Hi everyone,

I’m looking for recommendations for law firms in the Vancouver/Burnaby area that handle administrative law, procedural fairness challenges against universities/public bodies, and judicial review in BC Supreme Court.

Brief background (happy to share more privately):
I am a former SFU student. In mid-2024 a service indicator/hold was placed on my goSFU account on instructions from the then-VPSI, blocking course registration. I never received a formal written decision, reasons, or appeal route (Senate/President). A Student Conduct complaint followed shortly after; SSRR indicated an investigation would happen but it never did.

After I followed up with the new VPSI, I received a Trespass Notice + strict No-Contact Order from Campus Public Safety/SRS citing safety concerns. This prohibits enrolment and campus access. I live in UniverCity (on-campus condo) and own property there. Supporting docs include FIPPA releases, the Trespass Notice, policy excerpts (University Act s. 61, SFU S10.05, GP25), and org charts showing safety-services reporting lines.

I’m cautious about firms with close SFU ties (e.g., lawyers who teach there) due to potential conflicts. I’m seeking firms experienced in education/administrative law that can advise on lifting the hold and trespass so I can apply to a Master’s program starting September 2026.

Any suggestions for independent firms or lawyers who do this kind of work in BC? More documentation and detail available on request.

Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for recommendations for law firms in the Vancouver/ Burnaby area that handle university or administrative law matters. There are quite a few firms around, but I keep running into potential conflicts of interest - for example, some of the lawyers I've looked into have ties to SFU such as teaching there.

Does anyone know of firms that seem more independent and suitable for SFU-related issues? Any suggestions would be really appreciated. Thanks!

hi, I’m curious what people actually think about the expenses

Is the dining commons expensive? with student card lunch or dinner is like 20 dollars.

fitness centre is 100 for 4 months so like 25 a month for non-students. i had a colleague(not-sfu) who goes a non-SFU gym with a sfu employee and the employee was complaining the price is too high. My colleague told me her name and i checked the SFU annual financial report, her salary is a 90k.

What about Cilmbing-Wall, which is around 200 dollars per semester.

just curious what people think, does it feel expensive to you guys?

also sometimes i dont even bother arguing over small things. one time my gym membership got suspended by the office and i didnt even ask for a refund, just made a new account and bought a new membership and kept using it 😂

while we’re at it, how much money do you guys think you realistically need to FIRE in the Vancouver/Burnaby area these days?

Thanks for any thoughts!

this might sound stupid question. but what happens if I order 100 official transcript.

Recently there have been warning posts about specific SFU employees and TAs. Students post these when they feel official channels haven’t worked. As someone who came to Canada as an international student and is now a citizen, I’ve noticed that people with strong family or work support often have more options and protection.

There’s a difference between sharing specific experiences and actual name-calling. It’s not easy to post things like this — there’s always a risk of backlash. But I don’t regret my previous post. I believe we should take responsibility for what we say and back it with facts.

These posts also suggest the Ombudsperson at SFU may not be as effective as it’s supposed to be.

What do you think?

In my previous post, I shared that I have been permanently suspended from SFU. Today, I want to share some facts about my experience with the SFU Ombudsperson, because I strongly believe that her misleading advice and handling of my case played a significant role in how I ended up in this situation.

I understand that this post might be critical, but I think it’s important for other students to know how this office actually operates.

Misleading Academic Advice

Early on, when academic advisors were ignoring my emails regarding course permissions, I reached out to the Ombudsperson for help. She eventually got back to me, but only to say that an advisor recommended I go in person. When the semester started and I was still unable to get into my required upper-division classes, instead of advocating for me or explaining my situation to the advisors, the Ombudsperson told me to "stay away" and advised me to just take three 100-level courses instead. She was also the one who directed me to apply for a WE (Withdrawal under Extenuating Circumstances) appeal, which ultimately did not help my situation.

