President

Jeremy McElroy, President

The president is responsible for all the actions of the AMS, from the successful implementation of its policies and programs, to ensuring students are aware of the Society and that it exists to advocate on their behalf. The president has a variety of roles within the Society, including coordinating the Executive Committee, which answers to the AMS Council, the representative body for students on campus, and sitting on a variety of AMS committees, the UBC Senate Caucus, and the Student Administrative Commission.

Biography

Born in Vancouver and raised in North Delta, Jeremy completed an International Baccalaureate Diploma at Britannia Secondary School in East Vancouver before starting at UBC in 2006. In his final year of a Political Science and International Relations degree, Jeremy has taken a keen interest in Canadian public policy and arctic sovereignty. Despite the barrier of student loans, Jeremy believes that six years is the new four, and has extended his studies. He believes that his extra time at UBC has allowed him to learn and experience more of his alma mater, taking advantage of every opportunity.

Jeremy’s interest in student government started when he was elected as First Year Representative to the Arts Undergraduate Society, where he helped run the last Arts County Fair. As Social Coordinator of the AUS, he developed an even greater appreciation of and passion for the social environment at UBC.
Shortly after his second year, Jeremy took a hiatus from student government to resurrect the Radical Beer Faction, a just-for-fun political group on campus that advocated for more student events, student housing, and better student interface with the campus community. After running as joke candidate Kommander Keg in the 2009 election (and losing), Jeremy decided it was time to take the AMS seriously and was elected to AMS Council.

A year as an Arts Councillor inspired Jeremy’s successful bid for the position of Vice President External Affairs. During his year in office Jeremy negotiated substantive improvements to the AMS/GSS Health and Dental Plan and initiated a campaign for much-needed rapid transit to UBC. He worked with student unions from across BC to establish a provincial lobbying organization, and his office has released new, long overdue reports, research and policy recommendations on every aspect of his portfolio, from childcare to student loan reform. Jeremy is most proud of the work he has done in reshaping the way we understand the cost of education during his time in office.

As President, Jeremy looks forward to successfully passing the upcoming referendum, bringing about much needed financial and governance stability, and hopes to continue his work on bringing student unions from across BC together to advocate for more accessible and affordable post-secondary education. There is a great deal of work to be done this year, and it will take a strong executive, involved committees, and a motivated Student Council to get things done. Jeremy has dedicated 5 years to serving the students of UBC, and greatly looks forward to one more.