At the Great Debate, VP finance candidate Mary Gan fielded questions on the AMS’s $720-thousand operational deficit, AMS businesses, CampusBase, health coverage and club relationships.
With three years of finance experience in student groups, Gan’s answers indicated strong institutional knowledge. But when asked how AMS businesses should change due to pandemic-related losses, Gan put forward a logistically uncertain plan of improving food quality and diversity in the Nest.
“With the improvement of what the Nest has to offer in terms of food … a lot more students would decide to come. [That] would improve the amount of money that we are earning,” said Gan.
But with the chance of online classes next year, few students would be eating at the Nest, leaving the AMS’s financial losses unresolved.
Gan added that the greatest problem with Nest food outlets is their lack of affordability.
“As students, we have so many costs to juggle … We need to focus on making everything a lot more affordable for students while also making sure that the quality is there,” Gan said.
Gan was asked how she would balance the AMS’s financial interests and compassion when dealing with AMS-affiliated groups in dire financial straits due to COVID-19, such as the Bike Kitchen. She said she’d consult with subsidiaries, the finance portfolio and the AMS managing director but suggested short-term loans and teaching financial literacy as possible options.
But according to AMS meeting minutes, execs stayed away from loaning the Bike Kitchen cash because it would put them further in debt. Gan stressed that those talks were “far from getting wrapped up.”
“[The Bike Kitchen is] a really essential service on campus and so we definitely want to support them the best we can. However … we have to think about how we are using student money to help out a certain club and we have to make sure that student money is used fairly.”
An audience member referred to the CampusBase platform as “terrible” and asked whether Gan would ditch the platform and cut the AMS’s losses. Gan pointed out that CampusBase is run by the VP administration portfolio, but she’d talk to them if it wasn’t working for students.
Quizzed about a lack of student awareness about the AMS/GSS health and dental plan, Gan recognized it was a problem. She stated that the best way to spread awareness is through AMS social media and mass emails.
Gan’s communications strategy also includes her idea of a Canvas learning hub for treasurers and timely responses to students and clubs.
However, the debate moderator felt that her plan didn’t capture why clubs don’t trust the AMS.
“There might be some clubs out there that don’t feel addressed just by more responsive emails. I think that maybe that breach of trust is a little bit deeper than just a communicational disconnect,” said moderator Pawan Minhas, coordinating editor of The Ubyssey, at the debate.
Gan said she’d also attempt to create a personal connection with clubs through the Canvas learning hub.
“I really want to put myself out there as not only an AMS executive but as a friend, a mentor and a supporter as well. I think being able to know clubs more on a personal scale will make the AMS finance team a lot more approachable.”
This article is part of our 2021 AMS elections coverage.