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The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance Teaching Excellence Award recognizes educators who excel at unlocking the potential of Ontario’s young people. Successfully engaging individuals in the learning experience depends on an instructor's ability to spark students' curiosity and desire to learn. It is our pleasure to give these remarkable professionals the recognition they deserve.

An excellent instructor will be able to engage their students in the process of learning and discovery and help them develop the critical skills that form the foundation of a robust education. With this in mind, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance annually presents its teaching awards to professors from each of our member campuses who have taken this role to heart, and who have been selected by their students as examples of teaching excellence. 

We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2020 OUSA Teaching Excellence Awards!

OUSA spent a lot of time doing policy work this month! We successfully held our 52rd OUSA General Assembly fully virtually. The General Assembly reviewed, edited and passed two policies papers: Student Health & Wellness and Addressing Racism and Religious Discrimination. We also approved a report on the status of the Indigenous Students policy paper, which is set to be updated in Fall 2021. The full, published policy papers will be up on our website and social media sites by the end of May.

Hi everyone!

My name is Malika Dhanani and I’m so excited to be joining OUSA as the newest Research and Policy Analyst.

I did my undergrad at the University of Guelph, graduating with a Baccalaureate of Applied Science in Child, Youth, and Family. Just last week, I finished my Master of Social Work (MSW) degree at the University of Toronto, and will be graduating from the Social Justice and Diversity field of study.

Hello!

For post-secondary students, February was an eventful month filled with election campaigns, midterms, and reading breaks. Student associations across Ontario navigated virtual elections and elected new executives—congratulations to the newly elected student leaders! The year ahead will be a challenging and rewarding one.

SUMMER RESEARCH INTERN

DEADLINE: Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at 11:59PM.

EMPLOYMENT TERM: 16 weeks from May 10th  to August 27th, 2021

COMPENSATION: $15 per hour, 35 hours per week

LOCATION: Remote Work

OUSA is looking for a skilled and passionate Summer Research Intern to join our close-knit team for the summer. This is a great opportunity for students who have some knowledge of student issues and advocacy but are eager to learn more. 

Under the guidance of the Research & Policy Analysts, the Summer Research Intern will be working in a small and energetic (virtual) office, where they will engage with complex policy topics, conducting qualitative and quantitative research, and contributing to OUSA publications. This internship offers the opportunity to develop research and communication skills and explore personal research interests while learning about advocacy and public policy in Ontario. 

View Job Posting >>>>

From January to February every year, student unions and associations are bustling with energy, noise, and anticipation of who will become their next executives. But election campaigning took a dramatic turn this year, shifting from in-person campaigns that filled the halls with posters, eager candidates and volunteers, to virtual social media campaigns. Given this new reality, how will students engage with candidates, what should they look for, and why should they even pay attention?

Hello all!

January has been a busy month—not just for OUSA, but for all of our student associations as they hold elections to determine next year’s executives and student leaders. Wishing the best of luck to all those student associations who have completed or are currently in the elections process. Hosting an election entirely virtually is no easy feat, but we’re optimistic that students will continue to engage in democracy, even in this online world. We look forward to welcoming a new group of student leaders and working with them to improve post-secondary education and student experiences across their campuses and beyond.

OUSA is proud to introduce the University of Ottawa Student’s’ Union (UOSU) as an official observer school! Since joining OUSA in December 2020, UOSU has attended OUSA’s Fall General Assembly and Student Advocacy Conference. OUSA is excited to work with UOSU as we continue to advocate for accessible, affordable, accountable and high-quality post-secondary education in Ontario.

We had a chance to chat with Tim Gulliver, UOSU’s Advocacy Commissioner and Steering Committee representative. Here's what Tim had to say about UOSU, student advocacy during COVID-19, and what matters most to students right now: 

 The everyday stress and anxiety that many university students face extends beyond the worry of test grades and course examinations. These feelings and emotions can impact every aspect of a student’s life, making it difficult for them to make friends, study effectively, or eat healthy. There is a domino effect here, where the stress from one issue affects other areas of a student’s daily life. Financial worries, in particular, can be the greatest contributing factor to the everyday stresses that students face. Students who come from low-income families often experience this to the greatest extent, since often, low income is associated with food insecurity and lack of housing.

March 2020 was when everything turned for the worst. Beyond classes moving fully online and being required to isolate, every event and celebration for my fourth year of undergrad was abruptly cancelled. My peers and I were being told to get used to the “new normal,” unsure of what that meant or how long it would last.