Advocating For You
We work to represent all Mohawk students – regardless of whether you’re a full-time, part-time, continuing education, or apprenticeship student. The MSA works to ensure your voices are being heard and your needs are being addressed. This means we represent you locally, provincially, federally, and within the college. We can help you if you have concerns about student spaces, questions about fees, or challenges with college administration.
A few successes we’ve achieved over the years in advocating on student’s behalf have included: providing Mohawk students with a Health and Dental Insurance plan, introducing the MSA Presto Bus Pass program, and providing on-campus students with affordable food options during COVID-19. If you want to learn more, check out our previous Annual Reports.
Strategic Plans + Goals
Our 2021 – 2025 Strategic Plan is a continuation from the identified ‘Areas of Focus’. This plan works to address any gaps or sections that need improving within the Areas of Focus. We have outlined four different themes where gaps may exist or arise: Empowering Mohawk Students, MSA Work Culture, Improve EDI Within the MSA, Humanizing Our Brand.
The Strategic Plan focuses on outcomes and outputs within each theme relating to the Areas of Focus. In short, an outcome is what we’re trying to work towards – our goal, and outputs are how we are going to get there (tangible deliverables).
MSA Goals
- Recruitment: Healthy turnout for elections, AGM, Student Reps, Board Positions, student staff
- Training: Board / student staff / reps are prepared for their roles & responsibilities as advocates
- Feedback Loop: Getting feedback from students that we need, acting on it, and reporting back
- Staff / Board have a voice: lead ideas, have buy-in on decisions, actions
- Staff / Board have the tools, information and resources to effectively do their job
- Staff / Board have fun, celebrate, and share together
- Increase representation – Board, Staff, Student Staff, Reps, Programs and Supports
- The MSA is a safe, inviting and welcoming place for all students
- Students know who we are, what we do and how to access us
- Students feel they ARE the MSA
Strategic priorities
- Focused Recruitment and retention of students (1)
- Increased Interpersonal Invitations to MSA activities (I.e. AGM, programs, etc) (1)
- Feeder system to Board / Leadership opportunities (1/5)
- Focused group to provide leadership development opportunities (2/5)
- Critical Source for Feedback (3)
- Increased Representation of groups through focused committees (I.e. Int’l SRC) (7/8)
- Increased sense of Belonging (8)
- Source for sharing our story (9/10)
- SRC connect to Board advocacy priorities (3/4/7/10)
- Focused Recruitment of students (1)
- Increased Interpersonal Invitations to MSA activities (I.e. AGM, programs, etc) (1)
- Feeder system to Board / Leadership opportunities (1/5)
- Focused group to provide leadership development opportunities (2/5)
- Source for Feedback (3)
- Increased Representation of groups through diverse Clubs offerings (7/8)
- Increased sense of Belonging (8)
- Source for sharing our story (9/10)
- Focused Committees directing Work Culture (I.e. Recognition, PD, Social, EDI, etc) (4/5/6)
- Intentional Training & Development for Reps, Club Execs, Board, Staff (5)
- Integrated Professional Development Program for Staff (5)
- Intentional ways to share information to & receive feedback from Staff / Board (4/5)
- Intentional programs to support social connection among Staff & Board (6)
- More students mean more opportunity to share our story (1/3/9/10)
- Diverse food options (7/8)
- Increases Accessibility / AODA compliant (9)
- Showcase Student Achievements (7/10)
- Spaces for intentional outcomes (I.e. studying, connections, office, fun, learning) (5/8/9/10)
- Increased awareness of MSA through multiple touchpoints (signage, ambassadors, spaces) (1/9)
Academic Appeals
The Academic Appeal process exists to allow you to receive a respectful and impartial review of a final grade if you believe what you’ve received is unjustified.
There are two levels of Academic Appeals:
The Appeal Process
First, it is important to know the following: 1) There is no jeopardy or risk in appealing a grade, 2) The appeal process cannot result in a reduced grade, and 3) The Policy specifically states there are to be no negative implications for students who exercise their right to appeal a grade.
- Mohawk’s Academic Appeal policy is made to change a final grade.
- Appeals must be based on fact.
- Be mindful of timelines (you have five days after your final grade is posted to give notice of your intent to appeal, then you have five days after the notice to file the appeal).
- Since a final grade is the result of the accumulation of grades leading up to it, document and keep track of issues you encounter throughout the semester (I.e., questions concerning quiz grades, etc.).
