TCSA Seeks Approval of Benefits Accessibility Referendum Question

Included on this year's TCSA Elections ballot is a question related to the accessibility of the Trent Student Health and Dental Benefits Plan. If successful, this important question will allow comprehensive Student Benefits to reach every student at Trent more easily.

When TCSA members register in fewer than 1.5 credits for the first semester of their academic term they are not automatically enrolled on the Trent Student Health and Dental Benefits Plan. In some cases, this disadvantages students registered with Student Accessibility Services who retain full-time student status but do not become automatically registered for the student benefits plan. To ensure ease of access to the benefits plan the Association is proposing lowering automatic enrolment for the benefits plan to a 0.5 credit threshold for TCSA members. This change will not impact anyone who wishes to opt-out of the benefits plan offered by the Association. This year's ballot will ask if you support this change.

Please see your Trent email account to vote. Ballots are being emailed directly to students for safety and convenience. Remember to vote before 4pm on Thursday, March 18th! In order for this question to be successful we require a minimum of 15% of the student population to cast a vote. If you have not yet voted please help us reach this threshold by casting your ballot.

TCSA Elections: Online Voting, March 12th to 18th

The voting period of the TCSA Elections will open at 9:00am on Friday, March 12th. All TCSA members (undergraduate students who have paid the TCSA membership fee) are eligible to vote and can find an official ballot in their Trent email. If you do not receive a ballot, please email tcsaelections@trentu.ca.

Your vote will help determine the 2021-2022 TCSA Board of Directors and who your student leaders and representatives will be. Read about each candidate’s platform here.

Voting will close at 4:00pm on Thursday, March 18th. Any questions about the TCSA elections or the voting process can be directed to tcsaelections@trentu.ca.

TCSA Office Hours and Direct2U Update

The TCSA office will be open during the week for Direct2U prescription delivery and pickup ONLY.

Due to the current Covid-19 outbreak and Peterborough moving into the RED zone as per the Ontario Provincial Covid-19 response framework, we are trying to limit contact to keep everyone safe. If you are expecting a prescription delivery, our office will still be receiving deliveries and we will have your Direct2U prescriptions available for your to pick up (contactless) after 12pm, Monday to Friday.

Please note that any students or visitors must complete the health screening via myTrent prior to leaving their home/residence, and a mask must be worn inside all public spaces.

If you have any questions about your Direct2U prescriptions, your Trent Student Benefits, or any TCSA services, please email info@trentcentral.ca. Stay safe, Trent.

TCSA Elections: Candidate Profiles Released

Profiles and platforms for all candidates running in the TCSA Elections for the 2020-2021 academic year have been posted to our website. We would like to thank all students who have expressed interest in our Elections and wish everyone the best of luck during campaigning.

We encourage all students to stay tuned to our social media for an announcement of virtual electoral events in the upcoming weeks, and to read all candidate platforms in order to make an informed vote. Candidates will be campaigning over the next two weeks; you will help to elect your next student leaders!

Click here to read full candidate platforms.

Any questions about our elections processes or elections candidates can be directed to tcsaelections@trentu.ca.

International Women's Day Keynote Speaker

The TCSA is excited to announce that Cassandra Petrella will be joining us to speak on International Women’s Day on Monday, March 8th. Cassandra Petrella founded the not-for-profit organization, the I Love Me Campaign, s a self-love campaign providing mental health education for teen girls and young women through in-school workshops and campus talks, community outreach, and online positivity. Cassandra is an advocate for the unique needs of women’s mental health and the importance of bringing mental health education for teens into schools and for young adult women on campus.

Cassandra Petrella is a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. She holds a master’s degree in Counselling & Spirituality and an Undergraduate Degree in Psychology.

Cassandra has 8 years of psychotherapy experience in treatment, research and education. Most days, she can be found at the psychotherapy clinic she founded, Senta Counselling Services, in Ottawa, Ontario. She is the Clinical Director and Clinical Supervisor at the clinic and also provides treatment as a Psychotherapist to teens, adults, couples and families, with a special focus on women related issues, anxiety management and counselling for adolescent girls.

