What Is The Brescia University College Students’ Council (BUCSC)?

Written By Guest User

Written By Autumn Calhoun and Gillian Burrows

Whether you know little about the roles of a students’ council or have been part of one in the past, this article is full of helpful resources to help Brescia students better understand the roles of our council for the 2020/2021 academic year.

Like a lot of things this year, the BUCSC has undergone many changes in the past couple of months: new members, new guidelines, and of course, a new approach with the pandemic protocols and off-campus learning.

The BUCSC is run entirely by students.  It is a non-profit, federally incorporated organization with a mission to:

  • Address student needs

  • Build community

  • Facilitate involvement of all students in every aspect of college life

Our council consists of various portfolios, each dealing with their own branch of student affairs and concerns. Below we have compiled a list of these roles and who to contact if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions:

The President Portfolio - Administrative Support for Council

  • President - Emily Petch - president@bucsc.ca 

    • Represents the student body of Brescia

    • Official voice of the BUCSC

  • Executive Assistant to the President - Fahimeh Abdollahi - executive.assistant@bucsc.ca 

    • Responsible for maintenance of the BUCSC office including books, papers, records, documents, and other property of the corporation

The Governance Portfolio - Bureaucracy Support for Council

  • Governance Officer - Abigail Benest - governance.officer@bucsc.ca

    • Assists BUCSC President and Executives with research, duties, projects, and general assistance

    • Attend General Council meeting to ensure transparency to both Council and student body in general

  • Chief Returning Officer - Christine Amin - chiefreturning.officer@bucsc.ca

    • In charge of elections within the BUCSC

    • Coordinates interviews for future members

    • Chair of Election and All Candidates Committees

  • Secretary - Lisa Gilmar - secretary@bucsc.ca

    • Acts as secretary and records what is said in Executive and General Council meetings for future reference

  • Speaker of Council - Adrienne Agueci - speaker@bucsc.ca 

    • Responsible for communicating and enforcing rules and by-laws to Council members

The Finance Portfolio - Council’s Financial Team

  • Chief Financial Officer - Chloe Leguard - finance@bucsc.ca 

    • Oversees financial management of BUCSC including budgeting and bookkeeping

  • Associate Vice President (AVP) Treasurer - Ria Kalra - avp.treasurer@bucsc.ca 

    • Assists in bookkeeping responsibilities for Council

The Student Life Portfolio - Student Support

  • Vice President Student Life - Brooke Huffman - studentlife@bucsc.ca 

    • Responsible for receiving and recognizing student concerns

    • Advocates for both academic and social change at Brescia

    • In charge of organizing official BUSCU surveys including the annual Student Survey

    • General resource for academic, social, and wellness concerns

    • Organizes regular meetings for portfolio to discuss relevant affairs

  • Associate Vice President (AVP) Student Support - Rebecca Newton - avp.studentsupport@bucsc.ca 

    • Responsible for coordinating spotlight initiatives and campaigns with portfolio commissioners

  • Awareness Commissioner - Anessa Bhabha - awareness.commissioner@bucsc.ca 

    • Responsible for two or more awareness initiatives per semester including (but not limited to) initiatives regarding sexual violence and eating disorder awareness

    • Knowledgeable in support services available to Brescia students both on-campus and in the London area

  • Wellness Commissioner - Grace Gillet - wellness.commissioner@bucsc.ca 

    • Responsible for at least two wellness initiatives per semester, at least one focused on mental health awareness

    • Knowledgeable in support services available to Brescia students both on-campus and in the London area

  • Charity Commissioner - Kristyn Alves - charity.commissioner@bucsc.ca 

    • Responsible for selecting one local charitable organization to support through the BUCSC, and holding at least two fundraising or awareness initiatives for it

    • Resource for BUSCU affiliated clubs in selections and partnerships of charitable organizations

  • Pride and Allyship Commissioner - Libby Ricker - prideandallyship.commissioner@bucsc.ca 

    • Cooperates with campus-based pride and diversity groups including (but not limited to) the Student Life Centre, PrideWestern, and Spectrum

    • Promotes equality between all students regardless of race, gender, class, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, and other aspects.

    • Co-chairs Pride Week along with the AVP Student Support

    • Responsible for hosting at least two diversity-based initiatives per year (one per semester)

  • Culture and Inclusion Commissioner - Zeinab Hodaei - cultureandinclusion.commissioner@bucsc.ca 

    • Works with Brescia’s International Program Coordinator and other appropriate campus-based groups to promote diversity on campus

    • Promotes equality of students, regardless of race, gender, class, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, or other aspects

    • Responsible for hosting at least two diversity-based initiatives per year (one per semester)

  • Environmental Commissioner - Clara Prentice - environmental.commissioner@bucsc.ca 

    • Organizes at least two environmental sustainability initiatives on campus per year (one per semester)

    • Organizes and coordinate Environmental Awareness Week on campus

    • Collaborates with EnviroWestern

  • Volunteer Commissioner - Nivedita Varagunan - volunteer.commissioner@bucsc.ca 

    • Coordinates volunteer opportunities for students in the London community

    • Organizes Brescia’s Volunteer Fair during Fall Semester

    • Works with volunteer agencies within Brescia, Western, and London communities

    • Resource for BUSCU affiliated clubs in selections and partnerships of volunteer organizations