- Try to resolve any issues with professors as soon as they arise to avoid having to resort to the appeal process at the end of a semester.
- Be professional and respectful in all correspondence.
- Notice of appeal must be given within 5 days of final grades being posted.
- All completed appeal forms must be submitted within 5 days of giving notice.
- A resolution meeting with your professor should take place within 5 days of submitting your appeal.
- A mediation session (if requested) should take place within 5 days of your resolution meeting.
- A panel must hear your appeal within 5 days of submitting your Level 2 appeal to the Registrar.
- Grade is increased or partially increased to the extent you requested.
- Grade is unchanged.
- Grade is marked as ‘I’ (incomplete) while additional work is completed.
LEVEL 1 - Informal Appeals
If you want to file a Level 1 Appeal, you must notify your professor and Associate Dean, in writing:
- Notice must be given within 5 business days of receiving your final grade.
- Notice must be given in writing (by email) to both your professor and your program’s Associate Dean. Note: If you do not know who your Associate Dean is, contact the receptionist for your department and request their name and email.
- Completed appeal forms must be provided within 5 business days of giving notice of your intention to appeal. Note: You will need to attach your Level One Appeal Form to the email, or alternatively, make two paper copies and drop them off at your department reception. Address one copy to the professor, and one copy to the Associate Dean.
- This form follows you throughout the Appeal process. If your documentation is well written, it will show you care about your marks.
- Avoid wording that suggests incompetence, lack of knowledge of subject matter, or anything aggressive. Note: These may hinder you when you are trying to come to a resolution with your professor in the initial stages.
First, fill out the form with your name, Student number, Course name, course number, program name. Then, you will be asked to answer the following questions.
Q1: “What outcome are you expecting as the result of this review?”
This is where you need to state your proposed outcome. Be concise and specific. This could look something like:
- “I respectfully request that my mark on Quiz #3 be adjusted to 7 out of 10 (70%) to account for the grading discrepancies indicated in this appeal. This would bring my final grade in this course to 80%.”
- “I respectfully request that my mark on Assignment #1 be adjusted to 96% to account for the discrepancies raised in this appeal. That would bring my final grade in this course to 75%.”
Q2: “Please explain why you believe your final grade in the above course should be reviewed, and why your expectations about a change in grade are reasonable.”
- This will be the body of your appeal.
- Your appeal must be based in FACT.
- Cite course materials such as textbook pages, course lectures, slide shows or other learning materials to support your argument and articulate the reason you believe your grade should be adjusted.
- Be thorough in this step as you will be limited to the materials you can submit throughout the rest of the process.
- Number your paragraphs for easy reference.
Q3: “Please state clearly the evidence you are bringing forward to support this grade appeal. Use additional pages if necessary and attach any relevant documentation.”
- This is where you will list the materials you are citing in your appeal, such as lecture slides, textbooks, etc.
- The materials should support the reasons for your appeal.
- Any materials should be either photocopied, scanned, printed, or electronically attached to your appeal.
- When copying excerpts from textbooks, photocopy both the cover page of the textbook, and the page from the text you are specifically referencing.
- List the quiz, test or assignment you disagree with, even if your professor has retained it.
- Once you’ve submitted your notice of appeal and your completed Appeal Form, your next step is to meet with the Professor for informal discussions to resolve the issue.
- The Policy states this should be scheduled within 5 business days from providing your completed forms. While the request for the meeting should be sent within 5 business days, the date of the meeting may have some minor flexibility if either party is able to meet.
- The goal of this meeting is to come to a resolution in a RESPECTFUL AND COURTEOUS way.
- Bring a copy of the Level 1 Appeal Form to the meeting, as you will need to fill out on the form the outcome of the meeting. Both parties must agree to the outcome of the meeting.
- If so, you may request an optional session with a college-appointed Mediator. If you choose to meet with a Mediator, this must take place within (you guessed it…) 5 business days!
- If you are still disappointed in the results of the mediation and you still believe you are owed more credit for your work, there is one final stage left (Level 2).
- The outcome is recorded on the Level 1 Form, and the student and faculty member will retain a copy of the completed Level 1 form. The student is responsible for forwarding the original to the Office of the Registrar.
- If the issue is not resolved, the student may progress to the level 2 Academic Appeal process.
