About the AUS
The Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) exists to represent all McGill students in the Faculty of Arts and to promote their welfare and interests, and to provide activities and services that enhance the educational, cultural, and social dimensions of student life.
The AUS represents Arts students with the Faculty of Arts, the McGill administration, and the Québec government. We help students with academic complaints, advocate for student interests, and push for positive change both within the McGill and greater community.
Campus life is another important part of what we do at the AUS. Frosh, Bar des Arts (BdA), and Grad Ball are major events coordinated by the AUS for students. We also run the Arts Lounge in Leacock basement and SNAX Café on Leacock’s main floor. Throughout the year, the AUS also offers academic and professional programming such as Work Your BA and the Grad School Fair.
We provide a range of services for students including the AUS Essay Writing Centre, a coordinated network of peer tutoring, locker rentals, room bookings, French conversation circles, and laptop lending. We also allocate funding for Arts students to find and fund internships, as well as contribute to McGill’s work study program that hires students on campus.
Though the AUS has an executive that oversees and manages the organization, the AUS is also constituted of over 29 departmental associations who represent, advocate, and plan events for students in their respective areas of study.
The AUS is a student association accredited by the Quebec Government (R.S.Q. Ch.A-3.01) and registered as a not-for-profit organization. We operate independent of McGill University. Every undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Arts & Science is automatically a member of the AUS.
Executive Team
President
Sophia Garofalo
(she/her/elle)
Office Hours:
Tuesdays 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Fridays 12:30pm – 2:00pm
president.aus@mail.mcgill.ca
The AUS President acts as the official spokesperson of the AUS, and oversees its day-to-day operations as a company, handling its legal obligations, and overseeing its governance. The AUS President chairs the Executive Committee, the Computer Lab Fund Committee, and the Constitution and By-Law Review Committee. They also hold a non-voting role on all AUS committees, and pursue various projects pertinent to the goals set forth by Arts students. The President also manages the AUS HR practices and appoints the AUS Secretaries General.
You can book a meeting with the President here
VP Finance
Ailish McGiffin
(she/her/elle)
Office Hours:
Fridays 12:30pm – 2:30pm
finance.aus@mail.mcgill.ca
The AUS VP Finance manages the money for the AUS, a non-profit with an annual budget of approximately $800,000. The VP Finance is in charge of financial management, aiding in the annual audit, planning the budget for the society, and keeping the AUS in accordance with all financial regulations. The VP Finance also chairs the Financial Management Committee and the Arts Undergraduate Improvement Fund Committee.
VP Communication
Lauren Hicken
(she/her/elle)
Office Hours:
Tuesdays 11:30am – 1:30pm
communications.aus@mail.mcgill.ca
The AUS VP Communications is responsible for communicating the activities, services, and events of the AUS to the membership! They manage the listserv, website, and AUS Social media accounts. They are also the AUS point person on Francophone Affairs, and are mandated to further bilingualism through work with the AUS Francophone commission. Furthermore, they’re also in charge of AUS photography and the fine arts components of the AUS, chairing the Fine Arts Council.
VP Social
Momoko Hesketh
(she/her/elle)
Office Hours:
Wed 12:30pm – 2:00pm
social.aus@mail.mcgill.ca
The AUS Vice-President Social is in charge of social events for the entire Faculty of Arts. In this capacity, they manage Arts frosh, and AUS’ weekly Bar des Arts. The AUS VP Social also works to support departmental associations with their ongoing events, and chairs the events planning committee, EPiC. Each March, the VP Social collaborates with the Science Undergraduate Society in running the annual Grad Ball.
VP Academic
Aishu Rajan
(she/her/elle)
Office Hours:
Fridays 2:30pm – 4:30pm
academic.aus@mail.mcgill.ca
The AUS VP Academic is responsible for all educational, curricular, and academic affairs of the AUS. In this capacity, they liaise with the McLennan-Redpath Library, and work with the Dean and whole Faculty of Arts on various academic related projects. The VP Academic also oversees the AUS’ Essay Centre, Publications Commission, and Peer Tutoring programs.
VP Internal
Sophie Nguyen
(she/her/elle)
Office Hours:
Tuesdays 11:30am – 12:30pm
Thu 11:30am – 12:30pm
internal.aus@mail.mcgill.ca
The AUS VP Internal oversees all departmental associations within the AUS and helps with their operation. They handle all room bookings and liquor permits for the AUS, and also handle environmental initiatives through the AUS Environmental Council. They oversee FEARC, the AUS First-Year Arts Council, and serve as the point person for AUS first year affairs before FEARC is selected. The Vice-President Internal also handles the President’s role if the President is ever absent.
