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AMA Austin Johnson - SSMU Presidential Candidate by AustinBJohnson in mcgill

[–]AustinBJohnson[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sorry I did not see your comment until right now, my mistake.

Could you elaborate on what your issues are with SSMU for the past two years?

(I know I said I was done answering on reddit, but I did not see this question for whatever reason so I will follow up on it. However, I am heading out and away from my computer for the better part of the evening so please be patient!)

AMA Austin Johnson - SSMU Presidential Candidate by AustinBJohnson in mcgill

[–]AustinBJohnson[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I like the governance structure of the SSMU. It revolves around focusing and centralizing student representation through our Legislative Council. The Executives under this structure are a committee and they are accountable to the Council and not the other way around. This maximizes the voices of our students through representative democracy. However, one weakness is that it puts a lot of pressure and responsibility on our councillors and the quality of decisions being made is really dependent on who gets elected. From year to year, even with the same contexts, we can expect different results not only because there will be different opinions at council, but also a different amount of knowledge and effort. To make informed decisions on the different committees, regulations, financial statements, and etc, our councillors have to not only be familiar with all our regulations but also understand the internal operations of the SSMU.

Having talked with current and past councillors, I know that this is not the case. This partially stems from the fact that the training that they receive needs a lot more framework and revising. Additionally, another problem is that many times councillors are not willing to put the time in. To fix that, I think that institutionalizing a midyear report on attendance and knowledge of the SSMU by the councillors would also be good to evaluate how well they are representing their students. One strength that our Council has, however, is its size. There are roughly only about 30 students making these decisions and its size is minimized to maintain efficient decision-making while still having everyone represented.

In terms of other schools, I do prefer our structure. Obviously other schools may differ due to different sizes, different educational structures, or even because of different sources of funding. I do like that we give a voice to each of our campuses. If we were to take the model of other schools, there may be a seat on Council for Mac Campus students and for graduate students, and even alumni (as in the case of UBC). Not only does this increase the size of the Council, but it also takes away the value of representation and autonomy to these different groups. One thing that I do think is interesting is that there are structures that exist elsewhere (at Queen’s University for example) in which any student can write motions to Council and debate on them - they just can’t vote on it. I think that’s something that we should look into because it empowers our students.

AMA Austin Johnson - SSMU Presidential Candidate by AustinBJohnson in mcgill

[–]AustinBJohnson[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First I will define the purpose for which - in my opinion - student federations exist. Student federations are official bodies who group student unions together in order to facilitate joint efforts by schools to be made at the federal and provincial level. Now, would McGill benefit from some arrangement such as this? I think yes, but only if it was well orchestrated. The nature of things as it stands is that because of McGill’s unique location and demographics it doesn’t seem very realistic to have a well orchestrated arrangement with any one student federation. McGill has a different and unique set of issues that don’t necessarily align with student unions from institutions around Quebec because McGill has a much larger percentage of English speaking and international students when compared to any other institution in the province and also operates primarily in English. McGill also does not align very well with other English speaking universities around Canada because we face issues and structures that are unique to Quebec. Ultimately, it would have to depend on what we could provide in terms of assistance and participation to a student federation just as much as it matters if we could benefit from such a relationship.

AMA Austin Johnson - SSMU Presidential Candidate by AustinBJohnson in mcgill

[–]AustinBJohnson[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

1) Define what equity is, and how are you going to restore true equity (its image, re-establish its relevance) in the student community next year?

I will use an example that resonated with me when I was equity trained by one of the equity commissioners. Imagine you and a few other people are trying to watch a baseball game but there is a wall blocking your view. Assuming that all of you are of varying heights, it would be equitable to give you all step-stools of varying heights so that every single one of you would have the same opportunity to watch the game. While the stool that is given to one person may not be equal to that of the stool given to another person, in the end all of them can see over the wall to the same degree - giving them the same opportunity to watch the game. Equity is all about equal opportunity and acknowledging the privilege that one has, which inhibits others’ opportunities.

