I am running to be your ISSS President for the 2016-2017 year. I have served as your Vice President Administration and Finance for the past year. I have delivered balanced budgets for both Fall and Winter semesters. I believe that in a year where Sci5 funding is up for renewal that a President with a strong grasp of finances is required to effectively market the renewal of the program. As well I have played an important role in mediating office disputes, which is an important skill for managing a large organization such as ISSS. As for my personal goals for ISSS, I will focus on building a strong team atmosphere over the summer, such that the entire executive and council teams are prepared to meet the following goals to the best of our ability: improved community engagement, fostering growth of departmental organizations within the faculty, and a commitment to fiscal responsibility and sustainability.

$10,000 were spent on agendas by the ISSS last year. Most agendas were thrown in the trash within the next month. That is both irresponsible and wasteful. Financial sustainability is key, but we cannot expect ISSS to be a success when we spent student money on ineffective marketing materials. And that’s just the beginning of it. Only 7% of the ISSS’ general volunteers are still part of the organization, and there are few mental health resources available to Science students. The problem with mental health care at the UofA is that outside of clinical care, there are few options to get help. I vouch for a longitudinal, long-term form of care. Through a peer-driven model, students can help each other in dealing with mental health issues on a day to day basis.
2016 will be ISSS’ most important year. Students will vote on whether to continue the mandatory $5 fee to fund the ISSS. It’s time to make a change. Think differently, act differently. Vote Arsalan for President

My name is Tracy Fan and I am running for the Vice President Academic position with The Interdepartmental Science Students’ Society (ISSS). I am currently a biological science major. I would be honoured to be able to represent science students, and to advocate for lower tuition, more flexible customizable programs, as well as for a broader course variety selection with smaller class sizes. Based on science students’ needs and wants, I will help to guide and coordinate policies in a way that enhances student priorities while balancing faculty requirements. I will work tirelessly on behalf of students to help ensure that the student body is informed of any important issues that may come up, such as program changes or tuition fee modifiers. I promise to always do my best to ensure that students’ interests always come first! I would very much appreciate your vote of support on Thursday, March 17 and Friday, March 18 — when voting begins. Vote Tracy Fan for a Brighter Science Future! A Vote for Tracy is A Vote for You!

My name is Hammad Shaikh and I’m currently a third year Neuroscience student. I have previously been involved with the ISSS as a Director and as VP Services, and I’m currently running for the VP Administration & Finance position. If elected as the VP Administration & Finance, my goals are to preserve the accountability and transparency of ISSS, increase student involvement, provide a voice for students to express their concerns and discontent and to educate Science Students about the SCI-5 fee so that the ISSS can continue to receive funding and support students.

Hello fellow Science students,
My name is Anthony Nguyen and I’m running to be your Vice-President Community of the Interdepartmental Science Students’ Society (ISSS)! If elected as Vice-President Community, I plan on creating a closer relationship between the ISSS and Science students. Currently, I believe there is a lack of communication between most students and the ISSS and this prevents students from taking advantage of the many benefits the organization has to offer! I plan on improving the relationship between the ISSS and Science students by having more events. I also plan on keeping all members within the organization accountable for their roles and responsibilities. The ISSS has had issues in the past with members not doing their share of their duties and it has prevented the organization from creating quality events and services.

I have had the amazing opportunity to be your first year councillor and have learned a lot about the needs of science students and the areas in which the ISSS can improve to make our services and events a greater success. As the Director of Science Week this year I was able to view the responsibilities and dedication required to host events by the ISSS. This is why I feel qualified to be your Vice President of Programming next year and I am looking forward to creating events that help unite science students as well as making their lives a little easier.

Yidi is a 5th-year student in Biological Science. Over the past four years, Yidi has learned a lot about student governance and advocacy through his involvement in multiple student organizations and advisory committees. Yidi has been the interim VP Community of ISSS since June, 2016 and is very familiar with the operation procedures of ISSS. During his interim term, Yidi has organized Clubs Fair sessions to promote events, services and opportunities that ISSS provides to Science students and has also organized two volunteer recruitment sessions recently. Yidi is interested in all topics that concern science students, in particularly involvement opportunities, academic and research policies within the Faculty of Science. Yidi understands the underrepresentation and struggle of international students and strives to help them overcome barriers they may face throughout their undergraduate life through collaboration with International Student Services. Yidi is very excited to continue his role as VP Community, to serve and engage science students and foster the sense of community among students. Please vote Yidi for VP Community on October 5th and 6th. Thanks!

Hello! My name is Kevin Lui and I am a fourth year Specialization Student majoring in Pharmacology. I am running for the position of VP Administration & Finance, a position I am currently holding as interim since August. This makes me an excellent candidate as I am already familiar with many of the responsibilities affiliated with this position. If elected, I plan to ensure that The ISSS continues to value and practice financial responsibility, making sure the part of your tuition we receive, the Sci-5 fee, is effectively spent towards supporting Science Students. Tandem with this a goal of mine is to maintain the accountability and transparency The ISSS must have for Science Students, improving feedback mechanisms so that The ISSS can continue to learn to better serve and support students.

