Hi Badgers!

I hope everyone has had a great start to the Fall semester! I’m excited to share my first update as your Vice-President of University Affairs and give you a look at some of what I’ve been working on throughout August and September.

In August, I had my first Open Education Working Group meeting, where we discussed ongoing work around open education at Brock, including Open Educational Resources (OER) and how that work is supported across the University. I also had my first Campus Collaborative for Student Food Security meeting, where different departments and groups from across Brock shared updates on their food security work happening across campus. 

September started off with Brock’s Welcome Week Kickoff, where I got to connect with faculty and student leaders from across campus as we got ready to welcome students back for the fall semester. It was really nice getting to see so many students back on campus throughout Welcome Week and BadgerFest. I got to connect with a lot of you throughout the week and joined the BUSU executive team on stage during the Big Ticket Concert to welcome students and hype up the crowd.

UPass distribution was also a big part of September. I spent a lot of time at the UPass table helping students get their bus passes, answering questions and getting to connect with students as everyone returned to campus.

I also had the opportunity to present during the BU4U Family Connection webinar, where I joined other presenters from across Brock to share information with parents, families, and supporters about transition to university and the different supports and opportunities available to students. The Following day, the BUSU executive team and I had breakfast with President Lesley Rigg alongside the GSA executive team, which gave us a chance for us to introduce ourselves and connect with the President.

A Team also had its first meeting of the year in September, and it was really nice meeting some of you there! We shared more about our roles, BUSU, and the different ways students can get involved.

I also had my first Senate meeting in September, as well as my first meetings with the Governance Committee and Senate Bylaw Working Group. A lot of Brock’s academic decision-making happens through Senate, making it one of the main ways I can bring student perspectives into those conversations.

I also got to attend Brock’s annual Grape Stomp, which was a fun chance to connect with students and be part of one of Brock’s longtime traditions.

Looking ahead, I’ll be joining the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence planning committee and BUSU/Gender and Sexual Violence Advisory Committee, where I’ll be able to bring student perspectives into the awareness and prevention work happening around gender-based violence.

I’ll also be joining Brock’s National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) campus committee, where we’ll be reviewing the findings from the 2026 survey and discussing how they can help inform future decisions around the student experience.

I’m looking forward to sharing more as the year continues!

Sincerely,
Malak Eldafrawy
Vice President, University Affairs
Brock University Students’ Union