University of Ottawa Students' Union
The University of Ottawa Students' Union, commonly referred to as the UOSU is the student organization representing undergraduate students of the University of Ottawa. A student referendum was held in 2019, designating the UOSU as the successor to the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa, after the University of Ottawa terminated its agreement with the SFUO due to allegations of fraud.
History
Student Federation of the University of Ottawa
The SFUO represented University of Ottawa undergraduate students from 1969 to 2018. It was a not-for-profit organization, incorporated under the Ontario Corporations' Act. On August 9, 2018, La Rotonde, the university's French-language newspaper, reported that the Ottawa Police Service was investigating members of the SFUO and its executive for fraud. Subsequently, on August 10, the university announced it was withholding their funding until an audit into the allegations could be completed. Due to fraud and embezzlement allegations, the University of Ottawa announced that it would terminate its agreement with SFUO.On September 25, 2018, the University of Ottawa provided the Federation with a 90-day notice of termination of their contract, citing insufficient progress and further allegations of workplace misconduct, internal conflict, and improper governance. The announcement noted that, as of December 24th, 2018, the Federation would no longer be recognized as the official representative of students, and invited students who wished to establish successor organizations to come forward.
The SFUO offices closed on April 10, 2019. An equitable court receiver was appointed to officially dissolve the federation.
Notable past presidents of the organization included Marcel Prud'homme, André Ouellet, Allan Rock, Hugh Segal, Denis Paradis, Mauril Bélanger, Anne McGrath, Bernard Drainville, Gilles Marchildon, Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin and Guy Caron.
Founding and subsequent history
To determine whether or not the SFUO could remain in place, the university organized a referendum to decide which organization should represent undergraduate students. The newly-organized University of Ottawa Students' Union ran on decreasing politicization, increasing student power, and decreasing centralization within the Union. Meanwhile, the SFUO believed that it was best positioned to maintain the services and resources that students had access to. UOSU won the referendum overwhelmingly.The university then signed a new agreement with UOSU, outlining additional oversight and financial transparency measures, and recognizing it as the sole voice of undergraduate students at the university.
In 2020, the position of President was established, with Babacar Faye as its inaugural office holder.
Governance
The University of Ottawa Students' Union is a not-for-profit organization, incorporated in Canadian corporate law under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act. The organization itself is governed by its Constitution, which establishes its political apparatus and component organs.General Assembly
The General Assembly is the highest governing body within UOSU and is composed of all of the members of the Union. The General Assembly meets twice annually, once in the fall and winter semesters, respectively. Except as limited by the Constitution, the GA may pass resolutions that bind the Board and Executive Committee. The GA has authority over amending UOSU's Constitution.Board of Directors
The Board of Directors governs and provides oversight to UOSU. It comprises up to 30 members that serve 1-year terms: a President; 5 Commissioners; 22 Directors elected from their faculties; 1 Indigenous Director, elected through a nomination from the Indigenous Students' Association. Each faculty has between 1 and 5 Directors. There is 1 unallocated seat on the Board of Directors, since the removal of the Equity Commissioner role.There is a public Board meeting session held every month; much of its responsibilities are delegated to various committees, which are either enshrined in the organization's constitution or formed as ad hoc committees, each focusing on a specific field or area of concern.
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee manages the day-to-day operations of UOSU, with specific jurisdiction over human resources and signing contracts. The Executive Committee comprises 6 undergraduate students: the President, and five Commissioners. Each Commissioner is responsible for a specific aspect of the organization. They include the Francophone Affairs, Student Life, Advocacy, Operations, and Communications Commissioners.Elections
General elections are held during the Winter term, either in February or March, to elect the Board of Directors and Executive Committee. By-elections are held in October or November to fill vacant Director and Executive positions.2025
By-Election
The 2025 by-election is being held from October 6 to 10, 2025, to fill vacancies. Positions up for election include Communications, Student Life, and Operations Commissioners, as well as multiple Faculty Director and Senate seats. Two candidates were disqualified due to bilingualism requirements. Results are expected later in October.General Election
The 2025 General Elections saw the highest voter turnout since 2020, with 10.63% of students casting a ballot. Jack Coen was elected President with 64.08% of the vote. Ève Tremblay narrowly won the race for Francophone Affairs Commissioner, while Alex Stratas was re-elected as Advocacy Commissioner. Several Executive positions, including Communications, Operations, and Student Life, remained vacant.Only 10 Board of Directors seats were filled, with five elected from the Faculty of Social Sciences. Four students were elected to the University Senate, and Hazel Downey was elected to the University of Ottawa Board of Governors as the undergraduate representative.
