VP Student Support and Programming 2020/2021
Hannah Tobias-Murray
About
Role
The VP Student Support and Programming is responsible for managing all of the student-run services and programs that contribute to your Western experience. They are your resource for all things student engagement as they work to support and inspire all students taking on their own leadership positions in the community.
For media inquiries, access to executive members schedules or meeting requests please contact:
Camellia Wong, VP Communications and Public Affairs (communications@westernusc.ca)
Portfolio
Orientation
Amanda Allan
AVP, Orientation
The Associate, Orientation is responsible for taking part in the planning and execution of the Orientation Program in collaboration with the Student Programs Officer, Orientation Staff, and other key stakeholders. The Associate, Orientation will act as a resource to Soph teams for finance, budgeting, and all USC involvement, such as logistics and communications.
Chava Bychutsky
Coordinator, Orientation
Emma Wilkinson
Coordinator, Charity Orientation
Peer Programs
Shadia Adekunte
Associate, Peer Programs
associate.peerprograms@westernusc.ca
The USC Associate Peer Programs oversees the Peer Programs portfolio, provides administrative support/resources to its’ coordinators, and serves as a liaison between the coordinators and the Student Programs Officer. The Peer Programs portfolio includes the following programs/services: Accessibility, Ally Western, Gender Equality Network (previously known as the Women’s Issues Network), Ethnocultural Support Service, Indigenous Relations, International Students, and Pride Western.
Emily Good
Coordinator, Accessibility
The USC Accessibility Committee aims to create a community in which all students have the tools they require to make the best of their undergraduate experience. Our portfolio includes doing outreach work to learn more about the specific needs of students with disabilities on campus, and addressing them as they arise. Throughout the year we run several events to raise awareness about issues of accessibility on campus, and advocate for those issues within student government. In addition, we will run a few support groups for students who wish to discuss their experiences on campus. The student experience is incredibly important to us, and we aim to contribute to making campus as accessible and inclusive as possible!
Charlotte Rolfe
Coordinator, Allyship Network
The USC Allyship Network coordinator facilitates Allyship, a USC Service dedicated to promoting allyship on campus. At Ally Western, we facilitate allyship training to educate others on the tenants of allyship and promote a safe, accepting, and inclusive environment. In addition to workshops, we design programming on campus such as workshops, panels, and booths to promote awareness and promote ways individuals can support marginalized groups on campus.
Matthew Dawkins
Coordinator, Ethnocultural Support Services
The USC Ethnocultural Support Services exists to embrace and bring awareness to a multitude of diverse racial, Indigenous and religious issues and groups on campus. The Ethnocultural Coordinator position consists of advocating for these diverse ethnocultural communities by creating programs with the purpose of educating students on cultural and religious issues. Ethnocultural Support Services encourage students to learn about the importance of multiculturalism and we accomplish that through the events we hold during the year such as our annual Western Goes Global Showcase. Through our advocacy work and campaigns, our ultimate goal is to make Western a more inclusive campus where diversity is not just tolerated, but embraced and also where every student, no matter their background, is able to come and feel welcome.
Sreenidhi Jaganathan
Coordinator, Gender Equality Network
Kendrew Jacobs
Coordinator, Indigenous Relations
The USC Indigenous Relations Coordinator. This position addresses relevant Indigenous issues as well as integrates Indigenous perspectives into USC programming working toward a goal of awareness as well as reconciliation. They coordinate events that cultivate student engagement in cultural customs and traditions, contemporary Indigenous issues, and break down barriers facing Indigenous students to create a more inclusive campus environment.
Peya Mynoddin
Coordinator, International Student Support
The International Student Support Coordinator role is expected to address relevant issues faced by international students, as well as create and promote programming on campus for international and exchange students. This role will work with campus stakeholders such as clubs and Western International to create programming for international students and plan events and campaigns. This role is expected to use both research and lived experience to aid in the centralization of International student perspectives into USC programming.
Dalia Assi
Coordinator, PrideWestern
PrideWestern is a USC service for LGBT2Q+ students; specializing mostly on support and resources. Some of our portfolios include advocacy, community outreach, and student outreach.
We are currently conducting research into LGBT2Q+ life on campus, with last year’s needs assessment completed, we are now working on campus focus groups. Some of PrideWestern’s events include: monthly discussion groups, movie nights, and Queer Orientation Month (alongside Spectrum UWO and AllyWestern). Please do not hesitate to reach out to us!
Peer Support
Madison Osborne
Associate, Peer Support
The USC Associate Peer Support responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the USC Peer Support Centre, and serves as a liaison between the Food Support Services and Health Promotions coordinators, and the Student Programs Officer. The operations of the Peer Support Centre include event planning, promotional outreach efforts, and management of our volunteers. The Associate Peer Support oversees three committees of students-at-large and current volunteers to help me with these tasks: Internal, Promotions and Events. Together with the SPO, the Associate Peer Support outlines the long-term priorities and strategic direction of the centre to best position the service for future success.
