Delegates:
Tanvir Hundal (SUS President) &
Zack Castiglia (SUS Vice President External)
Student advocacy starts long before elected officials hear our concerns. From May 25–29, 2026, SUS President Tanvir Hundal and Vice President External Zack Castiglia attended the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) Foundations Conference in Ottawa. At this conference, student leaders from across Canada received training on federal advocacy and prepared for the coming year of lobbying Parliament on issues affecting post-secondary students.
Over the course of the five-day conference, we had the opportunity to get in-depth training on how to successfully lobby Members of Parliament and Cabinet Ministers. This included lectures on jurisdiction, policy overviews, brainstorming common concerns among delegates, and mock meetings with MPs.
The first of four conferences happening during this term, Foundations 2026 served as a crash course on how member delegates can work collectively to advocate student issues to the federal government. Foundations is CASA’s the most essential conference of the year. It sets up newly elected student leaders from across Canada with the practical skills and knowledge they will need to successfully advocate for students.
What is CASA?
CASA is Canada’s leading national voice for post-secondary learners. A not-for-profit stablished in 1995, CASA conferences bring together delegates from 26-member student unions, representing 400,000 undergraduate, graduate, and polytechnic students across Canada. CASA’s federal advocacy is grounded in the organizations’ four main principles: accessibility, affordability, quality, and innovation.
The Importance of Foundations?
The Foundations Conference is CASA’s first conference of the year. This is where student leaders from across Canada received training on federal policymaking, and how to lobby lawmakers in Ottawa. At the end of the five-day conference, we became equipped with the fundamental tools and skills needed to advocate on behalf of students.
The skills developed at Foundations will directly support SUS advocacy efforts over the coming year. Whether advocating for improvements to student mental health, financial aid, housing, and affordability-the conference helped us effectively represent UFV students at the federal level.
Memorable Moments from Foundations 2026
During the course of the five-day conference, delegates received detailed training, collaborative brainstorming sessions, networking opportunities to get to know each other, and opportunities to explore Ottawa.
Update on the political climate, and how CASA should navigate it this year when advocating for students.
The Honourable Patti Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay–Superior North, addressed delegates on the first day of the conference. She reflected on her journey to federal politics and spoke about the important role students play in shaping the next generation of Canadian leaders.
An “Advocacy 101” lecture where delegates learned how to lobby federal politicians, including a mock meeting with MPs.
Watching the prime minister and leader of the opposition go head-to-head during Question Period inside the House of Commons.
Board of Directors debate and election. It was great to see student leaders from across the country put their names forward to be part of leading CASA this next year.
Leading with Equity. Delegates participated in a "privilege walk" exercise, taking a step forward or backward based on whether certain statements reflected their own experiences. The exercise demonstrated the wide range of lived experiences represented within Canada's student population and reinforced the importance of ensuring advocacy reflects the diverse needs and perspectives of the students we represent.
Committee ideation. This final lecture gave a detailed overview of CASA’s eight committees and how members can be involved in the decision making process, and advance specific priorities more effectively.
What is next?
This is a strategic planning year for CASA where the organization will draft its 2027-2030 Strategic Plan. As a member-driven organization, delegates from member student unions will play a vital role in the drafting of the Strategic Plan.
We will attend CASA’s PoliStrat conference at the end of June in Ottawa. This is when committees will begin to take shape, and where policy priorities and strategies will be set out for the next year.
The Foundations Conference marked the beginning of SUS's federal advocacy work for the year. We look forward to bringing UFV students' priorities to future CASA meetings and continuing to advocate federally for policies that improve the post-secondary experience across Canada.
Tanvir Hundal
SUS President
Zack Castiglia
SUS Vice President External
vpexternal@ufvsus.ca