Hello Everyone,
I Huzaifa Saeed am running for First Year Council (Also commonly Referred to as FYC) by election for Education and Community Commissioner.
I am a first year International student majoring in Economics and Sociology, I also am an active member of the society for off campus students.
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As for my involvement/achievements within McMaster/Before:
-High School Editorial Board and Debate Team Member
-Founding Exec member of the McMaster Non-Partisan Society: A club interested in increasing political awareness and involvement within McMaster student body without having any vested political interests.
-I also trained with the McMaster Varsity Track team in a 6 days a week commitment throughout the fall term.
-I was recently appointed after comprehensive application and interview process as a member of the Student Judicial Affairs: Peer Conduct Board for 09-10
-Active member of the NGO Hamilton Coalition Against War
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The previous incumbent had to resign due to personal reasons sometime around January; the position has been vacant since then.
Even though there are only two working months left (April 09-October 09) I can fully assure you that I decided to run for this position purely because I felt I can still salvage something constructive out of this job for you guys in retrospective if given the chance.
To Be Honest I actually hate the notion "politics" and anything to do with it, this is mindset was probably developed by spending 18 years in a politically unstable third world country(Pakistan) and growing up amid election after election of false promises. However at the same time I also developed a very strong and utilitarian desire to somehow make a positive and constructive contribution to wider society.
Coming to Mac I have noticed a number of long term issues and problems that need to be rectified, the only difference is that through your vote I stand a good chance of helping overcome them for future students.
I can also assure you that I plan on striving the utmost to fulfill my promises, simply because of the often ignored principle of ACCOUNTABILITY. Throughout their career as student politicians the most important factor for me at least personally is the comparison between their campaign promises and their actual achievements. If I am to run for another position in the near future I would like nothing more then to have a productive stint as a FYC member in my locker
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What Is the FYC?
FYC is the unique representative body for McMaster first year students that serves to inform and speak for their distinctive needs and concerns. FYC is one of McMaster’s only institutions completely operated by first year students who are elected each fall by their ’peers. The purpose of the McMaster Students Union First Year Council or FYC, is to represent both current and future first year McMaster students, and to ensure that their issues and interests are addressed by acting as a voice, and as a guiding and informative body of resources.
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What Does the Education And Community Commissioner do?
4.6.1 Shall raise awareness to the McMaster community about the First Year Council;
4.6.2 Shall deal with operations concerning events and general information about the First Year Council;
4.6.3 Shall attend meetings of Society of Off-Campus Students to inform his/herself of Off-Campus issues on behalf of the First Year Council;
4.6.4 Shall ensure that each faculty has a representative at FYC general meetings;
4.6.5 Shall keep records of his/her commission’s operations (i.e. meeting minutes, invoices, communiqués, etc);
4.6.6 Shall work with the MSU Vice-President (Education) on matters relating to the municipal, provincial, and federal levels of government and the educational experience of students.
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5 Point Manifesto:
1.Obtaining and Analyzing 1st year responses to the SRA, FYAC and ISS education survey's:
-The SRA Education Committee has recently carried out an educational assessment survey for all faculties. I will try and obtain a breakdown of first year responses to this survey.
-The First Year Experience office has also sent out an open survey to ALL first year students by email.
-The ISS similarly also has a survey emailed out.
I will analyze these surveys and try and figure out the general consensus as well as common issues faced by first year students
2. Meeting with and discussing Education and Community Issues with the outgoing/incoming MSU Vp Education and SOCS VP Community this term:
These execs are one of the most committed members of student government system and are a great resource for exploring and discussing the problems faced by first year students over the year. I can hopefully utilize their open office hours and run through my ideas with them.
3. Recommending and lobbying for constructive changes in the first year courses and educational experience.
Using the results from the aforementioned survey's, picking up a summary of what the previous incumbent did as well as the opinion of VP's I hopefully can come up with a short proposal for improving the first year experience and then lobby for it. For example one of the important Calculus classes for 1st year Engineering students is taught by three professors, however most students prefer a certain prof more then the others hence attend his overcrowded class(even sitting on stairs) rather then the others. I could possibly try and arrange for a larger room for next year.
The point here being you might not directly gain positives unless you are one of those many students who take first year electives in the subsequent years but you will do the next incoming batch a huge favour by helping improve the educational experience. Similarly there are a lot of current issues(Eg: Uncomfortable Exam room's for Humanities and Science students) that I can also deal with.
4. Ensuring a More Proactive educational experience and community involvement for the next batch:
My term would also involve interaction/involvement with the first years in welcome week 09. I would do my best to increase FYC's image and get more people involved in student politics as well as a better integration into the Hamilton society by collaborating with SOCS
5. Most Importantly Getting YOU actively involved in this process with further survey's and Open office hours:
I understand that the aforementioned survey's won't be enough, hence I am openly offering you guys an opportunity to contact me whatever the issue might be, I also plan on holding weekly office hours if someone wants to drop by and discuss any issue. Whatever Recommendations/proposals I have you guys are more then welcome to give your input to it. I WILL CONSIDER IT!
It only takes a minute or two to VOTE! This thursday 19th of March 9:30-4:30PM @ MILLS & THE COMMONS
In a low turnout election with only 2 candidates every vote COUNTS!
Voting open only to first year students.
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SO PLEASE COME OUT AND VOTE FOR ME THIS THURSDAY 19TH OF MARCH(9:30AM TO 4:30PM) AT THE COMMONS & MILLS
Remember: Apathy is overrated FIND the utilitarian in you!
Thank you,
Huzaifa Saeed
1st Year Social Science
http://tinyurl.com/fycelection
p.s: Admin's relocate this thread if it should be somewhere else!