Bahar Rafinejad-Farahan
Coordinator, Health Promotions
The USC Health Promotions Coordinator and Committee works to provide services and programmes to Western University students that address all aspects of health and wellness, including financial, physical, emotional, social, environmental, sexual, and spiritual wellness. The need for this portfolio is as a result of university culture, which may unfortunately lead to the deprioritization of students’ personal health. The vision for the Health Promotions team is to address this trend by contributing to a culture of self-care on campus through regular programming and events throughout the year. The Health Promotion team’s largest event, “Get Tested”, involves breaking the world record for number of STI tests administered in one location in 12 hours, where we’ve had upwards of 1150 people participate across campus. In addition, we participate in organizing events such as “Wellness Week”, where we strive to reinforce the notion that a student is much more than the grades they receive, that self-care is crucial to success, and that many mental health resources are available to them on campus and in London. Combining a variety of events and groups on campus, the committee works to run campaigns throughout the year promoting the importance and benefits of the prioritization of one’s health, and providing educational programming on topics relevant to students’ health.
Helen Tang
Coordinator, Food Support
The USC Food support Services Coordinator works to reduce food insecurity on campus by providing access to nutritious food items for students, and aims to educate the campus on food and hunger-related issues. The Coordinator oversees a team of volunteers to help manage the food bank, run the food hamper service, and to organize education and advocacy events. This involves hiring, training, and supporting the volunteers, working with on-campus and external organizations, strengthening the network of food support services and resources available to students, and providing opportunities for student engagement, personal development, and leadership. The Coordinator is committed to Food Support Service’s vision of a campus where students, faculty, staff, and community members are able to: 1) access affordable and nutritious food, 2) develop an awareness about local and global issues of food insecurity affecting our communities, and 3) be a part of a supportive, inclusive, and healthy campus.
Programming
Matthew Yee
Associate, Programming
associate.programming@westernusc.ca
Nadia Khan
Coordinator, EnviroWestern
The USC EnviroWestern Coordinator’s primary responsibilities are to bring awareness of environmental issues to students, and inspiring action on campus. The EnviroWestern Coordinator organizes environmental awareness programming for students, staff and faculty, and residents of London to incent behavioural changes in our community. EnviroWestern’s Coordinator also acts as a liaison between the USC and the University’s Administration to tackle environmental issues at Western and reduce our environmental impact. EnviroWestern focuses on helping students make changes to make Western a greener place to go to school!
Keemia Abbaszadeh
Coordinator, Early Outreach
The USC Early Outreach Coordinator’s role is to spearhead the planning and organization process of the Early Outreach Conference, which welcomes over 200 “at risk” grade 7 and 8 youth from the London Community each May to Western. The coordinator oversees a team of 70 incredibly dedicated Western students who hope to help the next generation become inspired about post secondary education. The role draws upon programming, budgeting, and organization skills, which are all required to plan a conference of such magnitude. Additionally, this role requires you to reach out to campus and community partners, to build and sustain long term relationships which are required to make the conference a sustainable initiative.
Beenish Khan
Coordinator, Charity
The USC Charity Coordinator is responsible for leading a committee of undergraduate student leaders in connecting Western students to numerous deserving causes through initiatives organized internally and externally. Throughout the academic year, USC Charity organizes and executes many events including Haunted House, Children’s Holiday Party, Relay for Life and two social issues events. Moreover, the committee has taken the initiative to build a volunteer portal to connect individuals and groups to volunteering opportunities in the broader London community. By connecting students with local and global causes, these events aim to encourage contributions to positive change in the world around us.
Katherine Butler
Coordinator, Public Arts
The USC Public Arts Coordinator strives to create a more vibrant, multi-dimensional and beautiful campus culture through deeper interaction between art and the environment. The Public Arts Coordinator helps to provide a platform for students in the Western community to express their spirit, values and artistry through the arts. The Public Arts Coordinator supports art-making of many kinds and welcomes young emerging artists, to participate in an array of art events that occur through the year. They oversee the planning of exhibits and events pertaining to visual arts, performance arts and any relatable art forms on the Western Campus including Nuit Violette and The Festival of the Arts.
Cobourn Sands
Coordinator, Theatre Western
The USC Theatre Western Coordinator selects and supports their executive team in selecting the best candidates for the creative teams for three productions. The Theatre Western Coordinator works closely with their director of finance to remain on budget, and with the promotional team to ensure events are being promoted to the right audiences, as well as getting maximum student exposure. The Theatre Western Coordinator facilitates and maintains external relationships with theatre companies in the greater London community to cross promote and broaden Theatre Western’s reach. After a production has a cast and creative team, the Theatre Western Coordinator focuses on giving support to the production’s executive members while acting in a supervisory role.
Student Events
Marc Tedesco
Associate, Student Events
This innovative program – unique in North America – was developed in 2013 by the University Students’ Council and the Department of English and Writing Studies. The mandate of the program is to provide support for an accomplished undergraduate writer while allowing other students to benefit from the writer’s creativity, expertise, and organizational skills. The SWIR hosts office hours throughout the school year to discuss and read students’ work, collaborates with campus publications to host events, and fosters community through writing workshops and public readings.