kobina
baiden
for
MSS PRESIDENT
A brighter future. Together.
table
of
contents i KOBINA FOR MSS PRESIDENT
Dear MacSci . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 My Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 My Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Why i Am Running . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Platform Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Platform Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Academics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Building a Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Professional Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The Science Lounge. . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 The Program Society Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 #WeAreMacSci . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Platform Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
MCMASTER SCIENCE SOCIETY
ii
ii KOBINA BAIDEN FOR MSS PRESIDENT
A Letter to Science Students Dear MacSci,
T
hank you. Thank you for teaching me the importance of community and friendship. It’s been a long road and life hasn’t always been easy but I’m thankful for everything I’ve been through with you. The failures, the triumphs, the highs, and the lows. I don’t know how things are going to turn out but whatever it takes, I know I can make it through and it’s all thanks to you. I’ve been told over and over again; by my peers, my colleagues, and my friends that I’m resilient. I never give up. When something is important to me I keep fighting for it. That’s why I’m writing this. That’s why I’m still here. That’s why I want to be your next McMaster Science Society President. Being is science is special. One thing we all can relate to is the struggle we face in our faculty. From hour long modules, to weekly lab prep, to solving complicated integrals there’s a certain bond and connection we all feel towards each other. It’s this bond that allows us to solve complicated problems together, ask each other questions, and create facebook group chats for our courses. This comes from being in the same faculty. This comes from being part of a community. This comes from being part of a MacSci Family. Of course we all want to do well but there’s no better way to do it than together. I’m so proud to be part of a faculty that has formed such a strong community over the years. I’d like to thank you all for taking the time to read through my platform booklet. I hope that you engage with myself and the rest of the candidates throughout the entire MSS election process. It definitely is not easy running for an elected position and putting yourself out there but I hope you show the utmost respect to the Vice-Presidential candidates in the following week. Please ask questions, and get informed and make the best choice for our MacSci family. You always do. Once again, thank you so much. Best of luck with the year ahead! Sincerely,
Kobina Baiden MSS Presidential Candidate
MCMASTER SCIENCE SOCIETY
h
experience MSU Services
MSU Clubs
•
MSU Macademics Volunteer (2015-2017)
•
•
MSU Horizons Leadership Developer (2016)
•
MSU Maroons Representative (2016-2017)
Life Science Society
•
MSU Shinerama Welcome Week Executive (2015-2016)
•
Academic Advocacy Representative (2015-2016)
•
MSU Terry Fox External Relations Coordinator (2015-2016)
•
VP Academic (2016-2017)
•
MSU Horizons Special Errands Team (2015)
•
MSU Advocacy Street Team Volunteer (2015-2016)
McMaster Science Society
•
MSU Student Community Support Network Promotions
•
•
African Caribbean Association, First Year Rep (2013-2014)
Academic Committee (2015-2016)
Coordinator (2015-2016)
McMaster University
MSU Charity Ball Set & Decorations Committee Volunteer
•
(2015-2016)
MAC MUN Delegate (2017 & 2018)
•
MSU Peer Support Line: Promotions Volunteer (2015-2016)
Residence Life
•
MSU Maroons Social Committee (2015-2016)
•
Guest Registration Staff (2015-2017)
•
MSU Student Health Education Centre Nutrition and Active
•
Move Out Assistant (2015-2017)
Living Committee Volunteer (2015-2016) •
MSU Teaching Awards Committee Volunteer (2015-2016)
Student Representative Assembly •
SRA Science Caucus Leader (2016-2017)
•
MSU Governance & You Committee (2016-2017)
•
Services Committee (2015-2017)
•
University Affairs Committee (2015-2017)
•
Faculty Cup Award Committee (2015-2016)
•
Residence Cup Award Committee (2015-2016)
4 KOBINA BAIDEN FOR MSS PRESIDENT
MCMASTER SCIENCE SOCIETY
5
my story
M
