October 16 to 20 marks New Brunswick Student Alliance’s 2023 advocacy week.

This week, the NBSA will be pitching their policies to the government and stakeholders within the province. The NBSA has many policies that they are focusing on, all with the common goal of improving the lives of post-secondary students.

What is the NBSA?

The New Brunswick Student Association represents six thousand post-secondary students across three campuses in New Brunswick: Mount Allison University, St. Thomas University, and University of New Brunswick Saint John. It is the largest student organization in the province. The NBSA is led by students from the student associations of the member campuses. The NBSA regularly conducts research and forms evidence-based policies to make recommendations to the government. The New Brunswick Student Association is always striving to improve the lives of post-secondary students and advocate for students’ needs. 

What policies are the NBSA focusing on?

The New Brunswick Student Association policies focus primarily on four aspects of post-secondary education. Accessibility, affordability, quality of life, and quality of education. The NBSA has been extremely busy preparing for the advocacy week this year.

Hearing from a NBSA director

Walter Fuerniss, UNB Saint John’s VP external of the Student Representative Council serves as the primary delegate on the New Brunswick Student Alliance.

Walter had the following to share about the NBSA and their plans for advocacy week:

“This year, the brilliant team of driven leaders that we have assembled between both the NBSA board and our crew of student volunteers (the majority of whom are UNB Saint John students, in fact) has been hard at work on preparing to advocate in regards to several crucial subjects.

We are focusing on laying the groundwork for long-term agreements and the important detail of requiring student involvement and approval on all issues directly impacting our lives. Our primary policy topics this year focus on student affordability (including university costs, international student support, food insecurity, and housing), mental health, EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion), and sexual violence. In ensuring that our voices as students are heard, we are meeting with as many critical stakeholders as possible including upper university leadership, the provincial government, members of parliament, municipal governments, community organizations, and more!

I am incredibly proud of the work that we have done and will continue to help support students’ voices throughout this week and beyond towards making changes that suit our needs”.

Where to find more information

To learn more about the NBSA’s advocacy week and stay informed about their future advocacy, you can check out their website, and follow them on Facebook or Instagram at @nbsa_aenb.