Blog

Hello everyone!

I'm Blake Oliver and I am so excited and honoured to be serving on this year's Steering Committee. Outside of OUSA, I am the Vice President (Education) and Corporate Officer of the McMaster Students Union (MSU).

I first set foot on McMaster's campus three years ago. It was May at Mac, the annual Spring preview day that allows newly accepted potential Mauraders to get a feel for the campus before deciding if McMaster is right for them. I knew right when I stepped on campus that Mac was where I wanted to be.

Hello all!

My name is Kraymr Grenke and it is privilege and honour to serve as the 2016-17 Vice-President Finance for OUSA.

I am currently in my fourth year at Laurentian University in Sudbury enrolled in the Honours Bachelor of Commerce with a specialization in Accounting. My post-secondary education journey started at the University of Western Ontario in 2011, moving on to Seneca College and finally Laurentian where I have now called home for the past 4 years. My journey has been exciting and filled with different opportunities. Having been a post-secondary student at both the university and college level, I have the unique ability to bring the perspective of the needs and issues faced of post-secondary students at both levels.

Hello Everyone!

My name is Jamie Cleary and I am thrilled to be serving as the 2016-17 OUSA President.

I recently finished my four years at Western University, attaining my Bachelor of Medical Sciences with an Honours Specialization in Physiology. Outside of the classroom I found a passion for advocacy, which drove me to run to be the University Students’ Council Vice-President. Advocacy, for me, means representing and supporting the needs and beliefs of students. It’s an opportunity to influence real and tangible change. However, none of these changes happen through the work of one individual. Advocacy requires a dedicated team working together towards a cause, and helping to create the change that their delegates deserve. I am so excited for the opportunity to be OUSA President, helping to lead a team with the ability to generate many positive impact for the future of all undergraduate students in Ontario.

Do you know which city in Ontario has the lowest unemployment rate? In which industry wages are rising or falling? What “economic growth” actually means for you?

If not, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article we’re going to cover four main aspects of Ontario’s economy that are most relevant to students: jobs, wages, inflation, and growth. This is by no means an exhaustive guide to economics or employment, but is merely meant to act as an informative brief that can help you in a pinch, or assist you in making a more informed decision in your studies or career.

Hello!

My name is Lindsay D’Souza and I am both excited and motivated to continue exploring my passion for post-secondary education and advocacy as the Summer Research Intern for the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance.

Hi everyone,

It's very bittersweet to be writing my final blog as President of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance. Just under 12 months ago, I was elected President of OUSA to serve the needs of over 140,000 undergraduate students. This position has been both extremely challenging and extremely rewarding, and has been one of the most fulfilling opportunities of my life. I'd like to thank the Home Office staff, our Steering Committee, and the countless students and partners who have made OUSA's work so successful and so meaningful. Now, for the last time, I'd like to update you on the work we've done this month.

Some universities have the privilege of being located in destination cities, and some towns are fortunate enough to host globally renowned institutions. In Ontario, students typically get the best of both worlds.

Written by Jeremy Steinhausen

Following Disabilities Week at Brock, I met up again with Keely, Alanna, and Jessica (if you have not read our pre-Disabilities Week conversation, do so here. In this second part, we continue our conversation on disabilities and how ABLE looks to help continue to foster an inclusive and accessible environment for all students.

Statistics describing sexual violence are jaw dropping. As we have discussed in the past, the Canadian Women’s Foundation reports that only one third of Canadians understand what sexual consent means. Sixty-six percent of female victims of sexual assault are under age 24 and less than 10 percent of sexual assaults are reported to police.

The relationship between university education (or post-secondary education more broadly) and graduate employment is always a hot topic in the sector. Employment outcomes are in fact used as a proxy for determining how well universities are working-- see Ontario’s key performance indicators. Students too are incredibly invested in their employment prospects: employment related motivations remain at the top of lists of why students attend university (according to the Canadian University Survey Consortium (CUSC), the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, and other surveyors of students). Going into our 43rd General Assembly, more than half of our delegates said they were most interested in this year’s Student Employment policy paper.