Summer Connect

June 2nd, 2025

Your UWSA executives want to meet you and listen to your ideas! We have prepared a special gathering at the University of Winnipeg Quad on June 20 at 4:00 p.m. so you can meet them, pitch your ideas, and share. We’ll see you there!

First Nations Students Automatic Opt-Out Process

May 30th, 2025

If you are a self-declared First Nations student, you are automatically opted out of the UWSA Health Plan.

If your tuition and fees are paid by a First Nations band, Indigenous community, or other third-party sponsor, please visit this page: Sponsored Students Health Plan Page

This arrangement is based on a 2018 agreement between the UWSA and the Indigenous Student Services Centre (ISSC) to streamline the process, as many First Nations students already have coverage through federal or First Nations band programs.

Want to be covered anyway?

Yes—you are still eligible to opt in to the Health Plan if you do not have other coverage or want the benefits provided.

• If you are a sponsored First Nations student, please use the Sponsored Student Health Plan Opt-In Form to complete your application.
• For non-sponsored students, please use the self-enrolment portal to opt-in found here: Studentcare Self-Enrollment Page
• Once approved, the $330 health plan fee will be added to your University of Winnipeg student account and billed to your sponsor if coverage is included.
• If your sponsor does not cover health insurance, you will be responsible for paying $330 health plan fee yourself using the University’s accepted payment methods.

We strongly recommend confirming with your sponsor before submitting the opt-in form. Once your application is approved, you cannot opt out or reverse the charge.

If you have questions or need assistance, please reach out to the Corporate Accounts Manager, Emmanuel Iwuoha at e.iwuoha@theuwsa.ca for support.

Sponsored Student Health Plan Opt-In Form

Studentcare Opt-In Self-Enrollment Page

Sponsored and Indigenous Students Health Plan Page

Couple & Family Enrolments

Student Care Opt-Out

Sponsored Students Health Plan

May 30th, 2025

If your tuition and fees are paid by a First Nations band, Indigenous community, or other third-party sponsor, please read this section carefully.

If you are a self-declared First Nations student, you are automatically opted out of the UWSA Health Plan. Please visit here for more info: First Nations Students Automatic Opt-Out Process Info Post

Opt-in/opt-out dates for the 2025-2026 Academic Year:

• Fall Term students: August 6 – September 15, 2025
• New Winter Term students: December 8, 2025 – January 16, 2026
• New Spring Term students: TBA

All sponsored students must:

• Complete the UWSA Sponsored Student Health Plan Opt-In Form. The form is available at Sponsored Student Health Plan Opt-In Form.
• Once approved, the $330 health plan fee will be added to your student account.

Who pays for the plan?

• If your sponsor includes health plan coverage, the charge will be paid by your sponsor.
• If your sponsorship does not include health coverage, you will be responsible for paying the $330 health plan fee through any of the University of Winnipeg’s accepted payment methods.

Adding a Family Member (spouse and/or dependent children) to Your Plan

If you’re already enrolled and wish to extend coverage to a spouse and/or child:

• You must complete a separate opt-in process through the Studentcare Couple & Family Enrolment Form.
• Additional fees apply for dependants and are paid directly through the StudentCare platform.

Dependants cannot be added retroactively, so it’s important to submit your application during the change-of-coverage period.

Important Notes for Sponsored Students

• Once you opt in and the charge is applied to your account, you cannot opt out.
• Before submitting your opt-in form, you must confirm with your sponsor whether health coverage is included in your sponsorship.
• If your sponsorship does not include health coverage, you will be responsible for paying the $330 health plan fee through any of the University of Winnipeg’s accepted payment methods.

Missed the opt-in deadline?

• The UWSA Health Plan follows a strict opt-in deadline. If you miss it, you may need to wait an entire academic year before you can opt in again.
• Exceptions are not guaranteed. However, students who miss the deadline due to extenuating circumstances may submit an appeal.
• Appeals are accepted only for a limited time after the add/drop period. Forms will be available on Health Plan Appeal Form.

