1) CAREERS
The Salesman of You is the most significant informal power held by Student Council President, yet, it is almost entirely neglected – it is a chance to speak on behalf of students and represent their interests; in this case, through internship. In cooperation with the Career Services, I will…

have a sale pitch for students on the tip of my tongue promoting internships during all my encounters with community and nation leaders: “London is witnessing 12.5% unemployment rate; you need creativity, talent, innovation, and people who understand other markets; you want students to remain in London; than give us a reason, the connections, and the job prospects. This is not achieved through networking seminars but through practical internships where you will be able to select the best for future employment and save on recruitment costs.”

Shadowing programs are a norm at some universities as they allow students a chance to experience a profession well before committing to it; I believe that such a program must be a focus at Western and I will push for its widespread development.

Business cards represent and propagate a brand, getting Western business cards is not the most convenient process, I would like to have an “add on” to the Orientation package with Western business cards supplied to new students.

2) ACADEMICS
I have been on the UWO Senate for 2 years, during that time I have worked on numerous projects:
Remembrance Day Policy Reforms – Moment of Silence in class
Interest Credit Proposal – One Elective would be marked P/F
Idea of the Scholarship Database – Search engine to find monies
Student Seminar Series – developed flexible learning
Remembrance Day Plague Project – recognize WWI students
LTC Transit Strike Petition – tell the student experiences
Divestment Motion - so money would not be invested in genocide 

Some ideas are too big for an individual to take on all the work of surveying students, research, and policy development: namely, the interest credit / co-op programs / TA Language requirements / tutorial module amendments. This is where the USC needs to take an interest in the student academic experience by developing policy to provide the student senators with a mandate.

My focus will be particularly on the Interest Credit idea.
Example: A pure math student interested in going into Medicine with a 95% average would risk a great deal by taking a Language/Business/Social Science/etc.. Thus, logically would remain taking only pure math courses that ensure a high average. The interest credit idea would provide each student with one credit which they can assign to any class outside of their degree to be marked based on Pass/Fail; thus, not effecting the GPA. This idea is common practice at universities such as McGill and Ivey League Schools.

3) FINANCES
There are many scholarships at Western that require and application, yet, only students that are in the know recognize their presence and apply. I believe a Personalized Scholarship Database is a quintessential element to provide monies to the students that deserve/need the money the most. 

4) INTERESTS
There is much more to Academic experiences than the classroom, we would like to provide an opportunity to broaden the experiences on four levels: Field Trips, Interest Lectures, Well-Financed Tournaments, and Student Seminar Series.

The Western Heads Program would be developed to facilitate once in a lifetime experiences. Trying to allow students on a small scale to access local wonders: Medical operations, dissections, Wind Tunnel, Social Car, Nuclear Reactors, etc. while on a large scale Niagara Falls, Stratford Festival, and Toronto Symphony Orchestra. We will be working with faculties and student councils on some of the areas that overlap.

An Interest Lecture Series that highlights six of the renowned professors at Western from various faculties and offers a chance to sell students on the wonders of their field of study.

I believe a strong conference/tournament environment provides so much wealth to the university experience. The Model Parliament is a passion of mine that I would love to see overhauled into a yearlong series designed to stir political interest rather than partisan. The focus should be on bringing leaders of parties, lobbyists, interest groups, think tanks, etc to campus. A believe in financially supporting this opportunity whether through pursuing corporate sponsorship or directly.

The Student Seminar Series is for the most part a free for all discussion group designed to facilitate flexible discussion topics. This provides an opportunity to debate controversial ideas within a vacuum and develops a strong environment for peer learning.

The Club system is one of the strongest forces behind the development of interests at university; however, it is also the most ‘oppressed’ by the USC itself. We have several goals to make the relationship stronger:
a. Clubs Training Online
b. Online Room Booking
c. Year-Round Online Club Registration
d. Online payment system that can take place at the clubs booths.
e. VP Student Events the location to approach with questions
f. More Flexibility for Clubs regarding Events
g. Earlier Clubs Week
h. Some Clubs in Orientation Week - application process 
i. Mandatory Number of Events

5) HAVING FUN
Orientation Week is designed for frosh and soph, but when your in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year your welcome back is a mixture of classes and trips to the book store. Only in the third week can clubs actually start running events.
Welcome to the idea of WELCOME WEEK! A week dedicated to you and the fact that no one is frosh forever. Running in both September and January we will welcome you back to campus with classic evening events like Rick McGee’s and new ones every evening of the week! Some wet and others Wet/Dry. Additionally, we would love to host a Multi-Charity/Faculty Event to right from the start cement a cross-faculty relationship (Casino Royal evening at LCC, Concert, etc. - Left to VP Student Events).