OCSU Letter to Kelowna Senior Secondary

To: Kelowna Secondary School Administration, School Board District 23, and the Kelowna Secondary School Parental Advisory Committee;

CC: Okanagan College KSS Task Force, James Coble

The Okanagan College Students’ Union represents over 5000 OC students in Salmon Arm, Penticton, and Kelowna, and is governed by a board of 18 elected student representatives.

We are writing to formally raise concerns about the ongoing presence and behaviour of Kelowna Secondary School (KSS) students on Okanagan College (OC) campuses. While we recognize that Okanagan College is public property and that many KSS students conduct themselves appropriately, the volume and severity of incidents involving KSS students has reached a point where it is significantly impacting the safety, learning environment, and overall campus experience for OC students.This issue has become the number one complaint we hear from our students on the Kelowna campus, and so we feel it necessary to bring this forward to you all.

OC student study spaces, particularly areas with access to electrical outlets, are frequently taken over by large groups of KSS students. This often coincides with loud and disruptive behaviour, including verbal altercations and physical fights. There have also been repeated instances of vandalism and littering on OC property, such as broken windows and doors, vandalizing and stealing supplies from bathrooms, as well as discarded trash and cups throughout buildings and common areas, done at the hands of KSS students on OC property.

We have received numerous complaints from OC students who report feeling unsafe on campus when KSS students are gathering, engaging in raucous, disruptive and explicit behaviour. There have also been reports of harassment directed toward OC staff, security, and students, including being combative when individuals are politely asked to adjust their behaviour or leave. OC signage on campus clearly indicates that KSS students are welcome to come to campus and purchase food, but are then directed to depart, and this is blatantly disregarded daily.

Okanagan College is a place of learning and academic focus. Disrespectful behaviour and repeated disruptions undermine this environment and contribute to a negative experience for students, staff, and members of the public alike. When behavioural expectations and campus guidelines are disregarded, it creates frustration, animosity, and a growing sense of tension across the OC community. Consistently, the presence and conduct of several groups of KSS students on campus has become the number one complaint raised by Okanagan College students to both our organization, and the institution.

We want to be clear that these concerns do not reflect the behaviour of all KSS students. However, the number of incidents is significant enough that it impacts nearly everyone at OC and has led to a broadly negative association with KSS students as a whole. This is an outcome we wish to avoid, but one that will persist without meaningful intervention. With the growing animosity amongst OC students for your students, we are deeply concerned for the safety of everyone on campus. Frustration and short tempers are building blocks for altercations of all varieties, and it is not OC’s responsibility to manage the discipline of KSS students. Safety is not a privilege, it's an expectation for all students, faculty, and staff of Okanagan College, as well as visiting guests.

We are requesting in-person, on the ground support from KSS staff and the School District to help manage KSS student behaviour when KSS students visit the OC campus, particularly during lunch break. It is not acceptable for any guests to damage property, engage in or instigate violence, harass others, or otherwise disrupt the learning of post-secondary students. This behaviour reflects poor neighbourly conduct and places an unreasonable burden on OC staff and campus security, who are continually disregarded and disrespected by many KSS students.

We feel strongly that many of your students who visit our campus are in serious breach of KSS’s own Student Code of Conduct. Some of the breaches include failing to meet the following expectations:

• Displaying Respect for the rights, property and safety of themselves and others.  

•  Honouring the Rights of others - through the process of learning and demonstrating appropriate behaviours.

• Exhibiting behaviour that is free of all forms of intimidation, harassment, racism, and discrimination;

• Refraining from all types of violent acts;

• Refraining from disruptive or unnecessary behaviours that negatively affect the learning environment;

• Refraining from the possession and use of all forms of intoxicants and tobacco (drugs, alcohol, etc.); including vapes, cigars and E-cigarettes;

• Modeling respectful and responsible behaviour, not only at school, but within the community as well

We also would like to highlight which examples of unacceptable behaviour are outlined in this code of conduct that these students are actively participating in:

• Interfering with the rights of others to learn

• Creating an unsafe situation for any school member, and extending to OC school members

• Distract others from focusing on instruction or concentrating on prescribed tasks

KSS students are participating in the following Prohibited Acts of your Student Code of Conduct:

• Bullying, harassment and intimidation

• Physical violence

• Any acts of a sexual nature outside of public displays of affection acceptable in a professional environment

KSS students have also been witnessed with the possession or action of the following prohibited acts of the KSS Student Code of Conduct:

• Theft of or damage to property 

• Tobacco, E-Cigarette or Vaporizer use on school grounds.

KSS states on their website under the Principal Authority of the student code of conduct that the “Principal and his/her designates has a right under the School Act to discharge discipline from the time a student leaves home to go to school until such time as the student returns home at the conclusion of the school day.  However, the Principal’s and the District’s authority also extend beyond the normal "home-to-home" rule when the behaviour of a student off school premises or after school hours adversely affects the operation of any school in the district for example, online communication, violent altercations, etc.” and since KSS states that “it is partially our responsibility to actively teach these [code of conduct] attitudes and skills,” we believe that it is a requirement for the staff and administrators of KSS to take an active role in daily supervision of the KSS students descending on the OC campus during lunch hours, and all other peak visiting hours to ensure the appropriate behaviour and discipline as required is enacted on your pupils. We are committed to making ourselves fully available to support the staff and administrators of KSS in lobbying School District 23, should they request it, for additional resources to better manage this issue on the condition that they agree to immediately devote current resources to managing the issues we have outlined above.