LEVEL 2 - Formal Appeals
Within 5 days of your meeting with your Professor (or mediation), you must complete a Level 2 Appeals form and submit it to the Office of the Registrar with all the information you initially submitted with your appeal. Another copy of the level 2 form (only the form) must be sent to your Associate Dean.
Within 5 days of submitting your form to the Registrar, a panel will be assembled to consider your appeal. The panel will consist of:
- Associate Dean from another department (Only votes to break a tie)
- Faculty Member (Subject Expert)
- Faculty Member (from another department)
- Student (Designated by MSA)
NOTE: Although you are required to represent yourself to the panel, you can bring another person for support. Consider reaching out to the MSA Board of Directors to receive peer-to-peer support during this process.
The panel will hear your case and make a decision within 3 days.
- If you, a faculty member or the Associate Dean have concerns with the conduct of the grade Appeal, a letter to the college-appointed mediator must be submitted within three days of the Appeal panel meeting. The letter must outline the issues with the panel.
- The mediator will decide if an investigation will be conducted based on the merits of the potential challenge.
- If the mediator concludes there should be an investigation, the Vice President, Academic will start an investigation regarding the conduct of the panel.
- The investigation will be completed within 5 Business days.
- If the investigation concludes there was no procedural flaws, the decision of the appeal will stand. However, a procedural issue is found, a new panel will be made to re-examine the Grade Appeal.
Townhalls
Annual Reports
At the end of each year, the MSA publishes an annual report that provides an overview of the year’s accomplishments. Each State of the Association annual report includes highlights of service use statistics, contributions to the community and a snapshot of the organization’s financial standing at year-end. The reports also includes updates on the 2017-2020 Strategic Plan and special projects that have taken place throughout the year.
Download full version here (PDF 4.84MB).
Every voice matters 📢
Annual General Meeting
Attending our Annual General Meeting (AGM) is one way you can stay up to date on what the Board has achieved and is working on. Aside from learning more about the MSA, and staying updated, the AGM is a great opportunity for students to ask questions and ensure their voices are heard, vote on any changes (all students who pay MSA fees can vote), and feel more connected to the MSA.
This year, the AGM took take place at 5:30 p.m. on November 7th.
Download the relevant documents below:
Here is a breakdown of MSA-related fees (subject to change):
| Fee Description |
Cost (two semesters) |
|---|---|
| MSA Administration and Student Government Fee | $122.64 |
| MSA Services and Programming Fee | $83.02 |
| Universal Transit Pass Fee | $199.35 |
| MSA Health & Dental Plan Fee | $191.57 |
The Board is made up of the MSA President, and eight Directors at Large.
Advocating For You
We work to represent all Mohawk students – regardless of whether you’re a full-time, part-time, continuing education, or apprenticeship student. The MSA works to ensure your voices are being heard and your needs are being addressed. This means we represent you locally, provincially, federally, and within the college. We can help you if you have concerns about student spaces, questions about fees, or challenges with college administration.
A few successes we’ve achieved over the years in advocating on student’s behalf have included: providing Mohawk students with a Health and Dental Insurance plan, introducing the MSA Presto Bus Pass program, and providing on-campus students with affordable food options during COVID-19. If you want to learn more, check out our previous Annual Reports.
Strategic Plans + Goals
Our 2021 – 2025 Strategic Plan is a continuation from the identified ‘Areas of Focus’. This plan works to address any gaps or sections that need improving within the Areas of Focus. We have outlined four different themes where gaps may exist or arise: Empowering Mohawk Students, MSA Work Culture, Improve EDI Within the MSA, Humanizing Our Brand.
The Strategic Plan focuses on outcomes and outputs within each theme relating to the Areas of Focus. In short, an outcome is what we’re trying to work towards – our goal, and outputs are how we are going to get there (tangible deliverables).
