OUSA

Hello Everyone!

I can imagine our campuses are going through the same withdrawal right now, with the absence of lively (read: loud) students replaced with busy/stressed/anxious students. The growing thickness of snow and the Queen’s Centre has dulled some of the pain, what with an entire new building filled with places to sit and study. Stauffer Library (or Club Stauff, as it is affectionately known as during this time of year) is still filled to the brim with, but getting a late start (say 9 am) on studying might not mean you are out of luck until 10 pm finding a spot! thank goodness I have my office to…erm…work. Happy studying folks! Best of luck on finals!

-Susannah Gouinlock

TORONTO, Dec. 8 /CNW/ – Student leaders representing 140,000 undergraduate students from across Ontario have returned home from Queen’s Park where they met with over 45 MPPs and 17 Ministers last week to discuss the future of post-secondary education. The meetings were arranged as part of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance’s (OUSA) annual three-day lobby conference. Priorities included improving student financial aid, enhancing student success and quality, as well as creating a tuition framework and cost-sharing model that is fair to Ontario students.

“This was the most successful lobby conference in OUSA’s history. We met with more ministers, MPPs, bureaucrats and stakeholders than ever before,” said Dan Moulton, OUSA President. “Most importantly, legislators are beginning to understand that investment in our institutions and students is a necessity for the long-term prosperity of our Province, not to mention an immediate economic stimulus for Ontario’s communities.”

With Ontario facing a record deficit, OUSA’s recommendations focused on targeted investments that will have a large impact on students without a tremendous cost to government.

“OUSA’s ideas were very well received by MPPs from all parties and congratulations were frequently given on our pragmatism and forward-thinking solutions,” Moulton added. “Many Members were eager to back our cause, promising letters to the Premier, questions in the legislature, or, in the case of many in Cabinet, to voice support for our solutions to their colleagues.”

At the close of the event, students met with the Honourable John Milloy, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, who expressed interest in OUSA’s recommendations on improving teaching quality and the first-year experience, and agreed on the need to update the OSAP need assessment formula to reflect students’ true costs.

For further information: or to arrange an interview please contact: Alvin Tedjo, OUSA Director of Communications & Public Relations, work: (416) 341-9948, cell: (647) 669-6885

At Brock, we’re in that break period where a snow day would exist for the fall semester. But since Mother Nature hasn’t even given us a snowflake yet, it’s simply a lull before the big exam rush. We at BUSU are still hard at work behind the scenes for you though. Today, the first 24-hour space on campus opens thanks to BUSU initiatives, and our library begins extended hours and overnight laptop loans this week as well.

Of course, we’re also planning far beyond this month, into planning Frost Week and other activities for next semester. Elections are coming up soon as well: when you return in January, pick up your nomination papers for any spot on the BUSU executive or Board of Directors.

But before you do that, take a deep breath, relax, and ace those exams.

-Rob Lanteigne

On Monday night I had the opportunity to attend the official launch of the new book from the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, or HEQCO, called Academic Transformation: The Forces Reshaping Higher Education in Ontario. In it, the authors Ian Clark, Greg Moran, Michael Skolnik, and David Trick argue that the post-secondary education system, as it exists now, is unsustainable in the long run and due to failure sometime in the 2020s. This incredibly provocative assertion is backed up using funding and enrolement projections for the future.

Given this troubling future, they propose a variety of options, including a wide ranging differentiation that includes colleges, polytechnics, liberal arts universities and research intensive institutions. Without a doubt, this book will begin an important and much needed debate regarding the future of the system of higher education in the province of Ontario. As a student advocate, I look forward to our part of this dialogue towards building a brighter future for higher education in the province of Ontario.

-Paul Bien

Thanks to the hard work of our student leaders, OUSA’s three-day lobby conference was a resounding success. Before turning the page on this event, we’ll take a second and look back on what we’ve accomplished.

Over three days of lobbying on behalf of Ontario’s undergraduate students, our student leaders discussed and debated issues of financial aid, tuition, funding, and student success with over 60 Members of Provincial Parliament from all three major parties, including 18 Ministers and the Leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party. With a new long-term plan for post-secondary education due in a few month’s time, OUSA impressed the need for strong leadership and continued investment to more than half of our elected representatives in only 72 hours.