If you have questions or need assistance, please reach out to the Corporate Accounts Manager, Emmanuel Iwuoha at e.iwuoha@theuwsa.ca for support.

Sponsored Student Health Plan Opt-In Form

Studentcare Opt-In Self-Enrollment Page

First Nations Students Automatic Opt-Out Process Info Post

Couple & Family Enrolments

Student Care Opt-Out

NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, April 30 starting at 4:00 p.m.

April 25th, 2025

All UWinnipeg students are welcome to attend the Open Session over Zoom. Please email admin@theuwsa.ca by 12:00 PM on the day of the meeting for the Zoom link using your UWinnipeg webmail address and your Student ID Number.

Please review the following documents before the meeting:

BOD250430 Agenda

Open-Session-Package-BOD-250430

All participants are expected to abide by the University’s Respectful Work and Learning Environment Policy.

International Trans Day of Visibility on March 31

March 27th, 2025

Click here to view the original article on the UWinnipeg website.

On March 31, we recognize International Trans Day of Visibility. This is a day to celebrate our trans and gender diverse students, faculty, staff, and community members. It is also a day to recognize the continued effort needed to stand up for the protection and promotion of human rights for transgender communities.

The University of Winnipeg is committed to being an inclusive and welcoming space for all 2SLGBT+ students, staff, and faculty. We are committed to gender inclusivity, countering homophobia and transphobia, and building community by, with, and for UWinnipeg community members with minoritized gender identities, gender expressions, and sexualities.

At 10 a.m. on March 31, everyone is invited to gather in front of Wesley Hall for a rally and flag raising event presented by the University of Winnipeg Students’ Association (UWSA), the University of Winnipeg Queer Students’ Association (UWQSA), and the Rainbow Lounge.

It’s nice to just be able to exist in queer and trans joy for a second. Just time for people to kind of hang out, reflect and share in the joy of it.

James Webster

Following the flag raising, the celebration will continue with a community lunch in the Hive from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“This is an important time to recognize the significant steps our community members are taking to ensure UWinnipeg is an inclusive and welcoming space for all 2SLGBT+ students, staff, and faculty—as well as to acknowledge that there is more work to be done,” said Dr. Todd Mondor, President and Vice-Chancellor. “We’re proud of the many in our community—including inspiring and dedicated student leaders—who have worked so hard make this a place where everyone can belong and thrive.”

The UWSA Rainbow Lounge is one of the lead organizers of this year’s event.

“It’s a time to reflect, be grateful for the people that came before us and all the work they did,” said Rainbow Lounge coordinator, James Webster. “It’s nice to just be able to exist in queer and trans joy for a second. Just time for people to kind of hang out, reflect and share in the joy of it. Because the advocacy is important, but it’s tiring. We need to find time for that joy too.”

The University of Winnipeg Students’ Association (UWSA) Rainbow Lounge is a safe, social space on campus for trans and gender diverse students all year long.

“People hang out, people eat their lunch,” said Webster. “People come in sometimes because they want to talk to me. People come in sometimes because they want to talk to other members. People come in sometimes because they want to put their headphones on and ignore the rest of the world.”

The Rainbow Lounge has a sensory-friendly time twice a week, they host fun events for students on campus, and they provide education, information and resources to students. This year, the Rainbow Lounge community also collected 75 articles of warm winter clothing to donate to the Main Street Project.

“It’s great to just have an open, welcoming, forgiving space for people,” Webster said. “A lot of people are coming from rural communities, or even other countries, and it can be hard to form a community, especially if the place you came from isn’t super supportive.”

“It can be hard to adjust to actually being allowed to be out, or actually having places like this,” he continued. “I think that that’s a lot of what these events do. They just kind of have a calm and fun atmosphere that’s open and welcoming and that allows students to kind of get acclimated to it.”

Webster said it’s important for people to stick together. He said being an ally to the trans and gender diverse community outside of days like Trans Day of Visibility doesn’t have to be complicated.

