The Student Association at Durham College, UOIT and Trent in Oshawa
Campaigns
Campus campaigns for the 2007/08 year:
Good Neighbour - September
Positive Space- November
Food Drive - December
Abilities Week - January
Diversity Week – March
Campus Clean up - April
Good Neighbour
The Good Neighbor Campaign is designed to help students who are living on their own in the community for the first time become more aware of the issues and concerns around being a productive member of the community. Durham College, UOIT and Trent in Oshawa are proud to be part of the community in Oshawa. From community events, to service initiatives, students, staff and faculty contribute their expertise to the community in a variety of ways. Oshawa is a great place to live and learn and there are many positive aspects to the relationship that Durham College, UOIT and Trent in Oshawa shares with its community partners.
Coming to campus to participate in higher learning, students also are learning to become better citizens. The Good Neighbour Campaign is produced by Your SA to inform students of the proper etiquette of being a house owner. Through the campaign, it provides information on bylaws, garbage, noise, landlords, the Town and Gown Committee and other topics that first-time homeowners and tenants need to know to become integrated into the Oshawa community.
Positive Space
Sexual orientation and gender identity issues are frequently omitted from public policy and educational strategies. Often, issues of sexual and gender identity are spoken of solely in a negative manner, or are avoided as a result of fear or embarrassment. Through the use of educational tools such as information sheets, seminars, brochures and stickers, the Positive Space Campaign allows for the issues of sexual and gender identity to become more visible.
The objective of the Positive Space Campaign is to create visibility and inclusiveness for sexual and gender diversity on our campus through the achievement of specific goals. These goals are:
• To create a campus that is free of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity;
• To allow all students to feel included and welcome in their campus setting so that they may focus their energies toward academic achievements as well as partake in campus life and co-curricular activities;
• To encourage inclusion of GLBTQ issues and histories in curriculum, course offerings, and research opportunities.
Food Drive
Your SA partners with the Kinsmen Club of Oshawa, SHARE, campus clubs and the institutions to support an annual holiday food drive which benefits students with children and other families in the area. Sponsorships and donations are also sought after at local businesses.
Launching on Monday, November 2 and ending Friday, December 14, students, staff and faculty are encouraged to drop off non-perishable food items in the designated boxes on campus. Volunteers are needed to help with food distribution and more information will be forthcoming on our web site as we get closer to the date.
Food donations will also be used at Your Food Centre to benefit other students on campus.
Abilities Week
Abilities Week celebrates and raises awareness about students with disabilities on our campus. Through a poster campaign and guest speakers, it is hoped that “temporarily ablebodied” students will recognize and appreciate the barriers that students with disabilities face and assist in making our campus more inclusive.
A copy of the institutions’ Accessibility Plan is on their respective websites. As well, students are welcome to join the Students for Equal Access Committee which assists with Abilities Week and promotes inclusion on campus.
For more information, please contact Kathryn Bremner, service co-ordinator.
Diversity Week
Diversity Week is arguably the biggest and most student-involved campaign that Your SA runs throughout the year. Its mandate is to observe and celebrate all the cultures, faiths, beliefs and talents of students on campus and amalgamate them at the end of the week into one student-produced show titled Pangaea.
Pangaea is an exhibition of different culture-based performances. Last year, over ten regions and thirty performances were presented to a crowd in excess of 800 students. In addition, a Tour of the World food festival was thrown in to showcase different cultural fare from around the globe.
This year, Diversity Week will be expanding again in order to keep up with the demand of students on campus who want to take part in such a lively and positive campaign.
Campus Clean-up
The Campus Clean-up Campaign is designed for students on campus to positively impact the surrounding community by helping keep it tidy and presentable. By participating in an organized day of cleaning on campus and around the community, the Campus Cleanup Campaign hopes to reflect the values of Your SA and those of the campus of being responsible and active members.
