OUSA

Hello world of OUSA and the PSE sector! My name is Nick Soave and I am the new Vice President Education for the Federation of Students at the University of Waterloo. I have “recently” graduated, my convocation actually occurs on June 16^th , with a degree in Geography and Environmental Management. I have a strong passion for the environment and I will always enjoying driving through the countryside and pointing out meandering rivers and oxbows. I also have a very strong passion for education and how we can continue improve the ever-changing system we have in Ontario.

Some of my priorities for the upcoming year are aligned with student success and more specifically Teaching Quality. Access has been a main focus of the province for years now and all students should be grateful for what has come from that focus on access. Now attention needs to be paid to the quality of the education that our students are receiving. In my opinion the core of a quality education is the ability of professors and lecturers to effectively pass their wealth of knowledge to their students.

I am excited for the year ahead and I think this year can be a great year for the post secondary sector in Ontario. I am looking forward to work with the steering committee and building some great friendships!

-Nick Soave
Vice President Education
University of Waterloo Federation of Students

TORONTO, June 1 /CNW/ – The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) is pleased to announce the election of Meaghan Coker to the position of OUSA President, effective immediately. Coker replaces Dan Moulton, who has completed his one-year term. Joining Meaghan in the OUSA Executive Team is Saad Aslam, from Wilfrid Laurier University, as Vice President – Finance, and Joe Finkle, from McMaster University, as Vice President – Administration. The executive is elected for the 2010-2011 academic year.

As President, Coker provides leadership for OUSA’s Steering Committee and, along with the Executive Director, acts as a voice for the organization to media, government and other stakeholders. Coker is from Guelph, Ontario and is a political science student at the University of Western Ontario. Coker is also the Vice President – University Affairs at the University Students’ Council. In this role she is the chief student contact on academic matters. She also lobbies on behalf of students to university administration and all levels of government.

“Coker, Aslam and Finkle have demonstrated a strong commitment to the students they represent and to improving post-secondary education in Ontario. I am confident that this will be an effective team to lead OUSA forward,” said Alexi White, OUSA Executive Director.

OUSA would also like to thank outgoing President, Dan Moulton, for his exceptional work and commitment to the organization. Moulton provided outstanding leadership and demonstrated a strong commitment to improving the accessibility, affordability, accountability and quality of post-secondary education in Ontario.

On Monday May 17^th, the OUSA Research Team were pleased to attend a session of the Conversations series, co-hosted by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. The topic of concern was the interim results for the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Pilot Project, an early intervention strategy aimed at increasing student success and access to university, which is currently underway in BC. The program targets middle-achieving high school students through an elective class that provides students with the support and skills required to take on more rigorous course loads. The objective is to reduce the academic barriers facing these students and encourage them to take on the more challenging pre-requisite courses necessary for entry to postsecondary education (PSE).

The presentation was led by Dr. Reuben Ford, a Research Director at the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC), the organization charged with assessing the impacts of the AVID program. Dr. Ford focused heavily on the strict research methods employed in the evaluation, along with a discussion of the applicability and potential modifications required in adopting a US designed project. Interim results show an increase in the take up of more rigorous classes among program participants, however it is still inconclusive whether this translates into greater student interest and acceptance into university.

The implementation of early outreach programs that target under-represented groups within the PSE system has long been a priority of OUSA. This summer our Early Outreach policy paper is undergoing a review and will be updated to incorporate the latest research. This most recent session in the Conversations series reaffirms the government’s continued commitment to research and to exploring new innovative strategies that increase student access to PSE.  OUSA would like to thank MTCU for the invitation, and we look forward to the full impact report of the AVID pilot, scheduled for release October 2012.

To learn more about the AVID program and the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation, visit www.srdc.org or read the report at http://www.srdc.org/uploads/AVID_EIR_full_report_eng.pdf . To read about OUSA’s position on early outreach programs, visit OUSA on the books: Early Outreach at http://www.ousa.ca/policy/policy-papers/.

Morgan Campbell
Research Team
morgan@ousa.on.ca

TORONTO, May 17 /CNW/ – Student leaders from the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) met with Premier Dalton McGuinty on Saturday to discuss a range of issues facing the post-secondary education system in Ontario.

“The Premier remains committed to partnering with students to improve Ontario’s post- secondary education system,” said OUSA President Dan Moulton. “We look forward to working with the Premier to address our shared priorities of enhancing the quality of teaching, providing e-learning and international education opportunities, and strengthening accountability for public and student funding.”

At the Premier’s request, OUSA will be providing further input on a number of proposals related to system design that arose during the private meeting.

“The post-secondary sector and the Province as a whole are facing many challenges,” added Moulton. “Students are committed to collaborating with the Premier, his staff and the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities to develop educated solutions that will build on the success of the government’s historic Reaching Higher Plan.”

