The Board of Directors report card: VP Administration Shaarujaa Nadarajah

As the union’s Chief Administrative Officer, Shaarujaa Nadarajah’s role is mainly focused on maintaining and supporting the day-to-day operations of each MSU service.

Currently, Nadarajah only holds check-ins with part-time managers once a term and during the each service’s peak usage, meaning each PTM meets with Nadarajah a few times throughout the year for half-hour meetings discussing the strengths and weaknesses of their service. PTMs may ask for more proactive check-ins, and Nadarajah has highlighted that some PTMs have asked for this.

Nadarajah also holds monthly meetings with all SRA caucus leaders in order to help them fulfill their platform, meaning that SRA members are also being supported in that respect.

While it makes sense to move attention to peak usage months, having one official meeting per term means that PTMs are only meeting with their direct superior a handful of times throughout their terms and places much of the onus of support on PTMs themselves. Thus, Nadarajah has offered adequate, but not exceptional support to PTMs and SRA members.

With that said, Nadarajah has done a commendable job fulfilling her platform, by restructuring SRA training, clustering services’ trainings and debriefs and running workshops to aid people outside of the “MSU bubble” apply for positions with the MSU.

In addition, Nadarajah plans on implementing a blended learning format to SRA training mimicking the format of Welcome Week training, where SRA members may learn the more bureaucratic aspects of their role through online modules, and focus on professional development during the weekend retreat held in June.

Nadarajah has also made strides in making various MSU services more accessible for the general public, by implementing workshops and information nights for individuals to come and reach out to PTMs, something that often hinders people from volunteering with various MSU services.

Nadarajah has taken on other projects, such as sitting on the space audit committee, which took a look at the way MSU space is allocated, which occurred during the summer. The final audit found that the Maroons did not need an office, and re-allocated that space to Maccess, as well as shifting the distribution of storage space for services in the MSU committee room.

Nadarajah has also been involved with various campaigns in order to support various SRA members.

It is clear that while Nadarajah may not offer exceptional support to her staff, she has made efforts in other administrative areas to better the union and has been proactive in the McMaster community.