VP Student External Affairs Candidate: Seija Roggeveen
Seija Roggeveen
Bachelor of Science, Major in Health Science, Minor is Psychology
1. What is your platform?
As VP External, I would be the voice of Mount Royal University students. Based on my conversations with students, there are several issues that need changes. One of the main issues is the inefficiency of transit to MRU. Students need
more frequent buses and more direct routes, something that needs to be brought to city council. The provincial government needs to become aware that Alberta already has a higher tuition than most Canadian provinces and further
tuition increases are unacceptable. Students also want reinstatement of funding to MRU programs affected by previous budget cuts. Lobbying for increased student financial aid and scholarship availability and pushing the withdrawal
date to the end of the semester are other issues that I would address as VP External. As VP External I would effectively relay students’ issues to the appropriate parties to make these changes happen.
2. What do you think SAMRU’s role is and why do you think it’s important for students?
SAMRU’s role is to unite MRU students and to improve students’ educational experiences. This includes hearing from students and getting a sense of their collective voice to allow SAMRU to better advocate for students’ issues, one of
the main priorities of the VP External position. SAMRU helps MRU students get their voice heard as a group by being part of advocacy groups, such as the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), and the Council of Alberta
University Students (CAUS), which SAMRU recently joined. SAMRU gets students involved with the campus and the events happening around the school, whether that be helping clubs get together, facilitating a discussion with
students at the AGM, or meeting with students to hear their opinions on recent happenings on campus. SAMRU is the mediator between students, the University, and the government.
3. What qualifies you to be elected for the position you are running for?
As an elected governor on SAMRU’s Students’ Council for the past two years and as a fourth year student, I have developed an extensive background on issues affecting students that need to be addressed. I can apply that background
and my experiences to the job of VP External. My 2 years as a governor have also given me insight into students’ concerns. The skills that make me a great candidate include being familiar with SAMRU bylaws and policies, membership
on two SAMRU committees, and experience meeting with a Member of Parliament as a governor. During this meeting, I communicated effectively with a government official, a skill essential for a VP External, whose role requires active
lobbying to the government. In the last 4 years I have studied at Mount Royal I have experienced many of the issues students have first-hand and can speak about them knowledgeably and understandably.
