Student pres wins on second try

Allan

Ryan Allan is happy he got a second chance at the job of USSU president.

Allan, who finished second in the race for president in the USSU general election earlier this year, was uncontested in a by-election this month to replace Evan Cole who resigned from the position in July. Allan says the controversy surrounding that resignation has brought the current executive closer together.

“Still, after having gone through all that, to be as excited and hardworking and still really believing as strongly as we are – I think that really speaks strongly to where we can go this year,” he said in an interview with On Campus News.

A political studies major who grew up in Vancouver and plans to study law at the U of S, Allan sees the Place Riel renovations and the renewal of the student health and dental plan as priorities this year. The health and dental plan will be opened for bids from different providers to see if the USSU can get a better deal for students, Allan said.

Tuition is another key issue, and now that a freeze is in place, Allan will push for a “significant reduction in tuition” to make post-secondary education more accessible to low- and middle-income students and those from rural areas.

“To reduce tuition will not only benefit the individuals that attend the institutions but also the larger community – the city, the province, the country. To have a well-education, well-trained labour force … that’s good for innovation, it’s good as a tax-base.”

Other important issues for the USSU include making public transit more affordable to students and having campus residences included under the Tenancy Act to give students living on campus the same rights as other renters. Allan also hopes to make students more aware of the services provided by the students’ union, and to help USSU businesses perform better financially, providing more funds for student services.

“I believe very strongly that there is a tremendous potential to do a lot of really important things this year. ”