Happy new year everyone!
I hope you had a relaxing and restful winter break, and have had a smooth transition back to classes. It’s hard to believe, but we only have 4 months left of the year!
I say this every time, but so much has happened with OUSA recently. As we welcome the new year, we’re also so excited to welcome a new Executive Director in Malika Dhanani! Malika was previously one of OUSA’s Research and Policy Analysts, and we’re all very excited to work with her in this new capacity. Speaking of which, we’re hiring a new Research and Policy Analyst! I’d love for you to apply if working with students and the post-secondary sector excites you.
We’re gearing up for our Spring General Assembly, where we’ll be discussing three policy papers: Teaching & Assessment, Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ Students, and Student Accessibility and Disability Inclusion. I would highly recommend getting involved with your school’s delegation! It’s a wonderful opportunity to explore the world of advocacy and policy, and a great chance to meet new friends. Contact your student union’s rep at OUSA here for more info!
What else can you look forward to? Keep an eye out for our housing campaign this semester! We’re exploring the housing landscape in our member school communities, and the highs and lows of student housing today. You can also look forward to more of our campus visits. See if you can spot OUSA’s booth on your campus this semester! This month, we’re visiting Wilfrid Laurier University as well as McMaster University – come chat with us!
Some other highlights for the month include Ontario budget consultations and a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Colleges and Universities. The Ministry of Finance has opened up budget consultations for this next month, and OUSA will be speaking to our recommendations from our policy paper library. I’m also excited to meet with newly appointed Deputy Minister Shannon Fuller to discuss student priorities.
Before you know it, it’ll be election season for your student associations! If you’re interested, I highly, highly encourage you to run. It’ll be an incredible learning experience, and you truly never know what’ll happen until you try. Running a campaign taught me a lot about myself and my community, and I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. If you are interested in affecting change, meeting cool people, learning so so much, and above all, working with an incredible community, run for election!
Until next time!
Jess