Canadian Federation of Students &

Canadian federation of students–Ontario

NATIONAL SUCCESSES
National Student Grants
In 2007, the Canadian Federation of Students
launched a nation-wide campaign for “Grants
Not Loans” with a Day of Action on February 7,
2007. Throughout the year, tens of thousands of
petition signatures were collected and Federation
representatives met with over 200 Members
of Parliament and Senators to lobby for the
replacement of the Millennium Scholarship
Program with a national system of student grants.
In response to this campaign, the federal budget
released in February 2008 introduced an historic
new national system of means-tested grants.
Valued at $350-million in the first year and
climbing to $430 million in 2012, the new grants
program will provide grants to 245,000 students.
Middle-income students will receive up to $100 in
non-repayable funding per month.
Stopping Tuition Fee Hikes
In many provinces, Federation campaigns led to
limits on tuition fee increases, brought about fee
freezes and, in certain cases, secured tuition fee
reductions. Students in Alberta, Saskatchewan,
Manitoba, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island,
Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador are
protected regulation that prescribes either tuition
fee freezes or reductions.
More Scholarships for Graduate
Students
The Canadian Federation of Students worked with
the Canadian Association of University Teachers
(CAUT) to press the federal government to add 500
Canada Graduate Scholarships in 2008.
Each scholarship recipient receives between
$17,500 and $35,000 per year.
Restoring Funding for SSHRC
As a result of lobbying by the Canadian Federation
of Students, the federal government restored
SSHRC scholarships for masters students in arts
and humanities in creating the Canada Graduate
Scholarships.
Canadian Federation of Students
Petition to the Government of Canada: Grants NOT Loans
w w w. c f s - f c e e . c a
WHEREAS average tuition fees, as a share of a typical family’s income, are higher today than at any
point in the last sixty years;
WHEREAS more than 345,000 students are forced to borrow from the Canada Student Loans
Program;
WHEREAS average student debt for an undergraduate degree ranges from $21,000 to $28,000
depending on the province;
WHEREAS Canada Student Loan debt is increasing by more than $1.5 million each day and has
ballooned to more than $12 billion dollars (more than the debt of some provincial governments);
WHEREAS the Millennium Scholarship Foundation has largely just replaced pre-existing provincial
grants, leaving students no farther ahead;
WHEREAS the Millennium Scholarship Foundation has failed at improving access to post-secondary
education; and
WHEREAS among developed nations only Canada and Japan do not have a national system of need-
based grants;
We the undersigned residents of Canada call upon the House of Commons to replace the Millennium
Scholarship Foundation with a national system of need-based grants through the Canada Student
Loans Program for students at public universities and colleges.
SIGNATURE
(Sign your own name. Do not print.)
ADDRESS
(Province and postal code.)
EMAIL ADDRESS
(Contact me about this campaign.)
Return address: Canadian Federation of Students, 500-170 Metcalfe Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 1P3, fax: (613) 232-0276
February 2008, Federation’s “Grants Not Loans”
campaign resulted in the Federal Budget
announcement of the creation of Canada’s first
national system of student grants
No GST on Tuition Fees
The Canadian Federation of Students successfully
campaigned to stop the GST from being applied
to tuition fees and campus residence fees. The
Federation continues to work to have the GST
removed from textbooks. This has saved the
average university student over $280 this year
alone.
Tax Relief
The Canadian Federation of Students exposed
the diversion of federal scholarship funds to pay
for pre-existing provincial programs. This led the
federal government to increase the tax exemption
on scholarships from $500 to $3000 in 2001, and
eventually all scholarships were exempted from
income tax in 2007.
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 Right to Work for International
Students
In 2005, the Canadian Federation of Students
successfully lobbied the federal government to
allow international students to work off-campus.
This has allowed thousands of international
students in Ontario’s colleges and universities to
be able to work part-time to support their studies.
The Federation was the only student organisation
in Canada that had been lobbying on behalf of the
rignts of international students and continues to
hold the only seat on the Advisory Committee on
International Students and Immigration.
Unbiased Federal Infrastructure
Funding
In the 2009 federal budget, the government
announced new infrastructure funding that was
tied to privatisation and which sought to give
government political influence over institutional
and academic priorities.
The Federation held a lobby week at Parliament
the week of the announcement and engaged in
a media relations campaign. Within two days,
the government announced that it would relax
the stipulations on the new funding and ensure
academic freedom and institutional autonomy.
Student representation at CAGS
The Federation’s National Graduate Caucus
