Nakib’s slate, Evolve UTM, has 10 major goals. In his interview, Nakib highlighted a few of them, such as “increas[ing] the transparency of union affairs,” improving communication between the union and students to “increase trust [among] students, and make UTMSU a union that students can continue to rely on and be proud of.” Finally, he aims to “strengthen the relationship between [the] U of T administration [and] UTMSU.”

Nakib believes it’s his “immense experience” being part of various student groups that sets him apart from the other presidential candidates. Based on his experience, he wants to continue supporting student clubs by increasing club funding and promoting collaborations between clubs and the UTMSU.

Park’s campaign focuses on providing more “student employment opportunities” for UTM students both on- and off-campus. 

He hopes to “lobby the university to expand their current co-op and internship opportunities” for both STEM and humanities programs at UTM to mirror what UTSC already offers. He also plans to meet with the Mississauga City Council and Toronto Youth Cabinet to work out partnerships with the UTMSU.

One of Park’s plans is to strengthen student engagement by opening office hours, increasing social media communication between the union and students, and updating the student body on the UTMSU’s progress in its initiatives. 

He also plans to make athletics more accessible to students by lobbying for the Recreation, Athletics and Wellness Centre and other clubs to increase awareness of their programs and frequencies for drop-ins and sports programs.

Chopra’s main campaign promise is to donate his entire presidential salary to charity, emphasizing that his candidacy is driven by student interests rather than financial incentives. He also plans to allow students to opt out of the UTMSU’s health and dental plan enrolment from the outset, arguing that the current opt-out system is poorly advertised and burdens students with unnecessary costs. 

Other major policies include reducing incidental fees, keeping the UTM Sexual Education Centre (SEC) in its current space and moving the UTMSU elections online to increase voter turnout. The SEC is currently expected to relocate from Room 150 to a smaller space upstairs in the Student Centre by April. 

Chopra is critical of previous UTMSU administrations, questioning their ability to follow through on promises. He also wants to streamline student club incorporation by transferring responsibility to the Campus Student Council rather than the UTMSU. 

“I’m not in this for the money. I want to take real action,” Chopra said. If elected, he mentions that he will ensure that every promise he makes will be kept.

Aryaman Chopra is a secretary for The Varsity’s Board of Directors. 

As president of UTM’s Athletic Council, he believes his experience in sports and leadership has prepared him well for the role. “Sport and equity go… hand in hand,” he said, noting that on the field, race, gender, and identity are secondary to playing your part in a team. “At the end of the day, you are a student [with] a part to play in the greater ecosystem.” 

Amaechi’s campaign aims to strengthen the sense of community at UTM; improve relations between the student union, administration, and clubs; and promote and increase accessibility to existing support systems for students. Recognizing the commuter nature of UTM, he proposes a World Day to celebrate ethnicities and nationalities to bring students together — similar to the UTMSU’s Culture-Fest.

Amaechi plans to work on developing a relationship with the administration — noting a current disconnect — so that students’ voices can be amplified and put into effect. Since “students rely on [the] student union, and clubs rely on the student union,” he also plans to improve communication between clubs and the union. 

For students affected by international events, he envisions creating “a safe haven” and connecting students to available resources and systems.

McCallum’s campaign seeks to raise awareness and funds for international relief efforts in Congo, Sudan, and Palestine. If elected, she will collaborate with other student unions in this endeavour. Addressing her ongoing ‘consciousness-raising conversations’ with students, McCallum discussed how lack of awareness, specifically around Congo, manifests in the student body. “It’s called the silent genocide for a reason,” she said. 

McCallum emphasized accessibility by highlighting how she would lobby to replace volunteers with paid note-takers and fundraise for students experiencing grief and loss due to international crises.

Throughout her campaign, she has focused on centering intersectional identities and including 2SLGBTQ+ students in programming. 

McCallum also mentioned introducing an equity audit in collaboration with the UTM administration to investigate campus inclusivity and accessibility “to identify gaps in accommodation and address them.” She cited the “detachment” for queer and trans students in finding community and confidence in their identities at UTM and mentioned reintroducing the Queer Student Coordinator position back into VP Equity’s team.

Chowdhury wants to be the next VP Equity to make campus accessible so all students get “the equality they deserve” and “a fair share of everything.” At UTM, Chowdhury’s been part of several clubs, including the Bangladeshi Student Association.

His campaign focuses on “advocating for better health and mental health” and “push[ing] for stronger representation for marginalized communities” at UTM “by implementing policies that remove barriers for everyone.” 

For the latter, he hopes to do this by promoting “more cultural awareness.” He wants to make sure there are more halal food options for students on campus and increase transit options from cities like Milton and Oakville.

Chowdhury’s main campaign focus is to talk to people from different cultural backgrounds. “I’m a friendly and open person. So if they want to talk to me, I can talk to them,” he said.

