С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ GSA Ignites Change: Launches Empowering Activism Campaign
In 2019, the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education Graduate Students’ Association (С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ GSA) went inactive. Until that point, it had received most of its funding from the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU). The 2018-2019 С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ GSA budget lists over in funding from the UTGSU.
On March 18th, 2023, С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ students voted to reactivate the С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ GSA. In April of 2023, elections were held and the С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ GSA has since been active. The С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ GSA previously received funds from the UTGSU and these funds were sourced from С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ student fees. The UTGSU continued to collect student fees from С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ students during the inactive periods. However, the UTGSU has not supplied any funding to the С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ GSA since 2019 and has not returned to its previous 2019 funding model. The С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ GSA is currently only receiving funding from С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ, which amounts to around $4000 in funding per year. The lack of funding for the С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ GSA would result in the collapse of most of the С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ GSA’s services including but not limited to conference assistance funding, student awards, academic conferences for С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ students, and emergency funding for students in need. Many С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ students who are aspiring or current teachers, principals, and other education workers in K-12 and higher education, rely on these С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ GSA services.
We believe that funding for these services should continue to ensure С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ student success. For this reason and due to the UTGSU's failing to respond to our inquiries surrounding our funding, we launched an activism campaign to allow for С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ student voices to be heard.
We call on the UTGSU to do the following:
- Bring back С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ GSA funding to 2019 levels;
- Backpay the С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ GSA the funds it would have received for the years it was inactive, not including the funding that was received by the Departmental Student Associations at С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ;
- Ensure UTGSU officials maintain regular communication with the С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ GSA.
Here are some ways С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ students and allies can support our activism campaign:
- Sign the supporting our above statement
- as a volunteer for collective actions
- Contact UTGSU officials by email using
- Attend UTGSU Board of Directors and Assembly Meetings and voice your support for the campaign
- Share, interact with, and support posts on С»ÆÊéÊÓƵ GSA’s and