secured student representation on the Canadian
Association of Graduate Studies (CAGS). The
Federation shares this seat on a rotational
basis with its Québec counterpart, la Fédération
étudiante universitaire du Québec (FÉUQ).
Through such representation on the body
representing graduate deans throughout Canada,
the Federation has provided strong and consistent
graduate student representation.
Public Access to Graduate
Dissertations
In 2001, the Federation’s National Graduate
Caucus learned that the National Library of Canada
had sold the ownership and distribution rights of
Canadian theses and dissertations to an American
company, UMI/Bell & Howell.
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As a result of a media and email campaign that
was sustained for six weeks, the Library agreed to
reverse its decision, restore public ownership and
control over the Thesis Distribution Service and
create an Advisory Committee with guaranteed
representation from the Federation.
Shifting Federal Conservative Party
Policy
During the 2008 federal election campaign, the
Conservative Party of Canada included in its
platform a commitment to implement a regressive
student loan model called Income-Contingent
Loan Repayment Plans (ICLRP). ICLRPs, when
implemented in other jurisdictions, were used
to justify by tuition fee increases between 300
and 400 percent and resulted in students from
marginalised communities paying more for their
education through compound interest.
The Federation’s negative evaluation of this aspect
of the Conservative platform caused the party to
contact the Federation and pledged to change its
platform mid-campaign in order to improve its
standing with students.
United with University Faculty
The Federation is the only student organisation
in Canada that is a coalition partner with the
Canadian Association of University Teachers
(CAUT). Together, the Federation and CAUT lobby
for improvements to post-secondary education
policies, including the creation of a Post-
Secondary Education Act.
“It is my experience that the CFS
has been the most effective and
articulate voice of students in Canada
for many years.
”
Jim Turk, Executive Director,
Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT)
Ontario Successes
Stopping Tuition Fee Hikes
In response to the Federation’s Vote Education
campaign held during the 2003 Ontario election,
the Liberal Party of Ontario promised the
Federation that, if elected, it would immediately
freeze tuition fees. In April 2004, the new Liberal
government followed through on that promise
in a joint announcement of the freeze with the
Canadian Federation of Students.
As a result of this victory, between 2004 to 2006,
Ontario students benefited from a tuition fee freeze
that saved every university student approximately
$250.
Record Investments in Post-
Secondary Education
Due to the Federation’s successful election
campaign, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty
attempted to brand himself as an “Education
Premier” in order to boost his standing in the polls.
McGuinty commissioned a province-wide review
of post-secondary education and the Federation
was the only organisation to coordinate an
informational campaign that targetted each of the
17 public consultations held across Ontario.
November 2008 - Progressive Conservative
Educatiuon Critic JIm Wilson signs Federation
petition calling for lower tuition fees at a rally of
6,500 students at Queen’s Park
April 2004 - Training, Colleges and Universities
Minister Marianne Chambers announces tuition fee
freeze with CFS-Ontario Chairperson, Joel Duff
As a result of the overwhelming call for more
public funding, the government announced a
record investment of $6.2 billion to increase post-
secondary education funding over six years.
Funding Cuts Stopped
Just before the 2009 Ontario Budget, the
Federation learned of government plans to cut
funding for education and social programmes as
part of its response to the recession. Premptively,
the Federation released a comprehensive proposal
for a student stimulant package and generated
media concern about student debt.
The package, called “Hope and Change” argued
that post-secondary education funding should be
seen as crucial stimulus money that will help buoy
Ontario’s economy. One week later, the Ontario
government announced that they would not be
cutting money that had been earmarked for post-
secondary education, making it one of the few
sectors to be protected from spending cuts.
Provincial Grants Restored
In 2005, the Canadian Federation of Students
was successful in pressuring the Government of
Ontario to introduce $3,000 student grants, the
first of their kind since 1994. The Federation’s
petitions, calling for a restoration of the grants
program were read into the legislature 14 times,
by Members of Parliament from all three parties.
The Federation was successful again in 2006,
when its lobby efforts resulted in a doubling of the
number of grants available.
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 Increased Ontario Graduate
Scholarships (OGS)
In 1998, the Federation’s Ontario Graduate Caucus
successfully lobbied for an increase in the value
of Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS), from
$12,000 to $15,000 per student, per year.
In 2005, this victory was magnified with the
expansion of the OGS programme to offer $4,000
more scholarships to graduate students.

