Zoey Ross: Communications & Corporate Affairs
Why are you running for the position?
Guelph needs a change. Students need to be listened to […] I think they know that they need to be listened to at this time […] It should not be based on the wants and needs of the director.
What makes you think that you’re the person to listen to students’ voices and to hear them out?
It’s a mixture of both skills and experience that I’ve learned along the way that would make me integral to this position […] really it’s my empathy for the student body […]
You are the only candidate who has already completed a degree and has been a student at more than one postsecondary institution. How do you feel that you’ve connected with the University of Guelph in your time here?
I came into the university […] I made a stop at the CSA […] The next stop I made was at The Ontarion […] So how I connect with students, it’s very much [that] I’m volunteering, I’m giving them my time to write articles and keep them informed in the community […] I also serve on the CSA as a member of the board of directors […]
Are there any other on-campus organizations that you’ve been a part of?
I was very fortunate to be invited to speak at The Vagina Monologues play and ceremony […] I also write for The Cannon here at the University of Guelph […] I help out whenever I can with the organization FLASH—fantasy, literature, anime, sci-fi, horror.
What do you think is the role and responsibility of the communications and corporate affairs commissioner at the CSA?
I think it is the internal and external communication of the entire organization. That has to do with internal documentation and training, as well as external partners and internal partners. Internal partners so, within the office, within the board of directors, within the campus even […] Then external communication would be anything outside or distant to the university that we have to deal with […]
How do you plan on acquiring the information required to put together mission, vision, values or mandate?
[…] It starts with that it doesn’t matter what I want and that is something that I’m reiterating through all my class talks. That students exist […] before we build a mandate, before we build a strategic plan, we need to know what students want […] The way we can get that is by engaging with students in person and en masse […] One good example is focus groups […] I look forward to working with students on searching out methods that would be best […]
What are some of the issues that you’ve noticed as a student, and a member of the CSA board that are things that students might not know about, but yet you feel are important?
I don’t have to have any of those titles or ideas to know that we have an apathy problem and a misunderstanding problem when it comes to what the CSA does, who the CSA is, and who cares about the CSA and why […] Almost every class talk, after saying that it doesn’t matter what I want, I start talking about […] student apathy on-campus, and I’ve been challenged to say that it’s not apathy, it’s a lack of communication. I think it is both, but I definitely think apathy exists […] That, for me, is a quantitative metric to look at right now. That even though [there’s] a $33,000 position-per-year […] no one applied. No one was a nominee. I think that’s ridiculous […] So, just formally I’d like to apologize to students because I know I’m part of that […]
Earlier in our conversation, you brought up how you approached the current communications and corporate affairs commissioner, Sonia Chwalek, about the human resources and operations (HRO) position. Would you like to expand on your feelings regarding the former HRO position?
I was a big supporter of the general manager position […] because having someone who’s in charge of human resources year over year that can be voted out or just a new person come in, is way too strenuous on that individual and is unhealthy for the organization as a whole […]
Is it fair to say that you expressed disappointment in the outcome of the election process and how few people are running?
Disappointment would mean that I’m terribly surprised, and I’m not […] I don’t feel like the CSA’s values and what the CSA stands for in its entirety exists […] Once we reach out to students and give them the value they deserve for their money […] then maybe they’ll […] care a little bit more.
How do you plan on working with future editorial teams at The Ontarion to ensure that students hear from their CSA?
If The Ontarion comes to me, and I hope they come to me first for a story […] I should be able to defer that question to someone who’s more appropriate within our staff to answer it.
Final statement:
You exist. We need to start listening and we’re going to start listening.