CFS Campaign Victories

8/14/2019 CFS Campaign Victories

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Canadian Federation oF StudentS &

Canadian Federation oF StudentSontario


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NATIONAL SUCCESSES

National Student GrantsIn 2007, the Canadian Federation o Studentslaunched a nation-wide campaign or GrantsNot Loans with a Day o Action on February 7,2007. Throughout the year, tens o thousands opetition signatures were collected and Federationrepresentatives met with over 200 Memberso Parliament and Senators to lobby or thereplacement o the Millennium ScholarshipProgram with a national system o student grants.In response to this campaign, the ederal budgetreleased in February 2008 introduced an historicnew national system o means-tested grants.

Valued at $350-million in the rst year andclimbing to $430 million in 2012, the new grantsprogram will provide grants to 245,000 students.Middle-income students will receive up to $100 innon-repayable unding per month.

Stopping Tuition Fee HikesIn many provinces, Federation campaigns led tolimits on tuition ee increases, brought about eereezes and, in certain cases, secured tuition eereductions. Students in Alberta, Saskatchewan,

Manitoba, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island,Nova Scotia, and Newoundland and Labrador areprotected regulation that prescribes either tuitionee reezes or reductions.

More Scholarships for GraduateStudentsThe Canadian Federation o Students worked withthe Canadian Association o University Teachers(CAUT) to press the ederal government to add 500Canada Graduate Scholarships in 2008.

Each scholarship recipient receives between

$17,500 and $35,000 per year.Restoring Funding for SSHRC

As a result o lobbying by the Canadian Federationo Students, the ederal government restoredSSHRC scholarships or masters students in artsand humanities in creating the Canada GraduateScholarships.

No GST on Tuition FeesThe Canadian Federation o Students successullycampaigned to stop the GST rom being appliedto tuition ees and campus residence ees. TheFederation continues to work to have the GSTremoved rom textbooks. This has saved theaverage university student over $280 this yearalone.

Tax ReliefThe Canadian Federation o Students exposedthe diversion o ederal scholarship unds to payor pre-existing provincial programs. This led theederal government to increase the tax exemptionon scholarships rom $500 to $3000 in 2001, andeventually all scholarships were exempted romincome tax in 2007.

February 2008, Federations Grants Not Loanscampaign resulted in the Federal Budget

announcement o the creation o Canadas rstnational system o student grants

WHEREAS average tuition fees, as a share of a typical familys income, are higher today than at anypoint in the last sixty years;

WHEREAS more than 345,000 students are forced to borrow from the Canada Student LoansProgram;

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 hasballooned 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 provincialgrants, leaving students no farther ahead;

WHEREAS the Millennium Scholarship Foundation has failed at improving access to post-secondaryeducation; 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.

Petition to the Government of Canada: Grants NOT Loans

C a n a d i a n F e d e r a t i o n o f S t u d e n t s www . c f s - f c e e . c a

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


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Right to Work for International

StudentsIn 2005, the Canadian Federation o Studentssuccessully lobbied the ederal government toallow international students to work o-campus.This has allowed thousands o internationalstudents in Ontarios colleges and universities tobe able to work part-time to support their studies.The Federation was the only student organisationin Canada that had been lobbying on behal o therignts o international students and continues tohold the only seat on the Advisory Committee onInternational Students and Immigration.

Unbiased Federal InfrastructureFundingIn the 2009 ederal budget, the governmentannounced new inrastructure unding that wastied to privatisation and which sought to givegovernment political infuence over institutionaland academic priorities.

The Federation held a lobby week at Parliamentthe week o the announcement and engaged ina media relations campaign. Within two days,the government announced that it would relaxthe stipulations on the new unding and ensure

academic reedom and institutional autonomy.

Student representation at CAGSThe Federations National Graduate Caucussecured student representation on the Canadian

Association o Graduate Studies (CAGS). TheFederation shares this seat on a rotationalbasis with its Qubec counterpart, la Fdrationtudiante universitaire du Qubec (FUQ).

Through such representation on the bodyrepresenting graduate deans throughout Canada,the Federation has provided strong and consistentgraduate student representation.

Public Access to GraduateDissertationsIn 2001, the Federations National GraduateCaucus learned that the National Library o Canadahad sold the ownership and distribution rights oCanadian theses and dissertations to an Americancompany, UMI/Bell & Howell.

As a result o a media and email campaign thatwas sustained or six weeks, the Library agreed toreverse its decision, restore public ownership andcontrol over the Thesis Distribution Service andcreate an Advisory Committee with guaranteedrepresentation rom the Federation.

Shifting Federal Conservative PartyPolicyDuring the 2008 ederal election campaign, theConservative Party o Canada included in itsplatorm a commitment to implement a regressivestudent loan model called Income-ContingentLoan Repayment Plans (ICLRP). ICLRPs, when

implemented in other jurisdictions, were usedto justiy by tuition ee increases between 300and 400 percent and resulted in students rommarginalised communities paying more or theireducation through compound interest.