Reformed Ancillary Fees Policy

In 2007, the Federation supported the launch
of a class-action lawsuit against Ontario’s 24
community colleges for collecting prohibited fees.
The negative attention caused the government
to bring in tighter regulation of university and
college ancillary fees protocol, including the end of
prohibited ancillary fees collection.

Creation of an Ontario Credit Transfer

System
This year, the Federation secured a commitment
from the Ontario government to create a credit
The Federation is the only Canadian student
organisation that uses high-profile campaigns to transfer system. Two committees have been
generate media attention and public support for its established to consult and oversee the creation
lobbying objectives. Last year’s rally on November 5, and implementation of a credit transfer protocol.
2008 saw more than 10,000 students protest fees.
The Federation has two representatives on the
Steering Committee and one representative on the
Freedom of Information and Working Group and remains an active participant
Transparency in Universities and advocate for credit transfer for all students,
In 2004, the Canadian Federation of Students and including post-graduate students.
the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty
Associations (OCUFA) launched a joint campaign
to call for Access to Information legislation to be
extended to universities. With a united position
from students and faculty, the campaign gained
support from various media editorial boards,
who took up the Federation’s call for greater
transparency.
Despite intense opposition from the Council of
Ontario Universities, the government passed
legislation extending the Freedom of Information
and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) to Ontario’s The Federation coordinates regular meetings with
universities. This has led to increased transparency provincial government, including this June 2009
in the way universities are administered and has meeting between four graduate and undergraduate
member locals in Ottawa and Training, Colleges and
allowed students to access information vital to Universities Minister John Milloy and two Ottawa-
keeping universities accountable. area Members of Provincial Parliament.

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Victories Across
Canada
Here are some of the important victories students
have achieved over the years by working together
as members of the Canadian Federation of
Students:
2009: Newfoundland and Labrador eliminated
interest rate charges on provincial student
loans and expanded the existing up front
need-based grant program
2008: Tuition fees frozen in Nova Scotia
2008: Federal Government established a national
system of need-based grants (available in
fall of 2009), as a result of the Federation’s
“Grants Not Loans” campaign
2007: Tuition fees eliminated in British Columbia
for adult basic education
2007: Prince Edward Island reduced tuition fees
2007: Newfoundland and Labrador reinstated
provincial up-front, need–based grants
program, implemented a debt reduction
program for graduates and pledged to
continue the fee freeze until 2011-12
2007: Manitoba introduced a 60 percent
tuition fee tax credit for graduates and
scholarships for graduate students
The rallies held in 2002 and 2003 helped to make
tuition fees a “hot button” issue in the 2003 Ontario
Election and led to the establishment of the first
tuition fee freeze in Ontario’s history.
After announcing the elimination of interest on
student loans, following the creation of a new grants
program and a pledge to continue a tuition freeze
until 2012, the Newfoundland & Labrador Minister
of Education Darin King said the following of the
Canadian Federation of Students:
“They have been our partners
through the past several years in
determining the best ways to reduce
student debt and we will continue
to work with them. We are making
unprecedented investments and
implementing initiatives that are
being noted by student groups
in other jurisdictions across the
country. This is clearly money well-
spent and an investment not just
in our students, but in the future of
Newfoundland and Labrador.
”
All college and university students in the province
of Newfoundland and Labrador are members of the
Canadian Federation of Students.
2006: Manitoba introduced a 5 percent increase
to annual operating funding for colleges
and universities over three years
2005: Ontario government restored a system of
need-based grants to replace one that was
cut in 1994
2005: Tuition fees capped at the rate of inflation
in British Columbia
2005: Tuition fees frozen in Alberta and
Saskatchewan
2005: Federal government allowed international
students to work off-campus
2005: Tuition Fees frozen in Newfoundland and
Labrador
2005: Federal budget amendment allocated $1.5
billion for tuition fee reductions
2005: Manitoba reduced planned ancillary
fee increase in response to Canadian
Federation of Students’ campaign
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 2004: Ontario announced a $6.2 billion increase
in funding for post-secondary education
over six years
2004: Ontario froze tuition fees for two years
2003: The federal government restored SSHRC
scholarships for master’s students in
the humanities and social sciences
and created the Canadian Graduate
Scholarship
2001: British Columbia reduced tuition fees by 5
percent
2001: Newfoundland and Labrador reduced fees
by 25 percent over three years
2001: Prince Edward Island froze tuition fees Federation campaigns generate significant media
2000: After February 2 “Access 2000” Day of attention, which helps to win public support and
Action: sway decision-makers.

