Delegates:
Gurpreet Singh (SUS VP External) & Bilal Faisal Faheem (SUS President)
Date: 12 May, 2025 – 16 May, 2025
Location - Ottawa, Ontario
This May, two UFV Student Union Society executives travelled to Ottawa to attend the CASA Foundations Conference, a national gathering of student leaders from across Canada organized by the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA).
Foundations is CASA’s first and most essential conference of the year. It is tailored for new student leaders stepping into advocacy roles, giving them the tools and training they need to represent students at the federal level.
What is the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA)?
CASA is a nonpartisan and not-for-profit student advocacy organization that represents over 400,000 post-secondary learners across Canada at the federal level. CASA works to ensure that the student voice is heard by engaging with the federal government on issues such as affordability, mental health, student housing, international student rights, and access to education.
Conference Highlights: Sessions, Key Discussions & Outcomes
Over five days, the conference provided a mix of formal training, collaborative sessions and networking opportunities. Here's an overview of key activities and discussions:
President Bilal Faisal Faheem was elected CASA Treasurer for 2025–2026
Training on Robert’s Rules of Order to prepare for formal discussions and decision-making.
A powerful Equity, Diversity & Inclusion workshop with Dr. Andrew Campbell.
A national panel on the future of post-secondary education, featuring experts from U15, Universities Canada, Colleges and Institutes Canada, and CASA.
Strategy sessions on student mental health, housing, Indigenous advocacy, and international student rights.
A practical ‘Advocacy 101’ session on how to effectively lobby Members of Parliament.
Engaging roundtable discussions to align national policy priorities with real student needs from campuses across the country.
Networking with over 30 student associations nationwide
One major highlight: UFV SUS President Bilal Faisal Faheem was elected CASA Treasurer for 2025–2026, giving UFV students a stronger voice at the national level.
Why it matters for UFV students?
By attending CASA Foundations, SUS ensures UFV students are represented in Canada’s capital, where federal decisions on tuition, housing, international student policy, and more are made. This conference also helped build connections and momentum ahead of CASA's Fall Advo-Week, where these priorities will be presented directly to MPs.
What’s next?
We are:
Drafting national policy suggestions based on student needs
Strengthening partnerships with CASA and fellow student unions
Making sure your voice reaches the people who make decisions
And coming up next, we’ll be attending CASA’s Poli-Strat Conference in July, where national priorities are finalized and CASA’s year-long strategic direction is set. Stay tuned for updates on that soon.