The new school year is here and our SSU team had no shortage of fun, work and connecting with students! Check out this month’s recap to see what we got up to this September as we welcomed new and returning students and staff with events, services, pop-ups and much more!
Updates from our SSU Board of Directors
September marked a strong start to the fall term as the SSU jumped into a packed month of student engagement, governance work, preparing for November’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) and strategic planning, all grounded in our commitment to putting students first. Keep reading for a summary of the Board’s activities this month and take a look at the Board Monthly Update for an in-depth account!
At The Board’s first meeting of the SSU Policy Committee, the team, made up of directors and staff, focused on reviewing bylaw changes and beginning development of new policies to support those changes.
This month’s Board meeting, held at the HMC campus, was a productive session where they approved several bylaw amendments in preparation for the upcoming AGM in November. These updates were necessary to remove outdated references, align titles with our current structure, and reflect how the SSU operates today. During this meeting, they also officially amended the Strategic Plan Committee membership.
Additionally, during the Board meeting, they received and approved the 2024–2025 Audited Financial Statements, which will be presented to membership at the AGM. The Board also voted to continue with external auditor for the 2026–2027 fiscal year. To wrap up the meeting, they set their Board meeting schedule for the fall, continuing their commitment to rotate meetings across campuses and bring governance closer to students.
Throughout the month, they also ran office hours, with Health and Dental coverage as the focus for September. The Board used this time to connect directly with students and ask key questions. These conversations are crucial, as the SSU manages the Health and Dental Plan for domestic students and this feedback helps make improvements and communicate more effectively. They also spoke with international students to learn about their needs and ensure their voices are part of the conversation.
Lastly, The Board held the first meeting of the Strategic Plan Committee, which includes Directors from all campuses, staff, and executive leadership. The meeting was an exciting start to a process that will shape the SSU's future direction. We’re looking forward to creating a new strategy plan that will guide our plan for the coming years. The team is committed to creating a plan that reflects the needs and priorities of the students we serve!
Updates From our SSU Executive Team
This month, the Executive team focused on advocacy on and off campus and welcomed the CASA team during Orientation Week. The team hosted CASA's Director of Advocacy and informed Sheridan students on federal advocacy and what their organisation does.
With the support of the Executive Team, our student exec of advocacy, Christian, connected with over 300 students, through Consent Week Pop-Ups at all three campuses. Students enjoyed free fries, engaged in conversation and learned the consent acronym: FRIES (Freely given, Reversible, Informed, Enthusiastic, Specific). At our HMC campus, LetsStopAIDS joined the SSU to share some sexual health resources and volunteering opportunities available for students.
Additionally, on National Day of Truth and Reconciliation Christian, Mateo, Rushaine and Angela (CRO), visited the unveiling of the Mohawk Institute International Site of Conscience, a former residential school, situated at the Woodland Cultural Centre. They spent the day reflecting on the history of the residential school system and honouring the survivors, their families, and communities. We, at the SSU, are committed to the ongoing process of Truth and Reconciliation.
The team also attended an Advocacy Commitee meeting hosted by Ontario Student Voices, wherein they discussed Bill 33 and other advocacy initiatives. Samiya, Christian, Hayley, and Rushaine met with Councillor Paul Vicente and Councillor Alvin Tedjo, respectively, to discuss student needs related to mental health, volunteering opportunities with the city and municipality and student housing. Later in the month, Christian and Samiya met with Councillor Natalie Hart to discuss youth/student involvement, student well-being, career readiness, and public transit.
Lastly, our execs conducted class visits for first-year students, in partnership with the Peer Mentor Program, sharing what the SSU is, its services, events, and advocacy efforts.
Updates from our Services Team
The services team welcomed new members this month! CSRs, Maria, Skyler, Ainara and Alen as well as the Building Hosts who are available to help out students and assist them from 5pm - 9pm at TRAF and Davis in the Marquee and Den! We welcome Navjot and Gulsher at Davis, and Ben, Tristan and Khushi at TRAF!
We also have a ton of new student savings and perks available:
Updates from our SSU Events Team
If you haven’t already, take a look at our Welcome Week recap. Our "Wild West" theme was successful and super well received. With events like Country Picnic, High Noon Hoedown, Saloon Party, Movie Night, Blue Jays Game, Wave Rave Boat Party, We Got Game, and more, we were happy to provide a variety of entertainment to our entire Sheridan community!
We also sold out our annual Fall hiking trip - returning to Mono Cliffs this year - and we hope our students had a great time enjoying nature and each other's company!
In addition to a full two weeks of events welcoming our new and returning students to the Fall semester, the Events Team also held several small events to hire new members for our teams. We thank our Team members for planning and executing those pop-ups, and we look forward to welcoming the newest additions to our teams!
Updates from our Clubs Team
The clubs team had a busy month with HMC orientation, club executive meetings, and preparing for Clubs Fair! Our clubs coordinators hosted club executives meetings to let execs know about club policies and show everyone how to use Clubs Corner. Check out 3 new clubs this month:
1. The Canadian French Connection (all-campus): 'The Canadian French Connection (All Campuses)' is a bilingual club, focusing on the 'French Language' as well as the 'English Language'.
2. Sheridan Cinema Night Club (TRAF): The Sheridan Cinema Night Club (Cinéclub) aims to bring BFTV students together to watch the films that shape our generation's foundation of popular and culturally- significant films.
3. Mural Club (TRAF): The goal of the mural club is to have students design, prepare, and execute a number of murals each school year.
Finally, 3 prospective clubs became active this September:
1. Arab Student Association at Sheridan (HMC): Arab Student Association at Sheridan is a Club organized to honour the Arab world through its traditions and culture by hosting fun social events.
2. The Sheridan Caribbean Students Association (HMC): We're a welcoming community that serves as a second home for Caribbean Bruins. Moreover, we're a hub of cultural enrichment and an avenue for the Sheridan community to explore our rich heritage.
3. ADHD Club (DAVIS): This club is for students with or without ADHD who find they need the encouragement, motivation and peer support to study efficiently and effectively, all while taking into account the importance of self-care and balance in Sheridan student life.
That’s a Wrap on September!
A big welcome to all the new and returning students and staff! We can’t wait to see what this new school year brings!!🤩
The new school year is here and our SSU team had no shortage of fun, work and connecting with students! Check out this month’s recap to see what we got up to this September as we welcomed new and returning students and staff with events, services, pop-ups and much more!