cMaster has always been my dream school. In my Grade 10 Civics & Careers class, our Culminating Performance Task (CPT) was to plan for the future. I started doing research on what schools would be the best for me (who wanted to become a doctor) and I stumbled on Mac and instantly fell in love. Then senior year happened. I took on way too much and I ended up with an 85% average which wasn’t enough to get into Life Sci or Health Sci. Although I got other offers from other schools offering me scholarships, I knew my heart was set on Mac so I came back for a 5th year and worked incredibly hard while managing a part time job, student council presidency, hospital volunteering, and 4 other club involvements. I came out of my 5th year with a 95% average and was on my way to May at Mac when I got my acceptance on May 1st. My first day on campus was May @ Mac and I saw my highschool friend Jonathan there, who was in his 2nd year of Honours Biology at the time and a science rep. I went into BSB and the science reps in these cool black suits welcomed me and cheered for me as I talked to faculty representatives about the Life Science program. That was the moment I fell in love with this faculty and knew I wanted to be a science rep. Flash forward to Welcome Week 2013 I was coming to university all by myself from my high school and I didn’t know anyone coming in. I was really stubborn and didn’t want to make any new friends because I had strong roots back home in Brampton and I wasn’t about to let that go for people I barely knew welcome week didn’t seem all that fun to me. I came from a high school where you didn’t really walk up to people you didn’t know and have random conversations with them so to see that in university was very strange. After spending majority of the week alone, I decided to let loose a bit by attending Faculty Night so I could meet some people in my program. Turns out the Science Faculty Night was a beach dance party and the music was actually pretty good! That’s where I met one of my Science reps who later became a very great friend of mine Kamika. We became fast friends because we both were from the same city and had a mutual friend back home in Brampton. I told her how I did a 5th year in high school and I wasn’t really all that comfortable experiencing Welcome Week with people that were younger than me and she said that it honestly did not matter at all and that I needed to let go of my high school self and try to be more chill. After the “lituation” that was faculty night Kamika and I talked more about our experiences from high school (She went to d’Youville and I went to Campion, schools that were pretty similar so she understood me a lot) and the kind of people we were and how we want to be moving forward in university. Meeting someone who identified the same way I did (a black science student) made me feel so validated for who I was and after that I had my heart set on being a science rep. After 2 years of applying I was unsuccessful and I even ran to be on the MSS and the SRA but again I took the “L” but I didn’t give up. I broadened my Horizons and got involved with my program society as well as the MSU and today I’m ready to bring back everything I’ve learned to where it all started for me. I would be honoured to be the next president of the McMaster Science Society!
6 KOBINA BAIDEN FOR MSS PRESIDENT
why i am running
I
t’s no shock that a years ago I ran for the role of MSS President. Even though I lost, I couldn’t be more thankful for the experience of running in such a life changing election. I was easily reminded that when you’re at your lowest point and there is darkness all around you, it’s so important to focus on the light inside. We all have light and peace inside of us. If we let it out, we can change the world around us and I was proud to not only inspire but support so many candidates who ran for VP roles on the MSS. After my loss, I distanced myself from the idea of “getting involved” for the following year. I knew if I did something else my heart wouldn’t be in it because I’d only be doing it to fill a void. I wanted to do the right thing for me, so I decided to just focus my efforts on academics for the year. When I came back to McMaster after the holidays, I knew in my heart I wasn’t ready to give up on what I’m passionate about; helping science students. I was kidding myself with the idea of leaving this school without even giving myself one last chance. Last year, I wanted to prove to myself I could do it despite everything I was going through. Now that I’ve found my voice and have the experience on an everyday science student I know I’d make a great President for the Science Society. I am here because I believe in the potential of the students and individuals that work for the MSS. I believe that with incredible support and passion for our roles, we can all achieve so much. I believe in our student body and the students that make up the MacSci community. I am here for them. I want the MSS to be an engaging society that has the best interests of science students at heart. Through my platform I am hoping to help science students achieve academic success through advocacy and enhance student life through programming. I hope that students can find a place within the MSS and realize that it has something to offer them. If elected into this position, I want to bridge the gaps with existing organizations and societies for a more collaborative and cohesive approach to enhance student life. I always want science students to always know that they are the heart of the MSS and all the work that we do.
MCMASTER SCIENCE SOCIETY
7
platform highlights .
Free Open Textbooks
.
MacSci Frost Week
.
Take A First Year to Class Day
.
MacSci Jobs Board
8 KOBINA BAIDEN FOR MSS PRESIDENT
.
MacSci Community Mentors
.
Upgrades to the Science Lounge
.
Program Society Conference
.
