Jonah Smith, a first-year open studies student, is running for the Senate Student-at-Large Representative position in the SU 2026 By-Election.
Smith’s platform focuses on transparency, student advocacy and prioritizing students’ educational experiences. He said he wants to provide regular updates to students about his work as a representative and advocate for responsible spending and student resources.
A significant part of Smith’s platform is transparency around SU spending. He said that, if elected, he would question how money is spent on projects.
“With my political experience with NDP, Conservative and municipal politicians I am ready to debate every dollar spent to ensure you get the most bang for your buck,” Smith’s platform reads.
In an interview with the Gauntlet, Smith cited construction projects like the university’s new stadium and the SU’s Mac Hall expansion as examples of spending he would want to examine.
“I would ask: Where is all that money being spent? What is being spent on the workers? What is being spent on the actual materials for the construction? And how much is being spent on the location?” said Smith.
He also said he would work with the SU to oppose tuition increases.
“If there’s a Senate issue that comes into that, I would easily come in and I would say: Okay, I don’t support tuition increases. I’d like to understand how we can negotiate with this and how we don’t need to do that,” said Smith.
However, tuition and SU’s spending are not within the Senate’s jurisdiction. The university’s Board of Governors is responsible for approving tuition and mandatory non-instructional fees through its annual review and consultation process.
SU fees and spending are also outside the Senate’s jurisdiction. Detailed review of the SU’s budget is overseen by the SU’s Operations and Finance Committee.
The Senate bylaws define the Senate’s role as “promoting the University’s reputation and priorities, building long-term support for the University, and developing and maintaining positive and productive community relationships to foster positive relations between the University and the public.” Its responsibilities include developing and overseeing the Senate’s strategic plan, engaging in student mentorship, managing community engagement and supporting fundraising for the Senate and Chancellor scholarships and bursaries.
During his interview, Smith also identified a financial committee as one of the Senate's committees. The current Senate bylaws do not list a financial committee. Its standing committees are the Executive, Community Engagement, Honors, Recruitment and Membership, Communications and Governance committees.
Despite the limits of the position, Smith said he wants to use the role to advocate for students.
“I think reporting to students is the biggest responsibility,” Smith said.
He plans to provide students with daily or weekly updates through social media, posters and email. He said these updates would explain what was discussed at Senate meetings and what he advocated for while abiding by confidentiality rules.
Smith acknowledged that he is a first-year student and has not previously served on the Senate. During his interview, he said he was still learning about the body’s responsibilities and jurisdiction.
All undergraduate students can vote through their my.ucalgary.ca Student Centre from 9 a.m. on Oct. 6 to 4 p.m. on Oct. 8. Visit the SU website to read all candidate platforms.
