The Okanagan College Students’ Union Stands in Solidarity with Trans Athletes: A Call for Accountability and Inclusivity in PACWEST

The Okanagan College Students’ Union  is proud to reaffirm its unwavering support for trans athletes and the broader 2SLGBTQIA+ community in light of recent developments in the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST). Following an investigation into a transphobic incident during the October 2024 women’s basketball game between Columbia Bible College (CBC) and the VIU Mariners, PACWEST took the necessary step of suspending the CBC women’s basketball head coach. While this disciplinary action marked progress toward addressing discrimination in sports, subsequent events have raised new concerns.

In the aftermath of the suspension, the CBC team launched a public campaign and the coach has taken legal action in an attempt to overturn the suspension. These moves threaten to undermine the essential steps taken to combat discrimination and could send a disheartening message to trans athletes and their allies throughout PACWEST.

At Okanagan College we believe that sports should be a safe and inclusive space for everyone, regardless of gender identity. Trans athletes deserve the right to participate fully and equitably without fear of harassment or exclusion. We have seen firsthand the impact that discrimination can have on individuals and communities. It is for this reason that we are speaking out - because standing by silently is not an option.

When incidents like this arise, accountability is not just about responding to the moment; it’s about setting a standard for the future. Attempts to reverse disciplinary action not only put the safety of athletes at risk but also undermine trust in the systems designed to protect them. This is a pivotal moment for PACWEST to demonstrate leadership and reaffirm its commitment to inclusivity, fairness, and safety for all athletes.

We call on PACWEST to:

• Stand firm against external pressures to reinstate the suspended coach, prioritizing the safety and well-being of all athletes.

• Reaffirm your commitment to creating and maintaining a safe, equitable, and inclusive sports environment for everyone.

• Call on the CBC Bearcats to publicly commit to fair and safe play by clearly stating that harassment, discrimination, and hate have no place in their organization, and that they will fully respect and uphold eligibility rules for trans athletes.

• Implement comprehensive safety planning practices to protect the well-being of all athletes, with specific measures to ensure the inclusion and safety of trans athletes.

Discrimination has no place in sports - or anywhere. Leadership means standing with marginalized communities, taking decisive action, and ensuring that every athlete is treated with dignity and respect. We urge PACWEST to seize this opportunity to lead by example and show that inclusivity is not just a policy but a fundamental value.

The Okanagan College Students’ Union remains committed to its support for trans athletes across the PACWEST Conference. We will continue to advocate for environments where every player feels safe, supported, and seen.

In solidarity,

Okanagan College Students’ Union, Local 1

OCSU X OC Leadership AMA

A PDF version of this post is available here.

Dear Members,

Late last semester your elected Student Representatives engaged in an Ask Me Anything Meeting with Okanagan College leadership representatives, President Dr Neil Fassina, Vice President of Academics and Provost, Dr Samantha Leci, and Vice President of Enrolment, Jennifer Goodwin. This meeting was planned with the goal of connecting, answering student questions and creating a more transparent relationship between Okanagan College Administration and The Okanagan College Students’ Union. Below are the questions your representatives asked and a summary of the answers that were given by the administration. Please note this is not a direct transcript of the meeting but a summary of the conversation that took place.

Further to our meeting with administration, we sent a follow up email with questions unanswered during the session, or that arose in response to the information shared during our conversation. We received written responses to these questions on January 14th, 2025, they are specifically laid out below.

Summary of OCSU X OC Leadership Ask Me Anything Meeting, December 5th, 2024.

Q: Beyond student-elected positions on the [Okanagan College] Education Council, Board of Governors, and student roles on committees, OCSU seeks more direct involvement with decision making bodies. How can we ensure regular participation in these discussions?

A: The elected student representatives have a direct relationship with the Provost, Dr Samantha Lenci. Administration stated they would love to have elected student representatives at the table and would like to work to find how to get voices at the table. The idea of monthly meetings with Dr Samantha Lenci, in addition to the existing monthly meeting between Dean of Students, James Coble and the OCSU Executive Director, were brought forward.

Q: How does OC plan to balance its identity as a community college with the changes being made to course offerings and enrollment? What steps will be taken to ensure this shift doesn’t undermine the intimate and community-centered experience that students expect from OC?

A: The drop in international enrollment is what we’re seeing on a Canada wide scale. Over the decades, domestic enrollment has remained at a steady decline. The hope of a community college is to be accessible to our community, and to anyone. The college is exploring accessible pathways to education, such as increased course offerings through hybrid learning.

Q: Are there conversations happening or plans in place to delay Penticton student housing or cancel it altogether?

A: There are no conversations to delay or cancel the progression of Penticton student housing.

Q: Can OC funnel some of the programs in Kelowna to the regional campuses that align with community needs such as the Human Service Work Diploma, particularly for campuses like Penticton that serve a larger vulnerable population?

A: Administration did not know what was meant by community programs and is not sure what programs are needed by communities in regional areas. They cited that regional administrations have not brought anything of this nature up to them.

Q: Does OC have a Communications Procedure for class cancellations? Are considerations given to notifying students with enough time for them to make other educational decisions to register for different courses or apply elsewhere?

A: OC does not have a policy in place for this and the delivery and timeline of this information varies from campus to campus. Deans and Associate Deans discuss with faculty members on campus. They discuss time frames in which to let students know. Dr Fassina noted that they know that last semester they dropped the ball and failed to give students adequate notice with the mass in-personal cancellation of Adult Upgrading courses, and realizes OC needs to start working with each community campus to accommodate late student registrations. They are working hard to ensure that what happened in September of 2024 does not happen again.

