ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø GSA Ignites Change: Launches Empowering Activism Campaign
In 2019, the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education Graduate Students’ Association (ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø 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 ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø GSA budget lists over in funding from the UTGSU.
On March 18th, 2023, ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø students voted to reactivate the ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø GSA. In April of 2023, elections were held and the ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø GSA has since been active. The ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø GSA previously received funds from the UTGSU and these funds were sourced from ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø student fees. The UTGSU continued to collect student fees from ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø students during the inactive periods. However, the UTGSU has not supplied any funding to the ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø GSA since 2019 and has not returned to its previous 2019 funding model. The ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø GSA is currently only receiving funding from ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø, which amounts to around $4000 in funding per year. The lack of funding for the ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø GSA would result in the collapse of most of the ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø GSA’s services including but not limited to conference assistance funding, student awards, academic conferences for ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø students, and emergency funding for students in need. Many ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø students who are aspiring or current teachers, principals, and other education workers in K-12 and higher education, rely on these ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø GSA services.
We believe that funding for these services should continue to ensure ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø 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 ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø student voices to be heard.
We call on the UTGSU to do the following:
- Bring back ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø GSA funding to 2019 levels;
- Backpay the ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø 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 ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø;
- Ensure UTGSU officials maintain regular communication with the ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø GSA.
Here are some ways ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø 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 ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø GSA’s and
