Be You @ BU Fall 2022 Magazine

On the Senate Floor

I am currently in my final year at Bishop’s and have had the honour of serving as the Natural Sciences and Mathematics Student Senator. This elected position is one of the many opportunities the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) makes available for students. As a stu- dent senator, I was the representative for my division’s students at meetings of the University Senate and at assemblies of the Board of Student Representatives. My role centered around student advocacy. Senate is the highest body of academic governance at Bishop’s, so the privilege of having a seat means you have the opportunity to directly affect change in the aca - demic life of the school. The Senate body consists of faculty and student representation from each of the five academic divisions at Bishop’s, as well as representatives from all areas of the school’s administra- tion. Handling the many adjustments that happened as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic was a large part of my position, and though the year was busy we were able to institute many important supports for students during the return to in-person learning. Of course you never work alone, and I was able to be a part of an amazing team of Student Senators who worked collaboratively to make the student voice heard!

Outside of Senate, Student Senators work directly with students to support their academic success however they can. One of the most important ways we do this is by hosting academic-oriented events throughout the year; like the annual Wine and Cheese events, where students can meet and connect with their professors outside of the classroom in a more social setting. This past year the Student Senator team helped host guest lecturers on campus, and launched a series of events alongside the Student Success Center, which focused on in- creasing student involvement within divisional academics. The work I have been able to do, and connections I have made as a Student Senator I will forever cherish. To have had the opportunity to take the student voice to the places it mattered most is something I’m proud to have done. The connections I’ve been able to make with stu- dents, sta ff , and faculty alike I hold very dear. I am especially grateful to have had the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the academ- ic community here at Bishop’s University, and the dedication I have witnessed from every member of BU to their academics has made the excellence of our institution abundantly clear!

Branden, Okotoks, Alberta

Author: Branden Bonham Program: Bachelor of Science – Honours Biological Sciences Health Science

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