team helfand official platform
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8/13/2019 Team Helfand Official Platform
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Team HelfandGetting You A Better Deal
VOTE: February 11thand 12thwww.teamhelfand.com
Twitter: @TeamHelfand Facebook.com/TeamHelfand
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Team AdvocacyTeam Helfand
Student Fee Review
When you are paying tuition every year there is an additional fee that you
pay to the university that is mandatory to your enrollment and pays for
things outside of the classroom such as the Rec Centre and Student Health
Service. This is called an ancillary fee. At Western, these fees are
controlled and administered by the Student Services Committee, a body
that the USC President chairs and the VP Internal sits on. From this
position, we have the ability to conduct a fee review to ensure that you are
getting the best deal for your dollar. If the university is going to be
charging these fees we want to ensure that students are receiving the true
benefit they deserve.
Service Review of Wireless Internet on Campus
Not a day goes by that someone is sitting in the Mustang Lounge, in Weldon
or in class trying to hand in that last minute assignment and cannot connect
to the Internet. Wireless Internet access on campus is a continuing issue
that needs to be resolved. Western has spent millions of dollars investing
into the wireless infrastructure on campus. The issue with Internet access on
campus lies in the number of staff available to address the issue in a timely
manner. The second part of the problem is educating students about how
they can play a part in resolving issues more quickly. Our team will work
alongside the administration at
Western in order to complete a
comprehensive service review so that
improvements to wireless access on
campus can finally be made.
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Student Donation Fund
Did you know that as a Western Student you pay into a Student Donation Fund ea
year that becomes the responsibility of their faculty council to allocate to stud
centered initiatives? The reality of this fund is that many students do not know abou
nor do they know what it is supposed to be allocated to. The goal of the fund is
support initiatives outside the classroom. Unfortunately though, many faculty coun
have been forced in directions where they are using their donation funds to offset co
that should be covered under our tuition. This is an incredibly complicated issue tha
starting to come to the forefront for faculty councils and the USC. We need to st
educating students not only on the fact that they pay into this fee, but also on
principle behind where there money should go.
Campus Wide Food Indicators
There is currently a food labeling system in our residences at Western tha
indicates whether food is gluten-free, contains nuts, halal, vegan, and/or
vegetarian. This is incredibly beneficial not just to students with dietar
restrictions but also to everyone looking to make healthier and better informe
choices while on campus. Next year we will advocate for having this system sprea
throughout our campus from our vendors in the UCC to our own operations
including the Wave and Spoke. In the long term, this process will allow for our ow
operations as well as on-campus vendors to identify the gaps in our food option
so that students have better access to healthy and diverse food choices.
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Campus Accessibility Review
Everyday we run around campus weaving between other students and climbing
the three simple stairs in the middle of the Tim Hortons line. The reality of our
everyday mobility, however, is that it is not so simple for some students. To us,
the largest struggle of the Tim Hortons line is that it will not take our debit
card, but for others, the design of the line-up itself makes getting a double-
double impossible. As a team, we will lobby Facilities Management and Western
administration to first conduct an accessibility review of our campus, and follow
that up with action by both groups to improve the ease of student mobility on
campus.
Making Mental Health A Priority
Mental Health is becoming a common discourse on university campuses acro
the country. We recognize there are many issues facing Western students th
need attention by the administration. During the summer months Team Helfa
will be working with the administration to research the specific causes of ment
health issues on campus. With the research we accumulate we will work alongsi
Western to bring these concerns to the various levels of government and work o
providing the appropriate support. We want to integrate Mental Heal
committees across campus so we are able to advocate on a consistent message
With the information we gather we will be able to better advocate to tadministration for the hiring of more Mental Health professionals and expand t
services that are offered by Western. Our services are over-burdened, and Tea
Helfand will work to make our services the best they can be.
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Presidentee Freeze
As of 2013, the average main campus student pays a total of approximately
$661 in fees to the USC (affiliate students have a slightly different fee
schedule). Of this $661, the vast majority goes towards various contracts
that the USC holds on behalf of students. This includes, among other things,
your Bus Pass, Health and Dental Plan, The Gazette, and the UCC itself. The
services rendered by these contracts do not fall under direct USC control.
