Sexualized and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) is a pervasive issue affecting many post-secondary institutions in British Columbia and across Canada. Alarming figures from a 2020 report by Statistics Canada reveal that in 2019 alone, 11% of female students and 4% of male students in Canadian post-secondary schools experienced sexual assault in a post-secondary setting. These findings highlight the gravity of SGBV in post-secondary institutions particularly its impact on women and marginalised groups. The prevalence of these behaviours and their severe emotional and academic repercussions necessitate immediate and targeted action.
RECOMMENDATION: Implement Intersectional Awareness Programs: We recommend implementing comprehensive awareness programs to address SGBV in post-secondary institutions. These programs should be tailored to the unique experiences of disability and neurodiversity, 2SLGBTQI+ and BIPOC communities, with a focus on intersectionality. By promoting awareness and prevention, institutions can contribute to a safer environment for all students.
Starting in the 2023/2024 federal government budget, the government allocated $20.2 million for mental health support programs over five (5) years for post-secondary schools. Current on-going initiatives include the Campus Peer Support pilot project, the National Standard for Mental Health and Wellbeing, and Here2Talk. Although this is a good initiative, many post-secondary schools and colleges were excluded.
RECOMMENDATION: We urge both the Federal and BC governments to advocate for the inclusion of additional BC universities, such as Simon Fraser University, in the Campus Peer Support pilot project. Furthermore, we emphasise the necessity of continuing to enhance mental health support for visible minorities and LGBTQ+ students. All faculty and staff at post-secondary schools and colleges must be encouraged to train on disability awareness, including training on “invisible disabilities”
Environmental racism is rampant in Indigenous communities across the country and its negative consequences, including chemical pollution, water and soil contamination, extreme weather conditions, and more are disproportionately damaging the people that protect it the most. To enact meaningful change, urgent government action must be taken on the intersection of climate change and decolonization.
RECOMMENDATION: Revise the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) to explicitly acknowledge the universal entitlement to a healthy environment, irrespective of individual identities or geographical locations. Additionally, incorporate a heightened focus on justice for those individuals who bear a disproportionate impact within the framework of CEPA.
The number of students who travel for post-secondary education keeps increasing year- after- year. Many domestic and international students opt to travel for post-secondary education because it offers many opportunities for improving their career prospects and social life. This makes affordable student housing a necessary requirement. Most post-secondary institutions provide some form of on-campus housing, sometimes with a meal plan to go with it. However, these accommodations are never enough to meet the continuous rising demand for student housing among domestic and international students.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Relax policies on student housing to allow developers who opt to develop places close to post- secondary schools to build student housing and market it to them. Post- secondary institutions and colleges must be encouraged to make rent for on-campus housing at or below market value in comparison to surrounding off- campus housing.
Over the past few years, provincial operating grants to post-secondary institutions have been stable despite their rising operating expenses. This has made these institutions reliant on tuition fees provided by domestic and international students. With declining enrollment numbers, post- secondary institutions are struggling to fund their expenses. Thus, it is essential for the provincial government to revisit its regulations and increase its funds to post- secondary institutions. This will help make post- secondary institutions in British Columbia highly competitive in both the domestic and international environment.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Review the post-secondary funding formula and ensure that the operating grants given to post-secondary institutions and colleges in BC are at power with inflation and take into consideration increases in student enrollments.
With rising grocery prices, rents and other increased expenses, many students are burdened with the difficult choice between paying high tuition fees or buying nutritious food. This has led to an increase in attendance to food banks across the province and on post- secondary campuses. At SFU, we have seen a rapid increase in the number of visits to our food bank every week and the situation is so dire that we have had to put in place measures to restrict frequent use due to insufficient resources. Food insecurity on campus has led to students adopting unconventional means to stay afloat and this has led to sleep deprivation, lack of concentration in class, increased absenteeism, anxiety and stress levels.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Provide funding to post- secondary students society to undertake initiatives specifically tailored to students in their institutions to help combat food insecurity among students on their campuses, regulate the prices of food on campus.
With the stagnation of provincial funding to post-secondary institutions, most institutions have had to increase tuition fees for domestic and international students in order to cover operating expenses. Although domestic tuition is capped at 2%, international students’ tuition does not yet have a cap. Since the 2020/2021 student enrollment in post-secondary institutions have been declining and SFU is no exception. With declining enrollment rates in the current economic climate, institutions have had to increase tuition fees for new and continuing students. As we already live in one of the most expensive provinces in Canada, increased tuition fees can discourage international students and students from other provinces from coming to British -Columbia to pursue higher education.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Establish a provincial scholarship specifically targeted at out-of-province students and international students to help attract them into post- secondary institutions in BC.
Open Educational Resources (OERs) are a solution to ease the financial burden that contributes to the high cost of textbooks by offering textbooks in a digital format for free or for a lower cost than print textbooks. OERs can also provide accessible textbook formats for people with disabilities or for those who do not have access to the internet. OERs have been identified by the BC government as a solution to reduce barriers for students to accessing post-secondary education and is working with the BCcampus to oversee the project implementation. Currently, through the combined dedication of the BC provincial government, post-secondary universities and colleges in BC and their student societies, the B.C Open collection by BCcampus was successfully launched and currently, the website hosts over 300 open educational textbooks on numerous subjects.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Provide more funding to BCcampus for the production and enhancement of open educational resources so that they could add more textbooks in accessible formats for people with disabilities.
With the Federal government’s approval of the expansion of the Transmountain pipeline as well as the increase in the number of tanks at the Burnaby mountain tank farm, there is an increased risk of fire on the mountain. As part of the transmountain pipeline expansion project to the Canadian Energy Board, the company was advised to establish a fire station. However, their fire station is housed in Kamloops and research shows that if there were a fire on the mountain, it would take them around 12 mins to arrive. This is quite concerning as within 12 mins many lives and properties could be damaged and/or lost. After years of advocating for the discontinuation of the expansion of the pipeline to no avail, the SFSS started to lobby the municipal and provincial government to establish a fire department on the mountain as a safety measure.
RECOMMENDATION: Establish a firehall on the Burnaby mountain preferably before the completion of the transmountain pipeline expansion project.
A growing number of students use public transport to all of SFU’s three campuses. Research shows that 88% of our students rely on public transport to commute to our campuses. This number will increase by 60% in the next twenty (20) years. Increasing student population coupled with inclement weather such as snowfall, ice, heavy rainfall etc. can make wait times at bus stops exceed over twenty (20) minutes.
RECOMMENDATION: Provide 40% of the funding to the Burnaby Mountain gondola project to create reliable and sustainable commuting options for SFU students, faculty, staff and people living in the UniverCity community.
