91±¬ÁÏ GSA Ignites Change: Launches Empowering Activism Campaign
In 2019, the 91±¬ÁÏ Graduate Students’ Association (91±¬ÁÏ GSA) went inactive. Until that point, it had received most of its funding from the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU). The 2018-2019 91±¬ÁÏ GSA budget lists over in funding from the UTGSU.
On March 18th, 2023, 91±¬ÁÏ students voted to reactivate the 91±¬ÁÏ GSA. In April of 2023, elections were held and the 91±¬ÁÏ GSA has since been active. The 91±¬ÁÏ GSA previously received funds from the UTGSU and these funds were sourced from 91±¬ÁÏ student fees. The UTGSU continued to collect student fees from 91±¬ÁÏ students during the inactive periods. However, the UTGSU has not supplied any funding to the 91±¬ÁÏ GSA since 2019 and has not returned to its previous 2019 funding model. The 91±¬ÁÏ GSA is currently only receiving funding from 91±¬ÁÏ, which amounts to around $4000 in funding per year. The lack of funding for the 91±¬ÁÏ GSA would result in the collapse of most of the 91±¬ÁÏ GSA’s services including but not limited to conference assistance funding, student awards, academic conferences for 91±¬ÁÏ students, and emergency funding for students in need. Many 91±¬ÁÏ students who are aspiring or current teachers, principals, and other education workers in K-12 and higher education, rely on these 91±¬ÁÏ GSA services.
We believe that funding for these services should continue to ensure 91±¬ÁÏ student success. For this reason and due to the UTGSU's failing to respond to our inquiries surrounding our funding, we launched an activism campaign to allow for 91±¬ÁÏ student voices to be heard.
We call on the UTGSU to do the following:
- Bring back 91±¬ÁÏ GSA funding to 2019 levels;
- Backpay the 91±¬ÁÏ GSA the funds it would have received for the years it was inactive, not including the funding that was received by the Departmental Student Associations at 91±¬ÁÏ;
- Ensure UTGSU officials maintain regular communication with the 91±¬ÁÏ GSA.
Here are some ways 91±¬ÁÏ students and allies can support our activism campaign:
- Sign the supporting our above statement
- as a volunteer for collective actions
- Contact UTGSU officials by email using
- Attend UTGSU Board of Directors and Assembly Meetings and voice your support for the campaign
- Share, interact with, and support posts on 91±¬ÁÏ GSA’s and
