Message From the Executive Committee

Welcome!


Whether you are a new or returning member of the Emily Carr Students' Union, this is a great year to get involved in your Students' Union, build community on campus, and join the fight for accessible education. It is vital that we have a united student voice to raise our concerns about access to education, student debt, and funding for post-secondary education.


As a result of our efforts with students across the province, we have seen some important victories this year. The BC government has committed to limiting tuition fee increases to the rate of inflation until 2009, and has improved core funding to public institutions. Your
Students' Union continues to work with other members of the Canadian Federation of Students to lobby the provincial and federal governments to work together to fund a tuition fee reduction.


But we still face some significant challenges in the coming years. Despite the cap, the highest tuition fees in the history of the province have kept post-secondary education out of the reach of many average British Columbians. Student debt continues to increase, and we must fight to prevent funding cuts and tuition fee increases from forcing students to graduate with lifelong debt. And increasing private influence in public post-secondary education is affecting students in every aspect from curriculum to institutional priorities.


Your Students' Union is active on many other issues, too. This year, your Students' Union hopes to successfully secure a UPASS, which would give Emily Carr students universal, affordable access to public transit, at the same prices as students at SFU and UBC currently enjoy.


Your membership in the Students' Union also provides you with services to make life easier, so be sure to take advantage of the services your membership fees bring you. Stop by the Students' Union office to obtain your free International Student Identity card, and save on Greyhound bus passes, VIA Rail train tickets, and much more. Take advantage of the health and dental plan – a new service for this year! Accessing health services can be expensive, so by pooling our resources through the National Student Health Network, you can access
extended health benefits and dental treatment that is often difficult to afford as a student.


Your Students' Union can also provide you assistance on a range of issues, from navigating grade appeals to resolving disputes with your landlord. Please stop by the Students' Union office to find out more, get involved, or just to say hi. Your energy and ideas are always welcome – and needed! As artists, designers, and creators, we are lucky to have many unique talents and abilities. By working together and engaging with the broader community, we can improve life for each other, and affect positive change.


In solidarity,


Emily Carr Students' Union Executive Committee

Local 33 of the Canadian Federation of Students