OUSA

On Thursday and Friday last week, a delegation from OUSA attended the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation’s final conference and the release of the latest iteration of The Price of Knowledge, their flagship publication. Also in attendance at the conference were student groups from across Canada, as well as university administrators, NGOs, and bureaucrats from Canada and the United States.

Deborah Bial, President and Founder of The Posse Foundation, led things off Thursday morning with a breakfast address to attendees. She described the tremendous success her Foundation has had sending “posses” of students from diverse backgrounds to select colleges and universities in the United States. Over 2,200 students have participated so far, with an astounding 90% graduation rate. Discussion focused on whether the Posse Foundation model could be applied to the Canadian system with the same success.

Later that afternoon, John Mighton, Founder of JUMP Math, spoke on the myth that some people just can’t learn math. He argued that anyone can be taught math if it is done in the right way, and that a vast amount of research exists to back his argument. As a math major myself, I found his presentation particularly stimulating. OUSA President Dan Moulton also get into it, volunteering to help Mr. Mighton solve some math problems in front of the group.

Without doubt, the highlight of the conference was the gala dinner Thursday night, featuring Robert Birgeneau, Chancellor at the University of California, Berkeley. His address outlined the pros of California’s higher education system, including the seamless transfer pathways, the large amount of financial aid available, and the success they have had in attracting students from underrepresented groups.

OUSA bought a table for the event and invited our partners from across the sector to join us, including Leah Myers, head of the government’s post-secondary secretariat devising a new long-term plan for higher education.

On Friday, Greg Darnieder, Special Assistant and Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Education addressed the delegates. He explained the recent steps taken south of the boarder to improve access for African American and Latino students.

Later that day I attended a session with Dr. Joy Mighty, President of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. She impressed upon her audience the need to encourage active learning methods in our universities and described some of the innovative ways instructors are pushing the boundaries of traditional teaching pedagogy. I left with a renewed sense of urgency on the need to push the government and our institutions to change the culture around teaching and learning.

Sadly, the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation is approaching the end of its mandate and will be closing its doors in the new year. We at OUSA are deeply concerned about the research gap that will be left when it is gone.

If you’re interested in reading the latest version of The Price of Knowledge, you can download a copy from the Millennium website:

http://www.millenniumscholarships.ca/en/research/PriceKnowledge.asp

-Alexi White

With the power of Blackberry, I write this blog with a toe literally dipped in the Atlantic Ocean (cold in November, fyi). Myself and many of the OUSA folk are in Halifax for the AGM of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations. I can’t help but marvel, not just at the beautiful country we have, but at the strength of post-secondary advocacy in this country. You know (or I hope you do from the OUSA website) about the strength and influence we have in Ontario.  CASA provides the parallel voice federally, with great strength and success. The value of these Alliances is more than just strength in numbers, and a coordinated voice. It’s also about resource and idea sharing, a way for me to strengthen the impact that BUSU has at Brock by learning about what the students’ unions at Calgary and Dalhousie offer their students. The value is in achieving more together than we would be able to fathom working independently. And that’s why I’m proud and humbled to represent my school and my constituents at these conferences. The beautiful east coast scenery is just a side benefit.

-Rob Lanteigne

It is an interesting time on Queen’s campus. The library is buzzing with students writing essays, the pubs and cafes with students who just finished midterms, and many students are home sick with the flu. Most importantly is that the Canadian Student Survey was delivered to all first entry students on Monday. The results of the survey will further enable OUSA to lobby the government by providing reliable primary research about what students want from universities. I encourage all students to fill out the survey in the interest of improving education. It does not matter if you are in the pub or the library; we just need to hear from you.

-Adam Zabrodski

OUSA was recently covered in the University Affairs’ Margin Notes Blog, Canada’s university community magazine.  Click here to read the blog post on OUSA’s submission.  The blog author Léo Charbonneau calls OUSA’s submission “a well-reasoned report,” and that he was “impressed by the submission.” He concludes that “the report is eminently reasonable, especially some of the recommendations on quality and access.”

Academica, Canada’s leading education marketing consultancy, also posted about OUSA’s submission on its top ten post-secondary education news stories of the day email.  Click here to read the news entry on OUSA’s submission.

In addition, student newspapers covered the submission in The Lance, Windsor’s student newspaper, as well as The Cord, Laurier’s student newspaper, and Waterloo’s Federation of Student’s newspaper Imprint. Click here for each story: The Lance, The Cord, Imprint.

To read OUSA’s Press Release and Submission, click here.

This week has been a very good one for OUSA’s coverage in the media.  Our newly designed and revamped website launched on Monday after a few months of sending our members to an archived version, after we were thwarted by the computer gods for having an out of date website.

Today, we were covered in University Affairs’ Margin Notes Blog, Canada’s university community magazine.  Click here to read the blog post on OUSA’s submission.  The blog author Léo Charbonneau calls our submission “a well-reasoned report,” and that he was “impressed by the submission.” He concludes that “the report is eminently reasonable, especially some of the recommendations on quality and access.”

Earlier today, Academica, Canada’s leading education marketing consultancy, posted about OUSA’s submission on its top ten post-secondary education news stories of the day email.  Click here to read the news entry on OUSA’s submission. We get these emails everyday, so its nice to see ourselves in it once an a while.

We also got covered in The Lance, Windsor’s student newspaper, as well as The Cord, Laurier’s student newspaper, and Waterloo’s Federation of Student’s newspaper Imprint. Click here for each story: The Lance, The Cord, Imprint.

