EXECUTIVE ELECTIONS

Outline your relevant experience for this position

My experience is built on years of hands-on leadership at the intersection of university administration, event management, and community building – all core to the VP University Affairs role.

As Chairman of the Convocation Planning Committee at Covenant University, I led the full strategic planning and execution of a major university-wide ceremony, coordinating directly with administration, faculty, and student organizations. I implemented policies and compliance procedures, analyzed performance data, and delivered outcomes that surpassed the previous administration – demonstrating that I can navigate institutional processes while producing real, measurable results.

As Vice Chairman of the College of Engineering Week Planning Committee, I introduced a student Symposium that attracted industry speakers and elevated the academic and social experience of the engineering community. I also spearheaded interactive activities that significantly boosted student participation – a direct parallel to the kind of campus life programming I intend to bring to Windsor’s graduate students.

Serving as Class Representative for five consecutive years gave me sustained experience acting as a bridge between students and faculty – listening, advocating, and facilitating communication across institutional lines.

Beyond that, I have led logistics, protocol, and creative teams across TEDx Covenant University, and Ignite. – managing volunteers, vendors, and VIP coordination across high-visibility events. I also served as Community Lead for Creatives at Hebron Startup Lab, where I mentored team members and drove cross-disciplinary collaboration.

This combination of governance experience, event leadership, and community development is exactly what the VP University Affairs role demands.

What specific initiatives and projects would you undertake related to this role?

My platform is centred on three pillars, each backed by concrete initiatives:

Campus Life, Community & University Partnerships. I will launch a Graduate Student Social Calendar – a recurring series of mixers, cultural celebrations, game nights, and networking events designed specifically for grad students. I will establish a dedicated Graduate Student Welcome Week, separate from undergraduate orientation, to help incoming students navigate housing, funding, and life in Windsor. I will also negotiate a GSS Community Partnership Program with local Windsor businesses to secure exclusive perks and discounts for grad students.

Student Well-Being & Accessibility. I will advocate for expanded mental health coverage under the graduate health and dental plan, push for faster accessibility accommodation processing, and lobby for a financial emergency relief fund accessible to graduate students. I will sit on the Student Services Advisory and Accessibility Committees to directly shape service delivery.

Transparency & Communication. I will publish monthly VP UA updates, host open town halls each semester, and create an online portal where students can track GSS advocacy in real time. I will also recruit and train graduate students to fill university committee seats, increasing our collective voice in institutional decision-making.

These are not aspirational ideas – they are projects I have the experience to actually deliver.

How do you plan on facilitating positive work relationships within the GSS Board, members at large, and UWindsor administration?

Positive working relationships are not built through titles – they are built through consistency, respect, and genuine communication. I plan to approach every relationship in this role with those three things at the forefront.

Within the GSS Board: I will prioritize open, transparent communication from day one – sharing updates regularly, being upfront about challenges, and actively seeking input from fellow executives before making decisions. My experience co-leading teams across multiple large-scale events has taught me that a collaborative team dynamic is built by listening first and leading second.

With Members at Large: I will hold open office hours and town halls so that any graduate student – regardless of program or background – has a direct line to my office. Having served as Class Representative for five years, I understand how important it is for students to feel genuinely heard, not just acknowledged. I will also maintain an anonymous feedback channel for students who prefer to raise concerns privately.

With UWindsor Administration: As Chairman of the Convocation Planning Committee, I worked directly with university administration and faculty, building relationships grounded in professionalism and mutual respect. I will replicate that approach here – coming to every meeting prepared, following through on commitments, and advocating firmly for students while remaining constructive and solution-focused.

Ultimately, I believe the best outcomes for graduate students come from relationships built on trust – and trust is earned through showing up and doing the work.

Describe the importance of the GSS in your own words

Graduate school is one of the most demanding seasons of a person’s life. You are simultaneously a student, a researcher, often a teaching assistant, and in many cases, a person far from home navigating a new city, a new culture, and a new set of expectations. The Graduate Student Society exists precisely because that experience should not have to be navigated alone.

To me, the GSS is three things at once. It is a voice – the formal mechanism through which graduate students can influence the decisions made by the university that directly affect their lives, from funding and housing to mental health services and academic policy. It is a safety net – providing resources, emergency support, and advocacy when individual students cannot fight alone. And it is a community – creating spaces where students from every program, every country, and every background can connect, belong, and thrive beyond the walls of their labs and offices.

What makes the GSS especially important is that graduate students are often overlooked in broader university conversations. Undergraduate students are larger in number; faculty have established structures of power. Graduate students sit in a unique and sometimes vulnerable position. The GSS ensures they are never invisible.

I have spent my entire academic life building communities, representing peers, and advocating within institutions. Serving as VP University Affairs is the natural next step – and the GSS is the vehicle through which I intend to make a real difference for every graduate student at Windsor.