“I want to get [students] involved in all… types of clubs and events,” such as the UTMSU’s Culture Fest that the union organized in January. He hopes to organize “more of those types of events that bring everyone together.”

His platform centres around financial transparency, housing affordability, student employability, and club support. With past work experience as a financial advisor at insurance company Transamerica, Yousuf plans to ensure clear and consistent transparency with the union’s budgets, statements, and financial history. 

As VP Internal, Yousuf plans to develop programming to strengthen career pathways for UTM students before and after graduation, as well as streamline access to resources for international students navigating the GTA housing market. To grow school spirit and community, he also discussed collaborating with clubs to raise their funding for events and outreach efforts. 

Yousuf explained the necessity of these measures as a way to make the students’ social life “vibrant and engaging,” drawing from his experience as an international student. 

His campaign focuses on three key areas: food security, student engagement, and financial transparency. Zhang plans to meet with the university administration to lobby for reducing the price of meals around closing time. He also wants to introduce “Free Dinner Fridays” at the Student Centre.

Zhang also said he walked around campus asking students what UTM needs, and that many said the campus lacked “university spirit.” He aims to revitalize student life by reinstating the “Tri-Campus Orientation Concert” and expanding social programming at The Blind Duck pub, including creating trivia night and open mic performances.

On the administrative side, Zhang plans to enhance transparency within the UTMSU by making financial information clearer and more accessible on the student union website. 

“I actually went through the UTMSU website, and I found that it’s kind of vague. It’s kind of hard for students to navigate,” he said. If elected, Zhang intends to create communication channels for students to share their concerns.

Chandi is the current VP of the Erindale Punjabi Association and has worked with UTM Relay for Life, securing sponsorships for food vendors and photo booths for social events. 

He has two major campaign focuses: having external businesses come in to expand networking opportunities for students and improving transit options for commuter students.

For the former, Chandi would like to bring more co-op and internships to UTM through workshops on campus. To address the latter, he plans to leverage UTM’s existing connection with MiWay to reduce the fares for the large population of commuting students.

He said his policies would “be very beneficial for not just the UTM students, but also all the U of T students.”

His priorities include lobbying for a GTA-wide U-Pass; adding GO bus routes to UTM from Milton, Brampton, and Vaughan; and increasing MiWay bus frequency on weekends for the 110 and 101 bus routes. 

Beyond transit, Rajas envisions a more accessible campus with expanded study spaces and recreational areas. “There are ideas that need to be turned into reality,” he said.

Dhamija also emphasized his approach and capacity for leadership. “I’ve been involved in a lot of on-campus clubs… I was a president associate for UTM’s Digital Enterprise Management Association. In Enactus, I was a project manager. In UNICEF, I was the VP of Finance… I was also a part-time staff member at the [UTMSU] last year… in the external department, so I know how things work and how amazing these efforts [are].”

Through her work teaching first-year students in the Centre for Student Engagement’s LAUNCH mentorship program, she saw how students often struggle with academic policies like credit/no credit (CR/NCR) deadlines and singular opportunities for assignment deferrals. This inspired her to run for the position. 

As a student athlete involved with the women’s tri-campus soccer and football teams, as well as the Recreation and Wellness Centre and Intramurals, Biring understands the pressure of balancing academics, work, and extracurriculars. “Everyone has a life,” she said. “We have a lot of workload. We need extensions. We need time.”

Beyond academics, Biring wants to bridge the information divide between the UTMSU and UTM students. She envisions a more collaborative student union, working closely with administration and tri-campus partners. 

“We’re all under U of T,” Biring said. “So working with other unions [at UTSG and UTSC]… would be very beneficial because we’re not divided — we’re all together.”

“I believe every student has the right to an informed choice,” she said in her interview. Her campaign emphasizes the extension of the CR/NCR deadline beyond final grade postings. 

“Even though this extension has been advocated for in the past, the way I envision it happening… is by bringing students into the fold, ensuring they’re actively involved in the lobbying,” said Fatima. 

She’s also keen on reforming the second-attempt credit policy. The current policy allows students to retake up to 1.0 credits of courses that they passed, with the first attempt of the course being designated as “extra” and the second attempt counting for a degree credit and in GPA calculations. If elected, Fatima plans to allow students to use the policy to retake failed courses too. 

“One grade should not define a student’s entire experience,” she asserts. 

Beyond policy, Fatima wants to expand networking and mentorship programs, particularly for underrepresented fields. If elected, she’ll draw on her experience from being president of the UTM Health, Law, and Business Association, where she spearheaded initiatives tailored to student needs, and as a mentor for the Women in Law Association, where she provided guidance to undergraduates navigating university.

Fatima also advocates for greater transparency and engagement between students and the UTMSU. “Students should know every step of the way what we’re doing,” she said, promising regular updates on the progress of initiatives and advocacy that turns into action.