Tiffany Tiu 

Tiffany Tiu is a fourth-year student who is studying kinesiology. She is running for the position of vice-president professional faculties in the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU).

Currently, Tiu is the director of the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education on the UTSU Board of Directors and the Academic Commissioner for the Kinesiology and Physical Education Undergraduate Association. Tiu also holds the position of co-chair for the Council of Athletics and Recreation, where she has gained experience working with large budgets and works to consult with staff to ensure that the budget is student centred and not overcharging. 

Tiu said that through her involvement with the UTSU over the past two years she has “learned a lot about what students need and what the UTSU can do for students, and we can actually do a lot.”

Should Tiu be elected, she wants to look into prioritizing student enrolment for elective courses, noting that most of them have a later enrolment date. Tiu will work with professional and arts faculties to improve student enrolment in these courses.  

Furthermore, she would like to secure gym access for second-entry students who are paying the same fees as anyone else, yet cannot access these facilities due to the different start and end dates for their school year. 

Lastly, Tiu strives to “improve [the] UTSU, to make it more accessible, equitable, and really work on our outreach” with other executive members.

Ruoheng (Cathy) Wang

Ruoheng (Cathy) Wang is a first-year electrical engineering student running for vice-president professional faculties at the UTSU.

If elected, she wants to facilitate discussions with students and university faculty to improve  students’ experiences in the Professional Experience Year Co-op program. Additionally, Wang wants to host career fairs and provide information and resources to students so they are better informed about the co-op process.

Wang also wants to address issues of mental health and wellness for engineering students. As a first-year representative on the Engineering Society Board of Directors and a member of the mental health task force, she has unique insight into the issues that engineering students face, especially with online learning. 

Wang wants to introduce 24-hour mental health support services in multiple languages to address the specific needs of students in the professional faculties. “I just want to make those mental health services reachable and accessible for everyone in the professional faculties,” said Wang in an interview with The Varsity.

To help alleviate some of the stress that students are facing with online learning, Wang also wants to introduce a credit/no credit option for students in the professional faculties.

“My purpose of running for this position is that I want to play an ongoing and active role in making the UTSG campus better.”

The voting period for UTSU elections will run from March 17–21.