Rowan is a first-year student in the animal biology (honours) program, and is interested in advocating for science students as a second-year ISSS councillor for 2016-2017. Having served on advisory committees for the Office of the Registrar and University of Alberta Libraries, she has represented science students’ interests on issues ranging from financial aid, to community building, to textbook accessibility. Her passions for interdisciplinary science, accountable and transparent governance, and experiential learning models motivate her campaign for council. If elected, she will draw from past advisory experience, involvement with various science-focused student groups, and future input from students to maintain relevancy. Her aim is to represent the diversity of second-year science student interests, and not merely those of an isolated friend group.

Hello! I’m Deanna and I’m a Biological Sciences student running for the position of Third Year Councillor. I believe that student voice is a crucial factor in shaping university life and providing students with the best experience possible. If elected, I would place high emphasis on ensuring that this voice is always being properly advocated for.

The Interdepartmental Science Students’ Society has a number great of student services, which I hope to be a part of continuing and improving. I also hope to participate in the maintenance of a unified community for students within the Faculty of Science.

As a fellow first year student, I understand your struggles. I was just a regular student in high school, and am now thrown into an unknown environment filled with both excitement and uncertainty. University is a brand new experience. It is a new beginning for all of us. Sometimes the university experience can be overwhelming, but I believed we can overcome this together if we support each other. I care about your wellbeing as well as your academic achievements, and wish to gain the power to help you do better. I understand how scary it might be to make yourself heard when you’re new to this community, and that’s why I wish to become your voice. I would like to ask for the honour of representing your ideas, voices and opinions in order to give you the best first-year experience. Help me, so I can help you. Please consider me as your representative for ISSS.

With a deep passion for all things science, and extensive experience in student governance, I’m beyond excited to represent science students on ISSS Council! My interests span the scientific disciplines, and I love seeing how the different departments come together and collaborate. Your interests are my interests, no matter which department you belong to.

I’m backed by years of experience representing students. Serving as Student Leadership Council Co-President, Youth Councillor/Senior Administrator for Town of Kindersley, Youth Consultation Representative for Sun West School Division, and even advocating on student issues at provincial and national education conferences, my heart has always been in building a positive student community. This year I was also selected as 2016 Schulich Leader, and I hope to live up to this by representing you on Council.

Additionally, I have diverse background of other extracurriculars, including volunteering in healthcare, high school sports, and fundraising initiatives. I even joined Quidditch here at U of A! I hope to bring these skills and experiences representing you and your values on Council.

Yours truly,

Sheldon Cannon

I, Yekta Sharafaddin-Zaden, am declaring my candidacy for the vacant position of first year ISSS Councillor. I have stood among the undergraduates as an equal and have experienced the hurdles that are on the path of every undergraduate student. I want to have the honour of representing all the members in order to familiarize them with the great services of ISS in order to make their four years of undergraduate studies an enjoyable experience. Upon my acceptance, I will promise to participate as an active Councillor member in order to serve at the pleasure of the Faculty of Science students. If elected, I also hope to advise my colleagues to advance their knowledge, capabilities, and experiences. It would be an honour to be selected for the ISSS councillor position and have the opportunity to enrich the learning experiences of my fellow peers. Thank you for your consideration. Vote for honesty, integrity, skills and leadership. Vote for Yekta Sharafaddin-Zaden for First Year ISSS Councillor!

Hi science students!

My name is Crystal Liu, and I am running to be your Second Year Councillor. As the appointed councillor for the past four months, I have gained a good understanding of ISSS’ operation, and had the chance to begin many marketing initiatives, such as ISSSberg the mascot and the ISSS Bulletin newsletter. I am currently a first-year Peter Lougheed Leadership College scholar, as well as the VP Executive for CANFAR, where I honed my organizational and leadership skills that is necessary to ensure ISSS’ accountability and productivity.

If elected, I will continue to work on expanding ISSS’ presence on campus and help provide science students with new opportunities and services.

Hello fellow Science students!

My name is Anthony Nguyen and I am running to be one of your fourth year councillors! I have had experience being with the ISSS in the past as Director of Administration in my second year and third year councillor in my third year.

I am running for this position because I want to ensure that all Science students get the best possible services and experience from the ISSS. This year for ISSS is especially important because SCI5 is up for renewal at the end of the year and my goal is to ensure that all Science students get the best value from their money so they will vote in favour to renew SCI5!

I plan to do this by improving the communication between ISSS and Science students so students are aware of all the perks and services that the ISSS offers such as scholarships, volunteering opportunities, study groups, and community events.

I hope to have your vote on October 5th and 6th! Thank you!

Hi there! My name is Narin Sheri and I am running for the 4th year councilor position for ISSS this coming 2016/17 school year. I am currently the interim 4th year councilor and have been working hard the last few months to ensure that our executives are being held accountable and that ISSS is consistently advocating for science students through the programs that we offer, such as MSG and Sci5. Having held the position for a few months already, I believe I am well equipped to keep things running smooth for the rest of the year with the experience I have already gained. I was also part of the executive team this past year for my Rotaract university club which has taught me a lot about both team-work and professionalism, which I believe makes me even more qualified for the position at hand. I am very excited about this coming year at ISSS and hope to be a part of it thanks to your help!