Improve collective engagement, attendance and catering
Make our collectives even better!
The Queer department’s regular collectives – Aro/Ace Collective, Queer People of Colour Collective, Trans Collective, and Queer Lunch – offer vital space for Queer students to meet and find support, yet often stay unknown to many due to lack of advertising. Together, we plan to advertise these collectives extensively both in person and online to ensure their visibility, allowing all students to be aware of their existence so that those who need collectives most can find them. Additionally, we plan to improve collective catering to always account for diverse cultural and dietary needs, as well as to provide enjoyable, satiating free meals to Queer students. We’ll be opening surveys and permanent communication pathways in order for students to express their visions for future collective meetings, making sure that collectives stay autonomous.
Why this matters
The collectives are an invaluable part of Queer student life, fostering vital peer support, connection, and friendship. Relying on little advertising and word-of-mouth awareness runs the risk of driving the collectives to stagnance, and prevents many students who would benefit from the collective environments from accessing them. Collectives should be a place for all people to find their people!
How we implement it
Extensive communication with UMSU Design and Marketing team for advertising across campus, year round. Designating a collective host for each collective, who will be responsible for greeting newcomers, facilitating a warm and welcoming environment, and running activities/ice breakers each week to ensure everyone feels welcome and included. Creating and advertising a survey that will serve as a permanent communication pathway for people to suggest what they want to see from Queer collectives and provide feedback on catering choices.