How to understand the scores?
While the Index encourages healthy competition, a higher rank does not mean the top unions are dramatically better than those ranked lower. In general, any union scoring above 70% is doing a good job, while those scoring 85% or higher represent well-organized student unions. The unions scoring below 50% typically either do not post sufficient information about themselves online, or do not provide a sufficient level of representation and services.
What is the point of ranking student unions?
The ranking is not an end to itself. The index creatives comparative transparency that serves three purposes. For student leaders, the index provides diagnostic tools to identify gaps in services, democracy, or transparency relative to peers. For student members, rankings make union performance visible and comparable, enabling informed voting and pushing leaders to perform better. For the broader ecosystem, aggregated data reveals sector-wide challenges that can inform policy conversations.
Isn't the Index limited because it is missing data points X, Y, Z?
Every index is limited by design, and we had to make choices about what to measure, and those choices reflect values and trade-offs. We deliberately excluded some data points for specific reasons: some are impossible to measure objectively, some require subjective judgment due to the lack of independent surveys, and some would require data collection beyond what unions currently track consistently.
We included what we could measure observably and comparably across all Canadian student unions. Ultimately, the index is one data source meant to prompt critical questions, not settle judgments about union quality.
Can student unions challenge their scores or request a re-evaluation?
Student unions can request a review of their scores if they believe there has been an oversight or error in the evaluation process. The request must be supported by substantive evidence that challenges the initial assessment. Please use the Contact Form to submit a re-evaluation request.
A Student Union X is not on the Index, why?
We're working on adding more student unions.
How often is the Student Union Index updated?
We will work on updating the Index every three years.