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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, email: communications@ousa.on.ca

It is with some sadness that I submit my last blog. Even though I’m working at OUSA home office for the summer, I’m going to miss my time with steering committee greatly. It’s been a truly incredible year, with successes in lobbying, policy development and determining the future direction of OUSA. We’ve accomplished so much, and I’m incredibly proud to have served with such a hardworking and intelligent group of people. They had better stay in touch; otherwise I’ll be sad.

Don’t worry though; this isn’t going to be a sentimental piece about how awesome OUSA is (though it is). Instead, I’d like to offer some advice to the incoming steering committee, and really anyone who wants to make a constructive difference in student government.

Seek to contribute, not to impress. OUSA’s biggest strength is the commitment student leaders put forth every year to roll up their sleeves, sit down with a bunch of research and find out how the education system really works. It’s only then that we can provide the educated solutions that our organization values so much.

Its not glamorous and it requires late nights and hard work, but I have always believed that student leaders are there to do this work so that others don’t have to. It’s easy to believe that because of a position or a title that you are important. However, in my time involved with student government I’ve seen some students with titles do very little, and some of their defeated rivals make tremendous differences and contributions.

Its up to you to decide what kind of OUSA you want to lead, but know that any kind of change takes an incredible commitment. The difference you make will depend on your ability to make this commitment.

I know you’ll do it.

-Chris Martin
OUSA Steering Committee 2009-2010

One unfortunate reality of traditional teaching models is that student learning is very much an independent, isolated experience. In the pervasive lecture-style approach to teaching there are few opportunities for learner participation and discussion. Students are expected to memorize the material presented by the instructor and regurgitate it on a final exam. Nowhere in this process are students encouraged to interact with their peers and to learn from one another.

Though changing the prevailing wisdom on teaching and learning is difficult, news out of the University of Saskatchewan shows that it can be done, and the potential benefits are tremendous. U of S reported last week that its decision to create Learning Communities has paid off to the tune of a 10% average increase in participant’s grades.

Learning Communities have been employed sporadically for many years as an effective way to facilitate collaborative learning at the first-year level. In the U of S model, 333 students participated in 11 learning communities of 30-40 students each. The students were co-registered in 2 or 3 classes and “take part in community-specific activities, such as a weekly meeting led by senior student mentors.”

Some large universities in the United States have already adopted models where students co-register in blocks of 25 to 30. As at U of S they attend larger sized lectures but meet frequently to discuss the material with their peers in the Learning Community. This is similar in principle to tutorials, but the discussion group stays consistent between classes.

The reasons behind the success of these initiatives has also been well documented. Student interaction with peers has been shown to positively influence overall academic development, knowledge acquisition, analytical and problems solving skills, as well as overall student self esteem. Additionally, increased opportunities for peer interaction within the classroom bring students into contact with students from diverse backgrounds, which has also been positively correlated with improved learning outcomes.

The classroom experience brings together students of all types and has great potential for interaction and common exploration. It is vitally important that teaching be done in a way that facilitates this interaction between students, as well as between students and faculty. The results at U of S further demonstrate that our unwillingness to move away from traditional didactic instruction is keeping our students from realizing their full potential. With provincial and institutional leadership, similar collaborative learning opportunities could be extended to students from all institutions across Ontario.

Alexi White
Executive Director

University of Saskatchewan press release:

http://announcements.usask.ca/news/archive/2010/05/u_of_s_learning.html

For more on Learning Communities and student success, see:

Kuh, George D., Jillian Kinzie, Jennifer A. Buckley, Brian K. Bridges, and John C. Hayek. Peicing Together the Student Success Puzzle: Research, Prepositions and Recommendations. ASHE Higher Education Report 32.5 (2007)

Tinto, Vincent. Taking Student Retention Seriously, (Syracuse University: April 15, 2002),

Falchikov, Nancy. Learning Together: Peer Tutoring in Higher Education, (London: RoutledgeFalmer, 2001)

Hey everyone,

Morgan and Chris here. We’re the two new research interns hired to beef up OUSA’s research capacity over the summer. After a review of the projects tasked to Steering Committe by the OUSA General Assembly, it is evident that there is a lot in store for OUSA in the months ahead. Our two major projects will consist of a review and update of the Early Outreach Paper (available in the policy section of our website), as well as preliminary work on a policy paper on international students.

For the early outreach paper, the process will involve gathering recent research on community based outreach programs that aim to educate youth about the variety of opportunities within the broad range of post secondary institutions and degree types. We are hoping that the new paper not only reflects OUSA’s support for early outreach initiatives, but also looks closely at successful programs being implemented across the province. These programs will be assessed for their effectiveness and ability to address both financial and non-financial barriers to access.

