Janet Mee, Director, Access and Diversity, UBC
C.J. Rowe, Diversity Advisor – Women, UBC
Susanna Tam, Diversity Advisor – Race and Ethnicity, UBC
Ruth Warick, Senior Diversity Advisor – Disability, UBC

SASA, CADSPPE

Presenters will share recent experiences of campus diversity partnership initiatives and explore how an integrative and intersectional approach to social change can interrupt confrontational dynamics and create collaborative opportunities to understand and improve student experiences.

As campus demographics continue to shift and student populations become increasingly diverse, institutions need to manage and lead change. In the discourse of social justice on campus, the relationship between students and the institution is often framed as “us vs. them”, posing a fundamental challenge for administrative units with a mandate for social justice. Student involvement is critical – how do we bridge this gap and create a shared vision for the future? How can we each take ownership and responsibility for social change?

This session will explore the experiences of Access and Diversity at UBC with campus diversity partnership initiatives, and discuss how new conversations are created when an institution listens to the message of change. In our commitment to an integrative and intersectional approach to diversity, we have experienced significant challenges and noteworthy successes.

Download this presentation

Greg Jefford, First year Experience Office, Carleton University

SASA

In May,2006, the First Year Experience Office at Carleton University wanted to increase school spirit by hosting the largest event in fall orientation history to welcome the class of 2010. What transpired over the course of four months were 14 university departments and student organizations brought together to plan and implement an event titled ‘Ravenspalooza’ which would eventually be defined as ‘A Tradition in the Making’.

This session will provide an overview of the concept for the event including goals, detailed plans, successful collaborative efforts among 14 departments and student organizations, cost-sharing strategies and sponsorship, outstanding results, and initial plans for this year’s event.

Download this presentation

Bar On Emotional Quotient Inventory

Emotional Intelligence Handouts

Emotional Intelligence Inventory Scoring

EQ41

Sample MSCEIT Items

Dr. Nathan J. Cooper, Centre for Student Development
McMaster University

CUCCA

Financial limitations in higher education and student affairs necessitate increased collaborative effort. People, personality and possessiveness often stand in the way of collaboration. Knowledge about the functioning of ourselves and others allows for improved communication and collaboration in times of want and times of plenty. The Emotional Intelligence (EI) session is designed to provide a cursory overview of current theory, research, and assessment instruments. Time will be allotted for discussion regarding if and how we can develop EI.

Judy Collins, Human Rights Advisor, Mount Royal College
Jack Dobbs, Head of Student Counselling, Mount Royal College

CUCCA, CADSPPE

Conflicts between staff members or between staff and the public are frequent sources of workplace stress. This workshop will help participants learn how to use skillful communication to bring out the best in people acting at their worst while managing their own anger, anxiety and defensiveness. This interactive workshop presentation has been developed to help participants gain confidence in their ability to confront issues and reach positive solutions. Participants will learn proven techniques and strategies that reinforce teamwork, improve communication, and reduce stress and also, how to deal with difficult people in difficult situations. This is a workshop that is intended to support people and provide a sense of safety and community for all. Please join us -- in the opportunity for learning, sharing and personal growth as we work together in promoting and sustaining respectful environments.

Download this presentation

Ann Laverty, PhD., Counselling Services, University of Calgary

CUCCA, COUCH

Eating, body image, dieting, anorexia, bulimia, obesity, cosmetic surgery… listen to the news or open a magazine and you will find a plethora of information on these topics. Despite increased awareness about healthy lifestyles and institutional initiatives towards prevention, disordered eating issues continue to persist for post-secondary students. This workshop is geared for counsellors and student service professionals interested in learning about recent developments in treating eating disorders and supporting students with these concerns. Using relational-cultural theory, this interactive presentation will focus on new perspectives about building and maintaining supportive relationships with students struggling with eating concerns. Issues of readiness and motivation for change will be specifically addressed and current research will be integrated. Participants will have an opportunity to explore their beliefs about the process of change and to discuss their experiences in supporting students with eating concerns. Learning outcomes will include increased understanding of the complexity of the change process and practical strategies for working with students. Handout and reference materials will be provided.

Jaime Mishibinijima, University of Guelph
Mark Solomon, Seneca College

NASSA

Colleges and universities across Canada are seeing a steady influx of Aboriginal students in various programs. Like all students, the connection to funding and academic success is very real. Much confusion exists on how Aboriginal students receive (or don't receive) funding for their education. This session will alleviate that confusion and shed some light on funding for First Nation students, Inuit students and Metis students on your campus and the different circumstances and issues they face when it comes to funding and student success. Aboriginal student service workers from across Canada will explore several student scenarios, and discuss the most appropriate and effective methods of coping with Aboriginal student financial needs. We will explore best practices on various campuses across Canada and how you can implement effective initiatives on your own campus.

Download this presentation

Lindsay Winger, Department of Housing and Conferences, UBC Okanagan
Kevin Mobbs, Athletics and Recreation, UBC Okanagan
Leanne Perry, Student Development and Advising, UBC Okanagan

SASA

Is more really merrier? Are two heads actually better than one? This workshop will explore theories of Collaborative Leadership and will give participants an opportunity to use assessment tools. The presenters will also discuss methods of developing one’s skills in collaborative leadership and will review both benefits and challenges to this approach. Through leadership assessment and group activities participants will leave with resources they can take back to their own campus.