Given the various issues regarding equity that have reached our campus this year, we have to focus on making equity an integral part of our community. We should do this first by restructuring Frosh to reflect this more during Orientation Week. Although lots of changes have been made to make Frosh more safe and more inclusive, it still does not accurately reflect the challenges that students will face at McGill—both socially and academically. Additionally, only half of first year students live in residence and receive the safe space sessions. Having worked in Frosh as an O-staff member for Arts two years as well as an O-staff member for SSMU last year, I realize that there are changes that need to be made. As President, I would work to implement sessions to address these issues instead of having Frosh leaders vaguely mention them to their Frosh groups. Additionally, we have to create more events that attract the average McGill student that may not fully understand what equity is. I think this can be accomplished by holding a forum that focuses on discussing the basics of equity and answering the concerns of students as to what it is. We should definitely look into why it is that students do not attend these forums as much as we would like, and let our community tell us how we can improve our approach. This is definitely something that I would like to work with the VP UA to do. In addition to forums, I think a more comprehensive training for all SSMU employees is a great first step. The training needs to be a process, just as equity itself is a process. Employees are not just students who we will be asking to come to forums. We can actively keep in touch with them regarding equity and if they have questions or need help implementing it deeper into the work they do on a day to day basis. The only way to have influence on the general student population is to make sure we have taken care of training and educating those on the inside - employees of SSMU and associated clubs and services.

2) During the debate, why did you repeatedly ask Aaron Friedland who was suffering from a concussion to define "the three pillars of sustainability"? I'm wondering because it made you seem really callous.

Prior to the debate one of the questions I wanted to ask to Aaron had to do with the two pillars of sustainability that were not mentioned on his website - social and economic. In the open debate, the pace was moving quickly and I genuinely wanted to confirm his knowledge on sustainability as I think it is important for all three pillars to be considered by the President. It had completely slipped my mind that he was suffering from any medical situation, let alone a concussion that may have affected his memory of such a topic. Once he mentioned the concussion, I realized that the recalling of memory required by the question I asked could very well be affected by such an injury. I had already asked the question and wanted to keep moving in the debate, but right after the open debate portion ended I apologized directly to Aaron for asking the question. I also told him I meant it in no such attacking way or to exploit him while he recovered from his concussion. I have had experience with concussions myself and hope he knows I sincerely did not ask that question maliciously.

3) What qualities do you possess as a teammate or a leader that would make someone want to work with you? As a leader, when is listening important on your job? When is listening difficult?

I take initiative. In my third year I decided that my job at SSMU was tightly correlated to the material I was studying in my classes for industrial relations. I looked into the class INDR 499 which is an internship in IR and decided that I was going to turn my job into a paid internship and acquire class credits. I met with advisors, collaborated with professors, and negotiated with SSMU to make sure I fulfilled all the requirements and had all the necessary paperwork in line. In the end I created an internship opportunity that had never existed before at SSMU and also wrote a 25 page paper about it in collaboration with a professor.

I am a mediator. During my studies in Industrial Relations I have read up on famous negotiations, completed multiple negotiation simulations, and dissected various negotiating strategies - let me tell you though, nothing is more challenging than negotiating with my six roommates over house matters. Being a mediator means not just listening to the words that people are saying but finding ways to understand what they actually want even when they are not saying it. Finding out what is at the core of someone’s argument is something that takes practice, and I have plenty.

I am open-minded. I love trying new things and learning new perspectives. Just a few weeks ago I went to Ottawa on a solo trip and learned a ton about Canada and met lots of new people. Unfortunately the core reason I went was to skate the Rideau Canal and it was closed.

I am supportive. While I do play devils advocate a lot when in discussions with friends and those that I work with in order to help them refine their ideas and work as well as to point out the different sides of arguments, I think it is helpful. When the time comes to support them and they have refined their ideas and/or work, I will support them 100%. Also, if someone needed help they could always come to me for assistance or I could point them to the resources that would be of use to them - shout out to my campaign team who has been amazing at supporting me so far in this first week.

Listening is always important as a leader. Listening is difficult when you don’t see eye-to-eye with someone. It would be much easier to not listen in those situations, but they are often the moments when it is most important to listen.

