YUGSA Annual Elections

2025-2026

REMINDER: Vote in the YUGSA General Election starting WEDNESDAY @ 10AM!!

Voting Period of the YUGSA 2025 General Election begins WEDNESDAY and runs for three days. You will be eligible to cast your vote between the following dates and times:

START: Wednesday March 26 @ 10:00 AM

END: Friday March 28 @ 4:00 PM

The online voting platform used will be Election Buddy, the same platform used in last year's General Election.

On Wednesday at 10:00 AM, eligible voters will receive an e-mail from YUGSA, sent to the e-mail address that they have registered with York University, containing a secure link that, when clicked, will send them to a virtual ballot that they will be able to fill out once. The voting e-mails should not go to your junk/spam folder, but if you do not see the e-mail in your inbox please check your junk/spam folder. If you still cannot find the e-mail, try adding invitations@mail.electionbuddy.com to your contact list.

All YUGSA members will receive the online ballot to cast votes for or against the candidates running for Executive Committee and Senator positions.

YUGSA members in the Liberal Arts & Professional Studies program will be also be able to cast their vote for or against the candidate running for LA&PS Chief Councillor position.

There were no nominations for any of the other Chief Councillor positions, which will remain vacant until a by-election is held at a later date.

Due to candidates for all positions running unopposed this year, each ballot will present voters with the option to *APPROVE* or *REJECT* candidates.

The positions and candidates that voters in their respective constituencies will be given the choice to approve or reject are:

President - Darren Gens

Vice-President of Campaigns - Mostafa Hetteh

Vice-President of Community Relations - David Semaan

Vice-President of Equity - Sarah Hasbini

Vice-President of Finance - Fatima Qaraan

Vice-President of Internal - Shantanu Mehra

Chief Councillor for Liberal Arts & Professional Studies - Sheema Khawar

Senator - Ryan Whiston

Candidate biographies/statements can be viewed from the YUGSA website (below).

Please send any further questions related to the election to the Chief Returning Officer at cro@yugsa.ca

CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHIES:

PRESIDENT 

Darren Gens (GradPulse slate) 

I’m Darren (he/him), a 3rd-year PhD student in Geography. My research primarily  focuses on agriculture, development, and political ecology in Bangladesh. My academic and political interests also revolve around abolitionist praxis, social reproduction theory, and histories of anticolonial resistance in Turtle Island andacross the Global South. Since joining the York community, I helped establish the CUPE 3903 Palestine Solidary Working Group and the Founders Food Commons mutual aid group (during the 2024 strike), and I have worked as a chief councillor with YUGSA over the past year. I have also been involved in political education initiatives within and outside universities across Ontario. If elected as President at YUGSA, I will aim to help forge and strengthen relationships among organizations at York, expand spaces for studentparticipation within YUGSA, and advocate for graduate student demands and aspirations without compromise. 

VICE-PRESIDENT OF CAMPAIGNS 

Mostafa Hetteh (GradPulse slate)

I’m a 5th-year PhD student and your current YUGSA VP Campaigns. With years of experience in student advocacy, I have served as a student representative at multiple universities, consistently fighting for students rights, academic support, and a more inclusive campus. As your VP Campaigns I have worked tirelessly to amplify graduate students voices, mobilize for fair housing, funding, and push for stronger institutional support. Over the past year, I have delivered on my promises—organizing successful works for affordable housing, advocating for cost-of-living relief, and ensuring YUGSA remains a strong advocate against systemic barriers. But there’s still more to do! I am running for re-election because I believe in & building a stronger, more united graduate student movement—one that challenges unfair policies, secures better resources, and ensures every student feels heard and supported. If re-elected, I will continue fighting for affordable housing and cost-of-living relief, ensuring that students have the support they need to thrive. I will strengthen student organizing efforts to push for real, impactful change, fostering a more active and engaged community. Additionally, I will work to ensure that YUGSA remains a powerful voice against inequity and systemic barriers, advocating for policies that promote fairness, inclusion, and justice for all graduate students. 

VICE-PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS 

David Semaan (GradPulse slate)

David Semaan (they/them) is a PhD candidate in the department of Politics at York University. Their research integrates anti-imperialist and decolonial interventions into the developments in algorithmic and AI surveillance in Canadian police departments. They work closely with queer communities and Palestine Solidarity organizations in Canada. 

VICE-PRESIDENT OF EQUITY 

Sarah Hasbini (GradPulse slate)

 I’m, a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Politics at York University. My research focuses on violence against women, examining both state and sub- state violence, while my broader academic and activist interests lie in rejecting all forms of violence—economic, social, political, and academic—by supporting and building solidarity communities, especially within the graduate student body. Professional Contributions, Advocacy & Leadership at YUGSA. In 2022, I served as the Teaching Assistant Representative on the Committee on Teaching, Learning, and Student Success (CTLSS), where I worked on creating safer learning environments amidst growing social and economic pressures. My work on the committee highlighted critical issues such as food insecurity among graduate and undergraduate students, with a particular focus on the experiences of LGBTQIA2S+ and racialized communities. I joined YUGSA as VP of Equity in November 2023, stepping into the role during a time of crisis because I believe in YUGSA’s mission as a student-led body  advocating for and representing graduate students. Since taking on this position, I have actively worked to address key student concerns. I launched a campus- wide survey to better understand the struggles of graduate students and used the findings to push for policy changes at the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS),particularly advocating for more flexible support, including extensions and accommodations. Recognizing the growing issue of food insecurity that was reflected in discussions with grad students, I collaborated with the Food Justice Committee and YFS to expand graduate students’ access to the campus food bank. We opened a bank account and have been requestion donations to contribute to financially to YFS’s food bank. In housing advocacy, I have been an active member of the Housing Committee, working to push back against York Housing rent increases and inadequate services. Additionally, I have worked alongside our Student Service Coordinator to support graduate students facing racism and harassment on campus, ensuring that their concerns are heard and addressed. Through these initiatives, I remain committed to fostering a more equitable, inclusive, and supportive environment for all graduate students at York. If elected again, I promise to continue my mission to amplify student voices, fight for institutional change, and foster a stronger sense of community at York, as my work at YUGSA is rooted in my commitment to building a more inclusive andsupportive environment for all graduate students. We will take back our campus! 