Q: What is the future of the SA campus? Are we closing? If not, is there a strategic plan to increase enrollment?

A: No plan to close Salmon Arm. They are trying to figure out how to get Salmon Arm high school graduates to stay in Salmon Arm to go to post-secondary. Vernon and Penticton have the same issues, just at a different scale.

Written responses from OC Leadership received on January 14th, 2025

Q: How is OC adjusting its recruitment strategies going forward?

A: Recruitment initiatives in progress this year include:

• Establishing an enhanced student ambassador program: Students work with College Relations to create content for OC social media channels that describe what it is like to be a student at OC - photos, videos, reels.

• Faculty/instructor partnerships for program showcases (Open houses, industry events, info sessions, etc.): Recruitment teams are working in a more coordinated and intentional way with programs to bring OC faculty and instructors to events where there will be prospective students. These include open houses, industry nights and other events.

• Note: Upcoming Future Student Open Houses / Application Nights at OC are scheduled for:

  • Jan. 28, 5-7 p.m. - Vernon

  • Jan. 30, 5-7 p.m. - Kelowna

  • Feb. 4, 5 - 6:30 p.m. - Salmon Arm

  • Feb. 6, 4:30-6:30 p.m. - Penticton

• High school and youth outreach, refreshed promotion for dual credit programs: OC is working actively with the school districts to continue to expand and strengthen the dual credit offerings, and to improve information and promotions on the programming, so students and parents are more aware of what is available. This is a component of joint work between OC and high schools across the region.

• Mature Learner engagement recruitment strategies - in development: Work is underway to identify, plan and implement activities to engage with future students who are currently in the workforce and interested in reskilling or upskilling, as well as learners who are exploring options for a second career or learning in retirement.

• Strategic marketing and digital communication campaigns: there are several in market currently, including for Trades, Business, Health, Arts and Science, and Continuing Studies (InspirED). Work has been in progress over the past year to implement digital marketing more effectively, including tracking views, clicks, appointments booked and applications.

• Implementation of a customer relationship management system to support targeted and efficient engagement with applicants: The department implemented a new system at the end of December 2024, which allows them to track names/contact information of potential future students who identify as having an interest in Okanagan College, and who give consent to receiving follow up communications. Previously, we did not have a mechanism to collect and follow up on this information.

Q: Do Recruiters collaborate with faculty to ensure they accurately represent programs and their enrollment capacity? If so, how do they do this, or why not?

A: Yes, recruiters collaborate with the portfolio (e.g. Arts & Foundational Programs, Trades & Apprenticeship, Science & Technology, School of Business, Health and Social Development) and faculty/instructors to ensure that programs are accurately represented and promoted. This is collaboration is ongoing and updates are made on a continuous, as needed basis, appreciating that programs and course content may change over time. Enrolment capacity is a variable that is determined and approved by the program, portfolio and the College.

Q: Our understanding is that the information OC uses to base its decision on creating more hybrid learning partly comes from pre-Covid data. Is OC planning to survey current and/or potential students on their preferences for in-person vs hybrid or online learning?

A: Current and future student preference have historically, and will continue to influence the College’s choice of delivery modalities. The College relies on multiple sources of information when determining the modality or modalities of an offering at OC. For example, pedagogical effectiveness, student enrolment and registration trends (both at OC and more broadly), and registration demand are all considerations.

OC is in the early stages of establishing a multiple access learning environment to maximize accessibility to OC for all learners, including those from diverse backgrounds, learning styles and abilities, geographies, stages of life, and competing life commitments, etc. . In-person, hybrid, and digitally mediated (online) learning are three of several potential delivery formats that can be part of a multiple access learning environment.

Q: OCSU has long been calling on the Provincial Government to increase funding to the Post Secondary sector so that institutions are less reliant on student fees to cover costs. Given the recent Federal changes impacting Canadian colleges' ability to recruit international students, and the decline in domestic enrollment, is Okanagan College and its Board of Governors prepared to act in solidarity with OCSU and the other Students' Unions of British Columbia, to implore the provincial government to complete its Post Secondary Funding review and/or insist on more funding for Post Secondary?

A: We recognize that this is not the first time OCSU has asked that Okanagan College become actively involved in, and publicly support OCSU and BCFS’s “Fund it/Fix it” campaign.

As we have indicated previously, Okanagan College is a legislative agent of the Government of B.C., and it is therefore inappropriate for OC to be involved in politically-motivated or lobbying efforts. The OC Media Relations policy (section 5.8) notes that the College will remain politically neutral, respecting the institution as a place for diverse viewpoints and perspectives.

As a result, the College will not publicly join in the BCFS’s or OCSU’s efforts related to the “Fund it, Fix it” campaign.

Okanagan College actively contributes to provincial initiatives such as program, service and funding reviews where the objective is to improve and strengthen B.C. post-secondary institutions. We work with governments and institutional partners on efforts to increase available funding and resources in ways that benefit students and increase accessibility to programming, and the College will continue to maintain this important focus going forward. As part of the College’s Inspire strategic plan, a deliverable for the 2025/26 year is the development of a Student Affordability model. This model will seek to evaluate the direct impact of tuition costs, as well as the availability of scholarships, bursaries, and other cost offsetting mechanisms, to identify additional opportunities that may ease the financial burden on current and future students at OC.

Lastly, the College is currently exploring alternative and diversified streams of revenue to help offset the growing expenses of delivering high quality public education. The goal in growing and stabilizing these alternative revenue sources is to ensure student tuition and fees are affordable and that programs are broadly accessible.