What is left over after all these contracts, is called the USC Base fee, and it
is wholly and directly controlled by the USC. We propose a freeze on anyincrease to this base fee, with the exception of inflationary increase. This
fee freeze will be accompanied by comprehensive service reviews, in order
to ensure that the USC is spending student money as efficiently as possible.
Wave/Spoke Partnership With AthleticsHistorically, the USC and Western Athletics have had a very strong
relationship, and Western Athletics is undeniably a thriving program.
However, we believe that there are valuable gains that can be made in this
regard. We propose a partnership with Western athletics that would see the
USC Wave/Spoke operation hold promotional events in conjunction with
select Western home games. We believe that this initiative serves multiple
purposes. It not only will
have the effect of promoting
Western home games to
students, and fostering
Mustang pride in general, but
it also serves to build the
Wave/Spoke brand.
Matt Helfand
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Responsive Executive We believe that the USC executive has a duty to respond to students
within a reasonable time frame. If elected, we pledge to respond to any
and all student emails within three business days. Direct communicationwith students is a bedrock principle of student
government. It is the duty of a student leader to
provide timely responses to their constituents,
and we believe that imposing a three-day limit
for email responses will instill confidence among
Move Out, Clean UpAs it currently stand, very little is being done on the part of the city, the
university or the USC to ensure that waste is sorted properly on move-
out days. Countless non-perishable food items, clothing and other
reusable housewares are needlessly tossed away, in part because 1) the
city removes its standard bag limit of four bags per week which
incentivizes excessive disposal and 2) there is very little information
provided to students as to where these items should go. We propose a
program that tells students both where their items can be disposed of or
donated to, and collaborates
with community partners to
set up temporary drop off
locations. This project has
gained traction already
through our work with the
London Youth Advisory
Council and Project London.
The next logical step would
be to take it to the USC.
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USC Appeals BranchPresently, the highest level of appeal in the USC is the executive
board. This is problematic because there is no real official appeals
body in the USC and so people often appeal decisions to those sameindividuals who handed down the previous ruling. Appeals regarding
grant disputes, club finance or governance disputes, and elections are
currently not adequately addressed. We propose that the USC
establish an official appeals body made up of volunteer law and
undergraduate students.
Better Deal for UCC Marketing There is no denying the overwhelming presence of external marketing in the
UCC. We propose a proactive approach in terms of a continuing assessment of
external marketing (London Property Corps. etc) in the UCC atrium. We are of
the belief that not enough is being done by the USC to set the terms regarding
what should be allowed and at what price. Every time the USC sells atrium
space to external marketing, we are selling a good students have pre-paid for
(an open and unobstructed UCC space), and so it is our responsibility to pursue
the best deal possible. We will pursue all avenues to ensure the level of
commercialization is within the expectations of the students, whatever they
may be.
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Focus on Fun Among the many important objectives of the USC, we believe that the
objective of funought to be reinvigorated. Specifically, we aim to increase,
and diversify entertaining USC programming such as concerts, external
speaker events, and other creative entertainment. In order to ensure that the
USC is able to conduct enough entertaining programming without
experiences massive losses, we propose to decentralize budgets for
entertaining programming away from the USC executive. Broad programming
objectives will be set by council as early as possible, and then enacted by USC
managers, rather than entertainment being left to the discretion of the USC
executive. If we enable our productions managers to do the jobs they were
hired to do, we can be sure that USC sponsored entertainment will be plannedand executed as efficiently as possible.
Homecoming on CampusIn September of 2012 the USC made the decision to cancel the traditional
downtown Homecoming parade. Until its cancellation, this downtown parade
was the USCs largest contribution to Homecoming. Since then, the USChas done little to fill that void. We propose to team up with Western
Athletics, and Alumni Western to create a Homecoming carnival in the field
space beside TD Stadium.