VICE-PRESIDENT OF FINANCE & SERVICES 

Fatima Qaraan (GradPulse slate)

 My name is Fatima Qaraan, and I am a 5 th year PhD in Political Science. My research focuses on the systemic invisibilization of child marriage in Canada. Since October 2023, I have had the privilege of serving as the VP of Finance for YUGSA and am proud of all the accomplishments I have been lucky enough to be a part of! When I ran for this position last year, I promised to ensure that funds would be available for graduate students facing financial precarity due to rising living costs and tuition. Over the past two fiscal years, I have delivered on that promise by increasing our bursary and grant funds to better match the rising cost of living inToronto. Last year, I successfully maintained a balanced budget with no deficits, even while navigating extraordinary challenges such as covering nearly $100,000 in legal fees —an unprecedented expense for YUGSA. I also pledged to make YUGSA’s financial processes more accessible and equitable, resulting in the launch of YUGSA’s first-ever Finance Workshop. This initiative helped Departmental Graduate Student Association (DGSA) executives with the Operating Grant Fund (OGF) application and the DGSA RegistrationForm. I continued to support DGSAs having issues with the fall OGF to ensure their funds were still released even after the deadline. This year, I worked on simplifying application processes and prioritizing accessibility for students facing urgent financial challenges like rent insecurity and inaccessibility to necessities. I also joined CUPE 3903 in advocating for FGS extensions by challenging unfair rejections without grounds. If you vote for me, I will continue providing transparency in YUGSA’s financial processes and secure additional funding through donations and partnerships to increase the hardship and academic funds. While I take my responsibilities seriously, I remain grounded and committed to serving you with humility and dedication. 

VICE-PRESIDENT OF INTERNAL 

Shantanu Mehra (GradPulse slate)

My interest in applying for the position of V.P. Internal with YUGSA is emerging from my firm belief that academic pursuits in the university space are ultimately intertwined with the question of what is university's role within society. Hence, unions such as YUGSA become instrumental in creating a space where graduate students can unite to imagine alternative futures for themselves and the wider community. 

My association with YUGSA began when I served as the Chief Councillor for LAPS. In that position, I worked closely with the YUGSA executive team to learn about various aspects of university governance and the space within which YUGSA must advocate for graduate student concerns. Since November 2023, I have served as the V.P. Internal of YUGSA. I got a first-hand experience of how university bureaucracy can challenge student unions transformative role - especially when graduate students speak up against various forms of injustices to which the university may turn a blind eye to. I also had an acute realization  that advocating - whether on academic affairs, advocating for better working conditions, or creating a space to discuss concerns of international students (especially on issues of funding and housing) - are all ultimately tied to whether graduate students have the autonomy to imagine a university where their ideas can be realized. Given the changing landscape of funding for international students, (if elected) I am especially going to advocate for better funding terms and milestone conditions for graduate students. I will continue to do my best to advance the interest of graduate students, especially on issues of academic freedom and funding for graduate students. 

CHIEF COUNCILLOR FOR LIBERAL ARTS & PROFESSIONAL STUDIES 

Sheema Khawar (GradPulse slate) 

I’m an international PhD student in the Department of Politics and serving as the current Chief Councillor of LAPS faculty. University governance is a critical issue that impacts student and community welfare at York. Over the past year we have  seen aggressive cuts to funding, petition denials and the imposition of punitivetimelines for graduate students. I have organized with other YUGSA members  against these administrative shifts and hope to continue that work in the coming year. I have also been active in departmental committees and as a member of 3903, I see this councillor position as an important way to represent student  concerns and to ensure that institutional resources are mobilized to support precarious and marginalized students on campus. 

SENATOR 

Ryan Whiston 

I am a second-year PhD in the Social and Political Thought program. I have a background in social and moral philosophy and deliberative democratic theory, and I am running to continue my strong support of allying with YUFA faculty to  hold the University to account.  I am a current serving Senator, and in my time I have worked to foster connections with other student Senators to have solidarity on important issues  presented at Senate, such as the creation of a school of medicine, the restructuring of the university, and the recent suspension of admissions to 18+ undergraduate programs which include Indigenous Studies and Gender and  Women’s Studies. As an example of this solidarity, the recent vote on the motion in Senate to hold the admission suspensions in abeyance and create a draft framework of which required Senate’s approval was tallied at 61 votes in favor and 56 votes against. The five-vote difference resulted from coordinating student solidarity with YUFA faculty to prevent the administration from silencing Senate’s  collegial right to consultation and deliberation. Additionally, I have collaborated with Dr. Richard Wellen on several successful motions in Senate, requiring the University to agree they will not draw resources from Keele programs in creating a school of medicine that would lead detrimentally to increased cuts and labor and less courses in our graduate programs.Based on my strong advocacy, support and mentorship of undergraduate student Senators, I have received recognition from the YUFA president for my contributions towards solidarity. Having built strong connections, I will leverage them to continue doing the important work of holding the University to account and ensuring students and faculty continue to have a strong voice in consulting and deliberating on important academic decisions.