In the last AMS-held debate, the VP Academic candidates squared off. The former VP Academic sought to make textbooks more affordable through open educational resources. In light of this, the debate started with a game of The Price Is Right, where the candidates had to guess the prices of different student textbooks.
When asked about the specific qualifications that they have to handle the complex portfolio of the VP Academic, Andrew Liang said that none of the candidates are really qualified, but that this is not an issue because there are four months to be familiarized with the job before assuming it.
The other two candidates disagreed — Hussam Zbeeb said that having worked as the VP Academic for his undergraduate society, he has already handled various academic initiatives. Samantha So said that her experience on different committees and willingness to engage the student population at UBC makes her particularly suitable.
Each candidate offered different strategies for tackling issues related to tuition and housing price increases. So said that she would work more closely with other AMS execs, in particular the VP External, as well as other stakeholders at the university. Zbeeb said that if elected, he would collaborate more with the student Senate and the university’s administration. Liang said that his goal is to promote financial literacy education at the university because he believes that a lack of financial literacy is the cause of issues such as student debt.
The three candidates also got a question by Jenna Omassi — current VP Academic — about how they will work with the Sexual Assault Policy Committee. Zbeeb said that he plans to continue promoting consultation for sexual assault victims. So said that online consultation would be best because it ensures the victims’ anonymity and comfort. Liang instead said that the main issue with sexual assault is the lack of awareness about it and that his priority is to enhance public education on the subject.
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