‘I think that it's going to be an exciting year’: Q/A with Umme Humaira, President of Student Government

Umme Humaira, President of Student Government

Nusaiba Binte Zakaria

The Student Government (SG) represents and acts on behalf of the students to build a better community by creating a bridge of collaboration between the university administration and the student body, ensuring transparency and effectiveness of policies, and advocating for student voices. This year the SG Election Day was held on April 11, and the students had the chance to go and cast their votes so that they could be a part of the change. On May 2, a Passover Ceremony was organized to welcome the new members of the SG. The Echo had the wonderful opportunity of interviewing Umme Humaira, the current President, to learn more about her thoughts on the SG.

What motivated you to nominate yourself for the position of President?

Well, I’ve always been very passionate about helping people. Whether it’s my peers, juniors, or seniors, I always try to let them know that I’m there for them, Student Government or not. I have had this plan of standing for President in my final year of university ever since Access Academy. Besides, my predecessors had all done such an amazing job in this position, it’d been an awe-inspiring thing to witness.

But if I am being entirely honest, around the end of last term I did have my doubts about standing for President when they sent out the call for nominations, and this was only because I was worried about the workload that comes with senior year. I think it was when I looked back on my experience as the Secretary in the past year that the answer was crystal clear to me. It might have been difficult at times, but at the end of the day it was such a wholesome and fulfilling experience, how could I not?

Nevertheless, I don’t think I would have had the courage to take on this massive opportunity if not for my peers at AUW and my professors. It's not just that they have trusted me with this position; their enthusiasm and unending support has been my drive through it all.

As the President of the SG, what kind of responsibilities do you have to juggle?

I have probably been asked this question several times over the past week. You would think that I have it figured out by now, but it’s still quite difficult to put it in a nutshell, owing to the spontaneous nature of the job. Basically, my main job is to represent the students and communicate their wishes to the relevant authorities. This includes representing them at the Academic Council and some other important committees like the LTQA and the SEC, who work tirelessly throughout the year to protect the academic standard of the university and develop the student experience here.

Apart from that, we usually work closely with the different departments at the university, like the Office of Student Activities, Admissions, Finance, and Res Life, to make sure that the university is doing their best to serve the students with the resources they have at hand.

Our main priority is to make sure that the students know that we are there for them. So, any student facing a problem is always welcome to contact me at any time of the day, and we’ll make sure that we have contacted the relevant authorities about it and come to a solution that both parties understand to be fair.

Of course, I have my proactive team helping me in this regard around the clock. Our Batch Reps, Treasurer, Secretary, and VP are actually always ready to take on the bulk of the work. You know, we’ve only just started, but it already feels like a blessing to be able to work with this extremely hardworking team.

You have been a part of the SG for quite a while. Can you please tell us about some highs and lows of this experience?

I think it’s actually a very well-balanced experience for us. While it’s a huge privilege to be able to represent the entire student body, it’s quite difficult for us to accept it when any one member of our family is unhappy. And it’s not always an easy job, if attainable at all, to make sure everyone’s wishes are fulfilled. I think accepting that part of the job is the most difficult part. But other than that, it’s quite a surreal experience. You get a massive amount of support from your peers, professors, and the staff at the university. There’s actually no greater feeling than getting the honor of representing your peers. It’s a humbling sentiment to know that you have been trusted with this massive opportunity.

Would you say that the student body of AUW is satisfied with its SG?

Well, we’ve only taken over just a few days back, and I think it’s too early to tell. Our main goal at the Student Government is to make sure that we do right by the students, no matter what the circumstances are. We are forever trying to push the scope of our job in favor of the students. Recently, we have actually had a group of students approach us to arrange for a Senior Thesis Workshop for Economics, and after a small meeting with Professor Moinul, a plan to organize it had been made. Apart from that, we are also currently working on an issue put forward by the Public Health majors, and we only hope to be able to make them happy as well. I think the main way that something like that can be achieved is by having a practice of clear communication between the students and the authorities. So, in order to enhance the student experience, we will try to make sure that there’s transparency between the two at all times. Our main priority is to serve the students to the best of our abilities. We sincerely hope that we can make the students happy.

Do you have any other comments about the SG?

I am extremely thankful to my sisters at AUW for having faith in us, and I hope to do everyone proud. I am also grateful towards them for electing an amazing team for me to work alongside. Hima, Maleha, Farahnaz, Sumanah, Dechen, and Mercy make an impressive group of fine women, and I am already learning a ton from them. I urge everyone at the university to feel free to come to any one of us with any issues that they might have, and we hope we can work through it together.

I cannot wait to take on this journey. I think that it's going to be an exciting year!