“Supporting doesn’t have to be this whole advocacy and like mental load that you take on,” he said. “I think cis people and non-queer people get really hung up on thinking that advocacy is a hard thing. And it can be, and it is sometimes. It’s important that we have people there, too, to stand up against hate. But in the interim, just be there for people on a personal level, and that’s when the change really begins.”

“That’s what I see in the lounge every day,” he added. “That’s where community is formed. Community is not formed at, you know, big political-scale events or bills in the legislature. It’s formed in the small little interactions.”

The Rainbow Lounge is open to all students with an open and inclusive view of sexuality and gender diversity. You can visit the Rainbow Lounge in the Bulman Student Centre, Concourse Level, Room 0R13 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Additional resources for UWinnipeg students and community members are available on the UW website or through the USWA.

UWSA and University of Winnipeg Pilot Mentorship Program

March 13th, 2025

The UWSA and University of Winnipeg Pilot Mentorship Program is designed to support university students in their academic and professional journeys. Students will connect with experienced mentors from their fields of interest, providing invaluable guidance, career insights, and personal development advice.

Join us on March 26 for the inaugural UWinnipeg Mentorship Mixer.

Location: Tony’s Canteen (Leatherdale Hall)

Date and Time: Wednesday, March 26 from 4 – 6 p.m.

Sign up today and invest in your future!

Empower & Elevate: A Panel on Leadership & Impact on March 19

March 12th, 2025

Join the University of Winnipeg Students’ Association for our Empower & Elevate: A Panel on Leadership & Impact. This panel event will bring together women, trans, and non-binary leaders to share their journeys, insights, and experiences with students, fostering discussions on empowerment, leadership, and resilience. All are welcome to attend!

Event Details

• 📅 Date: Wednesday, March 19, 2025,
• ⏰ Time: Doors open at 5:00 p.m., panel begins at 5:30 p.m.
• 📍 Location: Convocation Hall inside Wesley building

Our Elder

Elder Sharon Pelletier (Indigenous Student Services Centre Elders in Residence)

• Sharon Pelletier was born and raised in Winnipeg, to parents Catherine (Settee) & Henry Hall, both from Norway House, Manitoba.  Sharon is a mother, grandmother and, great-grandmother.   University was where Sharon felt her first sense of pride as a First Nation.  This is also where she began to seek out Elders to help her learn more of the culture that she knew little of.  Sharon is accredited with Bachelor of Arts, where she majored in Native Studies and minored in Psychology.  She has certificates in: Legal Administrative Assistant; graduated with Honours in Applied Counselling and Focusing, Post-Traumatic Stress and Complex Trauma; completed coaching in the Focusing, Post-Traumatic Stress and Complex Trauma and; Human Resource Management along with various other counselling workshops and certificates. Sharon has completed 8 years as a Sundancer and continues to take part in Sundances and Ceremonies throughout Manitoba and in the States and will go wherever her gifts are needed when possible.  Sharon’s prayer:  For all my blessings I give thanks and acknowledge all those who have helped me to become the person I am and have yet to become.  Ekosani!  Sharon Pelletier (Great Bear Woman)

Panelists Bios

Honourable Uzoma Asagwara (Minister of Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care)

• Uzoma Asagwara was first elected as the MLA for Union Station in 2019, when they became the first non-binary MLA in the Manitoba legislature and one of the first black MLAs elected in Manitoba’s history. They served as the official opposition critic for health and as an MLA, became the first Black person to make a law in Manitoba with the passing of a bill to recognize Somali Heritage Week.

  They were re-elected in 2023 and was appointed Manitoba’s Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care.

  Before becoming an MLA, Asagwara was a former basketball player with Canadian National Basketball Team, psychiatric nurse, addictions specialist and community advocate.

Feather Wolfe  (Sunshine House Drop-In Coordinator & Local Drag Queen)

• Will be uploaded soon!!

Shandi Strong (Writer, Rocker, Advocate)

• With a long history of volunteerism and organizing Shandi became a fixture in the 2SLGBTQ+ Community in 2008 through Gio’s, a community bar which served as “The Heart of the Community” for the 2SLGBTQ+ community for over 35 years. Eventually becoming the board’s first ever female Vice President in the organization’s final years.

