals within UWSA, in addition to their future aspirations. For members at large, I want to break down the formality that is often associated with the position of UWSA President. The UWSA President is the voice of our student body. My goal is to present myself as approachable for everyone at the University of Windsor. I would do this by setting aside one hour a week to sit in the CAW to speak to students on a drop-in basis. Acting as President, I plan to be readily accessible to listen to the needs and concerns of all students, not only those on the UWSA board.
The UWSA is the highest level of student governance which makes their voice and advocacy so important to improving the student experience. The UWSA is the heart to the body of our community. Every faculty, every group, every student, all link back to the same vital organ. Every component is equal in value but different in expression. It is in my opinion that the UWSA should therefore have the greatest responsibility to support students, clubs, societies, university employees, and general community members. The support that the UWSA provides can often directly determine the success of other groups and organizations across campus even just by providing a physical presence at events. UWSA should use its resources to help build up those on the campus community, by celebrating success, helping support physically, and publicizing campus activities.
