By Shane Potter (Contributor) – Email
Print Edition: February 29, 2012
Every year Senate elects four students to serve on Senate as Student Representatives. Once elected to Senate these students are given the opportunity to have their comments and discussions held on equal ground with the President, Deans, faculty, and staff members of UFV.
According to the UFV Senate webpage, “Senate is the academic governing body at UFV which is responsible for policies concerning academic matters and advising the Board on policies of mutual interest.”
From day one all Senate members are reminded that, while they may represent different areas, all Senators are expected to work together, as equals, towards the growth and success of the university.
This election marked a record-breaking year, with 13 candidates running for Senate’s four students positions.
Meet the Candidates
Alycia Bradley
Alycia is a fourth-year Bachelor of Science student, working towards a Major in Biology and a minor in kinesiology. She is currently a student representative on Senate and the Undergraduate Education Committee. She wishes to use Senate as a way to promote the common goals of the students and University.
Brad Derbyshire
Brad is currently a third-year Accounting BBA student, President of ASFV, a BASA Board of Director, and a work-study student at the University’s SLG center. If elected to the Senate, he will help increase funding for the University and minimize the inhibiting waitlists UFV students face.
Brandon Moon
Brandon is a first year student enrolled in general studies who plans on upgrading to his Bachelor of Science. He is looking forward to being able to evaluate programs and educational services so that fellow students and his own experience at UFV is maximized.
Deanna Waslewsky
As a Senator, Deanna hopes to draw knowledge and insight from her experiences as a volunteer at Langley Memorial Hospital and the Fraser Health Crisis Line, a research assistant in Tanzania, an executive member of the BCSA, and a student in numerous disciplines, in order to best serve the students of UFV
Kabirpal Singh Gill
Kabirpal wants to be the building block between the faculty and his fellow students. Kabirpal feels that nobody gets a chance to speak about their future and the academic policies but will make sure that every voice of the students is heard.
Kamal Moghrabi
Kamal’s goals if elected would be to advocate changes in the campus community, to create an open line of communication between the students, administration, and executive boards, to maintain an unprejudiced opinion while representing UFV as a whole, to help encourage cultural acceptance, and to educate the students of UFV on college life and beyond.
Loanne Nguyen
As an employee of the Abbotsford Community Services, Loanne has had experiences in working with people from diverse backgrounds. Loanne feels that her current study in Social Work has provided her various skills and knowledge to represent the UFV student body.
Michael Blackburn
Michael is looking towards entering into a Bachelor of Arts program as an English Major. Michael is running for senate because he would like to make a difference in our schools, help preserve moral integrity inside places of influence, and do his best to help voice the needs of the people.
Peyman Adldousti-Hagh
As a graduate from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and minor in political science, Peyman would like to use his experience to represent the interest of the students at UFV. Once elected to the office, Peyman would contact a quantitative research to have intimate knowledge about the student’s academic needs.
Timothy Angeard
There was no available information on this candidate.
Theresa Coates
Theresa would use her Senate position to develop an effective system of communication, bridging the gap between students and administration, ensure that students are offered flexibility to design their degree or diploma paths to suit their needs, and make sure that the issues and concerns of students are heard.
Thomas Davies
Thomas will take an active role, with the fellow student representatives, to ensure that the student perspective is heard whenever student interests are affected. UFV has grown dramatically over the recent years, and all parties must have a voice as further growth and change occurs.
Zack Soderstrom
Zack wishes to use his previous experience as a Student Union Society Residence representative to transition into a student representative on Senate.
To find out more information about the candidates you can read about them on the Secretariat Elections page. To vote for your Senators, go online at MyUFV between February 28 and March 2. Log in and look for the Senate elections “myUFV Surveys and Elections.” Also, check out the Board of Governors candidates on the same elections page; voting for those candidates is also between February 28 and March 2.