With Ontairo facing a record deficit, OUSA’s recommendations focused on targeted investments that will have a large impact on students without a tremendous hit to government coffers. Our ideas were very well received by MPPs from all parties and congratulations were frequently given on our pragmatism and professionalism. Many Members were eager to back our cause, promising letters to the Premier, question in the legislature, or, in the case of many in Cabinet, to recommend our solutions to their colleagues.

The conference ended on a high note as OUSA met with John Milloy, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. Minister Milloy expressed interest in our recommendations on improving teaching quality and the first-year experience and agreed on the need to update the OSAP need assessment formula, particularly the loan maximum and living allowance.

OUSA will continue to press the government for necessary changes to post-secondary education and ensure that the next long-term plan reflects the needs of Ontario’s undergraduate students.

-Alexi White

In this wonderous November gridiron scenario
The players from the team of my alma mater
Lose the final game the Gaels from Ontario
I thought of the ending, the insults and fodder
The match between the titans was riveting
The golden warriors of Queen’s came to play ball
The score however for the Dinos was limiting
In the end the Gaels were too tough and tall
The Vanier Cup goes to Kingston this year
A second half whose comeback will live on
And has left my U of C with a tear
After trailing eighteen the Gaels actually won
And I have learn’d an important lesson
Not to bet against Ontario I’m guessin’

Peace, love and happiness to all my friends in Ontario and particularly those at Queen’s.

Duncan Wojtaszek, Executive Director
Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS)
780-297-4531 / duncan@caus.net

This morning, team Ringo had a fantastic meeting with Minister Gravelle in a nice boardroom, shiny tables and pictures on the wall. He it was insulated from office bustle and provided a focused setting.

After question period, we met with MPP Liz Sandals at a 6-foot foldaway table in a hallway of Queens Park surrounded by coat racks when our booked time in a meeting room expired.

Scheduling of rooms aside, both meetings required the dedication from us, and both members gave us their full attention and asked thoughtful and challenging questions to our submissions. No matter what the setting this week, and there have been many varieties, the OUSA brief has been circulating, our magazine is being read, and Queens Park is becoming re-engaged with the topic of post secondary education.

-Rob Lanteigne

It’s clear that the effects of our first day of lobbying have already begun resonating among MPPs. Today we had the opportunity to present our submission to five MPPs, each of whom offered different avenues to help us advance our association’s visions. We were offered two commitments from Progressive Conservative MPPs to formally write letters on our behalf to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. We’re looking forward to a third and final day of what promises to be another successful lobbying campaign.

Take care,

-Vincenzo Mazza

After a morning of successful meetings with the Minister of Revenue and the Special Assistant to the Minister of Finance, our team had a chance to sit down for an hour with NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and Rosario Marchese, NDP critic for Training, Colleges and Universities. Both of them expressed support for OUSA’s financial aid and student success recommendations, and much of the conversation centred on the need for greater government funding to our universities.

With the release yesterday of our report on the economic impacts of post-secondary education, we’ve spent a lot of time over the course of our lobby conference stressing the long-term benefits of investment in this critical area. Mr. Marchese’s assistant had already read our report and was extremely complimentary of our work, calling it the best work on the topic he’s ever read. We agreed to collaborate on questions for question period and Mr. Marchese agreed to support our issues in a letter to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.

-Alexi White

Another successful day in Queen’s Park for OUSA. In addition to the normal slate of meetings, we had the opportunity to meet with the Council of Ontario Universities (COU). We discussed educational quality and how post secondary education should be viewed as an investment for the future benefit of society. The COU is very eager to work with OUSA, and commended our most recent submission on investing in PSE. The Park is beginning to feel very friendly, as despite recent drama in the house our messaging regarding students has been warmly received. Today we had two commitments from two members to submit letters to the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities on our behalf. We are saving the best for last though, as tomorrow we will be meeting with two ministers.

-Adam Zabrodski