Aditya Rao for SU President

Platform Document

Resist Reform Engage

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead

Table of Contents
Bio .................................................................................................................................. 3 Platform Summary ......................................................................................................... 4 Background..................................................................................................................... 5 Resist .............................................................................................................................. 6 Reform............................................................................................................................ 7 Engage ............................................................................................................................ 8 Residence platform ........................................................................................................ 9 International Students Platform................................................................................... 10

Bio
Aditya (Adi) Rao was born in Winnipeg, raised in Bombay, India, and has lived in Alberta for the last six years. Finishing up a double major in Political Science and Economics, Adi will bring a balance of academic training and real-world political experience as the next President of the Students Union. Concerned that rising fees, increasing student debt and faculty cuts put students at a disadvantage, Adi will work towards resisting tuition increases while engaging the provincial government for sustainable funding to make postsecondary education more accessible and affordable. By recognizing the role we can play in a rapidly shrinking world, Adi believes that the SU can be a powerful advocate for positive change and an agent for social justice both here at home in Alberta, and beyond. His vision for reforming the SU s role in our community includes expanding Sustain SU s mandate by creating a centre for Social Justice and Sustainability, engaging the university to acquire Fair Trade Campus certification, and encouraging student activism by re-establishing the Revolutionary Speakers Series. Adi s experience is varied and extensive he was an SU Arts Councillor, an APIRG board member and has worked with WUSC to bring student refugees to our University. He has lobbied Members of Parliament to intervene in the Darfur genocide, and has worked as a human rights researcher for a Washington DC lobby firm. Currently the President of the Residence Halls Association, Adi lives in International House, a multicultural community characterized by global citizenship and intercultural understanding.

Platform Summary
Resist y Resist tuition hikes, fee increases and faculty and budget cuts o Advocate to keep the tuition cap in place and o Fight for regulation on mandatory non instructional fees Advocate for the removal of the $40 installment fee for tuition payments

Reform y Reform the SU s role in our community by making social justice a priority Expand the mandate of Sustain SU to create a Students Union Centre for Social Justice and Sustainability Reform communications by o Giving students a voice in the SU s budget and o Once a semester, moving the President s desk to the main lobby of SUB, where students can interact with and learn about the president s job and the SU.

Engage y y Engage the community by bringing back the Revolutionary Speakers Series and encouraging student activism Engage the provincial government for sustainable postsecondary education funding by working with organizations that are already working for a fair and more just province. Engage the university to pursue higher ethical standards o Initiate conversations about a Fair Trade Campus certification o Advocate for a screening process that utilizes stronger ethical standards by taking human rights records into consideration when awarding honorary degrees Establish a Students Union committee for consultation on international student issues to engage our diverse student community better

Background
We live in a beautiful province with an abundance of resources. Yet our provincial government has consistently failed to adequately fund postsecondary education. The average tuition for domestic students in Canada saw the highest increase in Alberta. Between 1990 and today, tuition has gone up by over 275% from just under $1300 in 1990 to over $5000 today. Moreover, international students have seen a nearly 400% increase in tuition fees (including differential) in the same period. Every year postsecondary education gets more inaccessible and less affordable. High tuition costs have resulted in extremely high debt levels contributing to increased financial stresses on students. Today, Alberta has the lowest postsecondary participation rate in the entire country. Only 16% of youth between 18-34 enter postsecondary education in Alberta, and just 7 out of 10 high school students finish their diploma before they turn 19. In 2008, the University was faced with a budget shortfall of nearly $60 million, of which students were expected to shoulder $20 million for no fault of our own. We have a CoSSS fee that penalizes students for the mistakes of our government, we have higher tuition fees than we have ever had with some of us paying tuition adjusted using market modifiers and we have a $40 installment fee that penalizes students for late payments that aren t late. What can the SU do differently? We expand our networks to collaborate with other organizations in the city and around the province to promote access to postsecondary education. Our role should not just be limited to advocating for current students, but also prospective students. We can stand up against tuition hikes, and oppose the base cost of tuition. We can advocate for a rollback in tuition, and for sustainable postsecondary education funding. We can work with community advocacy organizations to form a united front on some issues like tax and royalty reform. As a Union 30,000 strong, we have the ability to affect change both right here at home in Alberta, and beyond.