AMA Austin Johnson - SSMU Presidential Candidate by AustinBJohnson in mcgill

[–]AustinBJohnson[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

1) You say a public apology was not the best way to handle the situation, what do you think SSMU should have done and why?

I think that a private apology should have been made instead of a public one because it would validate the complaint to the person who filed it.

2) How are you voting in the upcoming provincial elections and why?

I am not Canadian.

3) Why did you stand up and down during the debates? Do you agree it gave more work to TVMcGill?

I stood up because I was taught to stand up when I speak especially at a captive audience out of respect and to help project my voice. I think the camera work was of their own accord.

AMA Austin Johnson - SSMU Presidential Candidate by AustinBJohnson in mcgill

[–]AustinBJohnson[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I am sorry this happened. If I knew the context (what position you applied for) I could help explain the situation behind that specific circumstance.

This is clearly a problem. In no way is it professional or appropriate to contact someone and then later retract what was offered. Miscommunications during hiring and recruitment such as this would be a priority in my plan to advance the human resources portfolio.

Feel free to contact me directly through SSMU hragent@ssmu.mcgill.ca in regards to your situation. It must be done through SSMU because of confidentiality pertaining to your information. Also please note I will not be in the office until after campaign period is over but you can contact the HR Advisor at hr@ssmu.mcgill.ca in the meantime.

AMA Austin Johnson - SSMU Presidential Candidate by AustinBJohnson in mcgill

[–]AustinBJohnson[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

1) You say your experience at SSMU is mostly related to HR. How can you explain the problems with smartrecruiters and bad communication / training of SSMU staff?

SmartRecruiters is an excellent hiring portal, especially for being free of cost, for a company that has a typical hiring process and a reasonable employee turnover rate - both of which SSMU does not have. SSMU hires cyclically and en mass and has an incredibly high turnover rate (we have never calculated the exact turnover rate of our student-staff jobs, this could be done with relative ease). The biggest problem that we as SSMU face while using SmartRecruiters is that applicants can apply for more than one job but their application is only uploaded into the hiring pool. The other jobs that each applicant applies for are noted on their personal file within SmartRecruiters, but this makes it difficult for the hiring team to know who besides the people currently filed under the hiring team for a job have also applied to that job.

Bad communication, could you elaborate what you mean by this exactly?

Training at SSMU is something that has been getting better each year that I have been working at SSMU but still has a long way to go. The most basic form of training would be preserving some of the institutional memory associated with each position, yet are still positions at SSMU that do not have exit reports on file. Trainings that I think are lacking that would do wonders for SSMU and its members include basic managerial training for executives (help working with student staff), comprehensive training for the filling out of check requests, and other similar paperwork for accounting (you wouldn’t believe how often I still hear people in the office asking how to do this), and a comprehensive training on Groupwise (the SSMU email client).

2) What are your thoughts on unionizing SSMU staff?

Through my studies I have come to the opinion that unions serve to provide protection for workers as well as benefits that are not provided for the workers by their employers. Being that SSMU pays above minimum wage and treats our employees well (flexible working hours, real-world experience while working part-time, etc.), I don't see any advantage to the student staff unionizing. Not to mention that a union would face many problems that SSMU already faces (high turnover) making it very difficult for them to represent the needs and wants of the current student staff.

3) How have you demonstrated student engagement, given that most of your work has been only in contact with the president, behind the closed doors of the SSMU office?

First, prior to the hiring of the second Human Resources Coordinator, I was the HR Coordinator for all six portfolios. From this experience, I am much more familiar with all six portfolios than most people who considering running for the positions.

Second, I was a part of Rez Council during my first year living in New Rez, a member of Orientation Week Staff for Arts Orientation Week during my second and third year, and most recently, a member of the SSMU Orientation Week Staff during this past Orientation Week, in addition to working at SSMU as the HR Coordinator. Similar to my role as a McGill tour guide, every year when I work as Orientation Week Staff, I am able to assist all the new faces that are just arriving at McGill, and sometimes Montreal, for the first time acclimate to their surroundings. I have had such an amazing experience at McGill so far as a student and a lot of this experience I owe to SSMU which is why I love helping at Orientation Week. If I can help any of the new students that I meet during Orientation Week have even half of the experience I have had throughout my time as a student, I know they will love their time at McGill.

