The Alma Mater Society (AMS

The AMS is your elected student government. It is responsible for advocating student priorities to the university and different levels of government, providing services to students, administering clubs and running the Nest.

The AMS is helmed by five elected student executives — a president and four vice-presidents. Cole Evans, your current president, is the society’s public face and ensures everything runs smoothly. Your VP Academic and University Affairs Eshana Bhangu advocates student priorities to the university; VP External Saad Shoaib advocates to external governance bodies; VP Administration Lauren Benson runs the Nest and administers clubs; and VP Finance Mary Gan manages the society’s money.

Every society member (a.k.a. student) is eligible to vote, so make your voice heard every spring in AMS elections!

The society’s main governing body is AMS Council — formed of the executives, elected councillors from each faculty and a few others. Council meets every two weeks and is open to everybody. If you want to keep up with it without sitting through the meetings, The Ubyssey news team live tweets the meetings and post recaps.

If you have a question, complaint or compliment for the AMS, you can directly contact your faculty’s councillor or the relevant executive responsible.

One of the AMS’s main responsibilities is running several student services. From mental health support at the AMS Sexual Assault Support Centre (SASC) and Peer Support, to a person to call when you’re walking home late (Safewalk), to tutoring support, to a free meal at the food bank, the AMS services provide a lot of free resources to students. Find out more at www.ams.ubc. ca/student-services.

The AMS is also responsible for administering your AMS/GSS extended healthcare plan and negotiating discount transit for students through the U-Pass.

You also have the AMS to thank for the AMS Nest. The Nest is UBC’s student hub and is home to restaurants and businesses that are run by the AMS or pay rent to it. The Nest is also home to AMS offices, most AMS services and clubrooms and The Ubyssey office. Various events, both private and open to everybody, are held there throughout the year. U