With its main office located in Marion 023, The Science Students’ Association of the University of Ottawa is a long-standing establishment within not only the Faculty of Science but also the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa. Over three decades old, its original purpose was to serve as a social foundation for Science students to mingle and meet their colleagues. Now, many years later, the SSA has branched out significantly to include more services and access to resources for the Science student body in an attempt to make their university experience more enjoyable. 

The SSA is managed by students who are elected from the student community, by the student community. It is governed by a General Council comprised of representatives from each department and discipline within the Facuty of Science, as well as an Executive which oversees day-to-day operations and handle specific projects and tasks.  Together, they are responsible for the execution of the SSA's services, events and student representation. 

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General Council 

The Association Council consists of the Executive plus 21 Departmental Representatives.  Each recognized program within the Faculty of Science has either 1 or 2 council members representing it.  In addition, there are 6 first-year reps who serve all students in that year of study, regardless of program.  This distinction exists since the first two semesters of almost every science degree are very similar in terms of required coures.  As a result, council members representing a specific program serve only students in 2nd year and above.

The Departmental Representatives are usually elected in late September, and serve until the end of the academic year (April 30).  Their primary function is to represent students within their department when it comes to course or degree modifications, meetings with the administration, extra-curricular events and the like.  Department reps also assist the Executive with the planning and execution of SSA events during the year.  They are responsible for ensuring the SSA office is staffed and assist with the general administrative duties of the SSA. 

You can see the current council members by clicking HERE.

Executive

The 10 member Executive consists of 8 elected positions, an appointed advisor (usually the past president) and the student senator for the Faculty of Science.  Executives are elected in March serve a one year term from May 1st to April 30th.  Each exec is responsible for a specific portfolio and, collectively, they ensure the proper functioning of the Council.

The SSA also appoints four Summer Executives to assist with the organization of 101 Week.  Given the large scale of 101 Week and the enormous amount of work involved, their job is to help manage the logistics, volunteers and philanthropic initiatives of the week.  They serve a term from May 1 until the election of the Department Reps in September.

You can see the current executive and learn more about their portfolios by clicking HERE.

Functions of the SSA

The SSA is the main representative body for students within the Faculty of Science.  The department reps and the President of the SSA serve as the student representatives on the Science Faculty Council, the highest governing body within the Faculty's administration.  With 11 seats total, the SSA hold one-third of the total votes on the Faculty Council, giving science students a substantial influence in the decisions of university administration.  This is, in fact, the highest proportion of student representation among all other faculties within the University of Ottawa.  The department reps also hold seats on committees within their department and certain members of the Executive sit on various other committees of the Faculty.  The Executive maintains a close relationship with the upper administration of the Faculty, meeting with them regularly for day-to-day business or whenever students are faced with particular issues.

Aside from student governance, the SSA continually strives to make the lives of science students easier and more enjoyable.  The entirety of 101 week within the Faculty of Science is organized by the SSA;  though we receive support from the Faculty administration, it is up to us to determine the schedule and logistics of the week-long event.  The recruitment and selection of 101 week guides is done by the Executive in April and May of each year. 

Other numerous events throughout the year are hosted including guest lectures, pub nights, networking events and a ski trip to Mont Tremblant .  The annual inter-university Ottawa Science Olympiad, an SSA initiative, is hosted annually in January.  We maintain a close relationship with the Student Federation, and assist with the organization of science teams for events such as the Guerre des Tuques snow fort contest and Veterans' Tour pub crawl. 

In addition to fun and games, the SSA provides many important services to students.  Students can borrow labcoats and goggles from our office free of charge for when they forget their own.  All lockers with the Marion building are owned by the SSA and are rented exclusively to students at reasonable rates.  Students can form a club under the SSA, be it academically or socially themed, giving them access to meeting rooms and events venues and making them eligible for funding. Anyone with questions regarding their programme or requiring academic assistance are referred to the right person in the faculty's administration.  

Meetings

During the school year, the General Council usually meets at least once every three weeks.  Meetings are public and are usually held in Marion Common Room.  In the summer months, the Executive meets approximately once every two weeks, with meetings increasing in frequency as 101 Week approaches.  The President serves as the chair of all meetings, which are conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order.