Seven referendum questions appeared on the ballot. Three proposals passed: a $3 per semester Fund for Students with Disabilities, a $1.50 per semester levy for the Advocacy Fund, and the renaming of the Engineering Students' Society ancillary fee to the Engineering Endowment Fund.
2024
By-Election
2024 by-elections concluded October 14, 2024 with 8.47% voter turnout, the highest for a by-election in the union’s short history. Three members were elected to the UOSU Executive Committee: Anne Hyppolite as Communications Commissioner, Alex Stratas as Advocacy Commissioner, and Emilia Bah as Student Life Commissioner.General Election
General elections were held on February 18, 2024. Turnout was 6.74%. President Delphine Robitaille was re-elected unopposed. The Interim Equity Commissioner, Imani Bunzigiye, was elected to a full term, and Interim Francophone Affairs Commissioner was defeated by Daphnée Veilleux-Michaud. 3 Executive positions were left vacant: Student Life, Communications, and Advocacy Commissioner.On May 6, 2024, the UOSU Board of Directors hired Greg Coleman as Operations Commissioner and Sanjida Flora as Advocacy Commissioner.
2023
By-Election
By-elections were held from October 9–14, 2023. Turnout was 7.7%. The positions of President, Student Life Commissioner, Francophone Affairs Commissioner and Communications Commissioner were filled. Additionally, five Director seats and three Senate seats were filled.Students voted in 10 referendums during the by-elections. 9 of them passed, including an 11% reduction in Union fees, resulting in a $500,000 cut to its budget.
General Election
General elections were held from March 5–9, 2023. Turnout was 3.8%. Only one Executive Position was contested, with Joyce Williams being elected Equity Commissioner with 51.7% of the vote. The Operations and Advocacy Commissioners were elected unopposed.Clubs and Student Governments
Clubs
The organization recognizes over 360 different clubs and associations related to all aspects of student life, from powerlifting to chess to politics.As of May 1st, 2025, the UOSU imposed a limit of 300 clubs as a result of pressure from regarding their administrative capacity to handle the volume of room booking requests.
Recognized Student Governments
Recognized Student Governments are autonomous, student-led organizations affiliated with the UOSU. Each RSG represents undergraduate students from a specific faculty or department. Many RSGs function as unincorporated associations under the UOSU, while others are independently incorporated under the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act. RSGs collaborate with UOSU to coordinate campus-wide orientation initiatives, including 101 Week in September and Frost Week at the beginning of the winter term. RSGs are eligible to receive an annual operating grant of CA$14.47 per student, as of the 2024–2025 academic year, indexed to inflation.The 27 recognized RSGs are:
- Aesculapian Society
- Association des étudiant.es en nutrition
- Association des étudiant.es en service social
- Association des étudiants et étudiantes à la formation à l’enseignement
- Association des étudiantes et étudiants en droit civil de l’Outaouais
- Common Law Students’ Society
- Communication Students’ Association
- Computer Science Students’ Association
- Conflict Studies and Human Rights Students’ Association
- Criminology Students’ Association
- Economics Students’ Association
- Engineering Students’ Society
- Feminist and Gender Studies Student Association
- Health Sciences Students’ Association
- Human Kinetics Students’ Association
- Indigenous Students’ Association
- International Development and Globalization Students’ Association
- International, Political, and Policy Studies Students’ Association
- Psychology Students’ Association
- Sociology and Anthropology Students’ Association
- Science Students’ Association
- Students’ Association of the Faculty of Arts
- Telfer Students’ Association
- Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Association
- Indigenous Law Student Governance
- Association étudiante du Programme de droit canadien
- Pharmaceutical Studies Students’ Association