The Service Indicator and SSRR

Later, when a service indicator (a hold) was placed on my account, I asked the Ombudsperson to verify with the Registrar's Office who actually had the authority to do this, as it did not seem to follow SFU’s student conduct policy. However, she told me the Registrar's Office "didn't know," and instead, she went and spoke directly to SSRR (Student Support, Rights & Responsibilities). When I tried to ask her about the university policy violations regarding my situation, she ignored my concerns and simply told me not to ask questions that had already been answered.

Breach of Privacy

There are Terms of Reference clearly listed on the Ombudsperson’s website. They explicitly state that the office is supposed to protect the privacy of all individuals who seek their services, and that information will only be shared with the consent of the individual or as required by law. However, I feel she was walking a very thin line. Without my clear consent, my activities and communications were exposed to the SSRR office.

The Final Email

In the end, when she found out that my permanent suspension was finalized and I was no longer allowed to continue my studies at SFU, she completely washed her hands of me. She sent me an email bluntly stating, "you are not a student anymore," and entirely refused to answer any further questions or reply to my emails.

I went to the Ombudsperson seeking confidential, impartial help, but instead, I received poor advice and had my information shared with the exact office investigating me. Please be careful if you decide to use their services.

I’m sharing my story here because I’m at a loss. After years of being a student at SFU, I’ve been permanently suspended by the VPSI (Vice-Provost, Students and International) under circumstances that feel incredibly unfair.

The Background

While finishing my first Bachelor’s degree, I had some conflict with the Co-op staff. However, I wanted to move forward, and during COVID, I decided to return to SFU as a second-degree student. Because everything was online, I sought guidance on how to enroll.

The Timeline of Events

• The Enrollment Error: The Director of Student Services & Registrar Resources (SSRR) at the time told me not to contact professors until I was officially enrolled. I followed this advice, but I wasn't manually enrolled until two weeks after the semester started.
• The Academic Impact: These were 400-level CMPT (Computing Science) courses. Missing the first two weeks of high-level lectures made it impossible to catch up. Despite my best efforts, I failed the courses.
• The Ombudsperson’s Advice: I met with the Ombudsperson to resolve this. She told me that the late enrollment wasn't the SSRR’s "mistake," but advised me to apply for a Withdrawal Under Extenuating Circumstances (WE).
• The Appeal: I followed her direction and submitted my WE application, explicitly stating that I had been instructed by staff not to contact professors, which led to the late start.

The Fallout

Shortly after, a hold appeared on my goSFU account. When I asked the Ombudsperson to investigate, she claimed the Registrar’s Office didn't know why it was there and referred me back to SSRR.

I eventually filed a FIPPA (Freedom of Information) request to find out what was happening. The documents revealed that the then-VPSI had made the decision to permanently bar me from studying at SFU.

My Current Situation

I believe my WE appeal was forwarded to the VPSI, who may have misunderstood my explanation as "hostility" or "misconduct" rather than me simply following the instructions I was given by the university's own staff.

As an international student at the time, those two failed courses cost me $7,000, and more importantly, they caused permanent damage to my academic record. I followed every official channel—SSRR, the Ombudsperson, and the Senate appeals—and yet I’ve been silenced and suspended without a clear explanation or a path to resolution.

I am incredibly depressed and feel that I’ve wasted years of my life and thousands of dollars just to be treated this way. Has anyone else dealt with the VPSI office or a "permanent hold" that no one seems to want to take responsibility for? Any advice on next steps would be appreciated.

Hey everyone,

I’m looking into SFU Policy S10.05 (Student Conduct). For cases that aren't about cheating (non-academic misconduct), the policy says the Registrar puts a notation on your transcript during the suspension.

• Does it say specifically what happened, or just "Student Conduct"?
• Does the notation actually get removed once the suspension is over?
• Has anyone had issues with this showing up when transferring to another school or for a background check?

Trying to figure out how much "permanent damage" this does to a record. Thanks!