Spencer Lee, Sci ‘21, wants Queen’s engineers to know what their Society stands for.

As the sole presidential candidate running in the Society’s elections, Lee has structured his platform around increasing student trust and involvement with the Engineering Society, as well as ensuring the Society itself supports its volunteers.

A third-year student studying Engineering Physics, Lee has held a variety of positions within the Engineering Society. He believes his diverse experiences allow him to view the Society from various perspectives and see how the different directorships and portfolios within the Society function as a unit.

In past years, Lee has held the position of Mental Health Representative underneath the Director of Social Issues. Currently, Lee is the EngEvents chair underneath the Director of Events, and is part of the class of 2021’s executive team. He has also worked with the Queen’s Space Conference and is the Events Manager for the Director of Social Issues.

In an interview with The Journal, Lee said he sees a lack of student involvement as one of the primary issues the Engineering Society is facing today, and suggested increased transparency and community-building as the best way to develop a stronger relationship between Engineering students and their Society.

“I want the doors to be open, and all engineering students to understand what it is EngSoc does and how its bettering life for students,” Lee said.

He suggested reinvigorating recruitment methods aimed at drawing student volunteers, focusing more on the skills that students can gain from taking on management roles within the society. Additionally, Lee wants to advocate for a change to the Engineering Society management structure to reduce the burden placed on students in leadership roles, who are often encouraged to extend the length of their degree to allot adequate time to their EngSoc position.

In light of cuts to the Society’s budget as a result of the Student Choice Initiative, Lee referenced the current executive team’s response, based heavily in community-building, as an example to follow.

“In my mind, EngSoc stands for a community. It’s able to connect students with each other,” he said.

Lee is confident extending that community feeling to Engineering students and ensuring they’re aware of the work the Society does will give them the resources they need to make informed decisions about why the Society deserves support.