Governance

Governance

AUArts SA is governed by our membership— students!

To ensure we serve the best interest of our membership we are guided by two student-elected bodies:

The EC and SLC are fully populated by AUArts Students, and their role is to advocate for the AUArts student body and bring relevant issues to the attention of AUArts administration. They also make decisions via vote on AUArts SA policies, programming, and services.

Governing Documents

Your 2025-26 Executive Committee

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    President

    Tanya Mryglod

    They/She • president.sa@auarts.ca

    Hi everyone! My name is Tanya and I’m the elected President this year! I’m a 3rd year

    Jewellery + Metals major. I consider myself a well-rounded student and I’m constantly on campus doing homework, extra research, volunteering, or assisting friends with their projects! I’m always running around but you can probably find me at my desk in the Students Association office.

    I grew up in rural central Alberta before I made the move to Calgary in 2021 where I started to pursue my post-secondary education in the Arts. I was always kind of interested in the Arts but never really saw myself pursuing it. I’ve been doing fiber craft from a very young age and even taught beginner knitting classes for a bit before I moved. I started as a gallery attendant and slowly moved into more advanced roles within a local gallery. This was a huge step for me. It gave me a practical look into life as an artist, gallery applications, deadline management, but also gave me an appreciation for all the ‘behind the scenes’ tasks.

    If I’m not on campus (a rarity!) I’m probably cooking a new dish, taking care of my sourdough, tending my micro garden, or learning a new instrument. I love cooking and baking from scratch, weaving (or knitting) fabric to sew, making my own patterns for everything, and, if I find time, sitting down to play cozy video games. Don’t hesitate to stop by and say ‘Hi’!

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    Vice President of Academic Affairs

    Abbey Leach

    She/Her • academic.sa@auarts.ca

    Hey friends! My name is Abbey Leach and I am third year Character Design major and animation minor. When I’m not at AUArts, you can find me playing D&D or exploring new stories in a wide range of media. In my (limited) spare time I am also working with Lean Into Love, a new local production company, as an executive producer. We work to support and produce creative projects that centre neurodiverse, 2SLGBTQIA+, and other diverse stories from local emerging artists. We are dedicated to producing art that has a meaningful connection to love at all times.

    I have always been a passionate advocate for student interests, specifically regarding institutional transparency, accessibility, and celebrating diverse identities in our community. My role as interim VP Academic gives me the privilege of acting as a voice for my fellow students and as a champion for student rights at the university and in the surrounding community. I have previously worked with non-profit organizations to collect feedback from community members to generate better educational tools, improve pre-existing programs, and develop new strategies to address community needs.

    I am always happy to chat with students about concerns, ideas, or just to make a new friend! If you see me in the office or walking around campus, feel free to stop by and say hi!

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    Vice President of External Relations

    Murray Wittmeier

    They/He/It • external.sa@auarts.ca

    Hi! My name is Murray! I am entering my fourth year here at AUArts, and I am majoring in ceramics. I am genderfluid, and my pronouns are they/he. I am always making miniature pots and jars, but I love to make functional work as well. I spend most of my time in my home studio on the first floor.

    I am disabled and use mobility aids, so I hope to use my experience to work on and improve the accessibility of the school. My goal is to create a space free of barriers for people with all types of disabilities, and ensure that everyone feels safe, heard, and equal. I am excited to offer my perspective and use my voice, as well as amplify student's opinions and concerns.

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    Vice President Student Life

    Evan Palmer

    They/She/He • studentlife.sa@auarts.ca

    Hi everyone, my name is Evan and I’m the Vice President of Student Life for the 2025/2026 academic year! My concentration is drawing and glass, although I enjoy making digital artwork in my free time inspired by different design practices like character design, illustration, and storyboarding.   

    I’ve previously worked within our school and have familiarized myself with student life and events through this exposure. During my term at the Students Association, my goal is to continue past events that prioritize healthy habits and wellbeing on campus. As someone who’s neurodivergent, I understand that it can be difficult to meet new people and make friends on campus, and aim to create events that prioritize accessibility and inclusion for students. I look forward to gaining valuable feedback and knowledge from the student body and offering opportunities that encourage healthy habits and occasions for connection!  

EC Job Descriptions

Your 2025-26 Student Leadership Council

  • School of Communications Design (SCD)

    Advertising

    Vacant

    Character Design

    Winelson Siarthadinata

    Graphic Design

    Priya Shukle

    Illustration

    John Asilo

    Photography

    Vacant

  • School of Craft + Emerging Media (SCEM)

    Ceramics

    Vacant

    Fibre

    Vacant

    Glass

    TaLeesha Mahe

    Jewellery + Metals

    Émilie Larochelle

    Media Arts (MADT)

    Vacant

  • School of Visual Arts (SVA)

    Drawing

    Vacant

    Painting

    Enzo Amogan

    Print Media

    Vacant

    Sculpture

    Vacant

  • Other

    BDes General Studies x2

    Vacant & Vacant

    BFA General Studies x2

    Eto Umanah & Thea Galang

    First Year Studies: Undergraduate x2

    Vacant & Vacant

    First Year Studies: Graduate

    Vacant

    Second Year Studies: Graduate

    Vacant

    International Students

    Elizaveta Suldina

  • Vacancy?

