SA president column: 2020/2021 term priorities

Hello Everyone!

I wanted to share with you the Board of Directors’ priorities for this year. We are excited to work on these throughout our 2020/2021 term and look forward to seeing the college’s positive impact.

We will connect the three campuses by exploring options to create convenient inter-campus travel, possibly via shuttle buses. There are so many talented students at Perth and Pembroke, and we want to share their work with Ottawa students. We want to share what the satellite campuses have, and we also will ensure that Perth and Pembroke have access to the same student services as Ottawa. With the Algonquin Wolves re-branding process, our Directors are excited to unite our school spirit to strengthen our student identity.

We are looking forward to modelling the college’s commitment to Truth, Reconciliation, and Indigenization. One way to accomplish this is by working shoulder-to-shoulder with the Vice-President, Truth, Reconciliation and Indigenization. Together, we want to introduce Algonquian language courses as options for general electives and increase education on teachings surrounding the Thanksgiving Address and the Honorable Harvest.

A strong priority on our list for the year is recommitting to the Social Economic Environmental (S.E.E.) Model of Sustainability. With everything going on in the world, every effort to help the Earth is crucial. With this in mind, the board will resurrect the Sustainable Algonquin Steering Committee to focus on the college’s sustainable goals. We want to learn more about what sustainability means and practice our findings.

Something close to our hearts is maintaining access to education. Our research and discussions with students have brought to our attention the struggles that some students face every day. We want to resolve barriers that prevent students from having safe student housing in Perth and Pembroke and explore local transportation options in Pembroke. We want to increase the visibility of student support services, particularly for the Centre of Accessible Learning, Mental Health Services, and the SA’s Food Cupboard.

Finally, ensuring proactive student support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We will advise the COVID-19 Collaboration Committee based on students’ health and wellness needs and adapt online infrastructure to support students’ experiences such as events, clubs, etc. The board will support the continuous improvement and standardization of instructor utilization of Brightspace. In this way, all professors will provide the same layout for their courses, so students have consistency in their program studies. We also will be exploring future options for emergency responses to pandemics and epidemics.

All the best,

Emily Ferguson, President

Algonquin Students’ Association