The University of Ottawa Students' Union Partners with Bounce to Build a More Inclusive and Connected Campus for 2025-2026

Globe and Mail

2 days ago

OTTAWA, Ontario, July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The University of Ottawa Students' Union (UOSU) is ushering in a bold new chapter for student life on campus. With a new partnership with Bounce for the 2025-2026 academic year, the UOSU executive team is delivering on its promise to create a more inclusive and connected campus experience.
A Leadership Team Raising the Bar
Strengthening student life on campus at the University of Ottawa is the cornerstone of the mandate of new UOSU President Jack Coen. This includes every aspect of student life, from better engagement and visibility to a safer campus for students.
'Our executive team came into this year with a clear mission: make student life more accessible and more visible for everyone,' said Coen. 'We know how hard our campus leaders and clubs work to build community, and it's our job to give them the tools and platform to shine.'
For many students, one of the biggest barriers to engagement is visibility. Without a centralized platform to showcase their efforts, clubs that work tirelessly to build community often go unnoticed. This year's UOSU executive team is bringing a new light to this old problem.
'We knew we had to tackle this challenge in an innovative way,' said Emilia Bah, interim Student Life Commissioner. 'There's so much happening at uOttawa, but it's often hard for students to find and navigate. When we saw what Bounce could offer, a single place where everything comes together, it became an easy decision.'
With Bounce, the UOSU will join the top unions in the country who are bringing the entire campus experience under one umbrella in an intuitive, centralized platform.
For student organizations, this means:
Streamlined tools to manage members, recruitment, and communication.
Smarter ways to promote events and attract students who align with their mission.
Easier coordination of RSVPs, ticketing, and processing payments all in one platform.
For students themselves, it means:
Finding and joining clubs that align with their interests.
Easily discovering new campus activities to try.
Staying up to date on what's happening on their campus.
"If Bounce had existed in my first year, I would have felt way less overwhelmed. There were so many events and clubs happening, but it was hard to know what was actually going on or, when, or where.' said Mari Laviola, a uOttawa undergraduate student, 'Now, everything's going to be in one place, like a living map of campus life. I'm excited because it's going to change how students meet friends, discover what we are into, and actually become a part of the community much earlier and more easily".
Safety, Transparency, and Inclusivity
The union's commitment to student well-being also guided this partnership. Bounce includes real-time event safety scoring, anonymous reporting features, and communication tools that prioritize transparency and responsiveness. These features align directly with Coen's pledge to strengthen campus safety.
Bounce's track record at peer student unions, like its role in helping St. Francis Xavier reach the 99th percentile for event safety, offers a strong foundation for what can be achieved by Coen's team at uOttawa.
Built for a Better Tomorrow
As the UOSU navigates an exciting year of transition and renewed purpose, this partnership positions them at the forefront of innovation in student engagement. The whole executive team is united in their goal to build a campus where no student feels left out, and where participation is seamless, safe, and celebrated.
'This isn't just about new technology or another tool,' said Coen. 'This is about finally solving a problem that students have been facing for years of not knowing where to go or how to get involved. We're proud to be joining the ranks of the great student unions across the country who are choosing a better, more connected path forward.'
In addition to student life tools, Bounce also offers centralized, easy-to-use workflows for event approvals, club budget requests, and student elections management. These governance tools are available to any student union looking to save time and money by simplifying their internal processes.
The UOSU joins a rapidly growing list of top student unions in Canada who are transforming student engagement with Bounce.
Ready to join the movement and bring your student union to the forefront? Let's talk.