The Federations negative evaluation o this aspecto the Conservative platorm caused the party tocontact the Federation and pledged to change itsplatorm mid-campaign in order to improve itsstanding with students.

United with University FacultyThe Federation is the only student organisationin Canada that is a coalition partner with theCanadian Association o University Teachers(CAUT). Together, the Federation and CAUT lobbyor improvements to post-secondary educationpolicies, including the creation o a Post-Secondary Education Act.

It is my experience that the CFShas been the most eective and

articulate voice o students in Canadaor many years.

Jim Turk, Executive Director,Canadian Association o University Teachers (CAUT)


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ONTARIO SUCCESSES

Stopping Tuition Fee HikesIn response to the Federations Vote Educationcampaign held during the 2003 Ontario election,the Liberal Party o Ontario promised theFederation that, i elected, it would immediatelyreeze tuition ees. In April 2004, the new Liberalgovernment ollowed through on that promisein a joint announcement o the reeze with theCanadian Federation o Students.

As a result o this victory, between 2004 to 2006,Ontario students beneted rom a tuition ee reeze

that saved every university student approximately$250.

Record Investments in Post-Secondary EducationDue to the Federations successul electioncampaign, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuintyattempted to brand himsel as an EducationPremier in order to boost his standing in the polls.

McGuinty commissioned a province-wide reviewo post-secondary education and the Federationwas the only organisation to coordinate aninormational campaign that targetted each o the17 public consultations held across Ontario.

As a result o the overwhelming call or morepublic unding, the government announced arecord investment o $6.2 billion to increase post-secondary education unding over six years.

Funding Cuts StoppedJust beore the 2009 Ontario Budget, theFederation learned o government plans to cutunding or education and social programmes aspart o its response to the recession. Premptively,the Federation released a comprehensive proposalor a student stimulant package and generated

media concern about student debt.The package, called Hope and Change arguedthat post-secondary education unding should beseen as crucial stimulus money that will help buoyOntarios economy. One week later, the Ontariogovernment announced that they would not becutting money that had been earmarked or post-secondary education, making it one o the ewsectors to be protected rom spending cuts.

Provincial Grants RestoredIn 2005, the Canadian Federation o Studentswas successul in pressuring the Government oOntario to introduce $3,000 student grants, therst o their kind since 1994. The Federationspetitions, calling or a restoration o the grantsprogram were read into the legislature 14 times,by Members o Parliament rom all three parties.

The Federation was successul again in 2006,when its lobby eorts resulted in a doubling o thenumber o grants available.

April 2004 - Training, Colleges and UniversitiesMinister Marianne Chambers announces tuition ee

reeze with CFS-Ontario Chairperson, Joel Du

November 2008 - Progressive ConservativeEducatiuon Critic JIm Wilson signs Federation

petition calling or lower tuition ees at a rally o6,500 students at Queens Park


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Freedom of Information andTransparency in UniversitiesIn 2004, the Canadian Federation o Students andthe Ontario Conederation o University Faculty

Associations (OCUFA) launched a joint campaignto call or Access to Inormation legislation to beextended to universities. With a united positionrom students and aculty, the campaign gainedsupport rom various media editorial boards,who took up the Federations call or greatertransparency.

Despite intense opposition rom the Council oOntario Universities, the government passedlegislation extending the Freedom o Inormationand Protection o Privacy Act (FIPPA) to Ontariosuniversities. This has led to increased transparencyin the way universities are administered and hasallowed students to access inormation vital tokeeping universities accountable.

Increased Ontario Graduate

Scholarships (OGS)In 1998, the Federations Ontario Graduate Caucussuccessully lobbied or an increase in the valueo Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS), rom$12,000 to $15,000 per student, per year.

In 2005, this victory was magnied with theexpansion o the OGS programme to oer $4,000more scholarships to graduate students.

Reformed Ancillary Fees PolicyIn 2007, the Federation supported the launcho a class-action lawsuit against Ontarios 24

community colleges or collecting prohibited ees.The negative attention caused the governmentto bring in tighter regulation o university andcollege ancillary ees protocol, including the end oprohibited ancillary ees collection.

Creation of an Ontario Credit TransferSystemThis year, the Federation secured a commitmentrom the Ontario government to create a credittranser system. Two committees have beenestablished to consult and oversee the creationand implementation o a credit transer protocol.

The Federation has two representatives on theSteering Committee and one representative on theWorking Group and remains an active participantand advocate or credit transer or all students,including post-graduate students.

The Federation coordinates regular meetings withprovincial government, including this June 2009

meeting between our graduate and undergraduatemember locals in Ottawa and Training, Colleges andUniversities Minister John Milloy and two Ottawa-

area Members o Provincial Parliament.