  • Accessibility Commissioner - Sara Park - accessibility.commissioner@bucsc.ca 

    • Responsible for advocating accessibility concerns on campus, including providing accessibility supports alongside the BUCSC

    • Collaborates with groups including the Student Life Centre and Accessibility Western

    • Responsible for at least one accessibility-based initiative per semester

  • International Student Commissioner - Angel Zhang - international.commissioner@bucsc.ca 

    • Advocates for International Students on the BUCSC, working alongside Council to provide support for International Students

    • Works alongside groups including the Student Life Centre, Western’s International Student Support Committee, and the Brescia International Student Coordinator

    • Responsible for at least one international student based initiative per semester

  • Mature and Transfer Student Commissioner - Nicole Weber - matureandtransfer.commissioner@bucsc.ca 

    • Advocates for Mature and Transfer students, working alongside Council to provide support and resources

    • Works alongside the Student Life Center and other campus-based groups to support Mature and Transfer students

    • Responsible for at least one mature/transfer student based initiative per semester

  • Outreach Commissioner - Jenna Anka- outreach.commissioner@bucsc.ca 

    • Responsible for coordinating spotlight campaigns for wellness and awareness topics alongside respective commissioners

    • Maintains and updates the BUCSC Resource Board

    • Receives and addresses student feedback

The Student Events Portfolio - Student Involvement

  • Vice President Student Events - Kat Mccormack - studentevents@bucsc.ca 

    • Coordinates involvement and activities to enhance the student experience

    • Oversees events planned by portfolio

    • Chair of Student Events Committee

    • Organizes regular meetings for portfolio to discuss relevant affairs

    • Assumes roles of Orientation Commissioner and Senior Year Commissioner for the 2020/2021 year

  • Associate Vice-President (AVP) Special Events - Chanelle Warren - avp.specialevents@bucsc.ca 

    • Responsible for coordination of spirit-based events on campus alongside relevant commissioners

    • Responsible for organizing Homecoming celebrations including representing Brescia for the Western University Students’ Council, maintaining contact with Alumnae Relations

    • Responsible for organizing Student Appreciation Week, including (but not limited to) stress-reducing, wellness, and social programming

    • May collaborate with Formal Events Commissioner in preparation for the Brescia Ball

    • Assumes role of Vice-President Student Events if role is vacant

  • Huron-Brescia-Kings (HBK) Events Commissioner - Victoria Mcarthur - hbkevents.commissioner@bucsc.ca 

    • Represents Brescia in collaboration with other affiliate schools of Western

    • Responsible for at least one affiliate event per semester

  • Clubs Commissioner - Maira Anser - clubs.commissioner@bucsc.ca 

    • Point of contact for all club-related matters

    • Organizes and holds community-based clubs initiatives such as Clubs Week

    • Provides connection between BUCSC and campus-based clubs

  • Formal Events Commissioner - Nevia Frank - formalevents.commissioner@bucsc.ca 

    • Works alongside the Student Life Centre and the Vice-President Student Events to organize formal campus-based events including the annual Student Leader Recognition Event, the Wine and Cheese night, and the Brescia Ball

  • Athletic Commissioner - Mikaila Hunter - athletic.commissioner@bucsc.ca

    • Responsible for at least one athletic or physical wellness based initiative at Brescia

The Communications Portfolio - Information and Updates

  • Chief Communications Officer - Paula Bravo - communications@bucsc.ca

    • Oversees maintenance of official BUSCU website and social media pages

    • Responsible for media communications

    • In charge of maintenance and rentals relating to BUCSC media equipment including cameras, speakers, and mascot

    • Establishes and upholds relationships with the Students’ Councils of Huron, Kings, and Western

    • Organizes regular meetings for portfolio to discuss relevant affairs

  • Associate Vice President (AVP) Promotions - Mikayla Castagna - avp.promotions@bucsc.ca 

    • Responsible for all BUCSC promotional material including posters and infographics

  • Films and Photography Commissioner - Amanda Leroux - filmandphotography.commissioner@bucsc.ca 

    • Creates and uploads content for Brescia’s YouTube page

    • Responsible for providing photographs and video footage for BUCSC events

The Representatives

All members of students’ council are required to attend general meetings held every three weeks in which motions for changes are introduced and voted on by elected members. These motions directly affect Brescia’s students, so do not be afraid to reach out to your representatives with any questions, concerns, and comments.

All general council meetings are open to the public and will be held over Zoom during the 2020/2021 school year. Our next one will be held on Sunday, October 18th at 2:00 PM at https://westernuniversity.zoom.us/j/9555941853?fbclid=IwAR2biynvbFn3tPJpBCqziw4EMVSe9EWvmxB5r6P2uV4jzGNiR7V7bsVdprg. 

To learn more about the Brescia University College Students’ Council, head over to https://www.bucsc.ca/ and follow our social media pages:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebucsc 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebucsc 

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/thebucsc 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEP5tthdLeyWX0mgtYfvAVQ/featured 

Any further questions can be sent to general@bucsc.ca

Guest User
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