Queens Park

I apologize for the blog hiatus but I assure you it has been for good reason.  Last week I had the opportunity to participate in a provincial lobby conference with the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA).  

OUSA is a coalition of elected university student councils from across Ontario, 

Your new OUSA campus coordinator Laine McGarragle and I represented Windsor in several lobby meetings with members of provincial parliament and various post secondary education stakeholders (Council of Ontario Universities, Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations...).

We spoke about three main issues:  Student Financial Aid, Funding and Access to Education.  We spoke about the problems with OSAP that need to be addressed and the necessity for continued and greater investment in post secondary education from the provincial government.  We spoke of the need for government support of early outreach initiatives in their grassroots forms across Ontario.  

We shared the sentiment with OCUFA that "quality matters" and discussed ways in which we could work together on campaigns about quality education.

Perhaps the most interesting discussion that took place during the lobby conference was one with Steve Peters (the speaker of the house) about the necessity for there to be a united student movement.  Why is it that the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance and the Canadian Federation of Students can not work together?  It is the age old question, and Windsor just might be the only school with the ability to bridge that gap.  

I returned to Windsor that Thursday at 12pm only to discover that I was TRIPLE booked at 3pm for three very important meetings.  Since I am unable to clone myself it was a challenge addressing that issue.  

Lobbying at Queens Park was fun, but nothing beats a day on the job in Windsor.

The Co$t of an Appeal

Today was a good day.  

I entered the office just in time to make it outside for the Remembrance Day service and sing the Anthem.  I was honoured to participate in the service to pay tribute to those soldiers who gave their lives in wars past.

Early in the afternoon I was scheduled to have a meeting with President Wildeman to discuss unique Windsor related government funding issues and strategies to get them on the provincial agenda.  The meeting was short but quite effective.

Immediately after the brief discussion with Dr. Wildeman I made my way over Toldo 203 to prepare for the Senate meeting about to take place.  After weeks of preparation and heavy lobbying the day had finally come for the vote to take place for a proposed bylaw change.  A proposal was going forward to change the wording of bylaw 51 which originally read that Appeals would cost $20, and would change to "applicable fee".  

It was argued that such a change was necessary because the senate should not be setting fees and it was inappropriate to have a monetary amount in a bylaw.  

I am omitting quite a bit of information but it should also be noted that another body within the University that has no student representation changed the fee back in April to $35.

I busied myself handing out a document which I had prepared the night before to all of the senators and briefly explaining to all of them that the students were recommending that this motion be defeated.  Further, I requested that answers to the following questions be brought forward to senate:

1. What is the make up of the committee that will set this fee?

2. What will the ratio of student representation be on this committee?

3. What other fees does this committee set?

4. How many students were charged $35?

5. Since the bylaw was noticed have students since been charged the appropriate $20?

6. Can students who were wrongfully charged $35 be refunded the $15?

7. What is the rationale for changing the fee according to the working group?

8. Does unsuccessful appeal money go to a bursary/scholarship fund?

9. What is the process for appeal fees at comparable institutions?

In the end, the motion failed (meaning that the fee will remain $20).  And those students who were wrongfully charged $35 and had unsuccessful appeals will be credited $15 to their accounts!

Later in the evening I chaired a board of directors meeting at which many funding requests were vetted and the WUFA emergency fund framework was approved.  It should also be noted that money was set aside from the WUFA donation to be used for appeals this semester (please speak with Mohsin Khan vpuauwsa@uwindsor.ca to seek information for access to appeal money).

The next challenge we will face is actually implementing the Emergency Strike Fund distribution framework.  I'll keep you updated.

-Gooch

...comes great responsibility.

I attended the Afrofest event this evening in the CAW student centre and watched the American election develop on the big screen.  I was nearly brought to tears the moment when Obama and his family graced the stage in Chicago as the First Family (elect).  

As I soaked in the moment it dawned on me that this was merely the beginning of a long road for Obama.  He would be placed under close scrutiny and expected to do the impossible with the American political system.  I thought about the great responsibility that he now had to carry out the election promises that he had been preaching about for over a year.

This lead me to reconsider my position as President of the University of Windsor Students' Alliance.  I am at the half way mark in my term, how have I represented students thus far?  I took some time out to take a look at those election promises I spoke about during my own campaign back in March and carefully reviewed each point.  Am I carrying out my own campaign goals?  Am I living up to the expectation that students had for me when they voted me into this office 6 months ago?

There have been some great successes this year so far, but I have certainly lost track of a few key ideas I stood for when I was running.  I still have time to refocus my priorities though, and I have no doubt in my mind that I have the tools and experience to accomplish the goals I set out to accomplish when I was first elected. 

I desperately need some sleep before the long day of meetings I have tomorrow, but here is a snippet from a poem I discovered that a friend of mine (Crystal Patterson) wrote during the UWSA election last spring:

Alliance: A close association of groups, formed to advance common interests or causes

Using the power of information 

Gooch is here to restore communication

Bridging the gap between students and administration

 

Embodying Hillary & Obama - two forces in one

She brings, experience, change, & inspiration

 

Our university experience she hopes to advance

By bringing awareness she gives us a chance

 

To be involved in decisions that effect us each day

She’s providing a forum to hear what WE have to say

 

Equipping us with the necessary knowledge to progress

She’s bringing back the alliance to ensure our success

 

Celebrating the unique diversity at this school

Uniting our talents and using them as tools

 

I wanna see a President who is genuine and true

With the knowledge and integrity to know what to do

 

Who is involved on this campus in many different ways

With a variety of achievements – I want to be amazed

 

Because I want to see a president who will get the job done

Who will stop for nothing until we unite as one

 

And I'm tired of seeing presidents who accept the status quo

and do nothing to help our student alliance grow

I want a speaker who will say what needs to be said

There's no room to be silent when you are the head...