Download this presentation

Chloe Corcoran, Disability Services for Students, Student and Enrolment Services Division, University of Saskatchewan
Jacki Andre, Disability Services for Students, Student and Enrolment Services Division, University of Saskatchewan
Mark Motesiczky, Information Technology and Communication, Student and Enrolment Services Division, University of Saskatchewan

CADSPPE

Technology has long assisted students with disabilities, but what about disability services providers? Hardware, software, and web-based programs already in use at your institution have tremendous potential to improve management of disability services programs at no or little additional cost to your office. Like many North American post-secondary institutions, the University of Saskatchewan uses both Infosilem for exam timetabling and the Banner Student Information System. The Information Technology and Communication unit integrated both programs into Disability Services for Students’ in-house database, improving information accuracy, ease of use, and time management for both staff and students. The cost savings have been significant. Students use web forms to request confirmation of registration letters, notetaking services, and exam accommodations. The web forms are prefilled with class, exam, and accommodation information specific to each individual student. Students and staff access Banner by using the University of Saskatchewan’s web portal, PAWS. In addition to utilizing these software programs, we plan to take our Notetaking Program to the next electronic level in 2007-08, having notetakers scan and post their notes to the web, using resources already in place in student computing labs across campus. Our session will include a demonstration of our system and ample time for questions.

Loren Regier, BSP, BA, Program Coordinator, Saskatoon City Hospital

COUCH

The RxFiles Academic Detailing Program is all about getting the best possible drug information out to those making drug therapy decisions. To do this, an extensive review of evidence and drug information is conducted, making efforts to dig beneath some of the marketing hype. The RxFiles offers a variety of printed and online materials, including their unique "Drug Comparison Charts". These charts provide a very detailed synthesis of the advantages, disadvantages and pearls for selecting the best drug therapy for individual patients. The academic detailing aspect of the program attempts to make sure that what gets put on paper also gets discussed in person. Evidence suggests that to make improvements in how we use drugs, "it's all in the detail"!

Download this presentation

Kurt Penner, Department for Student Life and Development, Kwantlen University College

SASA

The SPARK Program aims to increase the participation rate for secondary students in Surrey, B.C. The program is a partnership between the university, the high school district and specific schools, the provincial government and the business community in Surrey via the SPARK Foundation. Within the university multiple departments collaborate to offer early access to selected grade 11 students and support them for four years (personal, logistical, and financial support). The program genesis and model will be described as well as outcome measures. To date, 95% of the participants have graduated from high school and 85% have gone on to post-secondary attendance. These measures indicate a level of success well beyond that predicted by students’ previous performance. The nature of specific challenges and collaborations will be discussed.

Ann Tierney, Associate Vice President, Student Academic Support Services, Carleton University
Jennifer Quin, Acting Director, Student Affairs, Carleton University

SASA

This session will examine the process that Carleton University has undergone in the implementation of academic and student support services that benefit our first year cohort. The presenters will review the concept of “engagement through engagement” and how they have forged partnerships between faculty and student affairs in integrating services that are essential to the success and retention of new students. This presentation will examine: (1) the development of enhanced recruitment efforts that relied on faculty driven initiatives and participation. Steps that one department took last year in order to increase their first year enrollment by 60% will be outlined. (2) the implementation of a First Year Experience Office to oversee transition support initiatives within the university, as well as to coordinate student engagement and leadership development programming for first year students.(3) the organization of “Academic Orientation Day” by student affairs staff that integrated faculty with thousands of first year students in a meaningful and engaging way. (4) the implementation of an “Ask Me” campaign during orientation week that involved training over 200 faculty, staff and student leaders. (5) the utilization of undergraduate students in training faculty on student development theory and the creation of a Faculty Guide to Student and Academic Support Services to serve as an additional resource in supporting students. Each of these first year initiatives will be outlined and details provided on how they were implemented.

Shawna M. Cunningham, Director, The Native Centre, University of Calgary
Ryan Franke, Program Coordinator, NAPI Ambassador Program, University of Calgary

NASSA

The presentation will focus on the evolution of the Native Ambassador Program Initiative over the past five years as driven by community feedback, youth engagement, population trends, and youth interests. Created in 2001 as a youth outreach project, NAPI was initially designed to provide information to Aboriginal youth about the University of Calgary. What began as a program focused on dissemination of information to Aboriginal youth about the importance of preparation and admission criteria for higher education has gradually evolved into a more in-depth project, responsive to ideas that engaged Aboriginal youth in a more meaningful way with long term positive impacts on self-development, self-confidence, pride, inspiration, and belief in the future. Today, NAPI includes many stakeholders including post-secondary institution and secondary school partnerships, external sponsoring agents, and capacity building youth-centred programming.

Dr. Terrell L. Strayhorn, Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

SASA

The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education recently commissioned the development of a book called Frameworks for Assessing Learning and Development Outcomes (FALDOs). In this session, the author, Dr. Terrell Strayhorn, will introduce audience members to the FALDOs and discuss how each framework was developed. He will describe several ways in which this new tool can be used to measure student learning and development, to assess student services and programs, and to redesign educational programs in ways that maximize their potential. Like the FALDOs book, this session is designed to demystify the assessment process and provide innovative, practical methods for assessment in higher education. By participating in this session, audience members should be able to: (a) describe the development and purpose of the FALDOs (b) delineate the overall structure and elements of each framework (c) discuss the importance of clearly defined objectives and measurable outcomes in student learning and (d) highlight 1 -2 examples of how student learning has been assessed.