The Federation is the only Canadian studentorganisation that uses high-prole campaigns to

generate media attention and public support or itslobbying objectives. Last years rally on November 5,

2008 saw more than 10,000 students protest ees.


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VICTORIES ACROSSCANADAHere are some o the important victories studentshave achieved over the years by working togetheras members o the Canadian Federation oStudents:

2009: Newoundland and Labrador eliminatedinterest rate charges on provincial studentloans and expanded the existing up rontneed-based grant program

2008: Tuition ees rozen in Nova Scotia

2008: Federal Government established a national

system o need-based grants (available inall o 2009), as a result o the FederationsGrants Not Loans campaign

2007: Tuition ees eliminated in British Columbiaor adult basic education

2007: Prince Edward Island reduced tuition ees

2007: Newoundland and Labrador reinstatedprovincial up-ront, needbased grantsprogram, implemented a debt reductionprogram or graduates and pledged tocontinue the ee reeze until 2011-12

2007: Manitoba introduced a 60 percenttuition ee tax credit or graduates andscholarships or graduate students

2006: Manitoba introduced a 5 percent increaseto annual operating unding or collegesand universities over three years

2005: Ontario government restored a system oneed-based grants to replace one that wascut in 1994

2005: Tuition ees capped at the rate o infationin British Columbia

2005: Tuition ees rozen in Alberta andSaskatchewan

2005: Federal government allowed internationalstudents to work o-campus

2005: Tuition Fees rozen in Newoundland andLabrador

2005: Federal budget amendment allocated $1.5billion or tuition ee reductions

2005: Manitoba reduced planned ancillaryee increase in response to CanadianFederation o Students campaign

Ater announcing the elimination o interest on

student loans, ollowing the creation o a new grantsprogram and a pledge to continue a tuition reezeuntil 2012, the Newoundland & Labrador Ministero Education Darin King said the ollowing o the

Canadian Federation o Students:

They have been our partnersthrough the past several years in

determining the best ways to reducestudent debt and we will continueto work with them. We are makingunprecedented investments andimplementing initiatives that arebeing noted by student groupsin other jurisdictions across the

country. This is clearly money well-spent and an investment not just

in our students, but in the uture oNewoundland and Labrador.

All college and university students in the provinceo Newoundland and Labrador are members o the

Canadian Federation o Students.

The rallies held in 2002 and 2003 helped to maketuition ees a hot button issue in the 2003 Ontario

Election and led to the establishment o the rsttuition ee reeze in Ontarios history.


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2004: Ontario announced a $6.2 billion increasein unding or post-secondary educationover six years

2004: Ontario roze tuition ees or two years

2003: The ederal government restored SSHRCscholarships or masters students inthe humanities and social sciencesand created the Canadian GraduateScholarship

2001: British Columbia reduced tuition ees by 5percent

2001: Newoundland and Labrador reduced eesby 25 percent over three years

2001: Prince Edward Island roze tuition ees2000: Ater February 2 Access 2000 Day o

Action:

Tuition ees rozen in Manitoba-

Ontario capped tuition ee increases at-2 percent

Qubec extended the tuition ee reeze-

Tuition ees reduced by 10 percent then-rozen and provincial grants reinstatedin Manitoba

1999: Tuition ees rozen in Newoundland andLabrador

1997: Manitoba Learning Tax Credit implementedin response to Canadian Federationo Students campaign or tuition eereductions

1996: Tuition ees rozen in British Columbia

1995: Proposed Income Contingent LoanRepayment Schemes are deeatedollowing largest student demonstration inCanadian history

1993: Tuition ee reeze re-established in Qubec(ater being lited in 1989)

1992: Tuition ees rozen in British Columbia

Federation campaigns generate signicant mediaattention, which helps to win public support and

sway decision-makers.


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SUCCESSES INDEFENDING STUDENTRIGHTS & DIVERSITY

No Means No Anti-Date RapeThe Federations awareness campaign againstdate rape is nearly 20 years old and has beentranslated by the province o British Columbiainto Mandarin and Cantonese. However, in 2006the American retailer, Blue Notes Inc., mockedthe campaign with the release o a t-shirt withthe slogan NO MEANS have aNOther drink. The

Federation launched a public relations campaignand within ve days, the company began recallingtheir t-shirts. Blue Notes eventually agreed tosponsor and stock a series o Federation-designedt-shirts to challenge date rape and promotewomens rights. Over $20,000 in prots romt-shirt sales was donated by Blue Notes to theFederation to continue its campaign against daterape and sexual assault.

Addressing the Needs of MuslimStudentsThe Federation is the only organisation that has

ever conducted a comprehensive study on theneeds and experiences o Muslim students. TheTask Force on the Needs o Muslim Studentswas launched in 2006 to gather the expriencesand insights o Muslim students on how to makecampuses more inclusive and investigated waysto challenge Islamophobia on campus and in theclassroom.