That’s all for this week, keep an eye out for OUSA in the media, and when you do, let me know at communications@ousa.on.ca.

-Alvin Tedjo

OUSA has pushed for a number of years now to increase university participation for traditionally underrepresented groups – low-income students, students with disabilities, rural and northern students, aboriginal students, etc. Increasing graduation rates for these students has tremendous benefits, both social and economic.

With this in mind, I attended a roundtable yesterday on youth engagement and the need for a national youth strategy, hosted by Justin Trudeau. In attendance were two dozen charities, lobby organizations and youth counsellors. Discussion ranged from the need for stable funding for front-line support workers to early childhood education, to the need to set national targets for participation in post-secondary education.

OUSA and our partners across Canada are considering drafting a joint submission on the need for a national early outreach strategy. If Mr. Trudeau is successful in convincing the government of the need for a national youth strategy, it is imperative that increasing post-secondary participation is included.

We’ll keep you posted,

-Alexi White

Over the past two years OUSA embarked on an ambitious mission to redefine quality in terms of student success.  In this new paradigm, a quality education is the consequence of student success inputs, which lead to a graduate who is prepared to use the skills and knowledge developed in University.  This is an interesting concept, because it breaks down the notion that a quality education only happens in the classroom.  Now, more than ever, students in Ontario are scrutinizing the entire university system and saying that each component must be focused on the creation of successful students.

Now, this is wonderful and it will mean a fundamentally better education for students in Ontario, but it also means a lot of work.  This new view challenges a lot of what happens on our campuses.  A new discussion needs to happen.  This discussion will entail a great deal of work for student representatives and a willingness to confront administrator who are not used to always thinking about the success of students first.  It is a complicated challenge, but one that I am excited to see us move forward with.

Even more excitingly, it has been exciting to see the language of student success enter into the vocabulary of student representatives across the province.  A clear example of how students are pushing against stale dialogue at the University of Waterloo has surrounded how the calendar dates are set for the Fall Tern.

At present there is a motion from the University Administration to implement classes on the Thursday of Orientation Week.  This has been viewed as a radical change at the University, which has a long tradition of a large full week Orientation.  However, it has been a change the administration claims is a necessity to fit enough examination days into calendars with a late Labour Day.

As Senate prepares to discuss the proposal, the student senators have emerged unwilling to accept vague response.  Instead, student representatives are asking questions about how to best formulate a university calendar to ensure student success.  Students are calling on senate to consider student mental health, academic preparation, and proper orientation to the campus before making a decision about how to set the University calendar.  Further, students are starting to ask questions about how breaks are scheduled throughout the year.  What this means is that through the lens of Student Success the conversation moves beyond a simple filling of criteria to a whole new conversation that adapts the University into an environment that is nurturing of students.

-Justin Williams

TORONTO, Nov. 10 /CNW/ – The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) has submitted recommendations to the provincial government, detailing what Ontario students need to see in a new long-term plan for higher education.  The 40-page submission, entitled Ontario: A Province of Knowledge, focuses on three key student priorities: student financial aid, student success, and tuition.

“With the imminent expiration of the government’s Reaching Higher Plan, students need to see a continued commitment to post-secondary education from the Province,” said Dan Moulton, President of OUSA.  “By tackling issues such as raising the student loan maximums and living allowances, or improving teaching quality, Ontario will be investing in its future success in the knowledge economy.”

The submission was presented to the Honourable John Milloy, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities when he recently attended OUSA’s fall General Assembly. “As you know we have been working hard on this issue, and have come to OUSA to get your feedback,” said Milloy. “This is hard work what you do, representing your institutions and your students.” Moulton added, “this is a very important time for government to recognize that students need better financial assistance, students are struggling and are asking their government for help.”

The submission can be found on OUSA’s newly revamped website at www.ousa.ca, launched today after a lengthy redesign.  The new website also contains all of OUSA’s current policy documents, government submissions, and features pictures and videos from recent events.

As we enter the crunch time of mid-terms, final essays, and of course the dreaded final exams, it is a good time to examine and utilize the many helpful services that exist on our campuses.

At Wilfrid Laurier University the Academic Issues Committee is in full swing this week, campaigning to raise awareness of the academic support services available at WLU.  Students who use these services such as the Writing Centre and Mathematics Assistance Centre not only enhance there writing and mathematics skills, but also develop positive study habits that reduce stress and lead to greater success throughout their university career.

Universities fund these services through tuition or through separate student service fees.  In other words, as students we pay for these services.  As a way of enhancing our university experience and improving our chances of academic success, I challenge all students to consider using the services that we pay for.

-Kory Preston

Do you know what feels better for an organization like OUSA than producing a well thought-out, well reasoned report to the government?  Producing a well received report to the government.

In case you don’t know what I’m referring to, quickly jump over to the “Policy” page and take a look at government submissions. You’ll find there our most recent document, ontario: a province of knowledge.

See, a couple of weeks ago OUSA had a meeting with the Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and some of her staff. We went into that meeting armed with a bevy of copies of our report.  To our surprise, the deputy minster and her staff could not only reference the report directly, but pulled out their own copies that they had brought along with them.

How great is that?

In fact, we have been getting praise all across the sector, as more and more people read through the report and realize that students are the ones at the cutting edge of important discussions on the future of higher education in Ontario.

I’m not trying to “toot our horn” or anything, I just wanted to point out that in a year of such importance to higher education, with new long-term plans being developed, it is great news that not only have we created a quality report, but that there is positive buzz surrounding it across the sector.

-Paul Bien