NEWS RELEASE
July 22nd, 2026
OUSA Releases Policy Paper Titled “Accountability and System Vision”
TORONTO - The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) is proud to release the first policy paper, Accountability and System Vision, approved by OUSA’s Fall 2025 General Assembly. The paper was written, approved, and published by students to draw attention to concerns and propose student-driven recommendations regarding the structures, decision-making processes, and tools for systemic direction that shape post-secondary education.
"Students across Ontario deserve to understand and participate in the systems that affect their education,” said Rory Norris, Vice-President, Government and Stakeholder Relations at the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA). “It is crucial that students' perspectives are considered to ensure adequate involvement, quality assurance, and a more sustainable post-secondary education system for future students.”
This paper highlights students' concerns about macro-level processes that impact their university education. Particularly, the lack of transparency in the province’s post-secondary policy frameworks, limited and inequitable representation on university governing bodies, and insufficient quality assurance. Students also raised concerns with unbalanced funding models, inadequate mediation processes, and insufficient capacity expansion initiatives; particularly for Indigenous, rural and northern, and Francophone students.
To address these concerns, student authors offer numerous recommendations that would increase student involvement and create a more sustainable post-secondary sector that maintains quality for students across Ontario. The recommendations include creating a post-secondary framework-focused advisory body and mandating increased representation of democratically elected students on institutional governance bodies. Additionally, students provide recommendations that help balance financial contributions to university operations, increase the transparency of Strategic Mandate Agreements, and improve impartial mediation mechanisms.
"As tuition, operating costs, and enrollment numbers continue to rise, the provincial government should improve accountability measures and guarantee students are heard in all areas of post-secondary education,” said Racheal Reddy, Commissioner, External Affairs at Queen’s University Alma Mater Society (AMS). “By prioritizing the recommendations laid out in this paper, Ontario’s government can work to address the wide range of concerns raised with the current systems and frameworks in place.”
This policy paper and its recommendations were developed by students at OUSA’s member schools. It was passed on October 26th, 2025, during OUSA’s Fall General Assembly. To read the policy paper and brief, click here: https://www.ousa.ca/accountability_system_vision_2025
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About: 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, high-quality, and equitable post-secondary education in Ontario.
Contact:
Tobi Olumurewa
Manager of Communications
Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance