The election results for the 2018–2019 University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU) Executive Committee show four executives re-elected to their positions, with only two of the six positions having been contested. Two of the elected executives had previously held a role on the executive committee.
Lynne Alexandrova, Internal Commissioner-elect, said her priority is “building together a top-level policy-guided and funding guaranteed mutually supportive tri-campus community.” She affirmed her focus on disability and accessibility issues while also reiterating a commitment to mental health, saying that she would work intently on “de-stressing university work and life across constituencies.”
“It is up to the university to elect to be such a society, where robust wellness supports practically guarantee that excellence in health is boosted rather than undermined by aspirations for academic distinction,” said Alexandrova.
Finance and University Governance Commissioner Branden Rizzuto, who will be in his third term as a UTGSU executive, said he hopes to improve resources and funding for members of the union, in addition to emphasizing transparency. Rizzuto said he wants to “build upon the working relationships that the UTGSU has been cultivating with the School of Graduate Studies and other University of Toronto administrative bodies.” He is currently serving as the UTGSU’s Vice-Chair of Finance and the UTGSU’s Liaison to the School of Graduate Studies.
Leonardo Jose Uribe Castano, the re-elected Civics and Environment Commissioner, wrote that his “main goal for the upcoming year is to advocate for a better transit deal for UofT graduate students.”
“I will also focus on promoting a coherent communication between all environment/sustainability focused groups on campus,” said Uribe Castano.
Christopher Ball and Cristina Jaimungal, both incumbents re-elected to their positions, promised a focus on accessibility to resources and funds from the UTGSU in their election statements.
Sophie McGibbon Gardener, Ball, and Jaimungal did not respond to The Varsity’s request for comment.
Editor’s Note (March 7): This article has been updated to clarify that more than half of the executives are incumbents, and more than half of the positions were uncontested.