-- Tuition fees frozen in Manitoba

1996: Tuition fees frozen in British Columbia
-- Ontario capped tuition fee increases at
2 percent 1995: Proposed Income Contingent Loan
Repayment Schemes are defeated
-- Québec extended the tuition fee freeze following largest student demonstration in
-- Tuition fees reduced by 10 percent then Canadian history
frozen and provincial grants reinstated 1993: Tuition fee freeze re-established in Québec
in Manitoba (after being lifted in 1989)
1999: Tuition fees frozen in Newfoundland and 1992: Tuition fees frozen in British Columbia
Labrador
1997: Manitoba Learning Tax Credit implemented
in response to Canadian Federation
of Students’ campaign for tuition fee
reductions

8
SUCCESSES IN
DEFENDING STUDENT
RIGHTS & DIVERSITY
No Means No Anti-Date Rape
The Federation’s awareness campaign against
date rape is nearly 20 years old and has been
translated by the province of British Columbia
into Mandarin and Cantonese. However, in 2006
the American retailer, Blue Notes Inc., mocked
the campaign with the release of a t-shirt with
the slogan “NO MEANS have aNOther drink.” The
Federation launched a public relations campaign
and within five days, the company began recalling
their t-shirts. Blue Notes eventually agreed to
sponsor and stock a series of Federation-designed
t-shirts to challenge date rape and promote
women’s rights. Over $20,000 in profits from
t-shirt sales was donated by Blue Notes to the
Federation to continue its campaign against date
rape and sexual assault.
Addressing the Needs of Muslim
Students
The Federation is the only organisation that has
ever conducted a comprehensive study on the
needs and experiences of Muslim students. The
Task Force on the Needs of Muslim Students
was launched in 2006 to gather the expriences
and insights of Muslim students on how to make
campuses more inclusive and investigated ways
to challenge Islamophobia on campus and in the
classroom.
All decisions of the Federation are made
democratcially by the membership at bi-annual
national and provincial meetings.
October 2006 - American retailer Blue Notes Inc.
recalled a line of sexist t-shirts and replaced them
with Federation-designed “No Means No” shirts.
The recommendations released by the Task Force
have been implemented on several campuses and
included such issues as the need for women-only
gym time, more diverse food options in cafeterias
and policies that accommodate students’ religious
observance in ways that do not interfere with
academics.
Representing Diversity
The Federation has developed a unique structure
to ensure diverse representation within it’s
national and provincial decision-making
processes.
Representation is provided to the following
constituency groups:
-- Aboriginal students;
-- Francophone students;
-- International Students;
-- Mature and part-time students;
-- Queer and Trans students;
-- Racialised students;
-- Students with disabilities; and
-- Women students.
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SUCCESS IN UNITING
STUDENTS
Ontario Member Locals
82-Algoma University Students’ Association
102-Brock University Graduate Students’
Association
78-Carleton University Graduate Students’
Association
01-Carleton University Students’ Association
107-Association étudiante de la Cité collégiale*
92-Student Association of George Brown College
93-Glendon College Student Union (York University)
54-University of Guelph Central Student
Association
62-University of Guelph Graduate Students’
Association
32-Lakehead University Student Union
104-Laurentian Association of Mature and Part-
Time Students
110-Laurentian Graduate Students’ Association
30-Laurentian University Students’ General
Association
88-Association des étudiantes et étudiants
francophones de l’Université Laurentienne
39-McMaster University Graduate Students’
Association
20-Nipissing University Student Union
25-Ontario College of Art and Design Student
Union
94-University of Ottawa Graduate Students’
