Nick Dawson is a PhD student in experimental medicine. He currently sits on Senate and is seeking re-election. If elected, Dawson plans to use academic policy to improve mental health policy at UBC.
Describe your platform and what sets it apart from your opposition in a few sentences.
We're looking at mental health, but I'm taking a more academic policy approach to that, looking at how we can ... [work] within the academic policy committee to affect change in mental health. One of the main platform pieces that sets me apart from the others is my piece on harassment discrimination. I hope to start a discussion with regards to sexual assault and that's particularly effective in the graduate student community recently. The third piece on my platform is regarding the Senate and the BoG government relationship, particularly as it relates to tuition – so exploring that and how the Senate can be more involved in tuition discussions.
How have you been involved with the AMS before, and how will this help you?
I’ve always been involved in student leadership and this was just the next thing in my journey. Last year, when I ran in the GSS by-election, I just really felt like I could contribute a good, strong student voice to Senate and I think I’ve done that. I have a very diverse view of UBC having been an undergraduate student [and] been a graduate student.
What are the challenges facing this position in the upcoming year?
For one, Senate has yet to address the equity and diversity report that was put out. A couple things that are already on my platform — Senate and BoG relationship as it pertains to tuition — that's a main point. There's going to be a new president, so someone's going to have to deal with that and quickly. Hopefully, the president will be in there ready to go for when Senate resumes in September. We are in the final year of the triennium, so this is the time to push initiatives that have already been started and really focus on getting those through.
Who is the most important body or person you need to collaborate with in this position, and how will you foster a relationship with them?
The Senate student caucus is instrumental in coordinating efforts because we all collectively have very similar goals. In my experience, liaising with them has been great. Liaising with the AMS academic's office and the resources that they have to do policy research has been great. The Senate's secretariat is also a useful research resource for us. Being able to collaborate and talk to all those people really helps us do our job.
What three committees would you like to sit on as a senator, and why?
I sit on the senate's academic policy committee, where I am vice-chair of that committee and I sit on the council senate's budget subcommittee for Vancouver. I am a regular [budget sub-] committee member and the council of Senate.
Interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.