One of the best ways you can take action for change is by becoming a member of OUSA. By becoming a member, your school can set direction for higher education in the province and be a part of the collective activities we organize in order to pursue positive change for students.
If you would like to see some of the successes we have achieved for students along with our members and partners, please click here. For more information on how to become a member, please contact our Executive Director.
Volunteer and Student at Queen's
VALUES & PRINCIPLES OF OUSA
OUSA is guided by a number of key principles, including:
A. MEMBER DRIVEN
Students direct all of the activities of our organization, including our messages to government, our research and policy, our strategic direction, and all of our programs and deliverables. As a member, you are in the driver’s seat.
B. DECISION-MAKING BY CONSENSUS
In order to ensure our decisions reflect the interests of all of our members, we endeavour to make decisions by consensus.
C. ACCESS TO KEY DECISION MAKERS
OUSA representatives strive to ensure students have access to key decision makers, including political and public service representatives in the provincial government, as well as Ministers and MPPs. This access is driven by our professional approach to providing educated solutions while maintaining a strong position on our members’ opinions on issues related to their education.
D. RESPECT FOR THE AUTONOMY OF INDIVIDUAL STUDENT ASSOCIATIONS
Student associations retain autonomy over their own affairs in all matters, including policy, public messaging and methods of alignment.
E. SOLUTION-ORIENTED
One of OUSA’s most important goals is to provide educated solutions to government through responsive research and policy on the issues that affect students the most.
F. COORDINATION
OUSA facilitates the coordination of public messaging and local lobbying efforts to the provincial government by member associations.
G. ACCOUNTABLE
We strive to be accountable to our members through responsible fiscal management and regular, public reporting of our activities.
H. EFFICIENT
We strive to achieve maximum results with limited resources. Member fees are low at $2.02 per student.
I. FOCUSED
In order to achieve successes for students, OUSA remains focused on undergraduate education issues.
J. DECENTRALIZED
As an alliance, OUSA only exists because of the contributions of member associations and student representatives at member schools. As a member, you are OUSA. Therefore, the student representatives on the Steering Committee direct all of the activities of the home office. Policy development is also executed at individual member schools.
K. BALANCED REPRESENTATION
In order to ensure balanced representation, our General Assembly delegations are based on population and our Steering Committee designates one vote per school.
