On Friday evening (Sept. 20th), CUSA’s Advocacy Team, consisting of Vice President Student Issues Artur Estrela Da Silva, Associate V.P. Research and Advocacy Ana Clara Miranda Guimaraes, and Aidan Kallioinen, Associate V.P. University and Government Relations, met with London West MPP and Opposition Critic for Colleges and Universities Peggy Sattler. Our team prepared a short presentation to discuss the current fiscal state of our university, and the impacts an increasingly untenable province-university relationship has on our students.
We strongly communicated the difficult financial situation Carleton University is in, as well as our own services and supports available to students. We shared our previous advocacy work on tuition and affordability, such as previous meetings and referenda successes, as well as a desire to work together to address the financial challenges of Ontario universities and student unions. Sattler’s office echoed our concerns that the current relationship between the provincial government and universities is reaching a breaking point, and cited the rising tuition costs of our students and a lack of support in critical areas such as mental health.
We look forward to continuing to advocate with Sattler and her team to deliver a fairer and more affordable outcome for our undergraduate students at Carleton University.