With the London Police Services
issuing tickets to performing Western
Cheerleaders in the Broughdale area
this past Homecoming, it is clear that
not enough is being done by the USC,
or Western, to facilitate proper
Homecoming festivities on campus. We have the space, and the resources
to create truly memorable Homecoming celebrations, we just have not yet
so.
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VP ExternalDefining the Roleof the Vice President External
The role of Vice President External is still in its infancy and the scope of this rol
has yet to be properly defined. If elected, alongside my team, I will spend th
year defining the position of Vice President External as well as the Externa
portfolio. In the past, many Vice President University Affairs, as well as the firs
Vice President External, have served as President of the Ontario Undergraduat
Student Alliance (OUSA). The first step toward defining the terms of referenc
for the External position will be to evaluate the utility of having USC Vic
Presidents in a role such as this. Defining the terms of reference for the V
External will be important for the efficiency of the USC, and will help ensure tha
future councils know what to expect of Vice Presidential Candidates.
OSAP EducationOSAP has a significant impact on the lives of a large proportion of Western
students. The OSAP program is vital in the facilitation of access to post
secondary schooling, and yet OSAP tends to be something that students do
not have adequate knowledge about. It should become the job of both
myself and the USC as an organization to facilitate access to this
information. Any OSAP lobbying initiatives should be both internal and
external lobbying points whereby students are equipped with the
information they need to make
informed decisions about theirschooling. The USC should help
students by providing the
necessary education about OSAP
in order to help students navigate
the system.
Jen Carter
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Extending Early Outreach CampaignIn the past, the Early Outreach portfolio has been focused upon the Create Your
Own Adventure Conference. This is a wonderful initiative that connects at-risk
youth in London to leaders of the Western community. This is a program that has
the power to change the lives of young people from the London community and is
something that can be expanded upon.
This expansion can best be facilitated through community partnerships. Emily and
myself have been working alongside city councillor Joni Baechler this past year to
develop a program called Headstart. This program is purposed with empowering
young women to get involved with civic society. Integration of the Early Outreach
portfolio with existing programming such as this will provide endless opportunities for theportfolio to grow.
Ride-Alongs with the London Police DepartmentThe relationship between Western students and the London Police Department
an important one that can too easily be taken for granted. If elected, Tea
Helfand will implement ride-alongs for Faculty and Affiliate council presidents. Tpurpose of these ride alongs will be to facilitate both relationship building as w
as education of current police policies and practices. We hope that an opportun
such as this will help to bridge the gap between students and police, and help
build a working relationship based on mutual understanding and respect. Throu
a program such as this, Western
students will have a stronger voice
in regards to improvements that
can be made to police policies. This
is an initiative that has the power
to make a real difference in the
lives of Western students.
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Focus on Municipal AdvocacyIn the past, the USC has exerted substantial resources in the pursuit of provincial and
federal lobbying initiatives such as the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance. While
these lobbying initiatives are extremely important to students, it is also important to
lobby municipally as well. We are Western students, but we are also London
residents. The lobbying potential of the city has largely been untapped, and it is time
that we begin to work alongside the municipality on initiatives that are mutually
beneficial for both students and the city.
As Vice President External, I will work to achieve a working relationship with
the mayor and city councillors. I plan to establish, at minimum, bi-monthly
meetings with city officials in order to facilitate relationship-building. We would
also like to see a stronger student presence at city council meetings, which will
also help with relationship-building as well as the education of our students. At
a municipal level, students will see many tangible benefits: an improved
London Transit system, a voice about police programs such as Project Learn,
and many other potential initiatives that will help to improve the lives of
Western students outside the classroom.
Facil itating Access to Municipal ElectionsThis year coming up will be a very interesting and important year for
municipal politics in London. In order to facilitate access to municipal
elections, we would like to hold a debate for the candidates of the
university ward on campus. The
majority of Ward 6 is comprised of
students, and therefore it is important
for students to have the chance to
meet and ask questions of the
candidates who will be responsible for
representing their interests on city
council.
