Officers of Council
In addition to the 5 Executives and the 19 Councillors, the membership of Council also includes the following officers:
Meet the Officers of Council
The Speaker is the presiding officer of all meetings of Students' Council.
The Speaker is appointed annually by, and reports directly to, Students' Council. The Speaker facilitates discussion and debate, makes rulings on parliamentary procedure, and helps to facilitate Students' Council in fulfilling its legislative mandate. The logistical and procedural concerns or questions around Council are the responsibility of the elected Speaker. The Speaker is a non-voting member of Students' Council.
The Board of Governors (BoG) plays a vital role in the University of Alberta, making decisions on tuition fees, managing university assets and finances, and setting the strategic direction for the institution. As a representative for the undergraduate student body, the BoG representative holds a voting seat on the board. They collaborate closely with the Students' Union president and serve as a voting member on both the Students' Council and the General Faculties Council (GFC).
Amaan Khan is a 4th-year Computing Science student with certificates in Entrepreneurship, International Learning, and Interdisciplinary Learning. He is the Undergraduate Board Representative for the 2026–27 academic year and is very committed to bringing student issues to the table through reliable experience and a significant presence on campus.
Amaan is an extremely involved student leader who is always ready to consult with students to resolve any issues they might have or redirect them to the right resources. An international student from Kuwait, Amaan has been involved in governance from a young age and has experience in student policy and student advocacy, which he uses to bridge the gap between student experience and the Board's perspective. Having previously served as the Science Councillor on the University of Alberta Students' Union Students' Council, he makes sure that student concerns are consistently brought forward to Council, GFC, and the Board of Governors. He was also the Deputy Returning Officer for the UASU's 2025 General Election, giving him strong experience in navigating student engagement issues. He has additionally served on the Dean's Advisory Council, which gives him access to diverse perspectives from students across campus.
Outside governance, Amaan is a very active member of the campus community. He is an avid rock climber and works as an instructor at the Wilson Climbing Centre, where he is able to impart his knowledge and love of bouldering and wall climbing to kids and youth. He has lived in On Campus residence for 3 years and worked as a Resident Assistant to foster a wholesome and safe environment within residence.
Beyond the university, Amaan is a huge animal lover. He is an active volunteer at animal shelters and advocates for environmental awareness with the Jane Goodall Institute. He is also very active outdoors, loves mountaineering, and volunteers with Search and Rescue to utilize his outdoor skills for a great cause. He has a pet cat named Bella, whose pictures he loves showing to everyone, and he's always ready to reward students with cat stickers when they meet him. All of these experiences give him a strong foundation and connection to the student body across residence, academic, and recreational spaces.
At the Board, Amaan is very passionate about accessibility, transparency, and affordability of university resources. His priorities include bridging the gap between student concerns and the Board, advocating for the student experience, and providing board members with a raw, unfiltered perspective on student issues. He is focused on making university facilities more affordable and accessible to students, and on raising student awareness of governance processes at the Board level. He is committed to ensuring the Board of Governors works toward providing students with a more affordable, transparent, and accessible experience at the U of A.
The General Manager (GM) is the Students' Union's top permanent employee, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the UASU and for long-term operational planning. Reporting to the Students' Union President and working closely with the rest of the Executive Team, the GM provides invaluable advice and fosters continuity from year to year within the UASU.
All UASU businesses and services report to Directors who, in turn, report to the GM. Across its operations, up to 300 student and permanent staff and over 700 volunteers work to deliver the many programs and services that the UASU provides, on an operating budget of about $15 million.
As a non-student, the General Manager is a non-voting member of Students' Council and of the Executive Committee.
The Chief Returning Officer (CRO) reports directly to Students' Council and is responsible for elections and referenda, from the administration of the voting process to ruling on election matters.
The CRO provides reports to Students' Council throughout the year, especially during election season. They also hold a non-voting seat on Students' Council.
For more information about the CRO or the elections process, check out Governance