Campaigns
YUGSA is committed to working hard on the issues that matter to Graduate students. Here’s what we have worked on so far.
CUPE3903 Strike Support: Essential Resources
As an association committed to supporting our graduate student community, we recognize the significant challenges many of our members are facing amidst the ongoing CUPE3903 strike. In response to these challenges, we have compiled a list of contacts for food banks and food aid services available to assist those in need within our community.
Reverse the student choice initiative
Doug Ford’s Student Choice Initiative threatens funding for the YUGSA. Without predictable core funding, all graduate students will suffer the loss of our services and operational funding. Join us to defend YUGSA!
Mental Health Services for graduate students
Universities are changing and graduate students face unique stressors which impact their mental health and wellness. We demand better mental health support for graduate students.
Stop Corporatization on campus
Publicly funded universities across Canada are becoming sites for private-sector research and development. This threatens the foundations of academic freedom and public, peer-reviewed curiosity driven research.
Anti Racism
Despite many Canadians’ self-congratulatory contention that Canada does not have a racism problem, incidents of race-related hate crimes are on the rise. YUGSA is committed to confronting racism of all kind: from anti-black racism to Islamophobia.
Ending Sexual Violence
By graduation, one in five female Canadian students will experience rape or attempted rape, with Indigenous women (including non-students) being 3.5 times as likely to be assaulted as non-Indigenous women. YUGSA strives to end sexual violence by working towards a culture of consent.
Solidarity with Indigenous peoples
Despite the federal government promising an era of “reconciliation,” the Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island continue to face systemic oppression in Canada: from economic injustice (poor housing, health care, education, etc.) to environmental injustice (extraction, pipelines, dams, etc.). YUGSA stands in solidarity with Indigenous peoples in the struggle for a decolonized Turtle Island.
Yugsa in the community
The following are campaigns and organizations that YUGSA partners with: