Almost 85 per cent of staff supported a strike mandate as the SSUO negotiates a collective agreement with the university. The SSUO represents around 1,200 employees, ranging from financial aid advisers and Student Academic Success Service counsellors to library staff and co-op specialists.
“It’s something that maybe they don’t feel like it’s a pressing issue in their lives, but to everyone, it should be,” says U of O student Demetre Kontos.
With an open letter to president Jacques Frémont, over 100 professors and librarians at the U of O have joined the chorus of voices demanding further action in the wake of the two carding incidents that have taken place on campus in the past four months.
The University of Ottawa Muslim Students’ Association is welcoming the third prayer space that was opened on Lees campus three weeks ago, but they say it lacks the accommodations and ease of access students require. They’re also still waiting on an ablution space they were told was in the works four years ago.
Calin and Elaine Rovinescu say the scholarship will support first-generation Canadians or children of immigrants to Canada who want to study at the U of O or the Université de Montréal. The $2-million in funding will be split equally between both institutions.
The hope was that students would opt for the UOSU’s tailgate party instead of the infamous street party on Russell Avenue, but a “rotation of roughly 600-700 students” attended the tailgate in the Sandy Hill Arena parking lot while thousands flooded Russell Avenue.
The Board of Directors of the University of Ottawa Students’ Union met on Thursday night where they approved the agenda for the upcoming General Assembly, to be held on Nov. 7. They also passed a motion to support an upcoming on-campus rally against cuts to OSAP and the introduction of the Student Choice Initiative.
With a number of large parties taking place across the city on Saturday morning during Panda Game festivities, the Ottawa Police Service had their work cut out for them with thousands of inebriated students out in the streets.
“Just because they’re young, doesn’t mean they don’t have a voice, and they are our future. I really look to our young to be the ones that are going to make the positive changes. Our youth need to be emphasized,” said Paul Durst.
We hit the streets of the U of O campus to ask students what key issues they’re focusing on ahead of the federal vote on Oct. 21. Some common topics included the climate crisis, affordable education, and boosting the Canadian economy.
“It’s not really about me. What I’m running for is electoral reform…. So really, I just want people to be able to have more accountability over their elected representatives,” says Keegan Bennett, an independent candidate.
Stephanie Mercier spoke about student debt, housing, health care, the climate crisis, and inequality.
“Vote for the ideas that truly reflect your interest and the interest of the advancement of the working class,” says Communist Party of Canada candidate Michelle Paquette.
The incumbent MP and Liberal candidate for Ottawa-Vanier says she will prioritize affordable housing and fighting the climate crisis if elected. For students, Fortier says she’ll work to secure federal funding to help the province boost mental health support on campus.
“I live here, I breathe here, I work here, this is my environment. This is where I call home. So, I understand their reality, and the best way to represent people is to understand their reality,” says NDP candidate, Oriana Ngabirano.
Candidates talk greenhouse gas pollution, fighting water pollution, and protecting biodiversity Last Thursday night, the Ottawa-Centre candidates for four of the major political parties of Canada participated in one of the 100 Debates on the Environment taking place across the country. The attendees included Angela Keller-Herzog for the Green Party, Catherine McKenna for the Liberal …
Alex Trebek’s most recent funding boost to the university brings his total donations to $9.5 million. The money will be used to support the Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue.
Student organizations from across campus held a press conference outside Tabaret Hall on Tuesday morning to push for more action from the university after two carding incidents took place on campus in the past four months.
The UOSU, BSLA, OPIRG, CUPE 2626, WISE and 16 student governments say the U of O ‘fails to address systemic racism in a meaningful way’ and calls on U of O president Jacques Frémont to implement eight demands for action.
We’re keeping tabs on the University of Ottawa’s response to the carding of a Black student by Protection Services in June, an incident an independent investigation found to be racial discrimination. Check back for updates as this story progresses.
Candidates met Thursday night to discuss topics such as water protection, pollution, agriculture, and transitioning Canada’s economy away from resource extraction and unsustainable energy.
An average of around one-quarter of students at the U of O opted out of campus services deemed ‘non-essential’ under the Student Choice Initiative, a policy introduced by the provincial government this semester. Services impacted include the Office of the Ombudsperson, financial aid, clubs, student governments and campus media.
The University of Ottawa Students’ Union has revealed the key dates of its fall byelection. Voting will run from Nov. 6-8, with one spot on the executive committee and nine seats on the Board of Directors up for grabs. An executive candidates debate is set for Nov. 4.
An independent investigation into the carding and handcuffing of a Black U of O student by Protection Services this summer has found both race and inadequate training played a role in the incident. A second investigation into the broader policies governing campus security is still ongoing.
The university discussed potential challenges posed by incoming changes to provincial funding. Under the new system, coming into effect next year, about $165 million in funding could be at risk in the 2024-25 academic year.
