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The CSA was founded in 1975 as the Ontario Community College Student Parliamentary Association/l'Association parelmentaire des etudients des colleges communautaires (OCCSPA/APECCO).
At the time, OCCSPA/APECCO held a similar mandate as the CSA does today, it was a provincial lobbying and networking group made up of college students working on behalf of college students. Membership directs the association
The purpose of OCCSPA/APECCO for much time was also to represent college students on matters of common concern to the Ontario Council of Regents (now the Colleges Relations and Appointments Council), the Ministry of Education and Training (now the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.
Changes
The Ontario college system has changed since the time OCCSPA/APECCO was founded.
Three colleges were deemed Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning (ITAL), articulation agreements between colleges and institutions provincially and abroad have been forged. At the same time, Ontario college students were facing new priorities and challenges.
With hybrid programs between colleges and universities, the CSA now represents the interests of both college and college-university students and will lead the way with the issue of transferability.
Operational Structure
Governed by an elected Board of Directors, the CSA’s Secretariat carries out the everyday work of the organization by providing a range of support functions from its head office in Toronto. These functions include: research and policy briefs on educational issues, policy analysis, communications, advocacy, and leadership development, governance training, best practice methods and member support services. The Organization also provides opportunities for learning and networking at our quarterly conferences held at campus locations throughout Ontario.
The CSA currently employs a full-time staff of three consisting of a General Manager/CEO, Membership Services Coordinator and a Director of Advocacy. The CSA Board of Directors consists of a President/Chairperson, a Vice-President, and four Directors, and CEO who sits on the Board as an ex-officio representative.
With the exception of the CEO, who is hired by the Board, the representatives in each of these positions are current student leaders from member organizations and are elected at the annual changeover conference.
The CSA acts as an important source of information for its members, stakeholders, and other organizations by publishing and distributing policy and position papers on key issues impacting college and college/university students and the institutions they attend.
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