Science Graduation Gift
MCMASTER SCIENCE SOCIETY
9
overview of platform pillars Academics Academic Success comes from hard work, determination, oppourtunity, and most important equity. No matter what course you’re taking, the goal first day is to perform to the best of your ability but you can only do so with the right materials (i.e. textbooks, iclickers, online resources). The MSS provide academic support by reducing the financial barriers science students’ face and advocating to the faculty for free open textbooks, and more open educational resources. We can also make life easier for students by working with the professors to improving the blended learning experience and create our very own online dropbox of course material.
Building a Community Being a science student means so much more than just the courses we take. It means that we’re all part of a society, a community, the MacSci family. It’s the responsibility of the MSS to keep this community alive and flourishing. It’s so important that students feel connected to the society. We can help nourish this family by improving the Summer Experience of a science student, creating a MacSci Frost Week to enhance the faculty pride, and respecting and appreciating the unique diversity in MacSci. Each science student has an identity and it’s important for us to bring that together with their science identity to create harmony.
Professional Development Most of us come to university so we can either discover what career we’d like to pursue or make our dreams come true in our prefered career choice. We all want the chance to connect with successful people in our desired career. The MSS can act as an avenue for students to connect to mentors in the hamilton community doing their dream job, develop their career and interpersonal skills for the workplace, and obtain unique and interesting jobs that relate to their career while in undergrad.
10 KOBINA BAIDEN FOR MSS PRESIDENT
Program Society Conference If the MSS acts as the heart of the body, then it’s program societies would certainly act as the veins and arteries that run throughout the body. As such, it’s important we are providing them with the tools and resources for a successful year. We can do that by hosting a program society conference here we are able to ground ourselves in our beliefs, share best practices, create our year plans, and discuss budgeting for the year. Similar to the OSSA, this conference would be a chance for the MSS to provide better support to its program societies.
Upgrading the MacSci Lounge The Science Lounge was a project that started almost 5 years ago! It’s taken a lot of hard work and advocacy to finally have a home base of our own on campus. Let’s start making some great use of the space so we can truly start calling it home. That includes space and design upgrades, having emergency supplies in case students, having our MSS exec members present and engaging with students there, and selling our MSS Swag.
One Faculty, One Society, One Student Body. We Are One. #WeAreMacSci The MSS is a Non Profit Organization, emphasis on organization! As such, it’s important that we are cognizant of our market; science students. Therefore we need to be able to brand the MSS in a way that reaches our unique niche of science students. The MSS can critically use its resources (i.e. social media, photography, and cinematography) to properly brand itself and communicate to science students effectively. We can also symbolize our culture the same way engineers do with their iron rings.
MCMASTER SCIENCE SOCIETY
11
Academics: Helping You Succeed FREE Open Textbooks This year, Chukky Ibe the current MSU President along with Ryan Deshpande the VP Education and the education team within the MSU started the #textbookbroke campaign in an effort to advocate to the provincial government through OUSA to introduce and encourage educators across ontario to use open educational resources. Among open online textbooks, these resources would eliminate the heavy textbook costs students pay each term along with other ancillary fees. Next year I’d like to put this campaign at the forefront of MSS Advocacy by working together with the SRA Science Caucus and the faculty of science to bring open educational resources to the faculty.
Take A First Year to Class Day! Ever heard of “Take Your Kid To Work Day”? Similar to the idea of parents taking their kids to work with with the purpose of exposing their children to the different career options available, the idea of this brand new initiative will allow first year students to sign & partner up with an upper year student for a day so they’re able to see what a day in the life of the desired program of their choice would look like. First years will be able to explore different classes in upper year programs they’re interested in for a day. This will give them a taste of what’s expected to come in the following years of a science bachelor’s degree while also increasing interpersonal relationships within the science community.
MacSci Dropbox In the long term, I’d like the MSS to work with the faculty to create our own hub of resources and information similar to LearnLink but for the meantime we can make better use of the tools at our disposal. Facebook, Course Wiki, and Dropbox provide us with the unique oppourtunity to provide our students with ample information on courses they’ll be taking including but not limited to course outlines, course notes, past tests, and student reviews of courses they’ve taken. By working together with program societies, I’d like to start creating program dropboxes with all this information and making one central facebook group hub for each program.
