After a week of speaking to the VP academic and university affairs (AUA) candidates and attending the debate, we’re here to present our guide to the VP AUA by-election.
While we aren’t going to tell you who to vote for, this article should give you a clearer picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the three candidates.
Renee Hui
Focusing on student affordability and advocacy, Hui might bring a fresh perspective to the position of VP AUA. If elected, Hui said she would use her “outgoing personality” to foster connections with UBC administration in order to complete her goals, which range from extending the add/drop deadline for courses to advocating for more staff in UBC’s Centre for Accessibility. However, a first-year new to UBC and AMS governance, Hui lacked specificity on how to achieve many of her stated goals, which would be difficult to accomplish in her short term. Hui may additionally struggle to build the relationships necessary to implement her desired changes given her unfamiliarity with the position.
Zarifa Nawar
Having served as AVP university affairs and interim VP AUA, Nawar has the most experience in student government among the people running. Nawar worked on the Student Priorities for Operating Budget 2025/26 Submission and filled vacancies in the AUA office. Among her goals, Nawar listed creating a formal report with recommendations drawn from the Workday Student Survey responses as well as building an exam database and a month-to-month off-campus housing rental bursary. While her goals are not necessarily new, if implemented, they could be effective in bettering student experience. Nawar is an ambitious candidate, but based on the pace of previous VP AUAs, she would likely struggle to complete everything she says she wants to in the allotted three-month term.
Joe Vu
Vu has promised to prioritize two goals: advocating for housing grants and open educational resources. He also said he’d work to make notes from professors, midterm reviews and final reviews available to students — however, Vu did not explain how he'd accomplish these goals. While Vu said he represents “the real voices” as an outsider candidate, his lack of experience in UBC governance might harm his ability to achieve his intended goals. Vu also seemed unclear of what goals were within his scope as AUA, as some of his intended advocacy around increased transit infrastructure falls under the purview of the VP external’s office.
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