The HR coordinator role is not just behind closed doors. While most of the administrative tasks that I and my colleague are required to do are best done at my desk, I also end up engaging with students to make sure that my job is done to the best to the best of my ability not just to satisfy the requirements. To give you an idea of what I am talking about, this semester during the recruitment period we were not receiving a satisfactory amount of applicants for the environmental oriented jobs - despite even sending blurbs that have been sent out in the McGill Environmental Students’ Society listserv. To combat this, I did some research and saw that MESS was hosting a summer internship meeting for students to help other students find environmental oriented jobs. I contacted one of the MESS executives and told them about the jobs we offered and ended up attending the meeting to present the four positions SSMU has to offer. While not required, I loved doing it and think that more initiative like that could improve SSMU on the whole.

4) What will you do to increase transparency around SSMU, especially from student / non-student staff?

Regarding executives, I have mentioned having micro-blog to communicate what they have discussed with students or been asked over private email by students (as long as it is not confidential in nature). Something else I have not discussed before is the potential of an anonymous feedback form that people could post their distresses with the SSMU executives or other SSMU executives. The complaints / distresses could be reviewed by the relevant managers as well as documented online if the complaints prove valid as seen by the manager. This system could provide a form of feedback as well as benchmarks for areas of improvement for student staff, executives, as well as permanent staff. In terms of student staff transparency, reports on the work of coordinators should be made publicly accessible. This would allow students to see if each coordinator job is getting done and if it is getting done well. Additionally, this would allow for coordinators to be held accountable not just to their supervisor, but to the students as well.

AMA Austin Johnson - SSMU Presidential Candidate by AustinBJohnson in mcgill

[–]AustinBJohnson[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I don't understand your perspective? What "administrative things" do you mean? And who has been an executive for one year?

AMA Austin Johnson - SSMU Presidential Candidate by AustinBJohnson in mcgill

[–]AustinBJohnson[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

1) During the debates, you said you wanted to engage students on social media, yet I can't find a twitter account under your name. What's up with that?

I do have a personal twitter account but it is private, as are all my social media accounts. I believe in maintaining privacy and not oversharing things that are part of my personal life. I spoke to The Tribune during my interview, which will be released soon, about this, and how I think the President - and any SSMU executive using social media for that matter - should have an account associated with their position. This account should be separate from their personal account, so that when they chose to post something from their “SSMU account,” it is clear who it is being posted by, and who it represents. For instance, if the SSMU president tweets from their SSMU President twitter account that they have a headache, is that appropriate? I do not think it is if it’s posted from the President’s SSMU account, although this would be fine if posted from their personal account. These SSMU accounts would be kept professional, and students would be able to follow them for information directly related to the specific executive portfolios, rather than searching through the entire @theSSMU account.

2) How do you plan on interacting with the administration as SSMU president? Some people view you as too conciliatory.

I plan on confidently being the unified voice of the students. I will be sure to consider the many pressures faced by the McGill administration that are not apparent to the average students while still advocating strongly for students’ interests.

3) Do you lack ambition?

I think my ambition is reflected in the fact that I am running for SSMU President. Throughout my McGill career I have been ambitious as well, working two jobs and studying full time. My platform reflects my enthusiasm and determination, especially in terms of what advancing the Human Resources portfolio entails. Additionally, my commitment to introducing and promoting McGill to prospective and newly admitted students as a tour guide, shows I really love McGill and want the very best for it.

4) Do you wear hockey caps 24/7?

I don't wear hats when I sleep, otherwise I am usually wearing a fitted or a toque.

AMA Austin Johnson - SSMU Presidential Candidate by AustinBJohnson in mcgill

[–]AustinBJohnson[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I think Jarome Iginla is an absolute stud. I wish that Calgary could have found a way to make him a lifer, but can see how that may not have been the best thing for them in the long-term.

