November 28th, 2025

Dear fellow students and peers,

November is here and so is the snow! I hope you are all staying bundled up and warm these days. I invite you to consider engaging with some of our wintery offerings, such as creating a team for AntiFreeze, or sipping on a hot chocolate from the Daily Grind. This month has been a time for preparation and reflection, examining what has worked well so far in achieving my goals, what areas do I need to adjust and work on to bring them up to speed with everything else, and how can I continue to grow and respond to the ever-evolving needs of students. 

As you may know by now, addressing issues of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) has been a key priority for me both during the election and now within my time as your VP Student Life. There has been major movement on a few of my campaign promises that I am pleased to update students on, specifically as it pertains to mandatory consent education, expansion of the Options Navigation Network (ONN) and the SGBV Task Force.

The Mandatory Consent Education proposal seeks to address the long-standing concerns surrounding SGBV across our campuses by offering mandatory, institution-wide consent education to all incoming undergraduate students. Whether students come from a country or culture where consent and SGBV are a taboo topic, or come from an educational background that may have instilled little or no information regarding consent, all students deserve equal access to consent education. Mass education not only serves a benefit as a preventative measure, but as an opportunity for survivors to know that they are not alone and that there are resources available for them. I have already begun sharing this with various offices at the University and I will be continuing to meet with administration into December to seek support for this proposal.

The ONN Expansion proposal seeks to expand the ONN to all faculties, as it currently only has units in ALES, Arts, and Engineering. . The ONN is a group of University units that assist those who have experienced sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in exploring and understanding the resources and supports available to them at the University. Options Navigators act as a neutral bridge between those impacted by SGBV and the services that can support them, and without advising on which options they should pursue, can provide an introduction/handoff to the person or place that the discloser chooses. The proposal seeks to empower Faculty Associations to advocate on behalf of their students to their Deans, in a joint-effort with the UASU and myself. It has been shared with all our Faculty Association Presidents and I look forward to my continued conversations with them on this matter.

The SGBV Task Force continued to meet this month, discussing issues related to residence as well as receiving a guest presentation from the University of Alberta Sexual Assault Center. I am incredibly proud of the dedication and engagement the Task Force members have demonstrated in preparing for and participating during these meetings. As we conclude our work in the coming weeks, the next step will be to compile all of our discussions and conversations into a series of recommendations that will be released in January.

In regards to other areas of my platform, research and analysis has been underway. When it comes to indoor improvements, microwaves have been at the top of my mind. The UASU is currently drafting a large-scale scan of every microwave on campus to determine where they all are and who operates them. This is work that will be ongoing through the rest of my term and I look forward to providing updates to you all in the future. As for outdoor improvements, President Pedro Almeida and I have been able to utilize the data we collected from our lighting survey to support our recommendations to the University regarding these improvements. 

Alongside your VP External Abdul Abbasi, I have also been working to bring forward concerns regarding unsafe crosswalks. As a part of my platform it was a goal of mine to advocate for the need for pedestrian-activated amber flashers along 111th Street. We have been collaborating to bring forward these concerns to the City of Edmonton and have identified a few different locations we will be recommending as key areas of improvement.

On a personal note, November was a special month as I got to watch my dear friend and colleague, your VP Academic Katie Tamsett, cross the stage and receive her Bachelor of Science in Human Ecology Family Science. It was an honour for Nathan and I to be a part of the ceremony. We are incredibly proud to work alongside such a thoughtful and dedicated human. Please congratulate Katie if you see her!

Co-VPs by chance, friends by choice.

As we approach the final weeks of classes and exam break, remember to be gentle with yourself. When we do not achieve all that we hoped to, it does not necessarily mean we have failed, it may simply mean that life intended for you to find another path forward. To my peers, friends, UASU staff, and fellow Execs, thank you. And for those of you who have stuck around to read this in its entirety, if you ever need anything at all, you know where I am. Second floor of SUB, 2-900, just ask at the front desk if Logan is available. If I am, I would love to make time for you. Even if it means booking over my scheduled nap time. You can also always email me at vp.studentlife@uasu.ca.

With love and gratitude,

Logan West
Vice President Student Life