Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!! My favourite holiday is upon us and I could not be more excited!
As Steering Committee prepares for the Christmas break, we’re wrapping up some work from the past month. A few weeks ago we held our Student Advocacy Conference where Steering Committee and other student delegates met with around 50 members of Provincial Parliament to discuss our advocacy priorities for the year. It was a great and busy week and we are now conducting lots of follow-ups to keep the advocacy going! A big thank you to all MPP’s who met with us and took the time to discuss issues that are important to our students.
Additionally, our fall campus visits are also wrapping up. Over the past few weeks our Executive Director, Eddy, and I have been virtually visiting our member schools to present to their student councils as well as meet with administrators to share our advocacy priorities and work over the past few months. So far we’ve visited the Trent Durham Students’ Association, Brock University Students’ Union, Queen's Alma Mater Society, and the University Students’ Council at Western! Next week we’ll also be doing the same with the University of Ottawa Students’ Union. Many more campus visits to come in the new year!
Next, after a little bit of a writing break, Steering Committee has started preparations for our next policy cycle. This cycle we will be re-writing policies on Student Financial Aid, Mature Students, and Tech-Enabled Learning. Consultations have started and Think Tanks will be happening next week! We’re looking forward to updating these policies for the Spring General Assembly!
Lastly, we’ve also been having a number of conversations with journalists regarding in-person versus online courses. We recognize that students have their individual needs and preferences when it comes to learning formats and we are making sure to amplify those concerns. OUSA’s Ontario Undergraduate Student Survey (OUSS) also reflects these perspectives from students (we are hoping to release these survey results in the coming months!).
As we enter exam season and head towards the break, I wish everyone luck and hope you all have a safe and restful holiday season and a happy new year. It’s been another interesting year but we’ve all pushed through it and deserve to have a break! See you in 2022!!!
Until next year,
Eunice :)