Delegates:
Gurpreet Singh (SUS VP External) &
Bilal Faisal Faheem (SUS President)
Date:
16 Nov, 2025 – 21 Nov, 2025
Location:
Ottawa, Ontario
This November, two UFV Student Union Society executives travelled to Ottawa to attend the Federal Advocacy Week, hosted by the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA).
Advocacy Week is a cornerstone of CASA's work. Passionate student leaders from across the country come together in the Nation’s Capital to engage directly with Members of Parliament, Senators, stakeholders and government officials.
Conference Highlights: Lobby Meetings & Key Discussions
On our travel day, we were introduced to the layout and expectations for the week, followed by a trivia game testing our knowledge of the Advocacy Document and other key topics.
We started the first day of the week, diving deep into CASA’s Advocacy Priorities, which were set at CASA’s Policy & Strategy conference. To learn more about the advocacy priorities, visit - https://ufvsus.ca/blog-editor/casa-policy-and-strategy-2025.
The day continued with understanding the current Federal Landscape and grasping how Lobbying reminder systems work at CASA, followed by learning how to handle tough questions during lobby meetings to help us be ready for the meetings ahead of time.
Day 2 was when the groundwork began. We started off with the opening plenary, and the rest of the week was dedicated to Lobby meetings. Throughout the week, Delegates from across the country took part in over 100 meetings combined, where delegates from UFVSUS were scheduled for 17 meetings in total, a record number of meetings for UFVSUS compared to the previous years.
Notable meetings include those with the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council, Universities Canada, Youth Secretariat, IRCC, Minister of Women & Gender Equality and more, where we had the opportunity to discuss the University of the Fraser Valley’s specific issues related to post-secondary and student experiences, along with CASA’s priorities and the realities of students in BC. These meetings ensured that student priorities are heard directly by the government, which can make changes to public policies and invest in postsecondary education.
We had the opportunity to attend Question Period in the House of Commons. We also attended a Reception on the Hill hosted by CASA and co-hosted with MP Leslie Church (CASA Alum and MP for Toronto-St. Paul) and others, where parliamentarians, staffers, and stakeholders joined the delegates for an evening of networking and conversation.
On our last day, we concluded our conference with the closing plenary, during which we discussed and adopted a new Conference Cycle. More details will follow as we head for CASA’s Annual General Meeting in March 2026.
CASA celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. We joined student leaders, alumni and staff to commemorate 30 years of student-driven advocacy, collaboration, and national impact. Together, we looked back on the moments that defined CASA, honoured the leaders and alumni who built its foundation, and recognized the generations of students who continue to push for a better future in post-secondary education.
What’s next?
We are getting ready for CASA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Montreal this March. AGM is an annual gathering of CASA’s members, staff and Leadership where members hold the Board of Directors accountable for the organization’s actions, policies and financial health over the past year along with outlining the strategic direction for the upcoming year. Stay tuned for updates on that soon.
Gurpreet Singh
Vice President External
vpexternal@ufvsus.ca