MSA Goals
- Recruitment: Healthy turnout for elections, AGM, Student Reps, Board Positions, student staff
- Training: Board / student staff / reps are prepared for their roles & responsibilities as advocates
- Feedback Loop: Getting feedback from students that we need, acting on it, and reporting back
- Staff / Board have a voice: lead ideas, have buy-in on decisions, actions
- Staff / Board have the tools, information and resources to effectively do their job
- Staff / Board have fun, celebrate, and share together
- Increase representation – Board, Staff, Student Staff, Reps, Programs and Supports
- The MSA is a safe, inviting and welcoming place for all students
- Students know who we are, what we do and how to access us
- Students feel they ARE the MSA
Strategic Priorities
- Focused Recruitment and retention of students (1)
- Increased Interpersonal Invitations to MSA activities (I.e. AGM, programs, etc) (1)
- Feeder system to Board / Leadership opportunities (1/5)
- Focused group to provide leadership development opportunities (2/5)
- Critical Source for Feedback (3)
- Increased Representation of groups through focused committees (I.e. Int’l SRC) (7/8)
- Increased sense of Belonging (8)
- Source for sharing our story (9/10)
- SRC connect to Board advocacy priorities (3/4/7/10)
- Focused Recruitment of students (1)
- Increased Interpersonal Invitations to MSA activities (I.e. AGM, programs, etc) (1)
- Feeder system to Board / Leadership opportunities (1/5)
- Focused group to provide leadership development opportunities (2/5)
- Source for Feedback (3)
- Increased Representation of groups through diverse Clubs offerings (7/8)
- Increased sense of Belonging (8)
- Source for sharing our story (9/10)
- Focused Committees directing Work Culture (I.e. Recognition, PD, Social, EDI, etc) (4/5/6)
- Intentional Training & Development for Reps, Club Execs, Board, Staff (5)
- Integrated Professional Development Program for Staff (5)
- Intentional ways to share information to & receive feedback from Staff / Board (4/5)
- Intentional programs to support social connection among Staff & Board (6)
- More students mean more opportunity to share our story (1/3/9/10)
- Diverse food options (7/8)
- Increases Accessibility / AODA compliant (9)
- Showcase Student Achievements (7/10)
- Spaces for intentional outcomes (I.e. studying, connections, office, fun, learning) (5/8/9/10)
- Increased awareness of MSA through multiple touchpoints (signage, ambassadors, spaces) (1/9)
Townhalls
Annual Reports
Academic Appeals
The Academic Appeal process exists to allow you to receive a respectful and impartial review of a final grade if you believe what you’ve received is unjustified.
There are two levels of Academic Appeals:
The Appeal Process
- Mohawk’s Academic Appeal policy is made to change a final grade.
- Appeals must be based on fact.
- Be mindful of timelines (you have five days after your final grade is posted to give notice of your intent to appeal, then you have five days after the notice to file the appeal).
- Since a final grade is the result of the accumulation of grades leading up to it, document and keep track of issues you encounter throughout the semester (I.e., questions concerning quiz grades, etc.).
- Try to resolve any issues with professors as soon as they arise to avoid having to resort to the appeal process at the end of a semester.
- Be professional and respectful in all correspondence.
- Notice of appeal must be given within 5 days of final grades being posted.
- All completed appeal forms must be submitted within 5 days of giving notice.
- A resolution meeting with your professor should take place within 5 days of submitting your appeal.
- A mediation session (if requested) should take place within 5 days of your resolution meeting.
- A panel must hear your appeal within 5 days of submitting your Level 2 appeal to the Registrar.
- Grade is increased or partially increased to the extent you requested.
- Grade is unchanged.
- Grade is marked as ‘I’ (incomplete) while additional work is completed.
LEVEL 1 - Informal Appeals
If you want to file a Level 1 Appeal, you must notify your professor and Associate Dean, in writing:
- Notice must be given within 5 business days of receiving your final grade.
- Notice must be given in writing (by email) to both your professor and your program’s Associate Dean. Note: If you do not know who your Associate Dean is, contact the receptionist for your department and request their name and email.
- Completed appeal forms must be provided within 5 business days of giving notice of your intention to appeal. Note: You will need to attach your Level One Appeal Form to the email, or alternatively, make two paper copies and drop them off at your department reception. Address one copy to the professor, and one copy to the Associate Dean.
- This form follows you throughout the Appeal process. If your documentation is well written, it will show you care about your marks.
- Avoid wording that suggests incompetence, lack of knowledge of subject matter, or anything aggressive. Note: These may hinder you when you are trying to come to a resolution with your professor in the initial stages.
First, fill out the form with your name, Student number, Course name, course number, program name. Then, you will be asked to answer the following questions.
Q1: “What outcome are you expecting as the result of this review?”
This is where you need to state your proposed outcome. Be concise and specific. This could look something like:
- “I respectfully request that my mark on Quiz #3 be adjusted to 7 out of 10 (70%) to account for the grading discrepancies indicated in this appeal. This would bring my final grade in this course to 80%.”
