Matt Scribner becomes new SGPS President

5.7 per cent voter turnout in Society of Graduate and Professional Studies elections

Matt Scribner
Image by: Justin Chin
Matt Scribner

After running unopposed, Matthew Scribner won the election for president of the Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS).

On March 2, he won with 88.6 per cent of the vote.

Scribner, PhD ’12, said he plans to increase access to the SGPS for graduate students.

“I’m going to hold office hours, which is the traditional grad student thing to do, on both campuses. The SGPS doesn’t have an office on West Campus, but that’s okay — I’ll just be in the foyer to meet people,” he said.

Voter turnout was 5.7 per cent in the election.

Scribner added that he also plans to use social media to reach out to students.

“I’ll tweet. I think I’ll probably start a blog,” Scribner said.

Scribner said he decided to run for SGPS president because he wanted to increase the SGPS presence on campus.

“I want to increase our profile so people understand why we’re important as an organization.”

Scribner added that people usually underestimate the importance of the SGPS.

“The thing about the SGPS is that it’s unique in that it’s not just graduate students, but professional students,” he said. “We have upcoming lawyers, teachers and priests. We’re representing a very diverse group of people.”

Even though his first day in office is April 1, Scribner said he has already been working.

“The outgoing president, Jillian [Burford-Grinnell], is going to be the VP of finance in the SGPS, so there’s a bit of continuity there,” he said. “And she’s already kind of taken me under her wing.”

Scribner said one of his goals is to make the SGPS equivalent to the AMS in the minds of students.

“I would want to say that the SGPS is a pillar in the Queen’s community a year from now — one of the first things everyone thinks of when they think of organizations like the Senate or the AMS,” Scribner said.

— With files from Savoula Stylianou

Tags

doctor, lawyer, Mike Scribner, priest, SGPS president

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