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8/13/2019 Team Helfand Official Platform

1/18

Team HelfandGetting You A Better Deal

VOTE: February 11thand 12thwww.teamhelfand.com

Twitter: @TeamHelfand Facebook.com/TeamHelfand


2/18

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.


3/18

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.


4/18

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.


5/18

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


6/18

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.


7/18

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.


8/18

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.


9/18

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


10/18

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.


11/18

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.


12/18

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.


13/18

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.


14/18

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


15/18

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!


16/18

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.


17/18

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.


18/18

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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