    Contact academic.sa@auarts.ca if you are interested sitting on our SLC!

SLC Representitive Job Description

Student Committees

Students-at -large and members of the SLC sit on committees dedicated to various aspects of AUArts. These committees are also open to AUArts students not on SLC.

  • The Events Committee is a standing committee of the Student Leadership Council established to provide events and initiatives for the AUArts student body.

    This committee supports the development of a strong student community on campus.

  • The Finance Committee is a standing committee of the Student Leadership Council established to ensure the fiduciary accountability of AUArts SA.

    This committee ensures the organization has the ability to fulfill its mission while remaining financially sustainable.

  • The IDEA Committee is a standing committee of the SLC established to review new and existing Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility efforts in collaboration with AUArts.

  • The Policy Committee is a standing committee of the Student Leadership Council established to review new and existing AUArts SA policies and procedures.

    This committee follows best practices in the development of policies, procedures, and bylaws and while reviewing all governing documents with an inclusive perspective in mind.

Your Rights

AUArts SA believes that you as a student have the right to a safe, inclusive, and supportive campus environment.

As your representatives, it is our duty to advocate on your behalf to ensure that your experience at AUArts is a positive one.

Your rights:

Elections

Representatives for our Executive Committee and Student Leadership Council are elected during:

  • Annual elections held March-April.

  • By-elections held September-October.

Get involved by voting, or represent your fellow students by running for one of our many positions! Read on to learn more.

Questions? Contact academic.sa@auarts.ca

  • Student Association elections are held annually March-April with by-elections occurring September-October.

    Important Dates

    • Notice Period: Sept. 7th–13th

    • Nomination Period: Sept. 14th–28th 

    • Campaigning Period: Sept. 29th–Oct. 4th 

    • Candidates’ Forum: Oct. 1st

    • Voting period: Oct. 6th–8th

    • Results Annouced: Oct. 10th + November alert

    🍿 Popcorn + Politics Info Sessions 🍿

    • Sept. 15th, 1–2 pm in the Nest

    • Sept. 17th, 1–2pm in the Nest

    • Sept. 22th, 1–2pm in the Nest

    • Sept. 24th, 1–2pm in the Nest

  • Executive Committee (EC)

    Our EC positions are part-time (24 hrs per week) salaried jobs, open to students taking 3 classes or less each semester.

    EC Job Descriptions — Elected + Appointed Pay Grid

    • Term Duration: May 1st 2025 - May 15th 2026

    • Hours required: 24 hours/week

    All EC Positions:

    • President

    • VP Academic Affairs

    • VP External Relations

    • VP Student Life

    Student Leadership Committee (SLC) Representative

    Our SLC is a relatively low time commitment at 2-3 meetings per month and our SLC members are paid an honorarium of 50$ per meeting.

    SLC Job Description — Elected + Appointed Pay Grid

    • Term Duration: May 1st 2025 - April 30th 2026

    • Hours required: Between 10-12 hours/month

    All SLC Positions:

    School of Comm. Design:

    • Advertising

    • Character Design

    • Graphic Design

    • Illustration

    • Photography

    School of Craft and Emerging Media:

    • Ceramics

    • Fibre

    • Glass

    • Jewellery + Metals

    • Media Arts (MADT)

    School of Visual Arts

    • Drawing

    • Painting

    • Print Media

    • Sculpture

    Other

    • BDes General Studies x2

    • BFA General Studies x2

    • *Graduate First Year Studies

    • Graduate Second Year Studies

    • Internatonal Students

    • *Undergraduate First Year Studies x2

      *The term for the First Year Studies position runs from Fall 2025 to Fall 2026, and is unavailable during the Winter elections

  • Our bylaws and policies dictate how our organization, including Governance and Elections, must run.

  • To be eligible as a Candidate in the Elections you must receive a minimum of ten nominations by the outlined deadline.

    • The Nomination Form is where you’ll have multiple AUArts students nominate you for your position.

    • You may not complete the form on your own behalf.

    • A nomination count will be sent to each nominee before the nomination period is over. If you'd like to know your nomination count sooner, please contact academic.sa@auarts.ca.

  • The Candidate Application Form, located at the top of this section, is where you’ll let us know what position you’re running for, your platform, along with answering some additional eligibility questions.

  • Let people know what you are all about, and what your platform is! Print posters, share on social media, shout it from the mountaintops!

    Please note that you may not campaign outside of the stated Campaign Period, outlined in section one. Failure to comply to the Campaign Period will result in disqualification.

    AUArts SA will repost campaigns on our instagram stories + highlights, tag us! @auarts.sa.

RUN FOR ELECTIONS

Interested in Running for Election? There are a few things you’ll need to do to complete your nomination:

RUN

Declare your intent to run for election.

NOMINATE

Candidates must receive 10 nominations to be eligible for election.

READ

Read through each of your candidate’s platforms to ensure you can make informed voting decisions.

VOTE

AUArts students may cast ‘yes’ or ‘no’ votes for each candidate running in our election. Voting occurs via online form on set voting dates.