Students Commend 2019-2024 Memorandum of Understanding, Commit to Continued Advocacy
September 13, 2019
For Immediate Release
Halifax, NS – Students Nova Scotia (StudentsNS) is pleased to see student concerns at the centre of the 2019-2024 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU is an agreement between the Government of Nova Scotia and the province’s universities which regulates tuition, provides institutional funding, and creates sector priorities. Students were central to year-long negotiations, and are excited to see student concerns reflected in the new, five-year agreement.
Notably, the 2019-2024 MOU mandates student consultation between each institution and their respective student association. These agreements will focus on the regulation of ancillary and auxiliary fees, as well as sexual violence prevention on campuses—areas that StudentsNS noted as lacking in the previous MOU.
“Students have advocated for the creation of formal consultation agreements throughout MOU negotiations” says Mary Navas, Chair of StudentsNS. “This measure increases institutional transparency, and reinforces the role of students associations as key partners in our sector.”
StudentsNS is also pleased to see commitments to student life and the integration of students into the monitoring process of the MOU. Annual progress meetings between government, universities and students, working to implement the Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) Calls to Action, and annualized funding for sexual violence prevention and student mental health were all recomendations brought forward by StudentsNS.
“There are still areas of improvement within the MOU, regarding international tuition predictability, funding to institutions, and addressing physical infrastructure needs ” says StudentsNS Vice Chair, Mackenzie Jarvin. “However, we are encouraged by the language used throughout the agreement, and commit to work with both government and the universities to create meaningful solutions over the next five years.”
StudentsNS represents 20,000 undergraduate, graduate, and college students across Nova Scotia and has advocated for students in the 2019-2024 Memorandum of Understanding negotiations for the past year.
For more information, contact:
Clancy McDaniel, Executive Director
(902) 476-2367