12 KOBINA BAIDEN FOR MSS PRESIDENT
Advocacy #MacSciLetsTalk What does it mean to be a science student today? For some of us it means keeping ourselves on a tight schedule because we have a ton of commitments that keep us busy. For others, it means balancing their education while managing some sort of disability that makes it more difficult to achieve academic success. It’s important that we’re properly advocating that to both the Faculty of Science and the university. These are the advocacy efforts I’d like to focus on for next year: • Program Specific Meetings (within the faculty for scheduling midterms and assessment dates) • Mental Health (Wellness Wednesdays & Guide to Wellness-with all the campus resources) • Financial Accessibility: iClickers, cost of lab notebooks and courseware, lab equipment • Having Course Outlines available earlier for students • Raising Awareness for #CourseEvals • Prolonged Illness Accommodations • Policy Papers on Academic Issues • Supporting OUSA campaigns • Accessible Blended Learning • More Teaching Profs • Viewing Exam Marks • Thode Hours Based on our lifestyles, each of us has a different perspective on what it means to be a science student today. However, no matter what our perception of that is, it’s critically important to properly advocate for any issue that stands in the way of our success.
MCMASTER SCIENCE SOCIETY
13
Building a Community #MacSciStyle MacSci Summer Experience Believe it or not a lot of science students are here during the summer. Some are doing placements, taking courses, working in labs, or on coop. Whatever the reason, it’s our job as the MSS to keep them engaged and create that community for them during the summer months. We can do this by throwing a Summer MacSci BBQ Social Event alongside the sciclones. We can also give away frozen treats and cool drinks during midterm and exam periods similar to the idea of exam loving.
MacSci Frost Week With the MSU Frost Week shifting its focus to transitioning students outside of university through its’ Life After Mac programming, it’s important that the MSS focuses on the student engagement piece. We can keep the science pride and spirit alive by having our own MacSci Frost Week! This would be a week filled with different events including: • Monday: Textbook Exchange, LinkedIn Photoshoot • Tuesday: General Assembly: MacSci Pep Rally! • Wednesday: MacSci Skate Night • Thursday: Involvement Fair • Friday: Formaldehyde • Saturday: MacSci Pajama Party This week full of events acts as both a big promoter for the MSS positions that will be available later in the term and something the students can look forward to when they return.
14 KOBINA BAIDEN FOR MSS PRESIDENT
MacSci Diversity The MacSci culture is a very diverse one. Yes, we are science students but that’s not all we are. Each of us is unique and while we are connected to one another by our faculty there are other parts of our identity that can sometimes feel disconnected. Next year, I’d like to build community by creating clubs and hosting events with MSU Services that cater to the minority students within science. For example: • Organizing an LGBTQ+ Mixer with QSCC during Pride Week • Posting about the contributions black people have made to science during black history month • Showcasing students who struggle with a disability and showing how they overcome that being in science • Advocating for underrepresented groups within science (minorities) • Creating fb groups/clubs (Black Science Caucus, W.O.C in Science, The LGBTQ+ Scientists, etc.) • Women In Science Promotional Campaign on International Women’s Day and a Movie Night: Hidden Figures Through these initiatives we can fill the gaps between student identity and science culture.
MCMASTER SCIENCE SOCIETY
15
Professional Development: Bringing Oppourtunity to YOU! MacSci Community Mentors We often talk a lot about connecting with alumni and the city of Hamilton. The only problem is, there’s no tangible takeaways for our science students. Next year, I’d like to introduce the community mentors initiative. This program would allow students to be connected to science alumni and employees in Hamilton doing their dream jobs so they can ask for advice and possibly shadow these individuals. This program would bridge the knowledge gap students face as they discover which path to take and also further build the science community.
MacSci Jobs Board From the moment we get accepted into Mac, the one question most of us can’t seem to answer is what we want to do after we graduate or even how we plan to get there. In university, it’s so important that we are working in places that have some sort of connection or similarities with the degree are pursuing. Next year by working with the SCCE, the SSC, and the faculty of science I hope to create a central job hub for science students or at the very least find a way to connect science students to job and coop oppourtunities by better means of communication than Oscarplus and Mosaic.
