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NEWS RELEASE
September 7, 2023

OUSA Publishes Issue 17 of Educated Solutions: 

Our Evolving Partner in Education: Technology in Post-Secondary

TORONTO - The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) has released Issue 17 of its annual magazine, Educated Solutions. This year's edition focuses on the role of technology in Ontario’s post-secondary sector, and the various areas that the government, stakeholders, and institutions must consider as they develop their strategic visions for the sector.

“As we continue to explore the possibilities and confront the challenges of technology-enabled education, conversations around its accessible and equitable use will play a vital role in shaping the future of post-secondary education,” said Vivian Chiem, President of OUSA and the Vice-President: Government & Stakeholder Relations at Wilfrid Laurier University Students' Union.“It is imperative that we work collectively to build a system that empowers learners, fosters innovation, and prepares individuals to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.”

NEWS RELEASE

August 18, 2023

OUSA releases policy paper titled “Student Accessibility and Disability Inclusion”

TORONTO, ON - The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) is proud to release the thirdpolicy paper approved by OUSA’s Spring 2023 General Assembly, Student Accessibility and Disability Inclusion. The paper was written, approved, and published by students to express their concerns and offer recommendations regarding inclusive policies and institutional practices on accessibility and inclusion of students with disabilities. 

NEWS RELEASE

July 28, 2023

OUSA releases “Habitats: Students in their Municipalities 2023”

TORONTO  - Today the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) released its annual publication, Habitats: Students in their Municipalities. Each year, students from OUSA’s member institutions highlight the successes and challenges they face in their municipalities through a series of case studies on municipal-level topics and issues affecting undergraduate students across the province. This year OUSA has collaborated with Rural and Ready, a student-run non-profit organization, to bring forth this special issue of Habitats focusing on municipal-level topics within the context of rural and northern Ontario.

NEWS RELEASE

June 26, 2023

OUSA releases policy paper titled “Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ Inclusion”

TORONTO, ON - The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) is proud to release the second policy paper approved by OUSA’s Spring 2023 General Assembly, Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ Inclusion. The paper was written, approved, and published by students to express their concerns and offer recommendations regarding inclusive policies and institutional practices on Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ students.

NEWS RELEASE

May 15, 2023

OUSA releases policy paper titled “Teaching and Assessment”

TORONTO, ON - The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) is proud to release the first policy paper approved by OUSA’s Spring 2023 General Assembly, Teaching and Assessment. The paper was written, approved, and published by students to express their concerns and offer recommendations regarding teaching and assessment modalities within Ontario’s post-secondary landscape. 

“As the world rapidly evolves, our post-secondary institutions must remain at the forefront of innovation and adaptability,” said Jessica Look, OUSA's president. “We owe it to our students to ensure that essential learning opportunities are equitable, accessible and tailored to the needs of all students. Sector stakeholders must work collaboratively to address barriers preventing students from accessing a high-quality post-secondary learning experience.”

The pedagogical methods employed in teaching and assessment significantly impact students' growth and development. However, there are several issues that impede their learning experiences. Specifically, students are concerned about the quality of teaching and learning, limited high-impact learning opportunities and inadequate inclusive learning experiences. To address these concerns, students have put forth recommendations that would improve the quality of teaching, expand high-impact learning opportunities and create inclusive learning environments and experiences. 

"Given the transition from online learning post-pandemic, teaching and learning in the post-secondary sector will never be the same," said Sahiba Gulati, Commissioner of External Affairs of Queen's University Alma Mater Society (AMS). " Pedagogy, undergraduate teaching assistants, co-curricular learning, teaching evaluations, and professional development were all greatly impacted by the pandemic, and institutions must be held responsible in keeping up with this new shift in learning."

This policy paper and its recommendations were developed by students at OUSA’s member schools. It was passed on March 5th, 2023, at OUSA's Spring General Assembly, held at Queen’s University.

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OUSA represents the interests of 160,000 professional and undergraduate, full-time and part-time university students at nine student associations across Ontario. Our vision is for an accessible, affordable, accountable, and high quality post-secondary education in Ontario.

Tiffany Li Wu

Operations & Communications Coordinator

Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance

[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
April 27, 2023

Ontario Tech Student Union Joins Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance

Establishes partnership to improve post-secondary student advocacy  

NEWS RELEASE

March 24, 2023

OUSA responds to the 2023 Ontario Budget

TORONTO - Yesterday, the Ontario government released Building a Strong Ontario, the 2023 Ontario Budget. This budget shifts away from limited COVID-19 funding and focuses on investments that work towards viable economic stability for the province in the coming years. Students and recent graduates are critical to the future of Ontario’s economic growth, yet there is a noticeable lack of targeted investments to adequately support these students amid increased costs of living and on-campus activities. In order to address the challenges students are currently facing, OUSA will continue to ask for comprehensive student financial assistance, proactive sexual and gender-based violence services, targeted student mental health funding, and increased operating funding to the post-secondary sector.

NEWS RELEASE

March 14, 2023

OUSA Returns with “Stop OSAP Clawbacks: Housing Edition” Campaign Ahead of 2023 Budget

TORONTO - On March 13th, 2023, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) launched its spring 2023 campaign, the housing edition of OUSA’s fall 2021 Stop OSAP Clawbacks campaign. For three years, OUSA has been demanding the prevention of the Ontario government’s annual $400 million clawback from the provincial portion of the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), and the reinvestment of what is now $1.2 billion in savings back into OSAP.

NEWS RELEASE

March 2nd, 2023

On Thursday, March 2nd, 2023, the provincial government announced another one-year extension to the tuition freeze for the 2023-24 academic year for Ontario residents, and a 5% cap on tuition increases among certain programs for domestic, out-of-province students. While this is a welcomed announcement, OUSA continues to ask the provincial government to complement the tuition freeze by investing in OSAP funding for students who need it most and increasing operating grants to institutions.

NEWS RELEASE

February 28, 2023

OUSA releases policy paper titled “Ancillary and Incidental Fees”

TORONTO - The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) is proud to release the second policy paper approved by OUSA’s Fall 2022 General Assembly, Ancillary and Incidental Fees. The paper was written, approved, and published by students with the purpose of bringing attention to student concerns and recommendations regarding the various fees they pay towards their education outside of tuition.