Association
27-Queen’s University Society of Graduate and
Professional
Students
105-Continuing Education Students’ Association of
Ryerson
24-Ryerson Students’ Union
85-Saint Paul University Students’ Association
Representing more than 85 students’ unions in
Canada and more than one half million members,
the Federation is Canada’s largest and oldest
students’ Union
99-Scarborough Campus Students’ Union
(University of Toronto)
19-University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union
97-Association of Part-Time Undergraduate
Students of the
University of Toronto
98-University of Toronto Students’ Administrative
Council
109-University of Toronto at Mississauga Students’
Union
71-Trent Central Student Association
-Trent Graduate Student Association*
47-University of Western Ontario Society of
Graduate Students
56-Wilfrid Laurier University Graduate Students’
Association
48-University of Windsor Graduate Student Society
106-University of Windsor Organization of Part-
Time Students
49-University of Windsor Students’ Alliance
68-York Federation of Students
84-York University Graduate Students’ Association
* represents prospective member
students’ unions
red represents member locals
comprised in whole or in part by
graduate students
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 British Columbia Member Locals
03-University of British Columbia Students’ Union-
Okanagan
75-Camosun College Student Society
05-Capilano Students’ Union
73-Downtown Campus Students’ Union
18-Douglas Students’ Union
33-Emily Carr Students’ Union
76-Broadway Campus Students’ Union
26-Kwantlen Student Association
61-Vancouver Island Students’ Union
13-College of New Caledonia Students’ Association
72-North Island Students’ Association
66-Northwest Community College Students’
Association
53-Okanagan College Students’ Union
86-College of the Rockies Students’ Union
04-Selkirk Students’ Association
23-Simon Fraser Student Society
15-Thompson Rivers University Students’ Union
44-University of Victoria Students’ Society
Prairies Member Locals
42-Alberta College of Art and Design Students’
Association
21-University of Calgary Graduate Students’
Association
09-University of Regina Students’ Union
101-University of Saskatchewan Graduate
Students’ Association
17-University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union
90-First Nations University of Canada Student
Association
37-Brandon University Students’ Union
96-University of Manitoba Graduate Students’
Association
103-University of Manitoba Students’ Union
38-Association étudiante du Collège universitaire
de Saint Boniface
08-University of Winnipeg Students’ Association
12
Québec Member Locals
91-Concordia Student Union
83-Concordia University Graduate Students’
Association
108-Dawson Students’ Union
79-Post-Graduate Students’ Society of McGill
University
Atlantic Member Locals
67-University of New Brunswick Graduate
Students’ Association
63-Holland College Student Union
70-University of Prince Edward Island Graduate
Student Association
31-University of Prince Edward Island Student
Union
95-Cape Breton University Students’ Union
-Dalhousie Association of Graduate Students*
11-University of King’s College Students’ Union
34-Mount Saint Vincent University Students’ Union
07-Students’ Union of the Nova Scotia College of
Art & Design
69-Association générale des étudiant-e-s de
l’Université Sainte-Anne
36-Grenfell College Student Union
45-Marine Institute Students’ Union
100-Graduate Students’ Union of the Memorial
University of Newfoundland
35-Memorial University of Newfoundland
Students’ Union
46-College of the North Atlantic Students’
Association
75,000+ graduate students are
members of the Federation’s National
Graduate Caucus (NGC), providing
autonomous national representation for
graduate students. Graduate student
members of the Federation elect their
executive, manage a dedicated budget
for graduate issues, develop policy, and
run unique campaigns.