MacSci Clubs Department The MES (McMaster Engineering Society) has a branch under them that holds clubs for students in their faculty (i.e. EngiQueers, NSBE, etc) The MSS can also provide students with the same oppourtunity of connecting them to others within their faculty that share common interests or similar identities. We can have our own clubs department that shows science students all the available clubs that would fit their interests. We can also work together by supporting science students that are part of existing clubs by promoting their clubs to our science students.
16 KOBINA BAIDEN FOR MSS PRESIDENT
The Lounge: We Got It! Let’s make the most of it! What We Deserve It took us nearly 5 years earn the right to our very own science lounge, let’s make the most of it! Instead of making the students come to us we should be going to them. Next year, I’d like the MSS to host their office hours in the lounge. By doing so we can use the space for hold our annual clothing sales by setting up a swag shop for student to view and purchase our merchandise. • Swag Shop (clothing sales in the lounge for MacSci Swag with an exec member) • Emergency Supplies (extra goggles, lab coats, calculators, and supplies that can be signed out during MSS office hours just in case a student ever forgets these things) • Student Feedback (having chart paper with topics and markers students so students can give us their opinions on things we can improve on) • Office Hours (having our own designated space for office hours in the science lounge from now on will make us them more accessible to students so we can actually talk to them about the MSS) • Space Design/ Furniture Upgrades (more desks, tables, and good study chairs for students to use) think of LRW lounge space or the staff (i.e. the kitchen and the study area with a fridge and come built in cupboards)
MCMASTER SCIENCE SOCIETY
17
MacSci Presents: The Program Society Conference The Program Society Conference would serve a purpose similar to that of the OSSA. A chance for the program societies within the MSS to come together and foster collaboration. The MSS is one of the most powerful and successful student run organizations on campus. We need to share our own best practices with the program societies so they can benefit from our successes. Here are some of the topics and themes that would be discussed during the conference: • Let’s Get Grounded: Beliefs & History (going through this with every program society and reinforcing that whole “Why Do We Exist” concept) • Exec Training (training each exec on event planning, managing teams, leadership, how to effectively run their department, VP specific training) • Year Planning/Calendar of Events (planning our entire year together and brainstorming ideas and collaborating on dates/timing of events and outreach long term planning) • Sharing of Best Practices (grouping together similar programs and similar sizes and sharing how they connect with students and what has been successful in their society versus what hasn’t) • Budget Allocations (Getting the societies to bring, fill out, and review their forms for MSS funding and discussing budgeting for the upcoming year, analyzing and talking about our budgets and events) • Collaborations (i.e. all the VP Academics for advocacy, all the VP Socials for big social calendar: BBQ/Beach Day) Principles/Mission Statement/General Assembly/Constitutions and Bylaws (making sure all of these are being updated and followed by each society)
18 KOBINA BAIDEN FOR MSS PRESIDENT
One Faculty, One Society, One Student Body. #wearemacsci Science Graduation Gift Graduating with a degree in science means something, it’s special. With all the work we put in for our 4+ years we deserve to leave in style. We need our own symbol of faculty pride that we hold as strongly as the engineers hold their iron ring. Next year. I want the MSS to consider creating our own symbol or pendant that students can leave with once they’ve completed their bachelor’s of science degree.
Follow @MacSci Student should follow the MSS on all platforms! Not just for events and involvement opportunities but for so much more! We need to give students a reason to keep coming back to our facebook page, twitter, instagram, snapchat, linkedin, and create tumblr/blog. We should be promoting science conferences, job opportunities within the faculty, scholarship information, important links for first year students, and due dates for course selection, and graduate school application. We should act as a primary source for students so they are coming to us for all the latest information. We should also be working with our faculty to help promote the MSS. This could include talking to TAs and asking them to put up an MSS slide before tutorials or asking profs to post things on avenue for us.
MCMASTER SCIENCE SOCIETY
19
platform platformtimeline timeline Spring 2018 Summer 2018: Fall 2018:
• Program Society Conference • Advocacy Plans Begin
• Summer Experience • MacSci Diversity
• #MacSciLetsTalk • Community Mentors • Open Textbooks
Winter 2019:
• Science Graduation Gift • Take A First Year to Class • MacSci Frost Week
20 KOBINA BAIDEN FOR MSS PRESIDENT
THANK YOU. A brighter future for you, me and everyone. Together.
kobina
baiden
for
MSS PRESIDENT
A brighter future. Together.