Bob Crawford, School of Computing, Queen’s University
Roxy Denniston-Stewart, Associate Dean, Student Affairs, Queen’s University

SASA

In March, 2006, a random sample of first and fourth year Queen’s University students were invited to participate in a study of student leadership behaviours, using Kouzes and Posner’s (2002) Student Leadership Practices Inventory. This study was a pilot and allowed for a general understanding of student leadership practices at Queen’s. In August, 2006, all entering first-year Queen’s students were invited to complete the survey. In total, there currently are over 1700 students participating in the longitudinal study. The first-year students will be invited to complete the survey again in March, 2007 to better understand the impact of the first-year on their behaviours and again in fourth year to have an accurate longitudinal understanding of their behaviours during their time at Queen’s. The research team examined the impact of gender, faculty, year, age, hometown demographics and the residence experience.

The results of this study will be used to gain insight into the leadership development of students at Queen’s University. Results will also be used to plan intentional leadership development opportunities for students based on their needs and development. Furthermore, this study continues to add to normative research data to help Canadian institutions better understand the demographics of our students. During this session, members of the research team will share the methodology and results of this study.

Andrew Livingston, University of Saskatchewan

CADSPPE

The majority of universities in Canada have policies which attempt to address the needs of students with disabilities in order to ensure that students with disabilities have a successful educational experience. In 2004, an audit was conducted at the University of Saskatchewan to illustrate the accessibility level of the campus. The discouraging results of the audit demonstrated the need for an investigation into the programs and policies at the University. The need for universities to convert to the social model of disability rather than the outdated medical model of disability will be addressed. The research involves a case study of the University of Saskatchewan. Both consumers and providers of disability services were surveyed in order to understand their perceptions of program policy gaps. This analysis focuses on the survey responses of students. The survey administered included the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data. Statistical analysis serves to illustrate program successes, as well as areas needing improvement, with the hope of providing constructive suggestions to improve future services. Qualitative responses will be shared in order to provide accounts of students' experiences while pursuing their academic goals. With increasing numbers of students with more severe disabilities requesting their right to a fair and equal education at universities across Canada, institutions need to formulate inclusive policies, and commit to funding programs.

Download this presentation

Don Stewart, Student Counselling and Career Centre, University of Manitoba
Mike Mandrusiak, Student Counselling and Career Centre, University of Manitoba

CUCCA, COUCH

Recent surveys of Canadian university students have shown extraordinarily high rates of social phobia among undergraduates. Given the potentially debilitating effects of social phobia, along with its co-morbidity with other serious conditions such as depression and substance abuse, this near-epidemic should be of great concern to counsellors, health service providers, and other student services professionals. Is it possible that there is another explanation for these findings, however? In this session we will present the results of our own social phobia research program and offer an explanation that incorporates acknowledgment of the developmental and contextual factors that can lead to false positive clinical profiles on psychometric measures of social phobia. We also discuss the implications of this for social phobia treatment and programming on campus, and conclude with a discussion about ways to strike a balance between clinical and developmental perspectives when addressing student mental health issues.

Benito E. Benoza, Programme Officer (Development) Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Secretariat, Bangkok

Academic Advisors Special Interest Group

The presentation outlines, in cooperation between the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), its network of institutions and Canadian institutions in the area of human resource development. SEAMEO has had a long history of cooperation with various Canadian institutions particularly on fielding young Canadian professionals for short-term engagement at the SEAMEO centres and network.

This paper presents feedback and learning from the programme, success factors and suggestions for future engagements. The paper will also outline the emerging programme thrusts of SEAMEO and the needs and priorities of the member countries as articulated in SEAMEO’s programme framework and policy statements from the SEAMEO Council. A proposal for an upgraded programme to engage young Canadian professionals to gain professional experience in the region is also outlines.

C. Carney Strange, Ph.D., Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs, Bowling Green State University
S. Michael Evans, FAIA, Design Principal with Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company, Architects
Jane Cady Wright, AIA, Design Principal and CEO with Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company, Architects

SASA

This sessions will engage participants in an overview of (a) the principles and components that underlie the dynamics of campus environments; (b) how campus environments, through these dynamics, influence educational goals; and (c) how campus architectural designs can serve ends associated with powerful learning outcomes – the inclusion, security, engagement, and communal experience of students.

In recent years a wide-ranging literature has begun to inform this renaissance of campus design and innovation, with an eye toward student engagement and learning. This new body of understanding offers a conceptual palette that demands a clearer focus on the purposes of higher education and how campus design can facilitate relevant learning outcomes. Toward that goal this presentation will engage participants in an examination of this literature and its application to current institutions that embrace the best of these principles and practices. Through the lenses of educational theory and state-of-the-art architectural practice, participants will gain an overview of the critical questions campus administrators and planners need to ask as they approach the development of new facilities and the renovation of current structures. Potential solutions will be illustrated through focus on projects at various stages of completion, beginning with establishing initial design parameters and proceeding to landscapes, structural layouts, materials assembly and construction.

Donna C. Bretell, College of Arts & Science Undergraduate Office, University of Saskatchewan
John Ault, Student Employment and Career Centre, University of Saskatchewan
Ann Remy, College of Arts & Science Undergraduate Office, University of Saskatchewan
Jim Snyder, College of Arts & Science Undergraduate Office, University of Saskatchewan

SASA

The University of Saskatchewan is in the initial phase of a new project that provides the opportunity to develop a partnership between the College of Arts and Science Undergraduate Office and the Student Employment and Career Centre, in consultation with the Offices of Marketing and Student Recruitment, and University Advancement. The central thrust of this project is to address several key considerations students have in making academic major and career decisions by providing the electronic resources needed for students to engage in a self-directed search to explore their interests and discover their aptitudes.