- “I respectfully request that my mark on Assignment #1 be adjusted to 96% to account for the discrepancies raised in this appeal. That would bring my final grade in this course to 75%.”
Q2: “Please explain why you believe your final grade in the above course should be reviewed, and why your expectations about a change in grade are reasonable.”
- This will be the body of your appeal.
- Your appeal must be based in FACT.
- Cite course materials such as textbook pages, course lectures, slide shows or other learning materials to support your argument and articulate the reason you believe your grade should be adjusted.
- Be thorough in this step as you will be limited to the materials you can submit throughout the rest of the process.
- Number your paragraphs for easy reference.
Q3: “Please state clearly the evidence you are bringing forward to support this grade appeal. Use additional pages if necessary and attach any relevant documentation.”
- This is where you will list the materials you are citing in your appeal, such as lecture slides, textbooks, etc.
- The materials should support the reasons for your appeal.
- Any materials should be either photocopied, scanned, printed, or electronically attached to your appeal.
- When copying excerpts from textbooks, photocopy both the cover page of the textbook, and the page from the text you are specifically referencing.
- List the quiz, test or assignment you disagree with, even if your professor has retained it.
- Once you’ve submitted your notice of appeal and your completed Appeal Form, your next step is to meet with the Professor for informal discussions to resolve the issue.
- The Policy states this should be scheduled within 5 business days from providing your completed forms. While the request for the meeting should be sent within 5 business days, the date of the meeting may have some minor flexibility if either party is able to meet.
- The goal of this meeting is to come to a resolution in a RESPECTFUL AND COURTEOUS way.
- Bring a copy of the Level 1 Appeal Form to the meeting, as you will need to fill out on the form the outcome of the meeting. Both parties must agree to the outcome of the meeting.
- If so, you may request an optional session with a college-appointed Mediator. If you choose to meet with a Mediator, this must take place within (you guessed it…) 5 business days!
- If you are still disappointed in the results of the mediation and you still believe you are owed more credit for your work, there is one final stage left (Level 2).
- The outcome is recorded on the Level 1 Form, and the student and faculty member will retain a copy of the completed Level 1 form. The student is responsible for forwarding the original to the Office of the Registrar.
- If the issue is not resolved, the student may progress to the level 2 Academic Appeal process.
LEVEL 2 - Formal Appeals
Within 5 days of your meeting with your Professor (or mediation), you must complete a Level 2 Appeals form and submit it to the Office of the Registrar with all the information you initially submitted with your appeal. Another copy of the level 2 form (only the form) must be sent to your Associate Dean.
Within 5 days of submitting your form to the Registrar, a panel will be assembled to consider your appeal. The panel will consist of:
- Associate Dean from another department (Only votes to break a tie)
- Faculty Member (Subject Expert)
- Faculty Member (from another department)
- Student (Designated by MSA)
NOTE: Although you are required to represent yourself to the panel, you can bring another person for support. Consider reaching out to the MSA Board of Directors to receive peer-to-peer support during this process.
The panel will hear your case and make a decision within 3 days.
- If you, a faculty member or the Associate Dean have concerns with the conduct of the grade Appeal, a letter to the college-appointed mediator must be submitted within three days of the Appeal panel meeting. The letter must outline the issues with the panel.
- The mediator will decide if an investigation will be conducted based on the merits of the potential challenge.
- If the mediator concludes there should be an investigation, the Vice President, Academic will start an investigation regarding the conduct of the panel.
- The investigation will be completed within 5 Business days.
- If the investigation concludes there was no procedural flaws, the decision of the appeal will stand. However, a procedural issue is found, a new panel will be made to re-examine the Grade Appeal.
Every voice matters 📢
Annual General Meeting
Attending our Annual General Meeting (AGM) is one way you can stay up to date on what the Board has achieved and is working on. Aside from learning more about the MSA, and staying updated, the AGM is a great opportunity for students to ask questions and ensure their voices are heard, vote on any changes (all students who pay MSA fees can vote), and feel more connected to the MSA.
This year, the AGM took place at 5:30 p.m. on November 7th.
Download the relevant documents below:
Here is a breakdown of MSA-related fees (subject to change):
| Fee | Cost |
|---|---|
| MSA Administration and Student Government Fee | $122.64 |
| MSA Services and Programming Fee | $83.02 |
| Universal Transit Pass Fee | $199.35 |
| MSA Health & Dental Plan Fee | $191.57 |
The Board is made up of the MSA President, and eight Directors at Large.