This year's VP academic & university affairs (AUA) midterm review looks a little different. Unlike previous years where The Ubyssey has interviewed the VP AUA to discuss their progress, this year we were unable to interview the VP AUA due to turnover.
On November 6, AMS Council approved a motion to remove previous VP AUA Drédyn Fontana six months into his term, effective immediately, due to performance concerns including non-confidence to complete his goals and “misrepresentation to Council.” However, the AMS has not specified what misrepresentation to Council means. The AMS released a statement which said the society cannot release “further information on this decision … due to privacy reasons.”
- AMS Council vote to remove VP Academic and University Affairs
- AMS to hold a by-election for VP AUA in coming weeks
- AMS Council appoints interim VP AUA and VP finance
On November 20, Council appointed AVP University Zarifa Nawar to serve as interim VP AUA until a by-election can be held in January. The Ubyssey was unable to speak to Nawar before press time. Instead, we compiled what the AUA office set out to do this year, what they accomplished and what still needs to be done.
Fontana ran on a platform to increase affordability, accessibility and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
In his executive goals Fontana included wanting to increase the AMS’s Academic Experience Survey (AES) response rate, which did break the record this year with 4,148 responses. The survey took place under last year's VP AUA, but the data was compiled and presented during Fontana's term.
The survey reported 48 per cent of respondents said they encounter financial hardships due to tuition costs, and 58 per cent encountered similar hardships due to housing unaffordability.
The AUA office also launched a separate survey specifically on Workday Student which accumulated over 3,000 responses, but the data from the survey has yet to be released.
During the summer, Fontana also began meeting with UBC administration like the VP Students Ainsley Carry and the Centre for Accessibility (CfA) directors. Fontana had previously said his office had been working to improve file management software and create an online booking portal for the CfA. However, this has yet to be completed.
The AUA office had also met with the Provost’s office to discuss UBC’s annual tuition and budget consultation. Fontana’s goals included getting UBC to implement a multi-year tuition framework as recommended by the Student Affordability Task Force. This goal also has yet to be completed.
Fontana also wanted to support existing harm reduction services on campus and cited having advocated for the 500 nasal naloxone doses provided by the province.
He also planned to secure a commitment from UBC to build enough beds in the next 10 years to put UBC on track to reach 5,000 beds by 2050. It is unknown if this commitment was made, but Fontana was part of the engagement for updates to the Wesbrook Neighbourhood Plan and was elected co-chair of the Planning Advisory Committee.
While some goals were completed, many are still in progress and it will be up to the elected AUA in January to see the rest of these plans through to completion before the end of their term in April.
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