Board of Directors

Board of Directors Members

Nick Pfeifle

President
–
pres@wusa.ca

Arya Razmjoo

Vice-President
(He/Him)
vp@wusa.ca

Jeff Zhu

Director & Governance Committee Vice-Chair
(He/Him)
jw4zhu@wusa.ca

Merochini Manohar

Director
(She/Her)
m7manoham@wusa.ca

Chevin Jeon

Director
(She/Her)
c8jeon@wusa.ca

Sarah Ahmed

Director & Advocacy Position Committee Co-Chair
(She/Her)
s363ahme@wusa.ca

Jay Lan

Director
(He/Him)
j23lan@wusa.ca

Theresa Nguyen

Director & Governance Committee Co-Chair
(She/Her)
t36nguye@wusa.ca

Emma Lee

Director & Ownership Consultation Committee Chair
(She/Her)
e255lee@wusa.ca

Fatima Awan

Director & Advocacy Position Committee Co-Chair
(She/Her)
f3awan@wusa.ca

Alex Chaban

Director
–
a3chaban@wusa.ca

Matthew Athanasopoulos

Director & Governance Committee Co-Chair
(He/Him)
mk2athan@wusa.ca

See yourself here?

WUSA Elections generally take place in February of the Winter term.

New candidates are nominated for a variety of leadership roles within the organization and students vote on who they want to represent them for the coming year! Check out our nominations page for details on how to self-nominate, important dates, and an overview of the nomination process!

Have specific questions about running for a WUSA Governance position? Feel free to reach out to your CRO!

Meanwhile, you can always get involved with WUSA through volunteer or paid-positions apply though our jobs portal.

Who sits at the board table? 1 President, 1 Vice President, and 11 Directors.

Purpose

The Board of Directors (BOD) is WUSA’s strategic governing body. It is also responsible for guiding WUSA’s financial, human resources, legal and contractual affairs.

The 13 members of the BOD are comprised of the President, Vice President, and 11 at-large directors. All 13 members are elected in the Winter for 12-month terms: Spring through following Winter.

WUSA’s Bylaws govern how the organization operates. The Board also establishes Policies which set out the beliefs, governing principles, or views of the Corporation.

WUSA Bylaws

The By-laws cement the roles, responsibilities, and powers of each part of the student government.

WUSA Board Policy Manual

Defines the various governance processes which WUSA’s Student Board of Directors has authority over.

WUSA 2020-2025 Long Range Plan

A multi-year document which lays out WUSA’s commitments to continued development for students as well as the priority areas upon which student leaders will focus university and government advocacy.

Students sitting at desks, adhering to general meeting rules, focus on their laptops and notepads during a classroom session.

Board Annual Plan

The Annual Plan of the Board is a document that articulates which projects the Board plans to prioritize in their year in the role.

WUSA’s 2024-2025 Annual Plan sets out our plans and priorities for the year to come. Like all annual plans, they tie back to the 5-year plan created in 2020.

This year’s annual plan is broken down into Operational Goals, and Advocacy Priorities. Each one will be worked on by the groups specified, or as is necessary to work towards and complete all stated goals and priorities.

Annual Plan 2024/2025

Board Meetings

The Board of Directors meets once per month to report on progress on various student advocacy issues and to collectively adopt and review the policies of the corporation.

Agendas & Minutes

A diverse group of four people are seated around a table, engaging in a meeting or discussion. One person is speaking while another appears to be confused. The table has various items like a laptop and papers. All individuals are wearing casual attire.

Board Committees

The committees’ policy and terms of reference which outlines the roles, responsibilities and procedures related to the Board can be found in the WUSA Standing Committees Terms of Reference (PDF).

Ownership Consultation Committee

Purpose

To oversee ownership consultation activities on behalf of the Board and regularly report the aggregated information gathered from such activities to the Board

Governance Committee

Purpose

To regularly review the corporate bylaws, Board policy manual, and other Board governing documents and processes, and periodically recommend any revisions and amendments deemed prudent or expedient to the Board.

Advocacy Positions Committee

Purpose

To regularly review issues and recommend to the Board any stances or positions to be advocated toward those authorities having a material affect on the achievement of the corporation’s goals.

Elections & Referenda Committee

Purpose

To oversee elections and referenda processes on behalf of the Board.

Audit Committee

Purpose

To oversee annual and special purpose audit processes on behalf of the Board and advise the Board on the approval of financial statements.

Academic Affairs Advisory Committee

Purpose

To support the Board of Directors by providing insight on matters affecting the teaching, learning, research, assessment, tuition and course-related fees, faculty society advocacy (as it pertains to academics), university policies, textbooks and other learning materials, student financial aid, degree requirements, and course calendar.

Strategic and Long-Range Planning Committee

Purpose

To support the Board in fulfilling its strategic duties and drive the development and implementation of the corporation’s Long-Range Plan. Every five (5) years, this Ad-Hoc Committee is required to oversee the development (with appropriate consultation) of a cohesive Long-Range Plan, for recommendation of adoption by the Board.