Cassandra is a frequent guest lecturer at universities and schools. She is often invited to speak on the topics such self-love, women’s mental health, and adolescent mental health. She is a published author in both academic scientific journals and clinical book publications. Cassandra is presently conducting research on self-esteem and the self-love experience of teen girls and adult women.

Our keynote speaker event is on Monday, March 8th at 1pm. This is a free event and it is open to all Trent students, staff, and faculty. Register for the event by clicking here.

The TCSA Office is Re-Opening!

We are happy to announce that the TCSA office is re-opening as of Monday, February 22, 2021. We will be able to open our doors and offer all our regular services and answer any questions you may have.

Visit us on the second floor of the Student Centre to browse our shop, utilize our printing services, pick up any Benefits cheques, or ask about our ongoing Elections.

We will be open from the hours of 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, with a closure from 1pm to 2pm for extra sanitization and cleaning. We will be regulating our office capacity, and we would like to remind everyone that face coverings and masks are required in public buildings, even during private study. Physical distancing measures are still in effect, and all individuals coming to campus are required to complete the screening checklist via myTrent.

We can also be reached by email at info@trentcentral.ca or phone at (705) 748-1000.

TCSA Elections: Candidate Registration Now Open

The time has come! Our general elections have begun and we are accepting your application for candidacy for any of our Executive or Equity Commissioner positions. We encourage all students to run for a position if you are interested in getting involved with the student union and advocating for, and representing, your fellow students.

The candidate registration period closes on Friday, February 26, 2021 at 4pm. Registering to become a candidate is easy. Simply visit the TCSA Elections website and fill out the registration form online.

For a full list of available positions and their job descriptions, click here. Any questions about the positions or our elections process can be emailed to tcsaelections@trentu.ca.

TCSA Semi-Annual General Meeting: Materials Posted

The TCSA is holding our winter semi-annual general meeting on Sunday, January 7, 2021 at 4pm on Zoom. This meeting is open to all students, and we encourage you to attend to vote on some important topics. There will be presentations of the Association’s unaudited financial reports, updates from the Board of Directors on what the Association has been up to, as well as changes to policies having to do with environmental sustainability, the Trent Lands & Nature Areas Plan, and more.

The agenda for the meeting, as well as relevant documents pertaining to financial statements, policy changes, and previous SAGM meeting minutes, are available here.

You can register for the meeting by clicking here. All attendees will be entered into a door prize draw for a chance to win Skip the Dishes credits.

Questions? Please contact Association Resource Manager, Matthew Seaby, at boardresource@trentcentral.ca.

Clubs Funding: 2021 Winter Funding Now Open

The TCSA would like to inform all student clubs and groups that clubs funding for the 2021 winter semester is now open. The TCSA’s clubs funding budget gives student groups an opportunity to receive funding to help with events, guest speakers, membership engagement, and more.

In order to be eligible for clubs funding, groups must first register with the TCSA (or be in the process of registering), and complete the clubs leadership module on Blackboard.

To find out more about the registration process and applying for clubs funding, and to access the clubs funding application, click here.

Questions about club registration and funding can be directed to clubs@trentcentral.ca.

Coming Soon: TCSA Spring General Elections

Each year in March, the TCSA holds its General Elections, during which all Executive and Equity Commissioner positions on the TCSA Board of Directors is available for candidacy. We invite all students to run for a position if you are interested in getting involved with the TCSA and having a role in student advocacy, politics, and leadership.

This year, the entire elections process will be digital, making registration and electoral events easier to access and attend. Registering to become a candidate is easy. Simply visit the TCSA Elections website and fill out the registration form online.

The candidate registration period will open at 9am on Monday, February 1st, 2021, and close at 4pm on Friday, February 26, 2021.

For a full list of available positions and their job descriptions, click here. Any questions about the positions or our elections process can reach out to tcsaelections@trentu.ca.

TCSA Office Closure: Until Further Notice

Following the announcement on January 12, 2021 from the provincial government regarding the Stay-at-Home Order, the TCSA is regretful to announce that we will be unable to open our office in the Student Centre on January 25, as we had planned. Our office will remain closed until further notice. We will be sure to inform all members once we are given the green light to re-open.

In the meantime, students can contact us via email at info@trentcentral.ca. We invite all students to join our upcoming virtual events, including our “Challenging Islamophobia": Muslim Women Speak” panel, and a free de-stress yoga class on Bell Let’s Talk Day, Thursday, January 28, at 7pm.