Integral components of this project include discipline-related information on each major, focusing on the value of a liberal arts and science degree, and a survey of discipline-specific alumni to gather information on the professional/work experiences of alumni following graduation. Surveyed alumni will be invited to participate in the academic/career mentoring system. This virtual mentoring system will allow students the opportunity to explore an online data base of academic/alumni/career mentors who indicate a willingness to discuss academic and career-related inquiries. By bringing together a diverse team to work on this innovative partnership, students will be able to actively engage in the continued success of their academic and/or career development goals.

Download this presentation

Dr. Lilly Walker, Dean, Student Affairs and Services, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Denise Hooper, Senior Career Development Co-ordinator, Faculty of Arts, Student Affairs and Services, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Kim Kelly, Experiential Learning Co-ordinator, Student Affairs and Services, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Amanda Martin, Marketing Co-ordinator, Marketing and Communications, Student Affairs and Services, Memorial University of Newfoundland

SASA

As student service practitioners provide the institutional leadership which fosters involvement, community spirit, and student well being, their ability to successfully enrich students’ lives depends upon utilizing strategic and creative approaches to developing partnerships. This session will present an innovative four phased partnership building process (i.e. informing, inviting, integrating and involving) that Memorial student service professionals have developed and present examples of the results of the collaborative partnerships with faculty and administrative units. A panel will discuss several key outcomes that Memorial achieves through interdepartmental networking. Participants will be encouraged to apply the four partnership building processes within their own institutional environments: informing about events and services through promotion using a unique student services identity, inviting broad based participation in the ownership of student programs, integrating common aspirations through shared staff positions, and involving the university community in the development of student focused policies.

Jane Ngobia, Department of Student Affairs, University of Toronto, Mississauga

SASA

Internationalization of higher education has become a buzz word. However, there are several questions regarding the benefits of international students on domestic/local students and institutions in Canada and internationally. The presenter will pose several questions that will trigger a healthy discussion around the intervention programs that enhance positive impact of international students in Canadian colleges and universities. How can institutions and student life professionals best provide conditions for positive benefits of internationalization? Is the presence of international students alone sufficient to foster intercultural friendships? What is the nature of interaction and relationships between international and domestic students? What range of cross cultural teaching and learning methods have been employed in your institution? How effective have they been? What intervention programs exist in your campus/college and how do they foster interaction between local and domestic students?

Download this presentation

Gladys Loewen, Manager, Assistive Technology, British Columbia
Joan Wolforth, Office for Students with Disabilities, McGill University
Leo Bissonnettee, Office for Students with Disabilities, Concordia University

CADSPPE

Moving from the accommodation model to a universal design paradigm is a challenge as the transition takes time. Historically most Disability Service providers designed their services on the philosophical constructs of the medical model. This model reinforces a separate but equal system rather than full inclusion within community of learners.The Interactional (Social) Model of Disability provides a new way of approaching inclusion of persons with disabilities and puts the focus on the environment, not the individual. By adding the principles of universal design to the Interactional Model of Disability, the approach puts an emphasis on appropriate design of the educational environment so that it benefits a broad range of learners, including students with disabilities. The challenge is to implement what we have learned about UD, trying new strategies, and spreading enthusiasm to campus members so that they will begin to embrace this new way of thinking. This interactive session will offer participants the opportunity to gain knowledge from presenters who have been successful in infusing the social model of disability and the principles of UD in their work. We encourage those who have already successfully influenced faculty and administration to adopt a UD approach to be active participants in the discussion. For those who feel less certain about how to persuade the campus community to change the paradigm and embrace the idea of a more inclusive environment, the session might help you gain some ideas for creating universally designed environments that ultimately work better for everyone.

Kristina Osborne, 89 Chestnut Residence, University of Toronto
Josephine Mullally, 89 Chestnut Residence, University of Toronto

SASA

In an attempt to get students to challenge their beliefs and assumptions and to question things that were happening in the world, the presenters designed a program that asked students to really examine difference. The program was called Learn to UN-Learn. This session will share the inspiration for the Learn to UN-Learn project, the values and goals, the specific programming ideas, personal stories and successes and lessons learned.

Dr. Peter Spafford, MD FRCS, Head, Division of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Saskatchewan

COUCH

Dr. Peter Spafford, MD, Head of the Division of Otolaryngology from the University of Saskatchewan will do a case based presentation on the optimal management of seasonal allergic rhinitis and rhinosinusitis. Diagnostic criteria and treatment options will be discussed. Discussion will include the risks and long term effects of using corticosteroids. Learning objectives include:
1. Identify diagnostic criteria
2. Identify treatment options
3. Discuss risk factors and identify steps to reduce the risk of future infections

John Winterdyk, Integrative Health Institute, Faculty of Health and Community Studies, Mount Royal College

COUCH, CUCCA

Recent results from the National College Health Assessment Survey, reveal stress is a ubiquitous issue facing students in post-secondary education. NCHA results specific to Mount Royal College, indicated that stress is the most predominant health issue affecting students’ academic performance and is a major limiting factor in student academic success and quality of life. To a varying extent schools can act as a conduit to provide meaningful resources to assist students managing stress.

Based on an earlier study conducted at Harvard University, a Mount Royal research team extended the original study to examine the relative individual effect of four stress management modalities with college students. Approximately, one-hundred students were randomly assigned to one of five modalities with the fifth being a control group. Using self-assessment instruments and psychological scales, the research team examined the effect of a 6-week intervention program to determine which, if any, modality was more effective for assisting students in reducing their real/perceived level of stress/anxiety.