  She currently sits on the boards of several non-profit organizations including Our Own Health Centre (OOHC) a not-for profit healthcare provider for 2SLGBTQ+ people with the goal of improving services for transgender patients; and is part of a newly formed coalition to create shelter for homeless Trans, Non-binary and other 2SLGBTQ+ youth. Past board involvement includes Manitobans for Human Rights (MHR) a group focused on Human Rights education and awareness, and Pride Winnipeg, as a Community Liaison.

  During the 2016 Provincial election she was nominated and ran as the first ever openly transgender provincial candidate in Canada for the Manitoba Liberal Party. She ran again in the 2019 and 2023 provincial elections. Since 2016 she has stayed active in politics working as the constituency assistant to Dr. Jon Gerrard, the former MLA for River Heights, the Manitoba Liberal Caucus, and as the secretary for the Manitoba Liberal Women’s Association, President for the Fort Garry Constituency Association and sits on the 2SLGBTQ+ Commission of the Manitoba Liberal party.

  Since coming out 13 years ago and in doing so losing a 15-year career and 20-year marriage, her life has had it’s share of ups and downs, including a suicide attempt, living on EIA, balancing with a new career, new love, and reconciliation with her children. She has other projects in the works, including a youth friendly version of her book, and a science fiction novel. She lives in Wildwood Park with her wife Kate and their two cats. She enjoys many things including science fiction movies, golf, curling, playing guitar and adventure.

Iresha Hewa Wellalage (International Student Services Coordinator)

• I’m Iresha Hewa Wellalage, and I’m the International Student Services (ISS) Coordinator and a Regulated International Student Immigration Advisor (RISIA). Originally from Sri Lanka, I bring first-hand experience as both a student and an immigrant, which gives me a unique perspective in supporting international students. With a strong background in student support and immigration advising, I help students navigate their academic and personal journeys. I’m passionate about mentorship and student engagement, striving to create an environment where all students feel included and supported. I believe that leadership is about lifting others and breaking barriers to create meaningful change.

Shauna MacKinnon (Professor and Chair of the Department of Urban and Inner-City studies)

• Dr. MacKinnon is Professor and Chair of the Department of Urban and Inner-City studies. She has conducted research on social and economic issues for over 20 years with a focus on public policy, poverty and inequality. Dr. MacKinnon is most interested in research that focuses on issues identified by individuals living in poverty and those working closely with them. Dr. MacKinnon subscribes to a social justice, community-based participatory research approach to research, actively engaging with community partners beyond research, to mobilize knowledge and use research as a tool to advocate for progressive change.Dr. MacKinnon has been involved as a co-investigator and research stream lead with the Manitoba Research Alliance (MRA) since 2003. In 2020, the MRA was awarded a 7-year, $2.5 million Social Science Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grant for the community driven “Solutions to Poverty: Challenges and Possibilities” project. In September 2020, after the sudden death of long-time MRA Principal Investigator, friend and colleague, Dr. John Loxley, Dr. MacKinnon was appointed by her peers to succeed Dr. Loxley as the new MRA Principal Investigator.

Moderator Bio

James Webster (UWSA Rainbow Lounge Coordinator):

• James Webster (he/him) is a transmasculine nonbinary advocate for trans and gender-diverse autonomy, human rights, and freedom. Working and living on Treaty One territory, he works as the Rainbow Lounge Coordinator at the UWSA and has a history of community organization and advocacy, leading multiple rallies, including the 2023 Rally for Trans Youth. James strives to connect leadership and community in every aspect of his life.

For any questions please email events@theuwsa.ca.

Unofficial UWSA General Election 2025 Results

March 5th, 2025

Congratulations to all the winners! Here are the unofficial UWSA General Election 2025 results*:

International Women's Day Action Plan!

March 5th, 2025

International Women’s Day (IWD) has been around for over a hundred years. Since 1911, IWD belongs to all who care about women and gender equality. IWD is about celebrating non-binary and women’s achievements. Raising awareness about discimination and taking action to forge gender parity. All IWD activity is valid, that’s what makes IWD so inclusive. – www.internationalwomensday.com

Thank you UWinnipeg Human Rights and Diversity Office for creating this International Women’s Day Action Plan and Info Graphic.