Resist
For too long our government has failed to adequately fund postsecondary education, and has supported our administration s actions to increase the cost of postsecondary education. Tuition has increased by nearly 275% since 1990, and the cost of textbooks has gone up by nearly 300% since 1995. The University administration has successfully privatized their gains through executive salary hikes, and socialized their losses by forcing students to help cover a $60 million deficit brough upon our university by our provincial government s decision to not prioritize sustainable postsecondary education funding. This is accomplished by a $300 CoSSS (Common Student Space Sustainability and Safety) fee, a mandatory non-instructional fee charged by the Board of Governors that helps cover this deficit and is of no benefit to students. . Not only is the CoSSS fee exploitative, it is also a circumvention of tuition regulation. Essentially, it is tuition by another name, and it has got to go. Both rent and tuition continue to increase beyond the capacity of many students, leaving many students struggling, and the Board of Governors just passed a motion to limit student input on non-instructional fees charged to students. The installment fee of $40 is also deeply concerning. When we pay our tuition, we are given the option to pay it in two installments once in the fall, and once in the winter. We are, however, charged $40 in order to pay our fees in these two installments, and this $40 does not show up on our fee assessment. In effect, we are being penalized for a late payment that is not late. The Students Union currently does not support tuition increases, but does not advocate for a reduction either. Moreover, the Students Union currently supports increases in rent by inflation. I oppose this policy Not because keeping up with inflation is unreasonable, but because I believe the base cost of an education is in itself an outrage. Education is a right, and it should be accessible to everyone regardless of ability to pay. It is time to resist tuition hikes, faculty cuts and fee increases. I will fight for a rollback on tuition and for keeping the tuition cap in place. I believe noninstructional fees need to be regulated including both the CoSSS fee and the installment fee. This money-grab needs to stop, and I intend to do what I can to stop it. Resist y Resist tuition hikes, fee increases and faculty and budget cuts o Advocate to keep the tuition cap in place and o Fight for regulation on mandatory non instructional fees Advocate for the removal of the $40 installment fee for tuition payments

Reform
The University of Alberta is an international campus. No student should go through an entire undergraduate degree at our university without also learning about global issues of social, environmental and economic sustainability and justice. I believe we need to expand our scope and work with other organizations in the city to pursue a socially just community. Students benefit through community partnerships, which help them acquire a well rounded postsecondary education experience. We can work towards bettering the undergraduate experience by creating global citizens. As your SU President, I will reform the role of the Students Union in our community by ensuring social justice is a priority. For too long we have lost sight of how we can affect positive change not just locally, but globally. I will expand the mandate of Sustain SU and create the Students Union Centre for Social Justice and Sustainability to promote development initiatives both here at home in Alberta, and beyond. I believe students decide what students are concerned about. The SU s job is to listen to what students want, and then act on that. In my experience, students have wanted a more progressive and more active SU. We want a Students Union that stands against injustices whether fighting against tuition hikes here in Alberta, or helping build a school in South Sudan. To do this, communication is key, which is why I will ensure that the Students Union is hearing your voice.

Reform y Reform the SU s role in our community by making social justice a priority Expand the mandate of Sustain SU to create a Students Union Centre for Social Justice and Sustainability Reform communications by o Giving students a voice in the SU s budget through a web-based tool o Once a semester, moving the SU President s desk to the main lobby of SUB, where students can interact with and learn about the President s job and the SU.