The presentation will present its preliminary findings and discuss the value of such studies for other educational settings. It is anticipated that the findings will provide a framework to further promote student success. This session will be of interest to professionals working in academic, student affairs or healthcare areas supporting student success, wellness, and retention. This study provides an example of how academic faculty, student affairs and healthcare professionals collaboratively contribute to the body of knowledge to move towards evidence based practice.

David Newman, Student Services Officer, Office of the Dean of Students, University of Alberta
Norma Rodenburg, Senior Manager, Student Services, University of Alberta Students’ Union

SASA

The University of Alberta and its Students’ Union are continually reinforcing strong “bridges” in service delivery for our students. Over the past year, we developed an awareness campaign that brought together student service providers from both the University and the Students’ Union to create a unified vision of student services at the University of Alberta. This session will discuss the development of this campaign, its current state, and future directions. We will also highlight the various ways in which the University and the Students’ Union are building bridges, working towards effective and meaningful services for students.

Heather Cummings, Office of the Student Experience, University of Calgary
Shannon Fahey, Retention Services, University of Saskatchewan

SASA

Considering our diverse educational training and work experiences, what is it that bridges professionals working in Student Affairs and Student Services? Student learning and student success!

This interactive session is aimed at those who are seeking professional resources to inform their practice to enhance student learning and student success. Those new to the profession or those looking for a new approach will be presented with great resources from foundational documents in student affairs from professional associations across North America. There will be lots of handouts for future reference, as well as an opportunity to network.

Download this presentation

Dr. Martha Rogers, Associate Dean, Students, Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies, York University
Carole Umana, Director of Student and Alumni Relations, Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies, York University

SASA

The literature is now replete with research pointing to the correlation between student engagement and student success. Efforts to improve or initiate programs that foster student engagement have frequently emphasized co-curricular or extra-curricular dimensions of university experience. The proverbial bureaucratic silos that bifurcate student affairs and academic affairs are challenging for those who desire to move toward a truly integrated vision of student engagement.

The purpose of this session is to describe the creation of a Student-Alumni Relations Unit within the second largest Faculty at York University. The Faculty provides educational programming to more than 10,000 students. Over the period of two years, a vision of integrated student engagement emerged and was conceptualized as having three main areas: co-curricular, extra-curricular and curricular. The conceptual framework guiding the program planning will be presented along with examples of programs in each area. Examples will include programs such as peer mentorship, student ambassadors, volunteering, curricular and co-curricular service learning, experiential learning, student success. Early qualitative evaluation of the programs will also be provided along with goals for future development.

Download reference handout

Judy Chew, Counselling Services, University of Calgary

CUCCA, COUCH

In post-secondary counselling training contexts, there is near silence on matters such as male gender socialization, the promotion of healthy masculinity, and attention to the particular psychological needs of men. Given this paucity, there is a growing need to identify and promote best practices with respect to counselling men. Mini lectures, interactive discussions, and vignettes will be used to optimize participants' learning. Promoting the psychological wellbeing of men is an endeavor that extends beyond the boundaries of client/counsellor relationships to diverse relationships within the campus context and to the wider community. As such, this presentation will have relevance for seasoned/new professionals, counsellors, counselling supervisors, health professionals, residence life co-ordinators, and individuals interested in enhancing partnerships and relationships personally and professionally.

Sharon Scott, Manager of IT & Communications, SESD, University of Saskatchewan
Monisha Shukla, Manager of Portal Services, University of Saskatchewan

SASA

When the University of Saskatchewan’s portal – PAWS (Personalized Access to Web Services) launched in 2003, it quickly matured from a tool used to “push out” communications from the institution to an environment where the University community and its many sub-communities would hold multi-way conversations. In this presentation, the Manager of the U of S Campus Portal and the Manager of IT and Communications for Student Affairs will share their collaborative approach on the three “C’s” of portal content: Communication, Collaboration and Community. Communication has been facilitated by a user-network approach to posting important announcements and a new Bulletins channel for “nice to know” announcements. Alongside these and other tool and practice enhancements, an ever-changing set of issues and resulting guidelines help to ensure that communications are targeted. Meanwhile, community has taken off via the portal through its more than 400 groups, with some coaxing and coaching but very little management. The PAWS team has tried to remain true to its collaborative, grass-roots beginnings by engaging cross-campus groups in content initiation, development and maintenance to ensure that what is in the portal speaks to the people who use it.

Timothy A. G. Osachuk, Student Counselling and Career Centre, University of Manitoba

CUCCA

Popular stereotypes often portray men as unwilling to ask for help, a view supported by the empirical literature where they are often reported as less likely than women to seek help for a variety of difficulties (Addis & Mahalik, 2003). The present session will be interactive, inviting participant’s views regarding: 1) literature suggesting how people might work with men/men’s issues, and 2) results of a survey of the type of programming specifically offered to men at college/university counselling centres. Goals of the session are to elucidate: 1) literature suggesting how people might work with men/men’s issues, and 2) the type of programming specifically offered to men at college/university counselling centres.

Laurie McLaren, Student Affairs, Nipissing University
Lorna Corzine, Student Affairs, Nipissing University

SASA

Nipissing University’s Biidaaban Community Service-Learning program endeavours to provide community service-learning opportunities to our students by developing partnerships with local community organizations and agencies. Strong partnerships allow us to work with the organizations to ensure the students get the best learning experience possible. In this session, we will share our experiences with building relationships with various organizations, highlighting our work with Aboriginal communities and families. We will also examine ways of nurturing and sustaining these relationships for the long term. You will learn concrete strategies to build and maintain partnerships with community organizations.

