Chen is running to join UBC’s Board of Governors (BoG) on a platform of affordability, increased funding for graduate students and financial transparency.
The second-year UBC master's of finance student said if elected, she planned to advocate to increase both the capacity of and food options for the AMS Food Bank, noting the importance of having a balanced diet.
“[The] food bank should be open to both the staff and also the students, and also increasing … [its] operating hours, and also to include more nutritious food to students,” Chen said.
UBC staff have been unable to access the AMS Food Bank since May 2023. While Chen could advocate for UBC to allocate more funding to the AMS for food insecurity, the service’s hours and food options aren’t in the purview of the Board.
Chen also said she would advocate for UBC to increase the PhD student stipend it offers to match the University of Toronto’s (UofT) PhD stipend model, noting that many UBC PhD students use up the majority of their stipends paying for rent and food.
UBC currently offers each PhD student a $24,000 stipend, while $26,000 is the poverty line in Canada. UofT offers their PhD students $40,000. UBC said in September 2023 that it is advocating to the federal government for higher funding.
“UBC should increase the stipend for the PhD students as well, so that in the long term, UBC won't lose a lot of talents to UofT,” Chen said. “This will help UBC to become a top research school in the long run.”
On governance accountability, Chen said she realized the importance of financial transparency while she was working as the chair of the Graduate Student Society’s (GSS) House Finance Committee. Chen acknowledged that BoG does publish an annual report of its monetary allocations, but said many students are largely unaware of this fact and don’t know where to find it. As a finance student, Chen said she would also be able to simplify difficult terms.
“If I'm elected, I will make this information more transparent and publish it on some other social media platforms like Instagram … and also to break down [some] of the big financial term[s] without any jargon.”
When asked further about her plans for student engagement, Chen said she would want BoG’s annual report to be in multiple languages over Instagram, Messenger and possibly We Chat.
In addition to her committee work for the GSS, Chen said she has been volunteering as an event organizer since completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Calgary. She also founded UBC’s Chinese Graduate Students’ Society once she realized there were many Chinese graduate students who felt “a little bit isolated.”
“I hope that I can leverage this experience as a founder and … amplify the students’ voice to the Board of Governors.”
This article is part of our 2025 AMS Elections coverage. Follow us at @UbysseyNews on X (formerly Twitter) and follow our election coverage starting March 3.
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