VP External
Logan Hamele
(he/him/il)
Office Hours:
Wed 12:30pm – 2:30pm
external.aus@mail.mcgill.ca
The AUS VP External runs external relations for the AUS in a variety of forms. They sit on the SSMU Legislative Council, and liaise with community members to provide events and services to Arts students through the Arts Community Engagement Committee. They also oversee International Affairs and Sponsorship for the AUS. One of the largest components of the portfolio is putting on events and liaising with groups key to postgraduate opportunities for Arts students, including running AUS’ Work Your BA series, and the graduate schools fair in the fall.
You can book a meeting Here
Arts Senator
Anzhu Wei
(he/him/il)
Office Hours:
Tuesdays 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Fridays 12:30pm – 2:30pm
senator1@ausmcgill.com
Student Senators work to advocate for student needs at the Senate, McGill’s highest academic governing body. In addition, they attend weekly Senate Caucus meetings with the SSMU VP University Affairs and other faculty senators to discuss intersecting issues and projects. Outside of Senate activity, Senators sit on multiple committees to address topics such as student mental health and university assessment practices. During their term, Senators are further encouraged to take on personal projects that they may feel drawn to as a student at McGill.
Arts Senator
Vivian Wright
(she/her/elle)
Office Hours:
Thursdays 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Fridays 2:30pm – 3:30pm
senator2@ausmcgill.com
Student Senators work to advocate for student needs at the Senate, McGill’s highest academic governing body. In addition, they attend weekly Senate Caucus meetings with the SSMU VP University Affairs and other faculty senators to discuss intersecting issues and projects. Outside of Senate activity, Senators sit on multiple committees to address topics such as student mental health and university assessment practices. During their term, Senators are further encouraged to take on personal projects that they may feel drawn to as a student at McGill.
Arts Rep. (SSMU)
Emma Chen
(she/her/elle)
Office Hours:
Fridays 12:00pm – 2:00pm
artsrep1@ausmcgill.com
Arts Reps are mandated to sit on both the AUS legislative council & exec, as well as the SSMU legislative council. During these meetings Arts Reps advocate for the Faculty of Arts students and promote values of equity, advocacy, and integrity. Additionally to councils, Arts Reps have the opportunity to sit on multiple committees for both AUS and SSMU, where they work towards more specific goals in regards to improving the institution(s).
Arts Rep. (SSMU)
Rishi Kalaga
(he/him/il)
Office Hours:
Mondays 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Tuesdays 5:00pm – 6:00pm
artsrep2@ausmcgill.com
Arts Reps are mandated to sit on both the AUS legislative council & exec, as well as the SSMU legislative council. During these meetings Arts Reps advocate for the Faculty of Arts students and promote values of equity, advocacy, and integrity. Additionally to councils, Arts Reps have the opportunity to sit on multiple committees for both AUS and SSMU, where they work towards more specific goals in regards to improving the institution(s).
Arts Rep. (SSMU)
Ben Weissman
(he/him/il)
Office Hours:
Monday 11:00am – 12:30pm
Wed 11:30pm – 12:30pm
artsrep3@ausmcgill.com
Arts Reps are mandated to sit on both the AUS legislative council & exec, as well as the SSMU legislative council. During these meetings Arts Reps advocate for the Faculty of Arts students and promote values of equity, advocacy, and integrity. Additionally to councils, Arts Reps have the opportunity to sit on multiple committees for both AUS and SSMU, where they work towards more specific goals in regards to improving the institution(s).
AUS Political Structure
Structure
SSMU represents all undergraduate students at McGill. They administer all clubs and provide a range of services such as Drivesafe, McGill Student Emergency Response Team (MSERT), and the Black Students Network (BSN). The SSMU Legislative Council discusses issues pertaining to McGill as a whole, and the Faculty of Arts is represented there through our Arts Representatives.
Arts Undergraduate Society
The AUS represents all students in the Faculty of Arts. We provide a variety of resources, services, and advocacy on the faculty level – including peer tutoring, essay writing centre, and the Arts Internship Office. The AUS also runs SNAX, the Arts Lounge, and other campus life initiatives such as Frosh and Bar des Arts (BdA). The AUS Legislative Council discusses issues concerning the Faculty of Arts.
Departmental associations represent students registered in academic programs within the Faculty of Arts. They host events, run listservs, and advocate for student interests within their department. Each departmental association is represented on the AUS Legislative Council.
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