Viki Loncar is running to be VP finance on a platform of transparency, website reform and advocacy for clubs and constituencies.
The third-year international relations student currently serves as the treasurer for the International Relations Student Association (IRSA), an experience that she calls her “absolute favourite thing [she’s] ever done in [her] entire life.”
Loncar’s biggest campaign promise is transparency, noting that AMS quarterly financial reports are too hard for someone without a finance background to understand and need to be written “in plain English.”
“We know by the decrease of numbers in voting that most students are not involved in the AMS. And they don't know exactly what it does,” said Loncar.
“I don’t think that’s okay because of how much money we spend on it in our mandatory tuition, so I want to make sure that every student knows exactly what [they’re] paying for.”
Like both of her competitors, Loncar wants to tackle VP Finance Kuol Akuechbeny’s yet to be realized goal of transitioning from paper to online reimbursements for clubs and constituencies, but she doesn’t expect it to be easy.
“[Using paper reimbursements] was an issue for me as IRSA treasurer,” said Loncar. “Three VPFs tried it before me and I don't understand why it failed. I see challenges in it — why it would be difficult to make it online — but I don’t see why it was not feasible.”
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Loncar also aims to decrease the wages of AMS executives by 10 to 15 per cent, a goal that she adopted after consulting Akuechbeny and his platform for AMS president.
“None of my friends know what the AMS is or does other than entering the Nest and buying food. They really don't get that $400 back,” said Loncar. “So if we add more money back into the AMS, back into the AMS services towards students, I think that’ll be really good.”
In addition, Loncar also wants to improve the affordability of AMS food outlets by freezing or decreasing prices.
A relative newcomer to the AMS, a number of Loncar’s platform goals cover important topics — like advocating for Indigenous rights and creating an anonymous feedback forum — but they don’t usually fall under the VP Finance’s mandate.
Similarly, Loncar wants to revamp the AMS’s website to make it easier to navigate despite it being updated just last year. This goal is also outside of the VP Finance portfolio.
“I think it lost a lot of functionality. It's not very efficient and not very clear,” she said. “For example, if you look at the club list, it'll redirect you automatically to Clubhouse. Why aren't the clubs directly on the AMS website? That doesn't make any sense to me.”
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