The recommendations released by the Task Forcehave been implemented on several campuses andincluded such issues as the need or women-onlygym time, more diverse ood options in caeteriasand policies that accommodate students religiousobservance in ways that do not interere withacademics.

Representing DiversityThe Federation has developed a unique structure

to ensure diverse representation within itsnational and provincial decision-makingprocesses.

Representation is provided to the ollowingconstituency groups:

Aboriginal students;-

Francophone students;-

International Students;-

Mature and part-time students;-

Queer and Trans students;-

Racialised students;-

Students with disabilities; and-

Women students.-

October 2006 - American retailer Blue Notes Inc.recalled a line o sexist t-shirts and replaced them

with Federation-designed No Means No shirts.

All decisions o the Federation are madedemocratcially by the membership at bi-annual

national and provincial meetings.


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SUCCESS IN UNITINGSTUDENTSOntario Member Locals82-Algoma University Students Association

102-Brock University Graduate StudentsAssociation

78-Carleton University Graduate StudentsAssociation

01-Carleton University Students Association

107-Association tudiante de la Cit collgiale*

92-Student Association o George Brown College93-Glendon College Student Union (York University)

54-University o Guelph Central StudentAssociation

62-University o Guelph Graduate StudentsAssociation

32-Lakehead University Student Union

104-Laurentian Association o Mature and Part-Time Students

110-Laurentian Graduate Students Association

30-Laurentian University Students GeneralAssociation

88-Association des tudiantes et tudiantsrancophones de lUniversit Laurentienne

39-McMaster University Graduate StudentsAssociation

20-Nipissing University Student Union

25-Ontario College o Art and Design StudentUnion

94-University o Ottawa Graduate StudentsAssociation

27-Queens University Society o Graduate andProessional

Students

105-Continuing Education Students Association oRyerson

24-Ryerson Students Union

85-Saint Paul University Students Association

99-Scarborough Campus Students Union

(University o Toronto)19-University o Toronto Graduate Students Union

97-Association o Part-Time UndergraduateStudents o the

University o Toronto

98-University o Toronto Students AdministrativeCouncil

109-University o Toronto at Mississauga StudentsUnion

71-Trent Central Student Association

-Trent Graduate Student Association*47-University o Western Ontario Society o

Graduate Students

56-Wilrid Laurier University Graduate StudentsAssociation

48-University o Windsor Graduate Student Society

106-University o Windsor Organization o Part-Time Students

49-University o Windsor Students Alliance

68-York Federation o Students

84-York University Graduate Students Association

Representing more than 85 students unions inCanada and more than one hal million members,

the Federation is Canadas largest and oldeststudents Union

*represents prospective memberstudents unions

redrepresents member localscomprised in whole or in part by

graduate students


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British Columbia Member Locals

03-University o 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 StudentsAssociation

53-Okanagan College Students Union

86-College o the Rockies Students Union

04-Selkirk Students Association

23-Simon Fraser Student Society

15-Thompson Rivers University Students Union

44-University o Victoria Students Society

Prairies Member Locals42-Alberta College o Art and Design Students

Association

21-University o Calgary Graduate StudentsAssociation

09-University o Regina Students Union

101-University o Saskatchewan GraduateStudents Association

17-University o Saskatchewan Students Union

90-First Nations University o Canada StudentAssociation

37-Brandon University Students Union

96-University o Manitoba Graduate StudentsAssociation

103-University o Manitoba Students Union

38-Association tudiante du Collge universitairede Saint Boniace

08-University o Winnipeg Students Association

Qubec Member Locals

91-Concordia Student Union83-Concordia University Graduate Students

Association

108-Dawson Students Union

79-Post-Graduate Students Society o McGillUniversity

Atlantic Member Locals67-University o New Brunswick Graduate

Students Association

63-Holland College Student Union

70-University o Prince Edward Island GraduateStudent Association

31-University o Prince Edward Island StudentUnion

95-Cape Breton University Students Union

-Dalhousie Association o Graduate Students*

11-University o Kings College Students Union

34-Mount Saint Vincent University Students Union

07-Students Union o the Nova Scotia College oArt & Design

69-Association gnrale des tudiant-e-s delUniversit Sainte-Anne

36-Grenell College Student Union

45-Marine Institute Students Union

100-Graduate Students Union o the MemorialUniversity o Newoundland

35-Memorial University o NewoundlandStudents Union

46-College o the North Atlantic StudentsAssociation

75,000+ graduate students aremembers o the Federations NationalGraduate Caucus (NGC), providing

autonomous national representation orgraduate students. Graduate studentmembers o the Federation elect theirexecutive, manage a dedicated budgetor graduate issues, develop policy, and

run unique campaigns.

CFS Campaign Victories

Documents