Mandate & Values
OUR MANDATE
The Okanagan College Students’ Union operates under three very important mandates. We aim to ensure that post-secondary education is of high quality, publicly funded, and we hold education decision makers and stakeholders accountable to students. OCSU strives to achieve these goals by providing the students of Okanagan College with advocacy, services, and events.
Advocacy
Campaigns
Lobbying government officials
Lobbying college administrators
Providing support with grade appeals and academic + non-academicchallenges
Services
Free supplies such as handbooks, reusable water bottles, lip balm and pens
Free safer sex supplies, menstrual hygiene products, and hand sanitizer
Extended Health & Dental benefits for eligible students
Student food banks
Local & BC-wide student discounts
Subsididal services such as legal aid
Events
Fostering campus community & student connections
Promoting stress relief and improving mental health on campus
Educating members about important campaigns and causes
Empowering students
Free food
STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF JUSTICE, EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION
The Okanagan College Students’ Union stands in solidarity and allyship with our members from marginalized communities/our members who experience discrimination/our members from BIPOC communities/our members who experience systemic oppression/our members burdened by legacies of discrimination, and all people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender queer, two-spirit, and all other non-binary identities. We see you, you are valid, you are important, you are loved. We know and believe that all human beings have a right to safe spaces, to dignity, and to equality; especially those whose rights may be more easily violated, ignored, or not fulfilled. OCSU denounces any action that diminishes the integrity and human rights of any person, and will always advocate to protect and preserve the rights of vulnerable members in our community and society.
OCSU recognizes the diverse backgrounds and experiences of all of our members. We recognize that in recent years a spotlight has been shown on the long-overdue need for more justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in all spaces of our society and communities. OCSU is committed to creating an inclusive community where all members and their experiences are seen as valued and truthful. OCSU is committed to unlearning internalized racial biases, widening our understanding of the varied and multicultural backgrounds of our members and advocating for those who have been marginalized or systematically disadvantaged. We work diligently to remove barriers wherever possible and are committed to on-going education for all our members.
OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
OCSU is dedicated to using sustainable and ethically sourced products for all promotional and frosh materials wherever possible. We believe that we must care for our planet, be accountable and conscious of our consumption, and aim to provide reusable, recycled and/or recyclable materials at every reasonable opportunity. We also acknowledge our responsibility to seek fair trade and/or ethically sourced consumables for our events. Additionally, we strive to support local, provincial, and Canadian-made goods and products, while doing our best to support Indigenous businesses whenever possible.
Our Commitments:
Recyclable and BPA-free plastics in our reusable water bottles
Recycled plastics and paper, and vegetable-based ink in our member handbooks
Fair trade and ethically sourced companies for promotional materials, apparel and consumables whenever possible
Supporting and prioritizing local, provincial, and Canadian-made goods and products
Doing our best to support Indigenous businesses and products whenever possible
Minimizing our environmental footprint through conscious decisions and consumption
Working with campus partners to help promote ethically sourced consumables and fair trade items
Engaging and educating our members about sustainability and an environmentally conscious life through resource sharing