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NEWS RELEASE

November 27, 2023

 OUSA returns to Queen's Park for annual Student Advocacy Conference

TORONTO – This week, from November 27th to 30th, eighteen student leaders from the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) are meeting with MPPs and their staff to discuss student concerns. OUSA represents 160,000 students from nine universities across Ontario, and our student representatives will be advocating for OUSA’s priorities on housing and transit, mental health, food insecurity, and sector sustainability.

NEWS RELEASE

November 15, 2023

Student Organizations Across the Country Release a Joint Publication on Sector Sustainability

TORONTO – As post-secondary jurisdictions across the country navigate ongoing financial precarity, six student advocacy organizations across Canada

 have come together to release Shared Perspectives: A Joint Publication Sector Sustainability. This year's publication looks at how provincial and federal governments can adopt student-centric sustainable funding practices to reduce the overreliance on student contributions in institutional funding while maintaining quality program and service delivery. Like many other sectors across the country, the post-secondary sector has had to adjust to cutbacks and austere funding, which can negatively affect students' access to academic and extracurricular experiences.

NEWS RELEASE

November 15, 2023

TORONTO - The Blue Ribbon Panel has released their final report with recommendations to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities on how to improve the financial viability of the post-secondary sector while considering student affordability and success. Earlier this year, OUSA provided a written submission to the Panel and was also invited to a virtual consultation to highlight student-centred recommendations on a variety of topics such as tuition, OSAP, government grants, and international students. Our submission can be found here.

NEWS RELEASE

October 20th, 2023

OUSA releases policy paper titled “Tuition”

TORONTO, ON - The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) is proud to release the third policy paper approved by OUSA’s Fall 2022 General Assembly, Tuition. The paper was written, approved, and published by students to express their concerns and offer recommendations regarding measures that actively improve the provincial tuition framework and its implications on student affordability. 

JOINT STATEMENT

October, 2023 - "It is a critical moment for higher education in Ontario. As the Blue-Ribbon Panel concludes its report to the government on the adequacy and stability of postsecondary funding, now is the time for government investment – because an investment in universities means an investment in our students and an investment in the province’s future.

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]