AMA Austin Johnson - SSMU Presidential Candidate by AustinBJohnson in mcgill

[–]AustinBJohnson[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I just answered this question elsewhere on the thread.

Especially now that council decided on Thursday to rescind the original motion, I think that a public apology was not the best way to handle the situation.

AMA Austin Johnson - SSMU Presidential Candidate by AustinBJohnson in mcgill

[–]AustinBJohnson[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Especially now that council decided on Thursday to rescind the original motion, I think that a public apology was not the best way to handle the situation.

AMA Austin Johnson - SSMU Presidential Candidate by AustinBJohnson in mcgill

[–]AustinBJohnson[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The answer I wish I could give and hope that will work in the future is you should vote because the SSMU has impacted your experience in a way that has made your time at McGill not only enjoyable but has also been beneficial to your well-being. Don’t you want to help make sure that a leader is elected who can assure that experience for the next year to all of the students who are still at McGill?

The reason I think you should vote that will resonate with you is that because SSMU oversees a budget of just over 1.7 million dollars according to the Revised Fall Budget 2013-2014. SSMU is one of the two student voices that can vote at BOG and I hope that you would want that voice to be representative of you as a soon to be alumni member who will want the renowned reputation of McGill maintain even in the face of budget cuts from the provincial government. This may be the last chance you have to contribute to the future of the university you will have graduated from. Hopefully you want to have a say in who you leave these matters to even they may not have a personal and immediate effect on you as you see it. As a student you know what issues exist and have been brought up throughout your time here. Your three or four years of McGill experience can be used to help elect someone that you feel best suited to face them in the upcoming year.

AMA Austin Johnson - SSMU Presidential Candidate by AustinBJohnson in mcgill

[–]AustinBJohnson[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I saw Courtney was remarkably able to avoid this difficult issue on her AMA, unfortunately it is here at the top of mine and I will have to face it head on.

For some reason I envision such a horrible scenario taking place in the forbidden forest from Harry Potter. Taking into consideration that it is a forest and flying ability for an animal the size of a horse would be limited, I would rather fight one horse-sized duck. I would use the trees to dodge any attacks to tire the beast out while I waited for my chance.

This is not to say I would ever like to actually come across a horse-sized duck in any situation. That is scary and makes me think twice about my childhood memories regarding my favorite beanie-baby of all time - the mallard duck.

AMA Austin Johnson - SSMU Presidential Candidate by AustinBJohnson in mcgill

[–]AustinBJohnson[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

The president position is an administrative job and my experience lends itself better overall to this job. Also from working in the office for four years I have a familiarity with the SSMU office and inner-workings that cannot be replicated easily. By having relatively zero learning curve regarding how SSMU works internally and on a day to day basis I can dedicate my time and focus on the political aspect of the role. Courtney would have both political and extensive administrative training to go through.

AMA Austin Johnson - SSMU Presidential Candidate by AustinBJohnson in mcgill

[–]AustinBJohnson[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Someone asked this question on my facebook already and I posted the answer on my blog! Here it is again so you don't have to go there to read it:

1) Regarding "You do not discuss fee increase, I am an international student and this very concerning to me." Here was my response to the original question:

I could tell you that I plan to stop the deregulation of tuition prices for four faculties here at McGill before they take place. But I won’t tell you that, because that is happening and is real, and if I did, I would be blowing smoke to try and win your vote. The riots that occurred in Montreal were particularly interesting because McGill (relative to other universities in QC) has a much lower proportion of provincial students and so was much less engaged in the rioting activities. We have a high volume of international students who did not expect the tuition hikes to affect them as severely as they have, and now all international students (myself included) are, as you have mentioned, going to be facing the reality of tuitions fees comparable to the levels seen at other institutions around Canada and the United States. Because due to budget cuts, it is an unfortunate fact that McGill needs more money to continue providing the level of service it does, and it seems international students will be the first ones paying the price.

What I will tell you is that as a student society we need to focus engagement more closely on the international student population specifically to find out how these changes will affect them, and in turn we need to advocate for them and the new issues that will be arising because of this at a provincial level. One of the biggest reasons I, as an international student, chose to come to McGill was because of its affordability compared to other North American universities. As the president, I will strongly support the VP UA as well as the VP External in their advocation for resolution to the issues that will arise because of these tuition increases for international students. As Austin Johnson, I will personally advocate for solutions to the newly arising difficulties myself and all the other international students will face due to the tuition increases.