Trent Student Benefits: Deadline for Opting-out, Opting-in, and Adding Dependents

This is a message for any January-start students who are new students as of January 1, 2021 for the Winter semester.

January 1st to 31st is the period during which you can opt-out, opt-in, or add dependents to your health and dental plan, if you wish. Students who have been billed for 1.5 credits or more have automatically been charged for this plan, while those billed for fewer than 1.5 credits may opt-in to this plan.

If you have been billed for this plan but have alternative health coverage, you can opt-out by January 31st. You may also combine your alternative coverage with the Trent Student Benefits Plan.

For more information about your Trent Student Benefits and how to opt-out, opt-in, or add dependents, please visit the benefits page of our website. Any questions about benefits an be directed to benefits@trententral.ca.

Peterborough Transit survey: Student Feedback wanted

Do you take Peterborough Transit? The city would like to hear feedback about the current transit system and whether or not you use it, or what changes would help you to consider using it.

Peterborough Transit has created a survey that can be accessed through the QR code in the image above or through their website: http://www.peterborough.ca/transit. Alternately, a paper copy of the survey can be picked up and returned at the Peterborough Bus Terminal, or you can connect directly with one of the Transit Ambassadors who will be performing outreach on busses.

The survey closes on January 10, 2021.

TCSA & TGSA Request to extend the comment period for the draft Trent Lands and Nature Areas Plan until March 1st, 2021

The Trent Central Student Association and the Trent Graduate Students’ Association have submitted a formal request to Trent Lands Plan officials to extend the comment period for the Trent Lands Plan. The draft Trent Lands Plan is available for review and comment, prior to final approval by the Trent University Board of Governors, and the University is collecting feedback online until Monday, January 4, 2021.

Our student associations feel that this deadline does not allow for adequate feedback from students and community members, and we are asking that the deadline be extended until March 1, 2021. Currently, we have created a student feedback survey to gather student opinions. This survey can be accessed here and is available until Tuesday, December 22, 2020.

We hope that with this letter, we can achieve more transparency from the Trent Lands Plan, and ensure that students and community members have more opportunities and time to submit feedback about the plan.

If you would like to see the current draft of the Trent Lands Plan and learn more about what it entails, click here. Any questions about the Trent Lands Plan or the student feedback survey, you can reach out to TCSA Environment & Sustainability Commissioner, Jocelyn Whalen, at jocelynwhalen@trentu.ca.

Please see below for our request that has been submitted to Trent Lands Plan officials on behalf of the TCSA and the TGSA.

On behalf of all undergraduate and graduate students at Trent University, we are writing to request an extension of the period for public input for the draft Trent Lands and Nature Areas Plan (TLNAP) until March 1st, 2021. Our student body is concerned that the current comment period ending on January 4th, 2021, does not provide the necessary time to thoroughly review the draft plan and supporting information, and to give meaningful input on this framework that will guide the future evolution of our campus over the coming decades.

We, the Trent Central Student Association and the Trent Graduate Students’ Association, are in agreement with you that the overarching goal of the TLNAP should be to combine the enhancement of our learning environment with advancing community needs, building our financial sustainability, and reflecting our leadership in environmental and Indigenous studies. Individual students, student organizations and groups are concerned regarding how these goals will be accomplished in the current draft version released in mid-October 2020. Major concerns arise from the transparency of the consultation and information sharing process, the availability of easy-to-interpret information, and a missing resolution process. Moreover, a period of less than three months is widely perceived as an inadequate period of time to provide input for a framework that will determine our campus development over the course of decades. There is a particular concern that this process is taking place during a time of widespread social isolation with its added stress and responsibilities due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the overlapping factors of major public holidays when most individuals intend to take a well-deserved break from university and work-related issues. We are concerned that these factors will make it impossible for our students to provide meaningful input to the TLNAP.

We would greatly appreciate your timely response regarding our request.

