AUSA Election Candidate Interviews: Wellbeing and Equity VP

Craccum interviews Nadia Sami Malik, and Lakshmipriya Ramamoorthi on their campaigns for Wellbeing and Equity VP.

Note: All candidates running for the role were contacted for an interview. Mele Ngauamo, Ayolabi Martins, Jason Kng Wei Liang, Nabiha Monwar, Naveed Ahmad Fariady, Mariyah Failelei Sui Tuifao, and Jethro Saleupolu did not respond.

Question 1. How would you describe yourself in 5 words?

Nadia: I actually get shit done.

Lakshmipriya: Compassionate. Approachable. Inclusive. Courageous. Action-oriente

Question 2. Which of your policies/visions are you most excited to implement next year?

Nadia: Absolutely no shade to former WEVPs, but the role has historically been a bit of a choose-your-own-adventure. A lot of this year was spent figuring out what the portfolio actually does, building some structure around it, and making sure it can exist beyond whoever happens to be WEVP at the time.

Next year, I really want to make Wellbeing & Equity properly student-facing. I think the 2025 Exec did an amazing job of making AUSA more visible and actually engaging with students, and I want to do the same specifically for this portfolio. Students should know who their portfolio officers are, which communities they represent, what the WEVP is actually doing, and where to go for support. 

That means more collaborations with University support services, clubs and portfolio officers; more free and open wellbeing and equity events; better online resources; and more transparency throughout the year about what we're actually working on. I also want to keep expanding at Grafton through stronger relationships with FMHS clubs and make sure commuters can access things online, rather than our entire wellbeing strategy relying on you being in the Quad at 12 pm on a Tuesday.

Ideally, by the end of next year, students shouldn't need to run for WEVP to find out what the WEVP does.

Lakshmipriya: I am most excited about “From Outsider to Belonging” and “Wellbeing Beyond Instagram” because they come from something I personally experienced when I arrived at UoA. 

As a new postgraduate student, I initially felt isolated and unsure of where I belonged. It took me almost six months to discover the Wellbeing Club—and I only found it through Instagram. That experience taught me that having support available is not enough if students do not know where to find it, or do not feel comfortable taking the first step.

I want to create more welcoming opportunities for students to connect, particularly students who are new, isolated, postgraduate, international or returning to study. I also want wellbeing support to become visible in everyday campus spaces through peer networks, clubs, orientation, lectures and simple “Where Can I Go?” information points.

Alongside that, I want anonymous, low-pressure check-in spaces and a genuine “Student Voice → Student Action” pathway, so students can raise concerns and actually see what happens next.

My vision is simple: support should find students too—not just wait for students to find it

Question 3. What do you think are some of the things that impact students’ wellbeing while they are studying at UoA? How would you address these?

Nadia: UoA having a reputation for being antisocial is not exactly breaking news. At some point we do have to accept that thousands of people silently leaving a lecture and immediately going home isn't doing wonders for campus culture.

But students are also under a ridiculous amount of pressure. You’re studying, probably working because Auckland is not particularly committed to being affordable, joining clubs and extracurriculars, looking for internships, trying to build a CV and worrying about finding a job in the current market. Then you open LinkedIn and someone from your tutorial has just announced they're “delighted to share” something you didn't even know you were supposed to be applying for.

I don't think AUSA can solve the cost of living or personally delete LinkedIn, unfortunately. But we can make university less isolating and make support much easier to find.

UoA actually has a really strong range of support services. The problem is awareness. Respectfully, nobody is reading every newsletter.

I want to bring those services into spaces students already engage with through workshops, events, collaborations and actually useful online content, alongside more free, low-barrier events where students can meet people without having to buy a ticket or already know someone there.

Lakshmipriya: Student wellbeing is affected by much more than academic pressure. Students can experience loneliness, isolation, uncertainty, social disconnection, difficulty finding support and the pressure to appear as though everything is fine.

Universities can sometimes reward students for looking strong, productive and successful, even when they are struggling privately. I want to help change that culture. Vulnerability is not weakness, and asking for support should be seen as courage—not failure.

I would address these issues by making wellbeing more visible, accessible and human. That means stronger peer connections, particularly for students who feel isolated, low-pressure ways to ask questions or seek support, and more proactive outreach through lectures, orientation, clubs and student networks.

I also want to create opportunities for students to connect beyond their degree programmes, because students are people first—not just grades, assignments or academic results.

Most importantly, I want students to know: “You don’t have to pretend you’re okay to belong here.”

Question 4. What kind of support is currently lacking for students?

Nadia: Potentially controversial WEVP opinion: I don't think the answer to every wellbeing problem is another wellbeing service.

UoA and Auckland in general already have a lot of them. What we're missing is a clear connection between the existing support and the students who are meant to use it. You shouldn't need a working knowledge of the University's organisational chart to figure out who can help you.

A lot of students only start looking once something has already gone wrong. I'd rather we become much better at the bit before that: practical workshops around stress and burnout, support services actually coming into student spaces, clearer resources, and more opportunities for students to connect with each other.

