Bringing New Ideas Back to Campus: SUS At AMICCUS-C
The UFV Student Union Society (UFVSUS) recently attended the AMICCUS-C Conference at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, joining student leaders and campus professionals from more than 80 student unions across Canada.
While conferences are often viewed as networking opportunities, they also play an important role in helping student leaders and staff learn, collaborate, and bring new ideas back to campus. As the organization responsible for advocating for students and delivering services, events, and programs at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV), SUS continually seeks opportunities to improve the student experience.
What Is AMICCUS-C?
AMICCUS-C is a national organization that supports student associations and student unions across Canada. Each year, representatives from member institutions gather to discuss common challenges, share successful initiatives, and explore ways to better support students.
This year's conference theme, Stronger Together, reflected the collaborative nature of student leadership and advocacy. Topics covered throughout the conference included student engagement, governance, advocacy, student services, leadership development, campus programming, and emerging trends affecting post-secondary students.
Inside The Conference
Over several days, attendees participated in keynote presentations, workshops, panel discussions, and networking sessions focused on student leadership and campus life. The conference brought together student leaders, staff, and industry professionals to exchange ideas, discuss emerging challenges, and share approaches that have been successful at their institutions.
Beyond the scheduled sessions, the conference provided valuable opportunities to connect with representatives from student unions across Canada. These conversations offered insight into how different organizations are addressing student needs, delivering services, engaging their communities, and adapting to changing campus environments.
The Work Behind The Scenes
Many students are familiar with SUS through events, services, clubs, advocacy initiatives, health and dental benefits, or campus spaces such as Fairgrounds and the Student Union Building (SUB). However, much of the work that supports these services happens behind the scenes.
Throughout the year, SUS staff and elected student leaders work on:
Student advocacy and representation
Campus events and programming
Student clubs and associations
Health and dental plan administration
Student services and support programs
Governance and strategic planning
Community partnerships and engagement initiatives
Professional development and collaboration opportunities, such as AMICCUS-C, help ensure that this work continues to evolve and respond to student needs.
Why This Matters To Students?
Student unions across Canada face many of the same opportunities and challenges, from student engagement and advocacy to service delivery and campus programming. Attending conferences like AMICCUS-C allows SUS representatives to learn from successful initiatives, share experiences, and explore new approaches that can strengthen the support, services, and opportunities available to UFV students.
While much of this work happens behind the scenes, the ideas, relationships, and knowledge gained through these opportunities help inform decisions and improvements that benefit students throughout the year.
Bringing Ideas Back To UFV
The insights and ideas shared throughout the conference will help inform future programs, services, events, and initiatives at UFV. By learning from the experiences of other student unions and sharing our own, SUS can continue identifying new ways to support students and enhance campus life.
We would like to thank AMICCUS-C, the University of Alberta, and all participating student unions for creating a welcoming, collaborative, and insightful conference experience focused on supporting students across Canada.