Hello everyone!
Happy June! I hope you’ve taken some time this month to engage with Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ art, media, and stories. I also hope it’s been a restful and meaningful month for you!
I’m excited to share my very first Presidential Update! Each month, I’ll be posting a recap of what OUSA has been working on and what’s ahead. If you haven’t already, feel free to check out my introduction post to learn a little bit more about me.
First, I want to extend a sincere thank you to OUSA’s outgoing Steering Committee on behalf of our new team. Your work over the past year has set us up for success, and we’re so grateful for the foundation you’ve built. We are excited to carry the work forward and hope to make you proud! A special thank you as well to my predecessor, Michelle Woodchis-Johnson, for your support and guidance as I transitioned into this role!
Looking back to the end of May, our new Steering Committee came together for our Opening Retreat. We had meaningful discussions about the state of OUSA, the broader post-secondary sector, and how we can strengthen both our advocacy and organization. From this, we developed our advocacy priorities for the year:
- Student and Community Safety
- Strengthening Ontario’s Workforce
- Meeting Post-Secondary Demand
We also outlined our organizational priorities, which include:
- Restructuring General Assembly
- Promoting OUSA
- Broader Post-Secondary Sector Outreach
On top of this, we mapped out dates for our General Assemblies, Student Advocacy Conference, and Partners in Higher Education Dinner. It was a productive and fun retreat — and a great opportunity for Steering Committee and Home Office to connect. If you’d like to get to know this year’s Steering Committee members, be sure to check out their introduction blogs here!
In June, our incredible Executive Director, Malika, and I met with representatives from the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security to discuss Bill 33 and what its potential implementation may look like. We shared OUSA’s position and voiced our concerns, which you can read more about in our press release.
Meanwhile, Home Office has been hard at work, publishing our latest policy paper on Student Financial Aid. This paper addresses the challenges facing post-secondary students when it comes to accessing financial aid, and proposes actionable recommendations to create a more equitable system for students in Ontario.
It’s been a busy and exciting couple of months for OUSA, and I’m looking forward to what’s ahead. Thank you so much for reading, and I wish you all a wonderful July!
In solidarity,
Sayak