Sincerely,

Ann-Majella McKelvie
President
Trent Central Student Association

Sandra Klemet -N'Guessan
President
Trent Graduate Students' Association

Jocelyn Whalen
Environment & Sustainabilty Commissioner
Trent Central Student Association

Verena Sesin
Environmental Commissioner
Trent Graduate Students' Association

Jordon Williams
Vice President of Student Affairs
Trent Graduate Students' Association

Sebastian Johnston-Lindsay
Vice President of Internal Affairs
Trent Graduate Students' Association

Melissa Miller-Gerrard
History Program Representative
Trent Graduate Students' Association

Autumn Jordan
BEMA Program Representative
Trent Graduate Students' Association

Andrew Brown
Science Representative
Trent Graduate Students' Association

Trent IT and the TCSA present: Zoom Bombing - what it is, why it happens, and how to protect your events

The Trent Information Technology department is presenting an informative webinar for all TCSA members and clubs and groups about Zoom bombing. With events and workshops becoming digital during the pandemic, there have been instances of “Zoom bombing” that are disruptive and can leave negative consequences on event attendees.

On Friday, December 11, 2020 at 11am, join us for “Zoom Bombing: what it is, why it happens, and how to protect your events”. Topics will include: what Zoom bombing is and how to avoid it, how to ensure that your registration process is secure, and how to deal with it effectively if it does occur.

Open to all students. Click here to register.

TCSA Club Funding Deadline: Thursday, November 26, 2020

The TCSA’s club funding budget is allocated to student club and groups that are registered with the TCSA on an application basis. These funds help clubs and groups with their events, workshops, operations, and more.

The deadline for clubs and groups to apply for funding for the fall semester is Thursday, November 26, 2020. Please click here to access the club funding application form.

Club funding will re-open in January for the winter semester.

Any questions can be directed to clubs@trentcentral.ca.

TCSA Office Hours: Fall Reading Week

The TCSA office will be operating at reduced hours during Fall Reading Week, from Monday, October 26 to Friday, October 30. We will be open and running all our regular services from the hours of:

• Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm

• Closed from 12:30pm to 1pm for cleaning and sanitizing

Please note that our office space allows for one student inside at a time. Please wear a face covering or mask and follow social distancing arrows.

At this time we are accepting debit, credit, and Trent card as forms of payment.

Feel free to call or email us with any inquiries as well: (705) 748-1000 or info@trentcentral.ca.

TCSA Fall By-Elections: Official Results

With the close of the TCSA fall elections period, we would like to congratulate the newest members of the TCSA Board of Directors:

• Jaime Waite, Vice President Student Health & Wellness

• Jocelyn Whalen, Environment & Sustainability Commissioner

• Chanel Bowen, Ethical Standards Commissioner

• Serena Hope, Gender Issues Commissioner

• Katelyn Oickle , Mature & Transfer Students Commissioner

Thank you to all students who participated in the TCSA fall by-elections. We hope that you will continue to get involved with student leadership and with the student association.

Click here to view full elections results. Questions about how you can get involved with the TCSA or about our next elections? Email tcsaelections@trentu.ca.

Funding for Clubs & Groups Is Now Open!

The TCSA funds and supports various student-run clubs and groups virtually and on campus. Clubs that register with the TCSA are also eligible for funding from the Association, among other resources, to help with holding events and workshops, purchasing relevant materials and equipment, and for club operations.

Clubs funding for the 2020 fall semester is now open. Please note that prior to applying for clubs funding, clubs must complete the clubs leadership module on Blackboard. You can register for the leadership module here.

To apply for clubs funding, click here.

Questions about clubs registration or clubs funding? Email TCSA Community Coordinator, Shannon Featherston, at community@trentcentral.ca.

TCSA By-Elections: Voting Is Open!

Voting is now open for the TCSA fall by-elections!

Cast your vote for the candidates running for the positions of:

• Vice President Student Health & Wellness

• Environment & Sustainability Commissioner

• Ethical Standards Commissioner

• Gender Issues Commissioner

• Mature/Transfer Students Commissioner

Read candidate profiles and platforms here, or visit the official TCSA Elections Instagram account to hear candidates speak about their platforms and why they’re passionate about student leadership.

You can vote from Tuesday, October 13, 2020 to Friday, October 16, 2020 at 4pm. Find your official TCSA elections ballot in your Trent email. If you did not receive a ballot, please email tcsaelections@trentu.ca.