“It’s a meaningful way to mark CSA’s 50th anniversary and renew our commitment to student advocacy and collaboration.”
– Jamine Bates, President, CSA
The College Student Alliance (CSA) marked a major milestone this year. 50 years of advocating for student rights with a powerful and inspiring conference held on May 9, 2025, at Humber Polytechnic’s Lakeshore campus.
The conference was packed with important discussions, engaging workshops and passionate speakers—all focused on empowering students and shaping the future of student leadership in Ontario.
Let’s look at some highlights from the CSA May conference!
Opening remarks and legal responsibilities
The meeting kicked off with warm introductions led by David Ward, the General Manager of CSA, setting a welcoming tone as attendees from CSA member schools and the IGNITE Board of Directors gathered.
Matthew Joseph, lawyer at Arbique & Ahde, joined virtually to deliver a key presentation on the legal responsibilities of student leaders.
Joseph emphasized that being a board member isn’t just a title, it’s a commitment. “At the end of the day, it’s your responsibility to keep up with them and know the laws related to your management,” said Joseph.
He outlined the core duties of student directors: overseeing risks and finances, ensuring program quality and upholding governance standards.
Student advocates were introduced to key Ontario legislation, including the Employment Standards Act, Labour Relations Act, Human Rights Code, Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
Ending gender-based violence on campus
Guest speaker Adjei Scott, Community Engagement Manager at White Ribbon, began with an interactive activity: imagine being stranded on an island with no boat or plane. What would you do?
The exercise led into a meaningful conversation about allyship and community. Scott challenged students to reflect on how they work together and support each other, especially during crises.
Scott further explained how his organization, White Ribbon, engages men and boys in the prevention of gender-based violence by promoting equality and transforming harmful social norms.
“We need to have more discussions and conversations about it. That’s how we help others. We need to make it a significant part of our culture and work together toward it,” said Scott.
He also emphasized that ending gender-based violence requires a multifaceted approach. This includes consent education, bystander intervention training, analyzing gender norms, promoting allyship and modeling gender equality.
Real-world impact
CSA alumni Joel Willett, General Manager, Fleming Student Administrative Council, Ciara Nardell, Team Lead, Community Insights, Ministry of Colleges and Universities, Tyler Charlebois, Director, Centres of Innovation Network and Partnership Development, Humber Polytechnic and Aksnoor Singh, Jr. Project Manager, OSCO Construction Group, participated in a conversation on how student leadership shapes long-term personal and professional success.
“I wanted to support colleges and work with the government. This role teaches you things you don’t learn in the classroom,” said Nardell, reflecting on her role in research and advocacy.
“These are lifelong skills that will keep you employable. Put this experience on your resume—it makes you stand out,” said Charlebois, speaking on transferable career skills.
“You have a room full of people to rely on. The College Student Alliance knows you are all strong and capable student leaders,” said Willett, emphasizing community in leadership.
“Advocacy is about working with each member and creating laws that serve everyone’s best interests,” said Singh, mentioning collective progress.
Housing crisis: Student rights and the RTA
The spotlight turned to housing affordability, discussed in a panel led by Nathi Zamisa, Co-Executive Director of HOUSE Canada.
The conversation centered on the ongoing rental crisis, focusing on how international students are disproportionately affected due to limited local knowledge and a lack of support systems.
“Every day, rent is getting more expensive. International students need time to figure everything out, so we need to make housing more affordable for them,” said Zamisa.
The session also included a practical and informative walk-through of tenant rights under Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), led by Jay Patel, Campaigns Director and Bhonita Singh, Operations Director.
They highlighted key responsibilities of landlords, including keeping shared spaces clean and maintaining essential services like heat and water. Importantly, they reminded students that harassment or intimidation by landlords is illegal and unacceptable.
The benefits of Open Educational Resources (OER)
The final session of the day was led by Chris Fernlund, Program Manager of Technology and Open Access at eCampusOntario, and Siri Gauthier, Bilingual Librarian with the eCampus Ontario Library. They spoke about Open Educational Resources (OERs).
“These resources create real savings for students. That’s something we should all consider,” said Gauthier.
Speakers emphasized the benefits of OER, like reduced textbook costs, increased access to up-to-date research and improved academic equity for all students.
By removing financial barriers, OER allows learners to fully participate from day one of a course, supporting long-term success.
You can explore available OERs as a starting point for accessing free, high-quality open textbooks and learning materials.
To close the day, Jasmine Bates, President of the College Student Alliance (CSA), delivered an inspiring speech on the importance of staying committed to amplifying the student voice.
“It’s going to be students two or three years down the line who are affected by the important changes we make today,” Bates said, encouraging student leaders to think ahead and keep pushing for change.
Isabella Vergara Bedoya, Student Advocate at IGNITE, shared her thoughts on the value of the event. “CSA MayCon was an amazing opportunity for student leaders to come together and deepen their understanding of advocacy. These discussions are essential—they allow us to share experiences and work toward collective solutions that benefit students across the province,” said Bedoya.
As CSA celebrates its 50th anniversary, this year’s conference served as a powerful reminder of what students can achieve together.
Feature image courtesy of IGNITE
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