It also needs to recognise that there is no single “UoA student experience”. Someone who commutes in for two classes has very different access to campus life from someone who is here constantly. Grafton students are in an entirely different part of Auckland. Some students actively seek out support; others need to encounter it somewhere they already feel comfortable. We don't necessarily need more places students could theoretically go. We need to make it substantially easier for them to actually go there. We have the services. They just shouldn't feel like an Easter egg you unlock halfway through your degree.

Lakshmipriya: I don’t think the main problem is a complete absence of support or a lack of good intentions. I think there is a gap in accessibility, physical visibility and proactive outreach.

My own experience showed me this. I only discovered the Wellbeing Club after almost six months, through Instagram. That made me realise that support cannot depend on whether someone happens to see the right post at the right time.

A student who is isolated, overwhelmed or new to university may not have the energy to search through social media or websites for help. That is why I want support to be present in everyday student spaces—in lectures, orientation, clubs and peer networks—with simple physical “Where Can I Go?” information points.

I also think follow-through is missing. Listening to students is only the beginning. If students raise a concern, they deserve to know that it has been heard, what is being done about it, and what happens next.

Support should not just exist. Students should be able to find it, trust it and see that their voices lead somewhere.

Question 5. Why should students care about AUSA elections?

Nadia: Every election season I see some variation of “what does AUSA even do?” and honestly, fair enough. I’m currently on the exec, and occasionally I also wonder what is happening.

But I think of AUSA a bit like Campus Security. A lot of students will probably finish their degree without ever needing to call Campus Security. That doesn't mean we should get rid of it and see how things go. You want it there because if something does happen, suddenly, who answers that phone matters quite a lot.

AUSA works similarly. You may never personally need an elected representative to advocate for you, but if you do, you want someone competent sitting in that position. Exec members meet with senior University staff, advocate on student issues, allocate student funds, and contribute to decisions that affect people well beyond those who follow us on Instagram.

And AUSA elections have undeniably become a bit of a popularity contest. Knowing someone's name is useful information if you're trying to greet them. It's slightly less useful when deciding who should represent thousands of students. Read the policies, but also look at what candidates have actually done. Anyone can become extremely passionate about students approximately three weeks before an election. Vote for whoever you genuinely trust to still care once the posters come down.

Lakshmipriya: Students should care because representation is not just about having someone speak for you—it is about deciding who will listen to you, advocate for you and act on what you tell them.

AUSA has a role in shaping the student experience, and elections give students an opportunity to choose the priorities they want represented. For me, that means making wellbeing and equity part of everyday student life, not something we only talk about when someone reaches crisis point.

My approach is “Student Voice → Student Action.” I want approachable ways for students to raise concerns, regular opportunities to identify recurring issues, clear communication about what has been raised, and follow-up so feedback does not simply disappear.

I also believe students should care because belonging matters to everyone. You can be academically successful and still feel lonely, disconnected or invisible.

An election is therefore not simply about choosing a candidate. It is about choosing what 

kind of student community we want to build. I want one where different backgrounds and different journeys are respected—and where everyone belongs.

Question 6. Would you increase Craccum’s funding in 2027 to at least $120k? If you were in the executive this year, why was the budget decreased to the lowest it’s ever been in recent years?

Nadia: Yes. Absolutely.

Student journalism matters, and Craccum needs enough funding to actually function as independent student media. It gives students their own platform while also keeping an eye on what is happening at UoA. That includes scrutinising the University and AUSA.

The principle is pretty simple. Student journalism isn't particularly independent if it can only comfortably criticise the people who aren't deciding its budget. Craccum should be able to criticise AUSA, including me, without having to consider whether that criticism might come back to haunt its funding application. That would be a fairly awkward definition of independence.

I do want to be clear about the current budget, though. The 2026 budget was set by the 2025 Executive before I took office, so I wasn't fully involved in the decision to reduce Craccum's funding. I'm not going to retroactively invent a rationale for a decision I didn't make just because I'm now sitting on the other side of it.

What I can answer for is the position I'm taking into the 2027 budget process. I would support Craccum receiving at least $120k and would advocate for enough funding for it to operate as a strong and independent student publication. That includes when they're writing about AUSA and when they're writing about me (ideally favourably, but that part is very much up to them).

Lakshmipriya: Yes. I would support increasing Craccum’s funding to at least $120k, provided this is financially sustainable and  supported by a transparent budget process. I believe independent student journalism has an important role in giving students a platform to share their experiences, ask difficult questions and hold student representatives and institutions accountable.

However, I would not pretend to know why this year’s budget was reduced when I was not part of the executive that made that decision. I think it would be irresponsible to speculate or assign a reason without having access to the actual financial discussions and rationale.

If I were on the executive, I would want that decision-making to be transparent. Students should be able to understand what changed, why it changed, what impact it had on Craccum, and what the priorities are for the following year.

That is also how I would approach my role as Wellbeing & Equity VP: listen carefully, understand the evidence, communicate honestly, and follow through.