Hi everyone and happy fall :))
September is always a big month for those of us in post-secondary… I hope all the first years are settling into their new homes, and that those of you involved in orientation are getting some well deserved rest <3
As students return to campus, so have we!! OUSA has kicked off our campus visits, beginning with McMaster and Queen’s this past week. We had a great time meeting with both students and administration, exploring your campuses, and singing along to lots of great music during all of our road trips - next up, we’ll be visiting Ontario Tech and I’ll get to host OUSA at Western on October 30th. Home Office doesn’t know this yet, but Halloween costumes WILL be mandatory that day ;)
This year, as we do campus visits, our Managers of Research and Policy are working to gather student opinions in order to inform this year’s policy papers, ensuring that our policy reflects your voices and concerns. If you’re currently a student, be sure to fill out our form here!
Although orientation kept me busy for the first bit of the month, Malika and I also got the chance to chat with OCUFA about where our priorities align, namely in regards to the sustainability of our sector. We also participated in consultations with the Canadian Delegation to the Y20 Summit in order to discuss how their policy recommendations apply to post-secondary students, specifically in regards to food insecurity, inclusion and diversity, as well as innovation and the future world of work.
Later in the month, we got the opportunity to discuss our policy recommendations that pertain specifically to OSAP with one of the Assistant Deputy Ministers of Colleges and Universities. We discussed the ways in which the program fails to adequately meet student needs through its lack of funding for rent and other living expenses, as well as its failure to account for systemic barriers in accessing post-secondary education.
I also had the opportunity to attend the Ontario Liberal Party’s policy conference as a part of their Fireside Chat on Post-Secondary Education. As the only student group on the panel, it was a great opportunity to provide the student perspective in this conversation and discuss what we need from the provincial government in order to succeed throughout our post-secondary experiences. The information we conveyed remains consistent with the long-term student priorities we'll be lobbying on this year, and we greatly look forward to the opportunity to share these recommendations with members of all parties.
Home Office has also been busy as they worked to finalize and release the newest edition of Educated Solutions, titled From Global to Local: The Complexity of Internationalization. Thank you to the many authors who contributed their pieces this year, to Home Office for putting it together, as well as to our new Minister, Nolan Quinn, for providing the foreword. HO also has a new addition; so please give a huge welcome to Sami Babbar, our new Communications Assistant!
Truth and Reconciliation Day is also coming up on September 30th. I would like to urge you to spend your time learning about the Indigenous nations whose land you reside on, attending reconciliation events on your campuses and spending time reflecting on your own connection to our country’s long history of colonialism. Look out for a list of events happening in local campus communities put together by our Indigenization Strategy Intern, Sophia, to find an opportunity for engagement!
With that being said, I hope you all enjoy the best and spookiest time of year, take advantage of the sweater weather, and spend time carving pumpkins & watching the leaves change color. I can’t wait to see so many of your beautiful faces at our General Assembly in October!