Canadian Alliance of Student Associations - History

History

CASA's origins can be traced to the first Winds of Change conference hosted by the University of Alberta in 1990. In what would become an annual meeting, student leaders from across the country were invited to come together to discuss challenges facing post-secondary education students in Canada.

In 1993 the federal government announced that all of Canada's social programs would be reviewed with sweeping and significant changes likely to come which prompted several student unions not affiliated with the CFS to try to organize efforts to lobby the federal government on education issues.

In 1994, as the result of a conference held at Carleton University, a number of student leaders decided to form a new Canadian post-secondary student organization. The foundations for the new organization were laid down, and the framework for a constitution was built upon it.

In 1998 Patrick Fitzpatrick, then acting Director of CASA, plead guilty to fraud charges after it was discovered that he embezzled money from the organization.

In 2003 Liam Arbuckle, then National Director, resigned after admitting that he provided confidential information to a candidate hoping to succeed him.

In 2008, CASA accepted its first member organization to consist entirely of graduate students: the University of Waterloo Graduate Student Association. In November 2011, the Athabasca University Graduate Student Association became the second member organization to consist of entirely graduate students.