By Jayme Marteniuk – Staff Writer

The Student Respresentative’s Council’s (SRC) executives shared their annual strategic plans at the SRC general meeting on Sept. 26, which touched on various aspects of student life, including governance, mental health, sexual culture, transportation and more. This year, the executive council, led by president Sophia Stacey, is eagerly working towards the SRC’s five-year strategic plan, which was meticulously curated two years ago. The annual plans presented at the meeting contained objectives from the five-year plan and individual goals as well.

Last week, Sophia Stacey outlined several key priorities on her agenda for this upcoming year. First, she aims to revisit the SRC’s internal structure to enhance its efficiency and effectiveness. Furthermore, she’s committed to promoting mental health awareness and holding the administration accountable for implementing the Student Mental Health Policy. Overall, she shares: “My role is to continue building on this work, and approach setting the stage for a better experience here at Bishop’s; to improve the school and the SRC for next year’s team to continue building upon when they come into office.” 

In addition, her vision extends beyond the campus, as she seeks to build a strong relationship and reconciliation with the Odanak community. At the general meeting, she expressed that he is determined to create a safe and reliable transportation service for students, especially during late hours. The plan is to provide a safe drive-home service, potentially through a dedicated app, involving student drivers with full licenses and designated vehicles.

The vice president of academic affairs, Christina Lépine, has her sights set on improving student access to essential information about university scholarships, awards and bursaries. The goal is to simplify the process and make these opportunities more visible and accessible to students. Moreover, there are plans to enhance awareness about volunteer opportunities through a SRC ambassador and volunteer program. This initiative aims to help students gain valuable experiences and position themselves for future roles within the SRC and other organizations.

Brandon Leblanc, the director of finance, has a multi-faceted strategy for the year. He aims to contribute towards the first draft of renovation plans for the Gait, an essential campus hub. To support initiatives, Brandon is exploring the possibility of increasing student fees by a minimum of six per cent and adding an SRC extra fee and a student safety fee. These fees aim to enhance clubs’ sustainability and contribute to funding the safe transportation service and other future plans.

Brandon shares: “The increase of fees is in accordance with our five-year plan. It was put in place in order to ensure the long-term financial health of the SRC, which allows us to use these funds to continue fostering an exceptional student life experience in the forms of our staple events”. Brandon also seeks to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of events like Winterfest while increasing event participation as well. By optimizing events, the SRC can potentially reduce costs while ensuring that they continue to contribute positively to the school community.

As the year progresses, students and faculty can look forward to the implementation of these initiatives.