Following the resignation of Sanjana Khan Shammi on October 1st, the Graduate Student Union is holding a by-election for the role of Executive Director of Communications. Voting takes place online from December 2nd to December 3rd, and only graduate students are eligible to vote.

Chief Returning Officer Connor Keill says he hopes to “run a fair, friendly, and transparent election.” Nominations for the election opened on November 23rd and closed on November 27th, and candidates will have about four days to campaign before the vote begins. When asked via email about the short timeline, Keill said the goal was to have the election done before exams.

“While the compressed calendar has been difficult for everyone, I have been very impressed by the ability of our candidates to rise to the challenge,“ said Keill.

The election will be a ranked ballot vote, graduate students will rank their choices from first to fourth.

Here are the candidates:

Oluleye Adebowale Adewale

Oluleye Adebowale Adewale is a graduate student in the Department of Safety and Risk Engineering. He says his experience in record keeping will help him bring transparency to the role.

On his campaign profile, Adewale says he has “the skills to maintain transparent and accessible filing systems while keeping graduate students informed through effective communication channels.”

Adawele says he will use social media, university platforms, and notice boards to increase communication with grad students. He also says he will organize workshops to showcase “communication and advocacy services available to students.”

Irfanul Islam

Irfanul Islam is a Master of Education student, and according to his campaign profile, he currently serves as an Aldrich Conference and Academic Coordinator for GSU.

Islam says that in his experience with GSU, he has “developed a deep understanding of GSU’s structure, operations, and the needs of its members.”

His priorities include increased transparency, communication and record-keeping. Islam says he will make meeting minutes, reports and updates accessible to members.

Sadie Mees

Sadie Mees is a master’s student in the Department of Anthropology and says her experience in media relations and public speaking will help her carry out the duties of the position.

On her campaign profile, Mees says she has had difficulty receiving support from the graduate union in the past and would “like to help push the GSU in the right direction, towards a more positive and active role within the University community.“

Mees says she would engage with graduate students to take feedback and “carry out direct actions to have those needs met.“

Kunjankumar Rakeshkumar Varia

Kunjankumar Rakeshkumar Varia is a graduate student in oil and gas. He says his job experience has given him interpersonal skills and problem-solving abilities that will help him in the position.

According to his campaign profile, Varia says he would like to increase transparency, community and advocacy. “This role is not about speaking for you but about creating platforms where your voices are heard.”

Varia says he can elevate the union’s outreach with his “expertise in social media strategy.”

The full campaign profiles can be viewed on the GSU Website.

An election forum will be held tomorrow at 4pm online.