August 2025 Sheridan Student Union Recap
August was full of preparation for the start of the new school year! Amidst welcoming new team members and saying goodbye to some former staff, the SSU hosted some fun events for students and geared up for the upcoming academic season. Take a look at our monthly recap to see all the fun things we got up to.
Updates from our SSU Board of Directors
This month, the SSU said goodbye to our Managing Director of 13 years, Jamie King, as he moves to a new role with the College. We want to thank him for his years of service and dedication and wish him all the best in his new role. In the meantime, Hanh Ngo, Director of Finance, will serve as Interim Managing Director during the search for a replacement.
Policy analyst, community advocate, and founder of the ‘Black Girl Talk Collective’, Tracy Karuhogo, led a ‘Robert’s Rules of Order’ training session for our Board members. During this session, they were equipped with the tools to run meetings smoothly, respectfully, and effectively.
Additionally, during the Board meeting on August 19th, a new Consent Agenda was piloted. This is a new tool to help us manage meetings more efficiently. Instead of voting on routine items one by one, we now review all necessary reports and approvals in advance and pass them in one motion, unless something needs discussion.
Board Office hours focused on understanding students’ experiences with scholarships, bursaries, and financial preparedness. Feedback will shape future SSU advocacy and programs.
Lastly, board members have engaged with students in conversations around Financial Equity during campus office hours. They asked students about their experience with scholarships and bursaries and how financially prepared they feel heading into the new school year. We’re analyzing this feedback to help shape future SSU initiatives, advocate for better support and inform the kinds of financial aid programs we back.
Updates from our SSU Executive Team
Apart from the Robert’s Rules of Order, Tracy Karuhogo also facilitated a training session on EDI and Advocacy for our Executive Team, helping them build inclusive leadership and advocacy skills to better serve students. Christian, (Executive of Advocacy), organized a "Share Your Voice" pop-up event across all three campuses. This initiative provided him with valuable insights and feedback from students regarding advocacy topics that matter to them most. The "Share Your Voice" pop-up was highly successful, attracting almost 100 students across all three campuses. We gathered valuable feedback, with 70 students providing in-person responses to our prompts.
At SSU 101 - Mateo (Executive of EDI) led the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion training for all the part time staff along with support from the HR staff. We also welcomed Hayley DeSantis as our new Executive of Community Development and Partnerships, officially completing our Executive Team with her joining us in mid-August!
Vice President & Board of Director, Harjyot Singh, from Centennial College Student Association Inc. visited the SSU office at Davis, where he met with Angela (CRO) to discuss governance and operations, toured SSU spaces, and connected with Board Members as well as Rushaine (Executive of Academic Integrity and Student Success).
Lastly, the Executive Team met with Councilor Tom Adams (Ward 6, Town & Regional) to share SSU’s perspective on housing, with a focus on the challenges and needs around student housing!
Updates from our Services Team
The services department would like to welcome Skyler, Maria and Gulsher to our Davis team! We can’t wait to see what they do during their time with us. We also want to say a big thank you to Mathew Shelby for being a wonderful CSR in his time with the SSU. He is graduating this term and will be missed!
This month, we would like to highlight our Student Pricing Card (SPC). Sign up for free as a Sheridan student and enjoy student discounts throughout the school year. With offers on food, clothing, retail, and fitness, you don’t want to miss this chance to save money! Learn more here.
Updates from our SSU Events Team
Our annual SU 101 event happened, and it was a tremendous success! This is the day where all the part-time and full time staff get to know each other, and each department has an opportunity to share what it is that they do in this organization. With lots of team building activities, our own Danny Connelly was a terrific host and made the experience very engaging and welcoming.
The main focus for the team this month was preparation for the first two weeks of classes and welcome week events! With the Residence move-in weekend at the Davis and Trafalgar campuses, they got to see all the new faces of students moving into their new lives that they were about to start. It was a great day for both campuses, with a Silent Disco to end the night at Trafalgar, and a glow party at Davis in the Den. With lots of photo opportunities and new friends to be made, we hope our residence students had a night to remember!
Updates from our Clubs Team
The clubs coordinators hosted pop-ups this month to promote clubs to students! Check out Clubs Corner for more information on all the clubs available at our campuses. For August, we’d like to highlight the Gardening Club at our Trafalgar campus:
Gardening Club (TRC): “We love all kinds of plants! Flowers, fruits and vegetables, houseplants, you name it! We share valuable information on how to take care of your own gardens and will also be participating in maintaining and creating gardens on campus.”
Updates from our Finance Team
The SSU Finance team attended the Finance Summit on August 27, 2025, at Fanshawe College, along with other student unions. There, they discussed the impact of Bill 33 and how to prepare for compliance and financial implications (ancillary fees, budget). They also went over international student enrolment and the impact of reduced enrolment on programming and services. The finance team aims to be proactive regarding the financial changes resulting from the changing campus landscape.
Finally, we would like to give a huge staff shoutout to Mark Tonkovic, the current Accounting Clerk Co-op, for his assistance over the past eight months, from January 2025 to August 2025. We welcome Anh Le, the new Accounting Clerk Co-op to our team for the next eight months and are excited to see the work she does!
Updates from our Food Team
The SSU and Chartwells are proud to announce an expanded partnership that will bring exciting new food and beverage offerings to students across all three Sheridan campuses!
Since 1997, Chartwells has been part of the Sheridan community, serving generations of students and adapting to their evolving tastes and needs. This next chapter in our partnership builds on that history, delivering fresh, innovative dining options that reflect the energy and diversity of Sheridan.
Students can look forward to:
- Branded dining experiences including Palgong Tea at Trafalgar and HMC.
- New retail offerings designed with student preferences in mind.
- Opportunities for student employment within SSU-operated dining spaces.
Click here to learn more about our awesome food services!
That’s all for August!
We’re so grateful to our staff and community for showing up this month! The SSU is excited to welcome new and returning students and we wish everyone the best during the new semester. 📚
Amidst welcoming new team members and saying goodbye to some former staff, the SSU hosted some fun events for students and geared up for the upcoming academic season. Take a look at all the fun things we got up to.