The Student Union Society (SUS) has several events and goals planned for the upcoming fall 2023 semester at UFV. In past semesters, this has included advocacy goals on behalf of students, as well as community building events like Kickback. SUS president, Ashley McDougall, sat down with The Cascade and shared a preview of what students can look forward to for the fall.
According to McDougall, SUS hopes to continue hosting popular events on campus in the fall, with Kickback taking place on Sept. 21. SUS will also be providing more free food at the event, as it was requested by students from last year’s feedback. Kickback will also usher in the return of the dunk tank as well as the beer garden.
Other familiar supports that SUS will provide include their student healthcare and dental plans, which are included in student fees. “We’re also looking at continuing our Abbotsford Canucks partnership,” said McDougall, “so hopefully when the season starts up, we’re going to be having some more student rush nights.”
A major change that McDougall is excited for is hosting more events at the Chilliwack campus. She explained that Chilliwack is often excluded when it comes to hosting events, but that SUS is planning to go to the campus during the summer or fall to poll students and determine what type of events they want to have. McDougall also hinted that in the winter semester they’re “planning a bigger event out [at the] Chilliwack campus.”
“We’re looking at planning some engagement with the clubs and associations (CNAs) this year,” explained McDougall. “SUS recently took over the administration of clubs and associations… so we’re really looking forward to engaging more with CNAs.”
One of the main goals that SUS hopes to achieve this year is establishing a higher level of transparency with students at UFV, including more opportunities for students to meet with members of SUS. “We want to make it as accessible as possible to students if they have questions about SUS and questions about what we do.” McDougall added that SUS’s vice presidents (VPs) are also working on an initiative that will likely be called Find Your Fees, which will “be breaking down the student union fees and where they go for students.”
“This year we have three student representatives at large,” said McDougall. “They’re not active in the office, but they are representatives of the student body that attend the board meetings each month and engage with students, and they can choose to be a bit more involved if they want to get involved in advocacy projects and things like that.”
“UFV students come from a very unique perspective compared to other schools, and we’re looking at strengthening our connection with members of the Legislative Assembly and provincial ministers to really get the student voice heard.” According to McDougall, SUS is also “advocating for our student financial aid, lowering cost for students, increasing accessibility for international students, as well as increasing institutional funding.”
Students can also expect a new campus shuttle service in the fall. “We have our campus shuttle that runs from the Abbotsford to Chilliwack campus, and back. We recently started a new contract with the shuttle, so we have a new shuttle service provider which we’re really excited about because it will allow us to expand the hours for the fall semester for students.” The new shuttle provider is called LuxBus and will be running longer as “students are looking for more hours for the shuttle.”
McDougall encourages the participation of new and returning students alike. “There’s going to be so many opportunities to get involved in the fall, whether that’s through clubs and associations [or by] coming to events on campus.”
Rachel is working towards a BA with a concentration in English and Theatre. She has been employed at The Cascade since Fall 2021 as a Staff Writer and a Jr. News Editor. Currently, she is the sectional News Editor and enjoys meeting and interviewing people as well as taking long walks in nature. Rachel also likes to stay up to date on the latest trends and informs students through her fashion column entitled Campus Fashion.
