Believe it or not, advocacy isn't just a grant writing exercise, but don't tell that to the ten 'delegates' we sent over last general assembly.
While advocacy at McMaster frequently captures headlines, the real-world outcomes of the work are often difficult to ascertain. But the Ontario University Students Alliance, the undergrad coalition centered on provincial lobbying and advocacy, has had us McMaster students covered for decades.
At least that's what they tell us on the way to the bank.
According to the MSU's 2025-2026 operating budget, we're slated to spend $97 thousand on the membership alone, with another $11.5 thousand reserved for travel and expenses for those noble few we sent over to represent our interests.
Hold on, you didn't pick those folks either? It's the SRA who chooses from among their own members? The same SRA that consistently failed to manage double-digit turnouts last election?
So much for representation. But hey, at least OUSA's transparent in their financial affairs! Affairs which reveal that they keep almost a million dollars in cash and investments as a reserve. Almost double their annual revenue. I thought a common not-for-profit goal was three to six months…
I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for all this.
After all, they need to pay their five full-time office staff. That runs them over $250 thousand a year. So, just in case every Ontario university stops paying their membership fees at once, they can afford to keep them around for another 4 years or so.
Although, come to think of it, even a fraction of that money could help fund rent-relief pilots, research teams on student housing, or full-scale mental-health navigators.
Maybe even direct consultation to the students they claim to represent.
To their credit, OUSA has had its fair share of success. Unfortunately, they often come with strings attached. Calling a new tuition framework a 'win' rings hollow when that very framework still allows tuition to increase above inflation. And when the government offered a tuition freeze at their request, OUSA called for more grants, admitting the freeze alone does almost nothing to help students in real financial distress.
These ephemeral victories don't just come at a financial cost. They rely on government access to viably push for change, not grassroots mobilisation. This forces them to be moderate to a fault, aligning themselves with a Ford government that has legislated the deepest intrusion on university education in recent memory.
This harms their long-term advocacy. And it hasn't prevented the Ontario Conservatives from encroaching on campus student affairs and self-determination. The stakes have never been higher.
But some choice students do get the chance to rub elbows with MPPs. Damn good deal for $100,000 dollars.
The institution is reactionary rather than visionary. They have no concrete long-term goals for education in Ontario, but every time the Queen's Park publishes a budget, they'll send a nifty press release or open letter.
And if students can call out their structural problems, the provincial government could do the same, further eroding their credibility.
If the goal of advocacy is change, it starts from the bottom, not in backdoor meetings for would-be policy analysts. When the MSU spends money on advocacy for its members, it should be devoted to supporting marginalized groups and the student supports that benefit us all.
There's a reason UofT and Western aren't part of the club. There are alternatives. Advocacy is a crucial facet of undergraduate expression, and we have a duty to hold our institutions accountable. The money we spend isn't a license to pat ourselves on the back; it's part of an ongoing process, one that requires tangible goals and accountability to deliver impactful reforms.
Right now, our provincial advocacy looks more like a career incubator and our own MSU green-lights it every year. Even though they tell us they'll make sure OUSA is held accountable and responsive to McMaster students.
In an era where our student democracy and campus lifestyle are facing their biggest challenges in recent history under the yoke of Bill 33, university students across the province need to take charge.
We can't begin to expect more from our institutions until we expect more from ourselves. Advocacy and change starts from the bottom, sure, but folks need to care first. Nothing will change until we insist on advocacy that actually looks like public service.
Start caring.