Meet the KSA executive committee for the 2023-2024 term

🔊 Listen to Post

On April 5, the Kwantlen Student Association held a special meeting of council to elect the executive committee for the 2023-2024 term. 

Abdullah Randhawa was elected as vice-president university affairs, Jasmine Kaur Kochhar was elected as vice-president external affairs, Jashandeep Singh was elected as vice-president finance and operations, and Jashan Singh Sekhon was elected as vice-president student life. 

The executive committee is responsible for communicating, interpreting the policies and decisions of council, coordinating negotiations with other parties, ensuring all students are recognized for their contributions to the KSA, reviewing the performance of the executive director, and providing a breakdown of its activities and decisions to council, according to the KSA’s bylaws. 

Abdullah Randhawa: President and Vice-President University Affairs 

Randhawa is an international student at Kwantlen Polytechnic University from Faisalabad, Pakistan, and is an accounting major. At an informal executive meeting on April 5, Randhawa was elected as president of the executive committee. He holds this position in addition to his role as VP university affairs. 

As VP university affairs, Randhawa is responsible for being the liaison between the KSA and KPU, attending KPU Senate and Board of Governors meetings, ensuring there’s student representation on all committees and task forces, negotiating contracts between the KSA and KPU, and leading recommendations to council on academic policies.

Why did you want to be VP university affairs?

I’m really glad the KSA council elected me as VP university affairs, and even the president of the council. There are a lot of issues on campus which need to be addressed to authorities, and I think I can address them in a good way. There are many issues I want to work on, like increasing library hours, we have security concerns on campus, Chartwells cafeterias have closed, many students are involved in plagiarism, and so we need to find a perfect solution for these things. I want to work with the Senate on this and other parties to address students in a good manner. 

What do you hope to achieve with this role?

I wanted to make the KSA better because you can always do things better, but I want to improve it as much as I can. Students should be coming in more often. After COVID-19, things are going back to normal, but it takes time. So for the KSA, it’s now the time to switch with the return to on campus courses, having more events, and more fun. It will take some time, but I think we will soon make it work as we are planning now and for the future. 

​​What are you most excited about for your role as VP university affairs?

Talking with and meeting the authorities here, and being the proper advocate for students. I’m excited to put in my points, tell them what I think, and what students feel. I’m a student as well and our thoughts should be addressed by authorities in a proper way, and I think I’m capable of doing this.  

Jasmine Kaur Kochhar: Vice-President External Affairs 

Kochhar is an international student at KPU from Chandigarh, India. She’s currently pursuing a bachelor of arts degree with a major in journalism and a minor in criminology. As VP External Affairs, Kochhar is responsible for the development of policies in relation to the KSA’s connection to external organizations, the external communications of the KSA, and the lobbying levels of government based on KSA policies. 

Why did you want to be VP external affairs?

Seeing how I aspire to be a journalist, this facet of this council of external affairs I think happens to inherit my domain. I’m positive … I can actually work confidently in this field because this is something I’m pursuing as a career, and allows me to possibly get skills that I can anchor onto like working with organizations and maintaining allies between the KSA and the external organizations, which I personally believe I can handle really well. 

I think I can just prove that … you can make good relationships with so many organizations out there. For example, there’s the RCMP, food banks, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), or the Alliance of BC Students (ABCS). I want to maintain good relationships between the various organizations at the provincial and even federal level.

What do you hope to achieve with this role?

The former VP external affairs Karan Singh did an amazing job managing such relationships with the various organizations. I want to take those relationships and make them even stronger as we go into the future, and just maintain and create even more relationships with certain organizations. I think we should be covering each and every facet out there respective to the KSA. 

I personally wish to highlight the LGBTQ+ communities or the mental health aspects we have worked on with the past counselors. I feel we can continue to work on this, especially our LGBTQ+ community as it’s still considered a taboo. We have certain aspects highlighting women’s health, mental health, education, and minority groups, because I feel like these topics are still not really looked upon as strong as they should be, and as crucial as they are, they still need to be highlighted. 