Angus Sanderson, Student Advisor, Aboriginal Students’ Centre, University of Saskatchewan
Lori Delorme, Resource Coordinator, Aboriginal Students’ Centre, University of Saskatchewan

NASSA

This presentation examines how the Aboriginal Achievement Program at the University of Saskatchewan enhances the services to first year Aboriginal students in order to provide academic, emotional, physical and spiritual support. The Achievement Program encompasses three first year academic programs: the Aboriginal First Year Experience Program (AFYEP), Math & Science Experience Program (MSEP), and the Summer University Transition (SUT). It seeks to help students learn and practice habits for academic success and provide opportunities for students to explore and set goals. Class sizes are limited to 30 students to help foster a sense of belonging among the participants and the instructional approach emphasizes increased engagement and interaction with and support from faculty through tutorials, assessment and preparatory sessions. Built into the program is an academic support system including tutoring, academic success workshops, and life skills. Elders’ are available to provide traditional counseling throughout the term.

Presentation handout

Jane Corcoran, Student Advisor, Disability Services for Students, University of Saskatchewan
Laurie Garcea, Registered Psychologist, Learning Disability Association of Saskatchewan
Renuka Prasad, Psychiatrist

CADSPPE

Debate about ADHD continues to rage. What exactly is ADHD? Is it a disability, an impairment, or just plain bad behaviour? If it is a disability, is it medically or psychologically based? Or is it not a disability at all, but a social construct? And, regardless of how we define it, how do we manage students who are unwilling to take responsibility for the havoc ADHD can wreak on their lives and ours? Who is best qualified to assess ADHD? Why do we accept the documentation that we do? Many doctors and service providers believe that perhaps it is too easy and manipulative students will do the research and fake their responses, in order to obtain medications and/or to access services that would otherwise be denied to them. Is this a reality? Or is this belief a reaction stimulated by a medical model approach to services – as opposed to a social model? What do the documented case studies say? How do we as disability service providers support students who are clearly impacted by ADHD but who refuse to manage it with any of the many available tools and who create havoc with faculty and with student service units? How do we set limits in the light of human rights limitations? Our panel will address these and other issues and would welcome your input into the debate that is sure to rage.

Heather FitzGerald, University of Waterloo

SASA

Moving into a supervisory role has unique opportunities and challenges. If you are looking for new ideas, strategies and insight on how to manage your new responsibilities, while guiding and inspiring your staff this session is for you. We’ll brainstorm a list of situations that you either have or may encounter and spend time sharing new approaches you can try as a supervisor.

Download this presentation

Owen Moran, MSc, RN, Health Educator, Concordia University Health Services

COUCH

Quitting smoking is by far the most important thing a smoker can do to improve their health. Health professionals cite lack of knowledge about effective smoking cessation strategies and lack of confidence as two barriers to helping their clients quit using tobacco. To help practitioners overcome these barriers, the health education team at Concordia University Health Services has developed an easy to use smoking cessation algorithm with over 25 accompanying activities that can guide smoking cessation interventions. The algorithm and activities were developed using the "Stages of Change" Model, the "Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist and Arrange" Model and Motivational Interviewing techniques. This session will present the algorithm and the activities, each of which includes a “Brief Intervention” section for the time-constrained practitioner. Those who are interested will be provided with all the materials they need to implement this approach on their campus.

Presentation resources

Brenda Whiteside, Associate V.P. Student Affairs, University of Guelph
Lynda Davenport, Director Student Health Services, University of Guelph
Heather Lane Vetre, Director, Student Housing Services, University of Guelph

SASA, COUCH

On January 17, 2006 Public Health and Student Health Services noticed a cluster of ill students. This was the beginning of a Norwalk like outbreak at the University of Guelph which lasted 29 days. The peak period lasted a week and was confined primarily to one residence. In total Public Health identified 260 cases and an additional 80 suspected cases.

The response to this outbreak involved many units on campus: Student Health, Student Housing, Housekeeping, Communications, Occupational Health, Campus Police, the Associate V.P.’s Academic and Student Affairs. In addition, Public Health and the External Media were important partners.

During the critical week of illness a number of issues had to be discussed: (a) should the Residence be closed? (b) should first year classes be cancelled? (c) who should take care of the sick students? (d) what cleaning procedures were necessary? This session will review these and many issues with participants. Participants will be asked to engage in a broad discussion of containment within a university setting. For instance, segregation of those who are ill from those who are not is the first step to containment. However, a university is all about gatherings – classes, the cafeteria. During the outbreak we had employment interviews, mid-terms, guest lecturers, and athletic events. Items identified in the debrief will be shared. Participants will be encouraged to use this information to engage more broadly in the lessons learned fro Pandemic Planning.

Download this presentation

Susan Easton, Learning Assistance, Student Affairs, Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, Wascana Campus

SASA

Supplemental instruction in the form of PASS (Peer Assisted Study Sessions) can play a vital role in a student’s success. Not only are we helping to build bridges between what students know and what they don’t know, we are building relationships between students, their peer leaders, their instructors, and Learning Assistance. We want the students to be as successful as possible, and one way to achieve that is to access all the resources that are available to them. PASS has been well received by the students, the peer leaders, and the instructors of those specific courses. PASS allows students to learn in a safe, comfortable and nonjudgmental environment.

This presentation will outline what PASS is, where training is available, which course subjects we target, which students we encourage to attend, who we hire to run the study sessions, and how cost effective it is to run the program. We will also discuss the success of PASS at SIAST Wascana Campus, how the supervisory role affects our other duties, what we’ve learned from our previous sessions, and what changes, if any, we will make in the future.

