Our History

For decades, DAGS served Dalhousie graduate students, collecting a CAD 20 levy per semester to fund student support, events, and travel grants. Ratified by the DSU, DAGS was a crucial pillar of the graduate student community.

In 2017, DAGS held a referendum to affiliate with the Canadian Federation of Students–Nova Scotia (CFS-NS). While graduate students approved it, the required Memorandum of Understanding was never fully executed due to missing signatures. As a result, DAGS never became an official CFS-NS local, and its ratification with DSU was lost.

From 2018, DAGS operated without DSU ratification, meaning its funds were controlled by DSU. This led to fewer events, delayed grants, and increasing dependency on DSU. Multiple attempts to regain ratification failed due to internal complications and unclear communication from DSU.

Recent Developments

In 2024, DAGS made a final attempt to secure ratification by compiling financial and legal documentation, only to be denied by DSU. The sole reason cited was unresolved CFS-NS affiliation, despite no binding contract ever being signed. Although DSU had known about this issue for years, it was never previously stated as a barrier.

Thus, the talks reached an impasse and following this, DSU took drastic measures, such as locking DAGS out of its office—home to over two decades of records—without warning. DAGS executives, upon discovering this at a board meeting, were given just three days to retrieve their belongings. Shortly after, DAGS was officially dissolved.

Despite DSU's promises to support graduate students post-dissolution, none have been fulfilled, leaving grad students without representation. In response, the Dalhousie Organization of Graduate Students (DOGS) was formed.

Our Mission

We, at DOGS, wish to build a platform for grad students to express their unique needs, while ensuring the existing rights we deserve!