The Students’ Representative Council Executives were elected by you as the backbone of the SRC, in charge of taking care of day-to-day operations.
Their office is located above the cafeteria, on the second floor of the Thomas J. Condon Student Centre. We asked them some questions, here were their responses:
Patrick Hickey, President
“My position is President and my job is to lead the organization as a whole, including elected members and staff. I also lead on special projects, sit on or assign students to all internal university committees, all internal university advocacy work, official spokesperson for the SRC, and I’m also the secondary delegate for our provincial association, NBSA, and our national association, CASA.
“I wanted to run to improve the organization, advocate for students, and try to make university more attainable for everyone. I like how much I get to interact with students and hear their concerns, but I also really enjoy seeing projects that I’ve worked on come to fruition, such as the student resource centre.
“I hope to accomplish as many of the goals I have set out for myself as possible and make real changes that students are actually able to see, such as our current campus trail system revitalization project and our study room renovation project.
“The other thing that I want students to know is just how important it is to get involved. The SRC has so many opportunities for students, whether its running in the fall election, applying for one of our hired positions, volunteering on one of our projects, or joining a club or society. I really encourage students to take advantage of the opportunities the SRC has and make the most of the services we provide because the only reason the SRC is here is to serve students. So, stop in if you ever need help with anything or if you are looking for next opportunity to get involved; it’s our job to be there for students.”
Patrick’s office hours are Monday and Friday, 9:00 to 10:30 & 11:30 to 5:00; Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00 to 11:30 & 4:00 to 5:00; Wednesday, 9:00 to 10:30, 11:30 to 1:00 & 4:00 to 5:00; or by appointment by emailing president@unbsrc.ca.
Ashley Cook, VP External
“[My position is] Vice President External – [I’m] in charge of all major communications for the Students’ Representative Council and the primary representative for the SRC in regards to federal and provincial advocacy efforts.
“I decided to run for the position of VP External because of my passion for advocacy and helping others! I developed an interest for the position after taking a course in community health, where we touched on policy, politics, and the inequities faced in the healthcare system. What I like about the job so far is being able to interact and engage with various people within the community, that being students, professors, university administration, politicians, other student leaders, and organizations within our community. I like to get a consensus on what is going on and what I can do to better our student union and our campus for students!
“What I hope to accomplish by the time I am finished would be to create a more inclusive environment on campus and for our advocacy asks we are proposing this year to be heard and implemented by our current government. As far as my predecessors, I cannot say anything bad about them as they were a phenomenal team! I think for me, I would just like to continue with where they left off and continue to make our campus a safe and inclusive place to be and that students are enjoying their time here as much as possible.
“My office hours are a bit weird right now! I have two schedules for the fall term right now.
“If students ever need anything or have any questions at all, I am always open to helping people! I love engaging with students when I can, and my door is always open to chat.”
Ashley’s office hours are below.
Week of September 30, schedule 1: Monday, 9 to 5; Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 4 to 5; Wednesday 9 to 12 & 4 to 5.
Week of October 7, schedule 2: Monday, 9 to 12 & 4 to 5; Tuesday, 4 to 5; Wednesday, 9 to 12; Thursday and Friday, 11 to 2.
Allie Ruigrok, VP Social
“As VP Social, I’m responsible for planning all of the SRC-run events on campus, and running Colonel Tucker’s, the student bar. For example, I planned First Class Bash that happened this past Friday. In the past, we hired an Orientation Chair to look after Orientation Week, but this year the position’s responsibilities were absorbed within my role as well. I spent my summer getting ready for Orientation Week and planning First Class bash. I also provide the council with photography and graphic design services and have formed several partnerships with local businesses to fund events.
“My position is hired, not elected, so technically I didn’t run – I applied and was interviewed for the position. I saw an opportunity to use my experience to improve the Student Council’s ability to deliver services and support to our students. Although I’m finishing my science degree, I’ve been working for the past five years in marketing, graphic design and photography while helping plan local events, so I came into the VP Social role with a skill set that the SRC doesn’t always have access to. So far, I’ve especially enjoyed the opportunity to make Orientation Week as accessible and welcoming as possible for our new students, and the positive feedback has been incredible – students and staff have come out of the woodwork to tell me how much this year’s Orientation Week improved compared to previous years, or how much they enjoyed the activities I planned.
“My main goal this year is to build a community on campus, and I think that’s something the SRC has always struggled with because we serve a mainly commuter student base. I want students to feel like UNBSJ is a place to call home, a place where they can study but also have fun. I was very lucky to have the continuation of planning orientation week as well as other events during the year, because I’m able to shape the student experience from the very first day. This year I’ve been seeking feedback a lot more than my predecessors and trying to focus on the events and initiatives that are most important to students.”
Allie’s office hours are Monday, 11:30 to 3:30; Tuesday, 8:30 to 11:30; Wednesday, 11:30 to 5:00; Thursday, 9:00 to 11:30; or by appointment by emailing social@unbsrc.ca.
Josh Northrup, VP Finance
“I am the Vice President Finance for the UNB-SRC, acting as the organization’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO). I am responsible for managing all the finances within the yearly operating budget and maintaining financial stability and transparency within the SRC. I am also responsible for all clubs and societies, acting as a liaison between the club/society and the SRC. My final responsibility is managing the Safe Ride Program. I hire and manage the drivers, ensure the vehicle is properly inspected, and bringing it to maintenance appointments.
“I wanted to run for the VP Finance position because I wanted to be able to give back to a school that has given me so much. I wanted to be able to represent and provide services to the students of this campus. I want to make sure that students are being provided with the proper services that they deserve, and to make sure they have all they need to make it through their university journey with as minimal stress as possible. So far, the best part of this job has been being able to meet so many students on a deeper level than just classmates and seeing the joy and happiness on their faces from getting them more involved within the campus, whether it be through clubs/societies or events the SRC puts on.
“By the end of my term, I hope to have a better system set up for clubs and societies. I want to update the Clubs & Societies Manual, put a better communication system in place, update any forms that may no longer have the correct information, and ensure that clubs and societies executives are able to work together so that they can host bigger and better events for the student body.
“If there’s one piece of advice I could give to you, it would be to get involved within the campus. It will make these next few years so much more enjoyable. We are here for a short time, make the best of it.”
Josh’s office hours are Tuesday, 11:00 to 4:00; Wednesday, 1:00 to 2:30; Thursday, 10:30 to 3:30; Friday, 10:30 to 2:00; or by appointment by emailing finance@unbsrc.ca.