For the paper on international students, we will be looking at issues surrounding how much they pay, what support systems they have access to, as well as how conducive our system is to encouraging international student participation and success. There are a number of concerns with the amount international students pay for their education, the work they are eligible to apply for, as well as their ability to utilize social services such as health care, as well as on-campus student support services. We’re excited to put forward in-depth solutions to issues facing international students in a time when Ontario is seeking to double international enrolment.

You’ll be hearing from us more as the summer progresses. We’re excited to work here, and are even more excited to delve into these important research topics.

-Morgan Campbell & Chris Martin
Email us at morgan@ousa.on.ca | chris@ousa.on.ca

Click HERE for a copy of the report

TORONTO/CNW/April 29 – Undergraduate students in Canada are deeply concerned about their ability to pay back their student debt, says a report released today by a partnership of student alliances from across Canada. The “Canadian Student Survey: Upper-Year Canadian PSE Students Future Plans and Debt” examines how students feel about their job prospects and debt levels, as well as how this debt will impact their future.

The report, based on a survey of over 21,000 students, half of them from Ontario, shows that over half of upper-year students with debt are concerned with their ability to pay it back. In addition, one-third of students reported turning to private loans to finance their education, causing them to pay higher interest rates while enjoying none of the repayment assistance available for government loans.

The report also examines how those students from families with the lowest levels of parental education were more likely to have accumulated debt and to have higher total median debt.

“There’s no doubt that students from families with lower levels of parental education are being hit the hardest,” said Dan Moulton, President of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance. “While the provincial and federal governments have done much to improve financial assistance, significant challenges remain.”

The Repayment Assistance Plan, recently adopted by the provincial and federal governments, will do much to support students with high government debt. But both levels of government continue to spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year on education tax credits that predominately benefit students from high-income backgrounds and do nothing to promote access to education. During the 2007 Ontario election, the Liberal government pledged to eliminate these tax credits and move the money into up-front grants.

“We look forward to seeing the government fulfill this commitment in the coming year,” added Moulton. “More government grants are absolutely necessary if we are to reduce students’ reliance on costly private loans and ensure a bright future for all.”

The Canadian Student Survey was a bilingual, multi-institutional survey conducted on university campuses across the country in the fall term of the 2009-10 academic year. It was commissioned by a partnership of student alliances across the country, including the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA), Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) and Alliance of Nova Scotia Student Associations (ANSSA).

The report is the second of three to be released this year, and can be found HERE

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact Alvin Tedjo, Director of Communications & Public Relations.
Office: (416) 341-9948; Cell: (647) 669-6885; Email: communications@ousa.on.ca

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The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance represents the interests of over 140,000 professional and undergraduate, full- and part-time university students at seven Ontario institutions.

This morning OUSA received an invitation from the Executive of the Ontario Council of Academic Vice-Presidents to present our work on teaching and learning at their May meeting. Teaching and learning issues will be front and centre throughout the meeting, with the authors of Academic Transformations also attending to provide their recommendations.

Based on our research and on many consultations with students and educational developers, we’ve identified seven broad concerns with the state of teaching and learning in Ontario, as well as a number of cost-effective recommendations for improvement. Students have made it quite clear that improvements are necessary, but we need leadership from all levels of institutional governance if we are to truly change the culture around teaching and learning. I’m hopeful that we can begin a constructive dialogue with the Academic Vice-Presidents about the best way to move forward.

OUSA’s seven concerns are as follows:

1. There is a lack of emphasis on, and support for, the scholarship of teaching and learning
2. We rely too heavily on outdated teaching methods
3. Centres for Teaching and Learning do not receive adequate funding and support
4. There is insufficient emphasis on student-faculty interaction, especially in the first year
5. Excellence in teaching is consistently undervalued and not sufficiently recognized
6. Physical infrastructure inside and outside the classroom is often not designed to support active learning
7. Graduate students, Ph.D. Students, and new instructors are not required to complete any formal training in teaching, learning and assessment.
   

Alexi White
Executive Director

We shed a single tear as we write our final heartwarming OUSA blog. As we take the time to reflect on what has been an amazing year, we are incredibly proud of the accomplishments and progress of OUSA. It is sad to leave the rest of steering committee as we return to becoming normal students who start their day at 11 am and end in a pub. A special thank you to the wonderful home office staff who provided endless amounts of support. We know that they will be breathing a sigh of relief as our rambunctious steering committee will no longer be frequenting the office. Best of luck to Kieran and Chris who will be rolling their eyes as they get lectured about Western’s best student experience for hours on end. It has been a fantastic year for students, and we can only hope that next year will be even better.

Adam Zabrodski + Susannah Gouinlock
Queen’s University Alma Mater Society