ABOUT SSMU EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
The External Affairs Office has 3 Main Components:
EXTERNAL REPRESENTATION
Representation and advocacy off-campus with governments, unions, organisations, and more!
COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
Community building, neighbourhood relations, housing advocacy, and community engagement!
POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS
Student-led causes for a social justice issue such as the climate crisis or police brutality
The position of VP External is outlined in the SSMU’s Constitution as follows:
“The Vice-President (External Affairs) shall exercise the following powers and perform the following duties: to represent the Society and communicate positions and Policy taken by the Society to external bodies and agencies; to lobby federal, provincial, and municipal governments to further the objectives, goals and Policy of the Society; to mobilize students on positions and Policy of the Society and assist in the coordination of student-run political campaigns; to develop Policy regarding initiatives in the Montreal community; to communicate to the Board of Directors relevant external issues which may significantly affect the Society; to coordinate the Society’s Indigenous solidarity efforts; to operationalize the Society’s commitment to the francophone community; and to attend meetings of relevant local, provincial, national or international student groups” (SSMU Constitution 10.14).
Find a list of the Vice-President External’s mandates here. For a more comprehensive picture of the VP External’s responsibilities, take a look at the VP External’s 2022-2023 Mandate Letter, where you’ll find the entire mandate of the position, as set out in the SSMU’s governance documents.
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) is a student union that represents and advocates on behalf of undergraduate students at McGill’s downtown campus.
Alongside the VP External, the SSMU membership elects five other Executives: the Vice-President (University Affairs), the Vice-President (Student Life), the Vice-President (Finance), the Vice-President (Internal Affairs), and the President. The Executives are responsible for carrying out the mandates received through the Legislative Council and General Assemblies, significantly supported by dozens of dedicated, unionized staff. They report on their mandates at every meeting of the Legislative Council or General Assembly.
Within the External Affairs office, the VP External works alongside with the External Affairs Commissioner(s), Community Affairs Commissioner, Community Engagement Commissioner, Black Affairs Commissioner, Political Campaign Coordinator(s), Popular Education Events Coordinator, and the Policy and Mobilization Coordinator. If you are interested in joining the External Affairs team, check out the SSMU Job Board! It is updated regularly throughout the year, and the VP External Affairs is always available to provide further information and answer any questions.
To better understand how SSMU governance works, you can consult this page: https://ssmu.ca/governance/how-ssmu-works/.
The SSMU has a mandate to demonstrate leadership in matters of human rights, social justice and environmental protection. We also are mandated to provide services to strengthen the educational, cultural, environmental, political and social conditions of our membership. By supporting political campaigns and various advocacy initiatives, the SSMU is able to support an important component of student life, helping various students find community, while simultaneously supporting our commitment to equitable leadership.