OUSA Winter GA Recap: Roll Stangs!
From March 5th-8th, Queen’s AMS (Alma Mater Society) attended OUSA’s Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance’s) winter GA (General Assembly), hosted at Western University in London. Over the four days, student representatives from universities across the province came together to discuss key issues affecting undergraduate students and to refine the policy recommendations that guide OUSA’s advocacy with the Government of Ontario.
What is OUSA?
OUSA represents undergraduate students from nine member institutions across Ontario and works to advance policies that improve the accessibility, affordability, accountability, and quality of post-secondary education. GA provides an opportunity for delegates to collaborate on policy development, propose amendments, and vote on final papers that will inform OUSA’s provincial advocacy work.
This semester’s GA focused on three major policy areas: Student Mobility and Credit Transfer, Artificial Intelligence, and Tuition, Ancillary, and Incidental Fees. Delegates reviewed each paper and worked collaboratively to refine recommendations that reflect the experiences and priorities of students across Ontario. All three papers passed on Sunday during GA!
Queen’s delegation included President Jana Amer, VPUA Alyssa Perisa, incoming-VPUA Edward Sy, CEA Edlira Ballaj, and delegates Shanal De Silva, Yusuf Alrawwaf, and Shaaminy Kathir. Throughout the weekend, the delegation participated in discussions with representatives from other member schools to evaluate proposed policies and suggest improvements.
What happened at OUSA?
For each policy paper, delegates participated in two breakout rooms over two days and one drop-in authorship session where smaller groups discussed specific sections of the documents. These sessions allowed participants to engage directly with policy authors, propose amendments, and collaborate with students and authors from other universities to strengthen the recommendations before the final plenary session.
The weekend also included opportunities to hear from local leaders and connect with student representatives from across the province. Delegates attended a speech from the Mayor of London, highlighting the importance of student voices in shaping communities and policy discussions. Representatives from Alumo insurance also delivered a presentation, sharing insights on their continued involvement in student advocacy.
Outside of policy sessions, the assembly included several social events that allowed delegates to build relationships with students from other institutions. These activities included bowling at Palasad Bowling, as well as board games and karaoke, creating opportunities for collaboration and community-building beyond the policy discussions.
The Spring GA concluded with the plenary session, where delegates voted on the final versions of the policy papers. Once passed, these documents become part of OUSA’s official advocacy platform and are lobbied to provincial policymakers.
By participating in OUSA’s General Assembly, the AMS continues to ensure that Queen’s students are represented in conversations that shape the future of post-secondary education in Ontario. Through collaboration with student leaders from across the province, the Queen’s delegation contributed to policy discussions that aim to strengthen the student experience both on campus and beyond.
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