Campaigns and Government Relations
Above all, your Students’ Union is dedicated to advancing our interests as students. That means that we must make an impression on those who make the decisions about the future of post-secondary education. We must work together to make sure politicians at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels hear a united, clear, and forceful call. And we must have the public on our side in our call for public, high quality, and universally accessible post-secondary education. Through TRUSU campaigns and government relations, we can work together to make this a reality!
We Know We Can Make Change – We Have!
There is no doubt that students are able to effect great changes in their societies. Students have a long history of as leaders in social movements, from free speech to civil rights to workers’ rights and beyond. Today we confront many of the same issues as well as new issues that affect us in dramatic ways. We continue to make strides towards fair, equitable, educated, and engaged democracy.
The changes we make range from local to national and from modest to spectacular. Each of them makes life better for students and our communities. Here are some of our recent victories:
| 2005 – Present: | We have maintained a cap on tuition fee increases in British Columbia during a time when per-student government funding is declining and university administrators are looking to offload costs onto students. |
2006: | As a result of lobbying by our Canadian Federation of Students, the federal government implemented the Off-Campus Work Permit Program to allow international students to seek work beyond the confines of campus. International students are able to seek better pay and work related to their field of study – helping to slightly lessen the impact of disproportionately high international student tuition fees. |
2008: | Thanks in large part to the leadership of your own Students’ Union, the provincial government relented to our forceful call to eliminate tuition fees for Adult Basic Education. This allows students to upgrade their secondary education without financial burden, providing real opportunities to access university! |
2009: | After meetings with Members of Parliament, active lobbying of all parties, and aggressive media work, students were successful in pressuring the Canadian Government to create Canada’s first national system of student grants. Students will receive 430 million dollars in federal financial aid per year! |
Together we can continue to achieve even more!
How We Make Change
There is good reason to be excited about the possibilities of activism in your Students’ Union. We know what we can achieve, but you may by wondering, “How do we make change? And where do I sign up?”
Change comes through the hard but gratifying work of campaigns. Campaigns are organised plans of action that can span days, weeks, months, and even years! They inspire and rally members like you, engage and persuade the public, and challenge and pressure administrators and politicians. So where do campaigns come from?Each summer, your Students’ Union produces a Campaigns Plan to set out our advocacy work. The Vice President External facilitates the Campaigns Committee, which lays the groundwork for successful campaign plans of action. Because we lobby government through the Canadian Federation of Students, a section of our Campaigns Plan involves implementing the campaigns that we have developed with fellow students across the province and the country. Another section develops campaigns that address issues on our campus. Finally, we plan to participate in campaigns of our partners and allies in the community to show support and build strong networks of activists.
Having a Campaigns Plan is great – but how do we put it into action? Our campaign successes are built on three strengths:
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Research – we know what we are talking about
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Lobbying – we aren’t afraid to say it
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Mobilization – our members and community supporters will fight for it
Research allows us to speak with authority on issues that affect students. And not only can be persuasive, but we can produce real and innovative solutions. Lobbying brings our solutions to decision-makers on our campus, in our community, our province, and our country. These decision-makers need to know what students need and what we can offer, but sometimes they need an extra push to make the right choices. That’s where you come in. No campaign can succeed without the active support of members and our community. Whether you volunteer to make buttons, hand out leaflets, or attend a rally, it is your support that makes administrators and politicians heed our calls for change!
Get Involved!
Your Students’ Union has committed to reaching ever higher in pursuit of our collective rights and wellbeing. We continue with lobby efforts that engage students on our campus and more than 500,000 other students across our country through our membership in the Canadian Federation of Students. From reliable public transit to sustainability, from affordable education to academic freedom, and beyond – if we work together we can win!
If you want to add your voice and elbow grease to the efforts for justice on our campus and in our community, volunteer at the Members’ Services Desk in the Independent Centre or on www.trusu.ca. Know that you can make a difference for the better!