Download this presentation

Download Quick Guide

Kim Orynik, Program Head and Coordinator of RPL Department, Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology
Cristal Gobeil, PLAR Facilitator, Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, Kelsey Campus

SASA

Experienced learners often face barriers that prevent them from achieving their education and career goals. Today many adults are entering or returning to post-secondary education for career advancement purposes or to meet workforce changes that demand recognized portable credentials. Due to family, social, and financial commitments students with experiential learning do not have the time or resources to engage in redundant learning. These students need improved access to certification programs, recognized, portable credit for a mobile labour market, flexible training plans, recognition of experiential learning and non-formal training, reduced training time, and more efficient use of available training dollars.

SIAST recognizes that adult learners bring with them life and work experiences through which they have gained skills and knowledge. PLAR responds to these student’s needs by providing a channel for overcoming some of the traditional process or institutional barriers. The Prior Learning and Assessment Recognition process at SIAST helps students identify previous learning. This learning is then compared to SIAST course outcomes. If their non-formal learning matches identified SIAST course outcomes, they can earn credit for that course. This session defines PLAR and outlines ways assessment and recognition of prior learning can help overcome a number of barriers facing post-secondary students today.

Kevin Friese, Administrator, University Health Centre, University of Alberta
Dr. Gordon McInroy, Director, University Health Centre, University of Alberta

COUCH

We hear about it in the media and we talk about it with our colleagues. Pandemic influenza is a reality facing Canada and the globe and it is likely that this event will occur sooner rather than later. The University of Alberta has tasked its departments with the development of an integrated pandemic/emergency preparedness plan. Its goal is to maintain the continuity of its services and businesses during an emergency outbreak and to address the big question – What will we do with our students and staff? This presentation will cover the University of Alberta Health Centre's journey towards developing its own pandemic/emergency preparedness plan. It will explore some of the pitfalls that the Health Centre faced and highlight some of the surprises that have made the Centre a better organization. This session will involve both a comprehensive review of the steps that were followed in developing an emergency preparedness initiative as well as the opportunity to roundtable with colleagues regarding their own experiences with pandemic and emergency planning.

Alana McClelland, Office of Residence Life, Bowling Green State University
Dr. Carney Strange, Higher Education and Student Affairs, Bowling Green State University

SASA

Residence education begins with student involvement and participation in their living environment. The Office of Residence Life at Bowling Green State University recently developed a new initiative designed to improve the physical spaces within the halls by inviting residents to create unique, original artwork for lounges and other public spaces. The goal of the Collaborative Art Project is to bring residents together to achieve a common purpose, creating a group art piece to adorn their living space. Providing the opportunity for residents to interact in a group setting to work towards a common, tangible goal, creates a catalyst for developing community within the residence halls.

The Collaborative Art Project paint sessions provide diverse groups of students the opportunity to share innovation and creativity while fostering communication and positive relationships between residents. The theme of the paint sessions is tied to the university-wide academic common reading experience. Participants in paint sessions are asked to reflect on their critical examination of the common literary experience together and to collaboratively develop a visual representation of their impressions of the book. Once completed, the artwork is displayed in the residence hall as a reminder to residents of their commitment to critical thinking, creativity, and shared experiences.

The goal of this presentation is to provide participants with an overview of the Collaborative Art Project and the tools necessary to recreate the program on other campuses. We believe it is a valuable and innovative new idea to share with other colleagues involved in residence education.

Deanne Fisher, University of Toronto

SASA

In 2006, more than 30 Canadian universities participated in the National Survey of Student Engagement – many for the first time. A loud thump could be heard across the country as reams of numbers landed like bricks on the desks of student affairs officers and institutional planners. “What does this tell us about our institution?” the board of governors asked. “This isn’t true!” some protested. “It’s too American,” the skeptics said. “We want the data!” the student union demanded. “What do we do with this?” the president wanted to know. This session is the story of one institution’s attempts to make meaning out of its NSSE results. We will share with you our approach at the University of Toronto to: analyzing the results, sorting out what’s meaningful from what’s not, sharing the data, disaggregating the results, and conducting follow-up research, both quantitative and qualitative, to find out more about student engagement. We will look at the specific NSSE items most relevant to student affairs professionals as well as the limitations of the data and discuss how to integrate NSSE data into strategic planning.

Jennifer Quin, Acting Director, Student Affairs, Carleton University
Shannon Butters, Acting Manager, First Year Experience Office, Carleton University

SASA

Carleton University introduced a new, comprehensive Summer Orientation program to serve both incoming students and their family members in June 2006. Information gathered from prior Orientation evaluations and institutional NSSE data was utilized in developing this new program model. This presentation will outline the changes that were made to the Summer Orientation program to enhance our incoming students’ connection to the University during the months preceding their first semester of study. Our approach utilized information gathered through registration data to tailor sessions to unique student populations on an ongoing basis, including faculty-specific sessions, mature and transfer student sessions and first generation student sessions. Our presentation will include information about how quantitative, formative assessment techniques have been used to develop our Summer Orientation program.

Download this presentation

Peter Walsh, Centre for Student Development, McMaster University
Richard “Zack” Zajchowski, Learning Skills Counsellor, Camosun College

CUCCA

Advisors, counsellors, and tutors commonly give tips to students in an effort to enhance their academic success. Challenging the notion that merely presenting “tips” is sufficient to impact a student’s success, this presentation will look at the motivational side of the recommendations that we too often make without fully understanding how difficult change can be. Based on a Stages of Change model and motivational interviewing strategies, this presentation will explore how to motivate students to actually follow through with your suggestions. Although focused on learning skills professionals, this presentation will appeal to personal counsellors, academic advisors, career counselors, housing staff, and anyone trying to help students change their study habits.

