Vice President (VP) Internal of McGill’s Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) Leila Alfaro formally announced her resignation from her position at the AUS Council meeting on Oct. 1, citing uncertainty regarding her attendance at McGill in the upcoming semester.
Alfaro will remain in her position as the VP Internal until the by-election is over and her replacement is elected. The nomination period will span from Oct. 9 to 17, the campaign period will take place from Oct. 23 to 30, and the polling period will run from Oct. 28 to 30.
“I decided to resign because, while still unsure, I might not be at McGill next semester,” Alfaro said. “I wanted to have enough time to think my decision through, and I didn’t want to jeopardize the efficiency of AUS operations by suddenly resigning when so much had to be done and without enough time to have a proper transition with the next VP Internal.”
Duties of the VP Internal include overseeing all departmental associations operating under the AUS, managing the Arts Lounge, and presiding over First-Year Council (FEARC), the Equity Committee, and the AUS Environmental Council (AUSec).
The AUS President, Ava Liu, does not foresee internal operations being interrupted by the resignation.
“I plan to ensure a smooth transition going forward using my knowledge of the AUS,” Liu said. “As the VP Internal will be here for the rest of the term and for her transition with the incoming candidate, I foresee a strong institutional memory being preserved within the VP Internal role.”
Alfaro’s resignation comes just weeks after the AUS Council appointed Li Xue to replace the former VP Finance, Kateryn Kim, by a closed ballot vote of 25 for, 15 against. Kim cited personal and familial reasons in her official resignation from her position on Sept. 3.
“I would say that [the transition] was very smooth,” said Xue. “[Kim] was incredibly patient and thorough in helping me navigate this new role.”
Kim trained Xue for the duties of the VP Finance, which included bookkeeping, counting and depositing revenues, writing and processing cheque requisitions and invoices, handling payroll for AUS employees, and keeping financial records.
“The VP Finance has settled well into her position and into her role on the team,” said Liu. “I hope the same will be true for the incoming VP Internal.”