We can bring in various organizations, local MPs, or MLAs, to come and say their points in front of the students, or motivational speakers that can address students and tell them what the right path is and how they can guide themselves in the right direction. For example, career paths they can choose, what courses are perfect for them and what interests them. These are some of my goals I would like to achieve in the coming months.

​​What are you most excited about for your role as VP external affairs?

Basically just communicating with tons of people. I love having conversations with new people from various walks of life. I love listening to their experiences, and what they would like to share. I think I’m a good listener, and just gathering as much experience as I can. As VP external affairs, this is what I will be doing on a daily basis, just interacting with people and learning about their experiences. That is something so crucial for me as an individual, because I just love listening to people in conversations, the chit-chatting, the anecdotes, and definitely implement those things in my life.

Jashandeep Singh: Vice-President Finance & Operations 

Singh is an international student at KPU from Bathinda, India, and is currently working towards a diploma in accounting. As VP Finance & Operations, Singh is responsible for developing the KSA’s draft budget, presenting quarterly updates to council on the budget’s status, leading the creation of performance measurements related to financial management and procedures, along with recommendations on how to effectively use students’ funds to council. 

Why did you want to be VP finance & operations?

I’m doing my major in accounting. I think this would be a great opportunity to learn that will be practical as well, because working in KSA, it is a great organization, and will boost my resume image. It will create more job opportunities and identity since I will have been a VP in the KSA, so that would be great. I can also learn what I’m doing within all the organizations, and I am a student, so I can help students a lot. 

What do you hope to achieve with this role?

The first of my goals is to manage funds and provide my best to the KSA so that they can work efficiently. Every day I’m learning new things, how I can manage this, how I can provide my best work. The other thing is, I want to help students. For example, there are bursaries. Most students don’t know what a bursary is and how to apply for it. The KSA is providing lots of money for bursaries or items like that. Why are students not getting or benefitting from them?  So I want to be motivating students to apply for bursaries. I’m also working with the student life VP. In Canada, I see there is very little socialization, low number of activities going on, low amounts of get togethers. So, if we can create more events, there will be more socialization, that way everyone will want to come to the university. There would not be just the burden that we have to go do the assignments and provide our best, but other activities so students can enjoy themselves. 

​​What are you most excited about for your role as VP finance & operations?

I’m excited to learn because most of the things are practical. Recently I’m working on the pay honorariums for council members, so that’s a practical issue. We have to work in the company, and see how the company is processing the pay of the employees. Another thing is attending conferences. I want to learn how other organizations are working. I’m going to the Gallivan conference in June, so that will be good for me to travel, to socialize, and know how the system works. We are in touch with other associations and we hope we can make some better changes for the development of students and betterment of KPU.

Jashan Singh Sekhon: Vice-President Student Life 

Sekhon is an international student from Dakha, India. At KPU, he is pursuing a diploma in computer information systems. As VP Student Life, Sekhon is responsible for developing policies about the effectiveness of campus activities, developing policies related to student mental health on campus, communication between the KSA and students, and connecting with student clubs. 

Sekhon wrote the following responses in an email statement to The Runner. 

Why did you want to be VP student life?

I decided to go with Student Life because when I came to Canada, Campus life Vibrancy was missing in KPU mainly due to Covid as well. But this made me nostalgic and I want to create a vibrant and cheerful campus life for students.

What do you hope to achieve with this role?

As an International Student, I want to give new international students a less stressful environment so that they can cope up with challenges. But not only for International, Domestic students are equally important as well. I hope to achieve a vibrant campus life with more events where students can showcase their talent and capabilities.

​​What are you most excited about for your role as VP student life?

I am an extrovert person and as a VP Student Life, I am excited to meet students on a ground level by understanding their issues and providing them with facilities they need.

I just want to give an open message to students that just remember there is always a brighter day after a dark night. Sky is the limit for your dreams. Just go ahead and achieve them. Just a reminder that as a VP student life, I am a call away, come forward with your issues, stand up for your rights. I will give my best to help you all with your endeavors.

To reach out to the KSA executives, head to www.kusa.ca.