Withstanding a no vote, Piper Veloso, ArtSci ’25, will be the next Arts and Science Undergraduate Society vice-president (student affairs).
As VPSA, Veloso will oversee student-centred offices such as human resources, governance, and community outreach. One of three students forming the ASUS executive, global development major Veloso will represent ArtSci within student government for a one-year term.
Though without competition, Veloso is committed to strengthening the connection between ASUS and the over 12,000 students the society serves.
“I plan to reach out to as many stakeholders on campus as possible, whether that be faculty societies, clubs, or Yellow House. I’m still just one student, I can’t speak on behalf of every single underrepresented voice on campus, so it’s important for me to go to those stakeholders and see how I can learn from them,” Veloso said in an interview with The Journal.
Veloso is acutely aware students’ dollars are paying her salary and the initiatives she’ll direct.
“We want to ensure we’re putting money into places that matter, places that best serve students,” Veloso said.
An active ASUS member since serving as first-year intern to the ASUS governance officer, Veloso went on to become governance officer, and then advisory board director, the role she currently holds.
Curbing burn-out within the society is important to Veloso, who said regular check-ins with her staff and volunteers and strengthening ASUS’s HR processes are among her top priorities. She wants everyone to have a positive experience.
Improving students’ awareness and engagement with ASUS services is important to Veloso, which she notes are underutilized. She plans to keep lines of communication open by hosting coffee chats, showing up for AMS assemblies, and providing online updates about ASUS initiatives.
Veloso understands the role ASUS plays in students’ experience. She emphasized equity as being important to making ASUS’s policies more inclusive and sustainable.
Veloso feels making policies changes is important for long-term change.
“I’m not just working to serve what I need tomorrow, but serving what the next executive needs, or the executives in five, 10 years need,” Veloso said.
Tags
vice-president (student affairs)
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s) in Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be ed, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to [email protected].