May Board Meeting Recap

Four people are seated at a table, engaged in discussion. They have laptops and coffee cups in front of them. The image has a yellow and blue color scheme with text that reads "May Board Meeting Re-cap" and the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) logo.

From May 9–11, the WUSA Board of Directors held its annual spring retreat, following a preliminary session on April 13. The retreat wrapped up with a Board meeting to make some key decisions about student leadership committee roles and how Board directors are compensated for their work. You can view the complete Board minutes here.

Committee Appointments Finalized

WUSA’s Board confirmed who will be serving on various internal committees this year. These committees are made up of student directors and at-large students (aka regular students not on the Board) and help shape everything from academic advocacy to elections. 

Here’s a breakdown of who’s doing what: 

Academic Affairs Advisory Committee

  • President: Damian Mikhail 
  • Directors: Rida Sayed, Mélanie Bouzanne

Audit Committee

  • Chair: Andrew Chang 
  • Vice Chair: Rory Norris 
  • Directors: Muhammad Kanji, Remington Zhi, Katie Traynor 
  • At-Large Students: Enoch Tan, Arin Dayal, Rachael McIlwrath, Michael Jardine 

Advocacy Positions Committee

  • Chair: Remington Zhi 
  • Vice Chair: Damian Mikhail 
  • Directors: Arya Razmjoo, Mélanie Bouzanne, Katie Traynor 
  • At-Large Students: Kenzy Soror, Omar Gaballa, Kaaviya Sivasankaran, Hana Rauf 

Elections and Referenda Committee

  • Vice Chair: Katie Traynor 
  • Director: Merochini Manohar 
  • At-Large Students: Petar Olar, Erin Walshaw, Janani Ganesh, Alex Pawelko 

Governance Committee

  • Chair: Muhammad Kanji 
  • Vice Chair: Merochini Manohar 
  • Directors: Remington Zhi, Samir Sharma, Rida Sayed 
  • At-Large Students: Arin Dayal, Riya Suri, Mya Nantambu, Nush Majra 

Ownership Consultation Committee

  • Chair: Arya Razmjoo 
  • Vice Chair: Iman Khan 
  • Directors: Rory Norris, Skyler Duggan, Merochini Manohar 
  • At-Large Students: Nafeesa Ali Khan, Kashish Arora, Shamita Narukulla, Hana Rauf 

University Committee Appointments 

WUSA’s President also appointed students to represent the undergrad voice on two important university-wide committees: 

  • Student Services Advisory Committee: Damian Mikhail, Skyler Duggan, Rory Norris, Andrew Chang 
  • Undergraduate Student Relations Committee: Damian Mikhail, Iman Khan, Arya Razmjoo, Merochini Manohar 

Additionally, Samir Sharma (Chair), Skyler Duggan, and Katie Traynor will serve on the Student Life Endowment Fund (SLEF)/Equity, Opportunity and Innovation Fund (EOI) Board, which helps allocate funding for student-led projects and initiatives. 

Director Compensation: What’s Changing? 

Following motions made at this year’s Annual Members’ Meeting, the Board also discussed how student directors are compensated. Legal advice suggested that paying directors by the hour might accidentally classify them as employees—which they’re not. To avoid legal issues but still ensure accountability, the Board agreed on a middle ground where Directors will need to track their hours and submit them with their regular reports in order to receive their honorariums. This new system starts in June 2025, and the Governance Committee will create a time-tracking tool to support it. 

Want to Get Involved?

Keep an eye out for opportunities to join WUSA committees or run in elections. Your voice matters, and this is one way to help shape student life on campus. 

Sign up for our Student Leadership Mailing List to learn more about ongoing opportunities to get involved in WUSA Governance!  

 

Published: Wednesday, June 4, 2025

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