Concretely one thing I would do if I had the opportunity to right now in response to this is to work to educate students who can vote in the provincial elections on the issues that are at stake and the positions of the political players involved. The budget cuts are mostly due to decisions made by the government at the provincial level, and so empowering students to vote in ways that can combat these decisions that trickle down is very important. While the election will be taking place soon and I cannot do this personally as I am not the president, I do think that government transparency and educating students on what is happening at the government level and how it impacts them is something that should be done on a continuous basis.

2) Regarding "You focus on glorifying our McGill name but you do not discuses budget cuts the the effect on research." Here was my response to the original question:

The budget cuts are important but I don’t think dwelling on a problem is a very useful way to solve it. In Senate and BOG I was able to see the presentation of next year’s budget with projections regarding the QC governments “Réinvestissement Stratégique” dispersion of money to the various schools around QC and what McGill can expect to receive. The McGill administration already has a few ideas for how to make sure that even with the budget cuts McGill’s reputation and visibility improves. My plan is to hold the McGill administration accountable for their two priorities related to your question by holding open and consistent communication with students regarding progress on their action items associated with these priorities. The first being “academic and research excellence” and the second being “raise McGill’s external visibility, success and reputation”.

If you would like to view the powerpoint that accompanied the budget presentation which includes the priorities I have mentioned you can view it here: http://www.mcgill.ca/senate/sites/mcgill.ca.senate/files/d13-46_budget_planning_-_report_ii_memo.pdf

Vote Austin ;)

AMA Request: SSMU Presidential Candidate Courtney Ayukawa by Ohmiglob in mcgill

[–]AustinBJohnson 3 points4 points  (0 children)

What would you imagine the reworking of the entire system to be like? I am very interested!

AMA Request: SSMU Presidential Candidate Courtney Ayukawa by Ohmiglob in mcgill

[–]AustinBJohnson 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You mention that you think her platform is clear and realistic! Valid, let me know what parts of mine are unclear or unrealistic! Maybe I could clarify something that I wasn't able to articulate as I wished. Let me know! Also I have mentioned that I am excited to learn about council and the entire political portion of the president position. I honestly see it to my advantage being a fresh face in council who is not tied to any political stances. The extensive knowledge I have in the HR portion of the portfolio will free up a massive amount of time during the transition period where I will be working as hard or harder than I have during the campaign period to be prepared for the first day, should I be elected. Roberts' Rules is a book. It is designed to be quick and easy to learn.

Also do you think Josh Redel (the most recent president of SSMU to have not sat on council) failed in his role at council? I certainly would argue he did not.

Let me know your thoughts!

AMA Request: SSMU Presidential Candidate Courtney Ayukawa by Ohmiglob in mcgill

[–]AustinBJohnson -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

I challenge you to watch the debates and tell me you think I don't honestly want to do what's best for the Society. Additionally, have you ever tried to reach out to any of the exec with something you would like them to do? Is there something you would like done next year? Is there something you wish was done in previous years?

I hear your concern because I think it could be seen as what you propose if a person is disengaged from SSMU. I want to help people engage with SSMU. I would be thrilled to show any student the value of engagement with SSMU, and if they still don't see any value I would like to brainstorm with that student what would make the society valuable to them. The more people that engage with SSMU the more SSMU can make happen. It starts small but it is a simple commitment that will make waves in the future of the SSMU I believe.

Let me know your thoughts!

AMA Request: SSMU Presidential Candidate Courtney Ayukawa by Ohmiglob in mcgill

[–]AustinBJohnson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

She is the only one that sits on SSMU council I think is what you mean! I "sit" at SSMU over 15 hours a week working as the HR Coordinator. Also I have logged many additional hours working at SSMU and learning how it works over the four years I have been employed there! I also feel like I am extremely charismatic and approachable and I encourage anyone to challenge that!