Engage
I believe that it is time for us to engage our government and our administration differently. We need a more active approach to advocacy one that includes encouraging student activism, building new relationships and advocating for higher ethical standards in the operations of our university. Student activism is essential for a vibrant student life. I want to encourage student activism by bringing back the Revolutionary Speakers Series through which we would bring agents of change from around the world to address our students and inspire us. By learning how peoples around the world overcome their difficulties and struggles, we will all learn how to become better members of our community and affect positive change. I believe we need to build new relationships in order to engage the provincial government for sustainable funding of postsecondary education. Not only should be we be asking for what we want, but we should also be telling the government how they can give it to us. I would encourage the Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) to work with organizations like Public Interest Alberta (PIA), the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) and the Parkland Institute, that are working hard every day to try to build a better Alberta an Alberta that benefits everyone. The PIA & AFL joint initiative called Better Way Alberta is fighting for tax and royalty reform that, if enacted, will benefit all Albertans including students in Alberta s postsecondary institutions. I believe that we should be working with these organizations, recognizing that we are all fighting for a socially just and fair province. I believe the Students Union must play an active role in engaging our University by demanding that the administration follow ethical practices in their operations. Whether it is workers attempting to unionize against an unfair employer contracted by the University, or an honorary degree being awarded to individuals with questionable human rights records, the Students Union needs to stand up and speak out, and demand that the University preserve its moral integrity. Engage y y Engage and inspire the community by bringing back the Revolutionary Speakers Series and encouraging student activism Engage the provincial government for sustainable postsecondary education funding by working with organizations that are already working for a more fair and just province. Engage the university to pursue higher ethical standards o Initiate conversations about a Fair Trade Campus certification o Advocate for a screening process that utilizes stronger ethical standards by taking human rights records into consideration when awarding honorary degrees Establish a Students Union committee for consultation on international student issues to engage our diverse student community better

Residence platform
As the Residence Halls Association President for this year, I was able to revitalize the RHA and bring several initiatives to life in an attempt to build a more vibrant and connected residence community. When I ran for President, the RHA was in a difficult situation lacking strong leadership and direction. Some member associations were discussing withdrawing from the RHA in protest of bad bookkeeping, lack of accountability and transparency. I ran on a platform of reviving the association, and setting it up for success going forward. This year, we have revived an old and popular service The Grocery Bus that takes students in University residences to more affordable grocery stores . We successfully helped start a student residence association in Graduate Residence and Michener Park, and established the RHA Awards to recognize extraordinary members of our residence community. Additionally, we started an emergency bursary for students having trouble paying their rent. We successfully lobbied Residence Services to set up a customizable payment plan for students with financial difficulties this year. We are in discussions with Residence Services to jointly administer a $50,000 capital projects grant to residence associations with ideas for new equipment or student space. We have also successfully secured a commitment from Ancillary Services to look into the feasibility of putting locks on doors in HUB to increase the safety and security of HUB residents. If elected to the SU, my priorities for residences will be y Rent reduction o Resisting rent increases and fighting for reduction in rent by lobbying the provincial government for subsidized housing on campus Term Leases o Ensure that students are not locked into inflexible 11-month leases such as those for Newton Place and Graduate Residence, and fight for lease agreements that are student-friendly Property Taxes o Work with the Vice President External to make the elimination of municipal property taxes from student dormitories a priority for the provincial government, and ensure that monies saved by the University are put towards reducing costs incurred by students in residence New Residences o Advocate for the new residences being planned on 88 avenue to include additional aboriginal student housing o Ensure that lease agreements are student-friendly, and rent levels are affordable

International Students Platform

At our university, we pride ourselves in being home to one of the few International Houses worldwide, and in running one of the most attended events at a Canadian university International Week. We are an international campus, and nearly ten percent of our student body are international students. I have an international background myself, having been in Canada only for six years. And over those years, I have worked with international students on campus helping students adjust to life in Canada, and at the University. I can tell you that International students have felt excluded from the Students Union for a long time. Making friends in a new country is hard, and it is harder when established institutions do not actively try to make this easier. As of current, the Student Union does not provide any specialized services for international students. . Few international students know about the Student Financial Aid and Information Centre, let alone the Peer Support Centre or the Campus Food Bank. International students contribute so much to campus life, yet receive no outreach from the Students Union. I believe we can work with the International Centre on campus to represent international students effectively, and provide services efficiently. If elected to the SU as President, my priorities for international students will be: y Employment o International students face employment barriers that Canadian students do not. I would work with the University and government to make it easier for international students to find employment Tuition o Advocating for a cap on the international student differential Access to services o Ensuring essential SU services have multilingual employees who can serve the needs of our diverse population on campus Establish a Students Union committee for consultation on international student issues to engage our diverse student community better

y y