Hello everyone! Long time no talk! And happy August! I hope you’re feeling rested and ready as we gear up for September!
August has been BUSY for OUSA. Malika and I had an introductory conversation with the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association to discuss our current advocacy priorities and potential collaboration opportunities during the year. This was a lovely and rewarding conversation, and I look forward to working together during the year!
Malika and I also had the pleasure of attending the launch reception of the World Food Forum - Ontario Chapter. Established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Food Forum is a global platform designed to empower youth, innovators, policymakers, and stakeholders to come up with creative solutions to tackle food insecurity, enhance sustainable development, and encourage food system resilience. This was a great event, where we got to hear remarks from key stakeholders, researchers, and local politicians, and support the work of youth who are helping to build a better future.
We also had an in-person Steering Committee meeting this month, which is always a good time! Following this, we had sector stakeholder roundtables with the Council of Ontario Universities (COU), the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT), eCampus Ontario, and the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO). This provided each member of Steering Committee with the opportunity to share our advocacy priorities, hear about the vital work sector stakeholders are engaging in, and flesh out room for future collaboration.
Home Office has also been hard at work, finishing Circle Work with Indigenous students from our member institutions. Engaging in this process was necessary to gain Indigenous students’ perspectives on the issues impacting them most throughout their post-secondary experience. This will aid the writing process for the Indigenous Students paper, which will be brought to our Fall General Assembly at Laurentian University. Massive shoutout to Sophia and Octavia for the care they put toward ensuring these spaces were culturally safe and fulfilling for participants.
Last but not least, we had a chance to connect with MPP Peggy Sattler, who serves as the oppositional critic for post-secondary education at Queen’s Park. We had a fruitful conversation about work-integrated learning, gender-based violence prevention, and student housing. We’re looking forward to working with her and her team over the course of the year.
And of course, Bill 33 has been top of mind for us! OUSA is preparing to address its concerns about this legislation with the government as we head into the new school year. We’ll be visiting our campuses very soon, so be sure to stop by to learn more about this Bill and how you can get involved! Keep an eye on where we’re headed by following us @ousahome.
With that, I think it’s been another great month for OUSA! Have a fantastic September -- please take care of yourself and don’t get too overwhelmed!
And before you go! I need to remind everyone that Nick Jonas’ “Levels” is one of the greatest pop songs of all time.
Okay, talk soon!
In solidarity,
Sayak