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Continuing to Develop the Good NeighbourCampaignOur current Vice President External has set the stage for improving the image of
students in London. The Good Neighbour Campaign (GNC) is a wonderful initiativethat needs to continue to be implemented and improved upon. Team Helfand will
work alongside the municipality to provide programming initiatives that will truly mold
our students into good neighbours. Programming initiatives within the expansion of
the GNC will include things like move out day garbage that our presidential candidate
has already touched upon, as well as partnerships with community organizations to
help encourage and facilitate volunteerism in the greater London area. These
initiatives will also include things like homecoming on campus, which will give
students a place to celebrate their campus ON campus.
I would very much like to see the GNC grow to include volunteer initiatives that work
alongside community partners. Youth Opportunities Unlimited, for example, is a local
London charity that aims to provide onsite job training for local London youth as well
as help to provide affordable housing for those in need. Programming with YOU could
involve things such as cooking classes, where students can have fun learning
something new, while at the
same time helping the
organization with their Meals
on Wheels program. The goal
of such programming, and of
the expansion of the GNC,
will be to integrate Westernstudents into the London
community and make
students feel that they are
truly a part of the city in
which they live.
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London Transit Commission Lobbying PointsBus Shelters at the Main Gates
There is not a day that goes by that there are not multiple students waiting at the ma
gates, rain or shine, to catch the bus going into campus. So why not put a bus shelthere? Team Helfand will work with local connections to have bus shelters installed at bo
sides of the main gates to help protect students from the elements and to make th
commute to Western a little bit more enjoyable.
Fix the LTC sign outside of Natural Science
Unfortunately, the sign for LTC outside the Natural
Science building has been not functioning for manymonths of this year. In order to facilitate ease of
transportation for students, we will lobby LTC to fix
this sign so that students will know when their
buses will arrive.
Lobby for Service Improvements
It is not uncommon to see the 6 Richmond or 13 Wellington bus going through campus
capacity and not able to stop for students who are waiting to board the bus. It is also n
uncommon to see extra large buses running through London on a Sunday when they a
not necessary. Extra large buses would be put to much better use on weekdays to ma
sure that our students are getting the best service possible. Team Helfand will wo
tirelessly to improve the service and accessibility to the LTC for all Western students.
Streamlining LTC Services for Students
We will work with LTC to streamline services that are available to students. This w
include working alongside LTC to remove the second piece of the bus pass and replace th
with a sticker on ones student card. Other universities across Canada have alrea
implemented similar systems, and we will work to get our bus passes in line with th
Implementation of a system such as this will be much more convenient for students.
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Financial Accessibil itymove the Expected Parental Contribution from OSAP
It is not fair to assume that students will have a certain amount of financial support fr
their families
In order to facilitate ease of access to post-secondary education, the expected parent
contribution for OSAP should be removed
move Financial Aid Penalties for Students with Part-time Jobs
Most students have to work a part-time job in order to pay for their schooling, even w
on student financial assistance
Team Helfand will with alongside OUSA to remove such penalties for students
structure the Tax Credit System
Currently, there has been $340 million dollars invested into tax credits for post-
secondary education
This is one of the largest investments into the Ontario student financial aid system.
Issue is that these tax credits do not offer any significant improvements for debt
reduction
Team Helfand will lobby the Ontario Government to reinvest this money back into theexisting student financial aid system in order to make sure students are getting the
best support from OSAP
wer the OSAP Debt Cap
Using funds from a restructured tax credit system, it will be possible to reduce the de
cap for Ontario students
It is OUSA's recommendation to reduce the debt cap to $6300
This will have a much more significant impact on students than the existing tax credit
system
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VP InternalEmily Addison
Internal Strength
With this being the first year for the Internal portfolio, each of its members are still
trying to define themselves within the bigger picture of both the portfolio and the
USC. Many of the coordinator positions, as well as the Vice Presidential role itself,
lack effective and comprehensive policy leading to an inability for students in these
roles to understand their responsibilities, and act to their full potential. When our
coordinators arent thriving, every single student they are trying to support also
suffers. Therefore, throughout the year I will work with the USC to look at every
policy in the Internal portfolio to ensure that those working within it not only knows
what their role entails, but are able to advocate, create awesome programing, and
support students to their full potential.
Building Up the Portfolio
Help Me Help You - Research Initiatives
Right now the USC is doing a fantastic job of offering diverse and high cal
programs and services to the student body; however, it is very easy for us as
organization to forget to ask students what it is they really want us to provide
them. When a student attends an awareness week or goes to an event offered
one of our services, there is a reason for it. Therefore I believe that it is crucial fo
to start asking students directly to discuss the value of their experiences
recommend how we can continue to develop and improve the programs and servi
we offer students. This can be as basic as simple surveys at the start of our event
better utilizing our online media strategies to collect feedback. Creating the b
student experience is our priority, and this can only be done with your help!
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Expanding Our Services Campus Wide
Expanding Service Awareness Through Residences
Sometimes when a student needs help, the greatest obstacle that they face is t
they do not feel comfortable asking for help, or they do not know where to look. Iwork with Housing at Western to create locations in residence that will allow
students living in our buildings to connect with the resources we already h
available on campus. This can be accomplished through having information m
readily available on bulletin boards and in literature, as well as through tasking wi
RAs, Floor Sophs, Residence Council members and students to be peer volunte
who will act as information sharers
and supports to their fellow students
living in residence. Sometimes all you
need is a kind face, or someone to
point you in the right direction, and
having this right in our residences will
improve the lives of students for
their entire time at Western.
The Creation of an Internal Portfolio Media Correspondent
As Western and the USC continue to grow, so does our need to expand our method
reaching out to students. Although we have a full communications portfolio, it
become clear that they do not have the capacity to promote the work that is be
done within the Internal portfolio to the level that our services deserve. By evaluatthe communications portfolio and having an Internal portfolio-specific communicat
intern, we will have the capacity to create our own promotional videos for the P
Support Network, ensure that students know what the Student Appeals Support Ce
can do for them, and keep students updated on our ongoing advocacy efforts.
services are only successful if students know how to access them when they n
them, and by increasing our promotions we can better enable students to make
most of their time at Western.
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A More Convenient Campus
Rentable Chargers for your Laptop and Cell Phone
This is an item that has been on countless executive platforms over the past few
years. Whats different about our proposal is that we know it works. This year at
Kings and Huron, Jen and I were able to place both universal laptop, as well as cell
phone, chargers in our libraries for students to loan out, just like a book on reserve.
I will work with Western Libraries to make this service available to students in every
library on campus so that when you leave your charger plugged in at home, you will
not be stuck with a dead laptop at the library.
Decentralized Bus Pass Pick Up
One of the first things that every student does when they first get to Westerneach year is make their way to the Mustang Lounge to pick up their bus pass. As
students, we are all incredibly busy, and especially so during the first few days
back on campus. We propose decentralizing the pick up locations for the bus pass
to each professional school, as well as looking into the capability of moving
distribution to the affiliate colleges. The goal of this change is to make this
process easier not only for these students, but also to shorten the wait times for
all main campus students. You already wait long enough for the bus, why should
you have to wait to pick up your pass as well?
A New Wave of Microwaves
In the UCC there is only one usable microwave that students have
access to. Not only is bringing your own food the cheaper option, italso allows students to be more health conscious. Our goal is to place
ten more microwaves on campus by the start of first term.
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As a team, we have identified that our clubs system is currently not meeting th
expectations of its members. As one of the principal ways the USC interacts wi
students, an effective and meaningful clubs experience is a priority. This is why o
team is proposing a reevaluation of the way we communicate and manage our club
Currently, Western Link does not allow club executives to work easily and effective
with the USC and it makes it difficult for clubs to connect with their members.
We will look into alternatives to this system that will improve relationships betwee
the USC, club executives and club members. Moreover, the USC is often too afraid
take a critical look at itself and truly accept that maybe the way that it is doin
things is not really what is
best for students. It is
time that we evaluate our
overall relationship with
the clubs system, and to
start showing our
members that what they
provide to our campus is
truly valuable.
Redefining Club Interactions
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