The University of Windsor Student Alliance

The University of Windsor Student Alliance (UWSA) are gearing up to host their second concert, “Coming Home Music Festival,” on October 26th, starring the rapper Swae Lee.   

“It’s going to be big; it’s going to be fun and honestly, it’s going to get people really excited to come back home to Windsor,” says UWSA president Ghallia Hashem. 

The UWSA is responsible for student events and many student support services, like the Peer Support Center, food Pantry, Pride Center, Afrofest, Woman Center, etc… 

Menura de Silva an undergraduate student in the Communication, Media and Film program says, “looking back at starting out as a first-year student, the acronym UWSA like many things, was constantly in my peripheral but never given its credit due. It is difficult to assign certain services and events to an organization in such a busy and bustling environment like UWindsor.”  

De Silva says he started to learn and appreciate all the work the UWSA does.   

“As time went on, I learnt that this organization is made up of students just like me, and the services they provide are crucial to having a rewarding journey at the University. For instance, today I picked up my third bus pass as I entered my third year.” 

Hashem explains that they acknowledge that not all students know what the UWSA has to offer, and they have been putting in the efforts to spread awareness about the UWSA’s crucial role in student life.  

“Last year we started to try to figure out what we can do to better promote UWSA and that’s why we had things like the concert. Why we’re like this is brought to you by UWSA. We started to ensure that our student centers would say that they are the heart of the UWSA. Peer support, food Pantry, Pride center, Afrofest, Woman Center… all are not just independently owned, and they’re not the university. They are UWSA.” 

She also shared that they are also going into this year continuing those conversations. 

Hashem mentioned that one of the main goals of the UWSA is to represent and celebrate the students ensuring the distinction between the University of Windsor and the University of Windsor Students Alliance.  

“We want students to know that we are not employees of the university. The UWSA is its own non for-profit organization that oversees its functioning, and we not only are a non-profit, but we are also the student union that represents the 10,000 plus undergraduate full-time students. By doing that, we think that people are going to realize that we are actually for them by them of them and then that way they’ll feel like they should be more involved with us as well. They might also want to join the UWSA during our by-elections or our general elections, and then realizing through that, that the UWSA is the one that offers them a bus pass, health and dental care, and sits on so many committees of the university to ensure that student voices are heard.” 

“What shines a light on the UWSA the most is how much action they take on campus, from standing up for different causes, organizing orientations and fun events on campus, to representing students who need more recognition. This organization is part of what makes UWindsor unique. It is a uniform extension of student dedication,” Shares de Silva.  

The UWSA receives its main funding from the student fees. 

Husam Morra the UWSA’s Vice President of Finance shares: “The University of Windsor Students’ Alliance (UWSA) is primarily funded through mandatory fees collected from full-time undergraduate students, which currently stand at $36.75 per semester. This operating fee forms the backbone of the UWSA’s budget, enabling the organization to deliver a broad spectrum of services, support student programs, and sustain day-to-day operations. The careful allocation of these funds is essential for maintaining the vibrant campus life and ensuring that students’ needs are met effectively.” 

There are also various other funds within the UWSA such as UWSA Refugee Student Fund, UWSA Capital Fund Fee, UWSA Accessibility Fund, and Student Organizations Computer Resource Fee. Each of these serves a distinct purpose.  

“The UWSA’s approach to financial management is both strategic and forward-thinking. The funds, particularly those related to capital and accessibility projects, are not only used for immediate needs but are also carefully invested to ensure their growth and sustainability. This investment strategy is overseen by professional managers who balance the need for maintaining the funds’ principal while achieving steady returns, thus enabling the UWSA to continue supporting vital projects and initiatives well into the future.” explains Morra.  

Hashem shared that she and everyone else in the UWSA are always happy to hear from and chat with the students. They will also be sharing their office hours on their Instagram page soon. “Those office hours will be exclusively for students to just come and talk to us,” says Hashem.