OTTAWA, March 3, 2020 – The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) is proud to welcome a new member to the organization, and celebrate a renewed partnership with the Quebec Student Union.
On February 17th, 2020, during CASA’s annual Advocacy Week and Annual General Meeting, Kwantlen Student Association (KSA) was unanimously approved as the newest member of the organization. Approximately 20,000 students across the five campuses of Kwantlen Polytechnic University will now have their concerns represented alongside 370,000 other post-secondary students to the federal government.
"Kwantlen has been an active observer of CASA over the past few years, and have continuously been impressed by the work that the organization does," said David Piraquive, President and Vice-President External Affairs of the Kwantlen Student Association (KSA). "After participating in two of CASA's Get Out the Vote Campaigns and meeting with Parliamentarians alongside the organization to improve student life in Canada, we are proud to have officially joined the organization as a member."
“The Kwantlen Student Association’s request to join was received with enthusiasm by all members at the table,” expressed CASA’s Board Chair, Adam Brown. “Under David’s leadership, the KSA has been partaking in CASA campaigns and advocacy initiatives for years, and we are so pleased to welcome them as members.”
CASA was also pleased to celebrate a renewed partnership agreement with the Quebec Student Union on February 22, 2020. The partnership, which initially began in 2017, has been extended until 2024 and allows both organizations to remain autonomous and independent while encouraging collaborative work on research, policy development, and student advocacy.
“We are very enthusiastic about the renewal of the partnership,” said Philippe Lebel, President of the Quebec Student Union. “This working relationship allows us to present a united front and advance the post-secondary student condition while recognizing the particularities of the Quebec education system.”
“Both organizations have seen the benefits of this partnership since 2017,” added Brown. “It has allowed us to strengthen federal advocacy efforts for both organizations and, most importantly, for the post-secondary students across the country. As evidenced throughout more than 130 meetings our organizations had with decision-makers during our Advocacy Week, it is clear that a united student movement is a strong student movement.”
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About CASA:
Established in 1995, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit, national student organization composed of 24 student associations representing 300,000 post-secondary students from coast to coast. With its partnership with the Quebec Student Union (QSU), CASA represents a total of 390,000 students across Canada and presents a national student voice to the federal government. CASA advocates for a Canadian post-secondary education system that is accessible, affordable, innovative, and of the highest quality.
Contact:
Annie Sherry, Director of Communications and Operations - Canadian Alliance of Student Associations
E-mail: [email protected]
Alexandre Ducharme, Press Officer - Quebec Student Union
E-mail: [email protected]
