The Kwantlen Student Association (KSA) represents students enrolled at all Kwantlen campuses, and is Local 26 of the Canadian Federation of Students.
The mission statement of the KSA is “…to support its members during their time of study by ensuring adequate provision for their welfare, activities, political, and social needs. Through its democratic procedures, the KSA represents and reflects the concerns and priorities of its membership to the University and beyond, and strives to uphold the rights of each of its members.”
The KSA offers all Kwantlen students support in three main areas:
1. Services;
2. Events & Student Life; and
3. Advocacy & Student Support
Services
Some of the many things sold at the KSA include:
Discount Bus Tickets, Monthly FareSavers, and FastTrax Stickers
Discount Gift Cards
Discount Movie Tickets
Discount Gym Memberships
Discount Memberships to the KSA (Talon Room) Fitness Centre in Surrey
Playland & PNE Pass Sales
Whistler Blackcomb Lift Ticket Sales
Some of the services offered by the KSA include:
Discount Photocopying
Free Local Faxing
Jumper Cable Loans
Low-Cost Binding and Laminating
Low-Cost Colour Printing (in Surrey only)
Low-Cost Long-Distance Faxing
On-Campus Locker Rentals
On Campus Student Posting Boards
Each year, the KSA also provides Kwantlen students with an agenda-daytimer, which students can use to help plan their daily lives.
On the Surrey Campus, the KSA operates the licensed GrassRoots Café-Lounge, where the Kwantlen community can enjoy a variety of healthy food alternatives and drinks at reasonable prices.
The KSA operates an online used book buy and sell service at http://www.bcbookworm.com/
Through the Canadian Federation of Students (http://www.cfs-fcee.ca), the KSA offers a number of services that include:
Cell Phone Discounts through Student Phones (http://www.studentphones.com/)
Free Tax Filing through UFile.ca (http://www.ufile.ca/home/cfs.asp)
International Student Identity Card (ISIC) for Travel (http://www.istc.org/)
National Online Housing Database (http://www.homes4students.ca/)
Student Saver Discount Program (http://www.studentsaver.ca/)
Trip Planning through TravelCuts (http://www.travelcuts.ca/)
Through Gallivan & Associates, the KSA offers Kwantlen students a comprehensive health & dental plan. More information on this plan can be found at: http://www.gallivan.ca/studentnetworks/
Finally, in all of its services and operations, the KSA supports environmentally friendly green and ethical initiatives, such as but not limited to:
Abiding by an ethical purchasing policy
Supporting and acting on environmentally friendly policies
Ordering promotional products produced from recycled materials
Using quality recycled paper in all of its copiers and printers
Working towards a zero-waste objective
Events & Student Life
The KSA sponsors many on campus events throughout the year, including:
Candidate debates during municipal, provincial and federal elections
Diversity and cultural events
Guest speakers, forums, lectures and readings
Movie screenings, X-Box, Nintendo and Karaoke events
One-man shows and other comedy acts
Music concerts
Pub nights and club events for Kwantlen students
Welcome Weeks at the start of each semester
The KSA also regularly fundraises in support of its student support services, such as student food banks to awards & bursaries.
The KSA operates the Talon Room Fitness Centre on the Surrey Campus, where students can work out. From time to time, the KSA also supports classes and sessions in Yoga, Kickboxing and other activities across all Kwantlen campuses.
The KSA also maintains lounges on every campus with comfortable seating, widescreen-TVs, wireless Internet access and gaming tables (such as foosball, pool and ping-pong tables).
Advocacy
The KSA offers a number of student support services, including:
Academic Appeal Process Assistance
Student Food co-op Services
Fundraising assistance for KSA Clubs
The Office of the Ombudsperson is an independent and arms-length service of the KSA. The Ombudsperson is responsible for handling complaints from Kwantlen students regarding maladministration within both the KSA and Kwantlen. Based on these complaints, the Ombudsperson conducts investigations to ensure that existing policies and processes are followed. The Ombudsperson then summarizes the findings in a report where recommendations may be made to either the KSA or Kwantlen to help improve existing policies and processes.
The KSA lobbies the University, local government and other organizations regarding issues that matter to Kwantlen students, such as tuition and the accessibility of post-secondary education.
The KSA supports many educational campaigns that exist to raise awareness on issues that matter to Kwantlen students. Further to this, the KSA maintains a brochure centre on each campus with information regarding the KSA and other non-profit organizations of interest to students.
Pride Kwantlen, a commission for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgendered (LGBT) students provides resources and events for LGBT students, and caters to the needs and concerns of LGBT students. Please contact the LGBT Liaison at (604) 599-2348 or lgbt@kusa.ca or visit http://www.kusa.ca/pride for more information. The Pride Kwantlen office is located in the Social Justice Centre on the Surrey Campus.
Finally, the KSA provides services for students who have traditionally faced barriers in accessing post-secondary education. To this end, the KSA operates the Social Justice Centre on the Surrey Campus – a resource centre for individuals who identify as:
Aboriginal & First Nation Students
International Students
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgendered (LGBT) Students
Mature Students
Students with Disabilities
Students of Colour
Women
Specifically, the Social Justice Centre:
Features comfortable seating and a meeting space
Provides information, peer support and referrals
Serves as a meeting and gathering place
Serves as a place for events, literature and movies