April 04, 2023
Blog
Interested in writing for OUSA? Contact Tiffany Li Wu, our Operations & Communications Coordinator.
(Re)-introducing Christopher Fernlund, VP Finance & SC Member for Trent Durham Student Association
Bonjour! My name is Christopher Fernlund and I am in my final year at Trent University, where I am completing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. I was re-elected as Vice President of University Affairs for the Trent Oshawa Student Association, soon to be adapted as the Trent Durham Student Association. As VPUA, I represent all Trent University students at the Trent Durham campus, a satellite campus (or more colloquially known as an “alternative campus”) located in Durham Region. I have been told I was elected to propel the young TOSA from infancy to full maturity and with the help of my team, create a standard for future years.
Meet Our Steering Committee: Lindsee Perkins, VP Human Resources and Administration
Hey!
My name is Lindsee Perkins and I’m excited to introduce myself as OUSA’s Vice President Human Resources and Administration for this upcoming year. As I graduate from Western University’s Management and Organizational Studies program with a specialization in Human Resources, I look forward to bringing everything I’ve learned to this role.
Introducing OUSA's New President, Spencer Nestico-Semianiw
Hi there!
I am very excited to introduce myself as the new President of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance. My name is Spencer Nestico-Semianiw, and I’ve just finished my third year of McMaster’s Arts & Science program. Over the last few years I’ve had the privilege to involve myself in student life here at McMaster, and I hope to extend this experience and passion to PSE across the province.
In Conversation: Rodrigo Narro Perez on Mac’s Mental Health Strategy
As advocates for undergraduate students, part of our work at OUSA involves mentoring student leaders and empowering them to become their own advocates. It’s always rewarding to see our student leaders make real change on their campuses. This year, former Steering Committee member and VP Education at McMaster University, Rodrigo Narro Perez, was a key player in soliciting student feedback and publicizing McMaster’s new mental health and well-being strategy. I’d like to share his success today.
March Update from the President
March is always a busy month for our student associations, and here at OUSA we have a lot of excitement approaching as well! This weekend, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance will be welcoming students from across the province to work on passing our next round of policy papers. Hosted by the McMaster Student Union, delegates from across the province will engage in conversations about the future of tuition, as well as some of the specific challenges mature students and LGBTQ+ students may face.
Best and Brightest: International Student Accessibility
International students choosing to study in Canada have some of the highest tuition of any student population in the country. In Ontario, an international student pursuing an undergraduate degree this year can expect to pay over 264 per cent more than their domestic counterparts thanks to high, deregulated international tuition. Given the ever-climbing tuition rates for international students, it must be asked: what student financial assistance is available to international students?
The Gender Pay Gap: Everyone's Problem
Upon the release of the Bachelorette Campaign, I was happy to see the attention this campaign was bringing to the overwhelming gender wage gap present in today’s society. The fact that today’s women are being paid 30 percent less than males in the work place was something that shocked and bothered me.
February Update from the President
This has been an exciting month over at OUSA! One exciting initiative has been the launch of our Bachelorette Degree campaign. You can take a look at the Bachelorette Degree campaign here. OUSA received a grant from the Pay Equity Commission of Ontario to raise awareness about the pay gap in Ontario and thanks to the leadership of our new Director of Communications, Jasmine, I’d say it has been a huge success.
“The Struggle Is Real”- But The Help Is, Too
University can be a great place to learn, grow, and flourish in ways we had never imagined. There are moments during which we will create experiences of a lifetime, and others that will make us want to congratulate good ol’ Murphy for knowing that everything that can go wrong will go wrong.
Positive Effects of New Pedagogies on Accessibility and Quality
The 21st century learning environment has shifted away from old educational structures; rather than following the model of traditional classrooms and curricula, the contemporary learning environment utilizes a number of new pedagogical approaches such as online learning, inquiry-based learning, and problem-based learning. These evolutions can be found across numerous educational structures, and they improve two key aspects of a student’s post-secondary experience: accessibility and quality.