OCSU believes that with your active support and cooperation, clear communication, and shared responsibility, it is possible to reduce these incidents and restore a safe, respectful, and academically focused environment for everyone who uses the Okanagan College Kelowna campus, and our two student populations can coexist peacefully and respectfully. We would be pleased to continue these conversations through face to face conversations in the spirit of collaborative problem solving.

We appreciate your attention and consideration on this matter.

-Okanagan College Students’ Union Board of Directors. 

November 8th Message to OCSU Members

Hello members!

We wanted to give a big thank you to everyone who participated in our Student Solidarity activities this past week. With your help, we gathered just under 800 student signatures calling on the College to do better when it comes to students. Your Students’ Union coordinated between Kelowna, Penticton, and Salmon Arm campuses to ask our institution to put students first and asked you to lend your support. In addition to the events on November 2nd, we also presented to the OC Leadership council on Friday, October 28th, outlining the challenges students are facing. Moreover, we received a letter of support from the OC Faculty Association (OCFA), as well as local and national coverage. On Friday, November 4, the OCSU hand delivered the signed letters to President Neil Fassina.

This past Sunday, November 6, the OCSU Board had the opportunity to meet in person with both OC President Neil Fassina and VP Students Meri Kim Oliver. During our regular board meeting, we discussed a range of issues that impact OC students. Since the board had already scheduled for Meri Kim to attend this meeting well in advance of our Student Solidarity events on November 2nd most of our questions were focused on the VP Students portfolio. The President did the majority of the talking on behalf of OC. This meeting was just shy of 90 minutes, and we appreciate that Meri Kim and Neil took the time on Sunday to join us on campus to discuss issues we have raised. The President and VP Students answered most of the board’s questions thoroughly, though we feel it is safe to say that both parties know there is still much work to be done.

• Here are the questions asked of Okanagan College Leadership by your elected student representatives.

• One of the challenges for international students is financial stressors. In addition to high tuition, purchasing books and supplies, paying rent, and meeting daily expenses such as parking, transportation, food, and clothing, there is no access to finance alternatives (loans) to help pay for all of it.

• What are the current reasons for not having financing alternatives for international students at OC in comparison to the options for domestic students, have you explored possible solutions like bursaries, etc?

• Is there a plan on how to support the international students that are already here and still have 2-3 more years of school?

• In what ways can we as students, influence the decision-makers of this college after a decision has already been implemented?

• Regarding the Student housing initiative announcement of 2021, Salmon Arm is to receive student housing (60 beds) with plans to break ground in 2022. Has there been consideration for increasing student support to facilitate this change?

• Student recreation and student life for Salmon Arm have very few resources for athletics, intramurals, outdoor programs, or fitness facility access unlike Vernon, Kelowna, and Penticton. Is this something that will be improved in the future?

• Is OC still planning to begin providing free Menstrual products in all bathrooms around all campuses and when can the students expect this?

• What is the process of decision-making and funding allocation after the leadership committee presentation? Are you meeting monthly, how often? What can we expect as a response? Report back structure? Are there minutes of these meetings, what is public, and how can we ensure that our members have adequate awareness?

• Why did the Okanagan Market replace the cafeteria? Based on current feedback from students, students are struggling to access affordable food on campus. What steps are you taking to allocate the resources and address the dire need to facilitate low-barrier food options? (What considerations for students' needs were taken into account when deciding to replace the cafeteria with the market?)

• Can you please point out valid reasons and developments that the 8.6 percent increase would contribute to the life of our students? What would 8.6% do that 3% would not?

• Over the past few months communication with students and to the students’ union has dwindled to something of a second thought. This is a departure from the existing open lines of communication. What happened?

• In reflection of the request to reverse the 8.6% increase on international students and the nearly 800 students calling on you to do something, what options have you considered and when can we expect a response?

As always, our priority is to the needs and aims of you, our membership - the students of OC. We will continue to lobby both Okanagan College and the provincial Government to prioritize students. We will continue to work alongside other student unions and the BC Federation of Students by running campaigns, participating in collective lobbying efforts, and standing in solidarity with all students of British Columbia and beyond.

Going forward, we plan to continue to meet with OC Leadership. We believe that one day of action is only the beginning. From here, we hope to sit down with the President and the other college leaders to see where our two organizations can come together and make sure student voices are heard and taken seriously. We recognize Okanagan College is severely underfunded - at around 56% - by the government. Thus we are also committed to meeting with Okanagan Members of the Legislative Assembly and communicating with the Minister of Advanced Education, Anne Kang, to ensure our elected Government representatives understand the needs and situations of students - their constituents.

We will also continue to engage directly with you, our members. We will still provide services, advocacy, and events for you to ensure that you have the best post-secondary experience possible. We will forge ahead to raise awareness for the Fund It Fix It campaign, and Fairness for International Students campaign. We ask you, our membership, to keep signing pledges and petitions. Student action works! Together we can accomplish amazing things, like the recent removal of interest on federal student loans. If we remain committed together, we can ensure that student needs, such as affordable and predictable international fees, and affordable food options are met.

If you would like to take additional action you can sign the BC Federation of Students petitions for Fairness for International Students and Fund It Fix It.

In Solidarity,

OCSU