Below you can find a list of resource and businesses. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list.

Small Businesses:

• Anishinaabe Girl Designs – 165 Lilas St. @anishinaabegirl
• Black Market Provisions – 550 Osborne St. – @blackmarketprovisions
• Lucky Koi – 1100 Portage Ave. @luckykoichinese
• Dark Shugar – 1225 St. Mary’s Rd. @darkshugar
• The Sugar Freak – 216 Osborne St. @thesugarfreak_
• Made by Megs – 15 St. Annes Rd. @madebymegss
• Prairie Sky Books – 871 Westminster. @prairieskybooks
• Drop In Dance – 1379 Portage Ave. @dropindancewpg

Educate:

• Re-Storying Education | Decolonizing Your Practice Using a Critical Lens – by Carolyn Roberts

• Around the Kitchen Table: Métis Aunties’ Scholarship – Edited by Laura Forsythe and Jennifer Markides

• The Iron Rose The Extraordinary Life of Charlotte Ross, M.D. – by Fred Edge

• Naturally Woman: The Search For Self In Black Canadian Women’s Literature – by Sharon Beckford

• Compelled To Act: Histories Of Women’s Activism In Western Canada – Edited by Sarah Carter, and Nanci Langford

• Falling Back in Love with Being Human | Letters to Lost Souls – by Kai Cheng Thom

Advocate & Get Involved:

• West Central Women’s Resource Centre – 640 Ellice Ave. @wcwomensctr
• Ka Ni Kanichihk: Go Ask Auntie – 102-765 Main St. @goaskauntie
• The Elizabeth Fry Society – 544 Selkirk. @elizabethfrysocietyofmanitoba

“We must open the doors and we must see to it they remain open, so that others can pass through.” “Sisterhood is powerful.” – Rosemary Brown, politician and activist

Click here to download the info graphic.

UWSA Annual General Meeting on March 21, 2025

February 27th, 2025

The 2025 UWSA Annual General Meeting will occur on Friday, March 21, 2025, at The University of Winnipeg in The Hive (Lockhart Hall) at 12:30 PM CST.

Find out what the UWSA has been doing. You’ll get an update about what we have accomplished and what’s in store next year. We want to hear from you.

AGENDA

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION 

March 21, 2025 at 12:30 PM

IN THE HIVE

1. Call to Order

2. Introduction and Rules of Order

3. Approval of the Order of Business

4. New Business – For Approval:

a. Ratification of 2025 General Election Results

b. Finance and Operations Presentation:

i. Presentation of audited financial statements

ii. Auditor’s report

iii. Re-appointment of the incumbent auditor

c. General By-Law Amendments:

i. To consider and, if deemed advisable, to confirm, with or without variation, the amendments to the UWSA’s General By-laws in the form attached to this notice, as  adopted by resolution of the Board of Directors of the UWSA.

d. Proposal regarding the expansion of automatic health plan enrollment: For any questions please email, e.iwuoha@theuwsa.ca.

i. To consider and, if deemed advisable, to confirm, with or without variation, the resolution of the Board of Directors of the UWSA to expand the scope of automatic health plan enrollment in accordance with the proposal attached to this notice.

5. Communications – For Information

a. 2024/25 Report of the Board of Directors

b. 2024/25 Report of the By-law and Policy Committee

6. Other Business

7. Adjournment

AGM Package

• UWSA 2023 Audited Financial Statements
• General By-Law Amendments-02-2025
• Proposal for Expansion of Automatic Health Plan Enrollment

Submitting Motions

All UWSA members can submit a motion to the Chair of the Board at chair@theuwsa.ca. The deadline to submit is Tuesday, March 11 at 12:30 PM CST.

To learn how to write a motion, please review the documents below:

Motion Template (Editable PDF)
How to Write a Motion

Click here to visit the UWSA Annual General Meeting Page