Professor Rob Shea, Faculty of Education, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Professor Peggy Patterson, Faculty of Education, University of Calgary

SASA

We continually hear about the divide between faculty and student services on our college and university campuses. To build effective relationships, it is important to first understand each other. The concepts of focus, motivation, and understanding provide critical elements for effective relationships – not only in working with students, but also with other colleagues in our institutions, as well.

Walk with two student services administrators as they describe and discuss their moves to the “dark side” of academia and engage in the duties of teaching, research and community service as full time professors. Not only will this session give you more insight into the role of a faculty member at your institution, but it will also give you some ideas as to how student affairs is perceived by faculty … and how we could work together more effectively. And this is also a session where you can get some candid opinions on both partnerships and career development yourself!

Frank Cappadocia, Director, Centre for Student Community & Leadership Development, York University
Blaine Jensen, Vice President Educational Services, Douglas College, New Westminster, B.C.

SASA

As student unions continue to grow, so do the levies they draw from their members and the creation of significant enterprises on campus. These organizations are largely controlled by a handful of young individuals many with little or no financial, business or operational experience.

The development of student societies has gone from a leadership development model to that of big business. In most universities and many colleges student societies’ annual budgets are in excess of $1M and staff will exceed some medium sized businesses. The complexity of business operations are often challenging to those with graduate degrees let alone a second or third year undergraduate student. Yet legislation and other factors have created a situation where “autonomy” has become “unaccountability”. Whether through temptation, personal benefit, naiveté, or sheer negligence, some individuals, and indeed entire councils, have used their funds and positions for purposes beyond the benefit of their membership.

Through the exploration of two actual case studies – one from York University’s Glendon College and the other from Douglas College in B.C. – this session will provide Student Affairs practitioners with an advanced review of what can happen to a student organization when self-interest and benefit override the By-laws, the needs of members and, longer-term the validity of student unions themselves. Session participants will be invited to share their experiences and recommendations through an interactive dialogue following the presentation of the case studies.

Download this presentation

Gail Forsyth, Learning Services, Wilfrid Laurier University
David McMurray, Student Services, Wilfrid Laurier University

SASA

Wilfrid Laurier University has successfully bridged the traditional divide between academic support programs and student services. Through a consultative process, several academic support services that reported through various academic and non-academic structures were brought together to create a new department called Learning Services. Learning Services consists of a portfolio that includes central academic advising, student learning outcomes research and assessment, integrated learning, writing centre, mathematics assistance centre, study skills, supplemental instruction and the accessible learning centre. This new department enjoys the unique structure of reporting to the Dean of Students with an accountability line to the Vice President Academic. We will talk about our experiences with students, faculty and administrators to achieve this model, the benefits of this model, its structure and services, and our future aspirations.

Lynda Younghusband, Assistant Professor, The Counselling Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland

SASA

Memorial University is home to 17,000 full and part-time students. One thousand of those are international students from 81 countries, speaking 63 languages. The Counselling Centre is endeavoring to determine how we might better meet the needs of international students and increase their comfort level to approach us for assistance. In the process many similarities to the needs of our Newfoundland population have become obvious and we are recognizing opportunities to involve all students new to campus in some similar activities.

The first Culture Shock group was initiated in January 2007 and has been attended by local students, international students and students from out of province. Our goal initially was to build a bridge from the Counselling Centre to the International Students Association. While this is under construction, using group therapy we are experiencing the simultaneous construction of smaller, connecting bridges. In addition to the larger bridge, several of those smaller bridges will be discussed in detail at this session.

Download this presentation

Jason Laker, AVP & Dean of Student Affairs, Queen’s University
Roxy Denniston-Stewart, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Queen’s University
Shelley Aylesworth-Spink, Director of Communications and Planning, Student Affairs, Queen’s University
Marija Linjacki, Community Outreach Coordinator, Queen’s University
Bob Burge, Director, John Deutsch University Centre, Queen’s University

SASA

This session invites attendees into the story of a Student Affairs Division’s efforts to build a dynamic shared vision, mission, and plan for student and institutional success. The Student Affairs Divisions at Queen’s University is comprised of fourteen strong departments with 170 dedicated and talented people. Yet, as a fairly young organization, the departments continue to work toward interconnection within shared sense of purpose.

In Fall, 2006 the Division embarked on an unconventional process for its own Strategic Plan. We began with the philosophy that a plan is only a piece of paper unless people see their voices in it, and so we started the process by collectively asking questions – 150 in all, about whether and how the University’s plan relates to the work of individuals in the Division. These questions revealed our underlying values which overwhelmingly asserted a value for people. This speaks to a second philosophy that the people in Student Affairs will take risks for, and make commitments to students only when they feel safe and invited to do so. Therefore, the plan’s effectiveness rests in the extent to which each person in the Division, whether housekeeper, coordinator, advisor, or director, has an invitation and a voice to contribute. How do we do this in the context of a university, with its inherent hierarchies, politics, demands and complexities?

This session is for people who are asking big questions, or who are interested in doing so, to find meaning, purpose and direction for their work with students and each other. It is also for people who want concrete ideas about connecting the big picture to daily work.

Carney Strange, Ph.D., Department of Higher Education and Student Affairs, Bowling Green State University

SASA

The post-secondary years are a time in students’ lives when questions about meaning and purpose achieve paramount status. Who am I? To whom do I belong? and Where am I going? are all concerns of personal identity that frame students’ journeys as they learn, develop, and grow during the college and university experience. Such questions are also spiritual in nature, as they intersect in the most comprehensive way with a sense of personal worthiness, commitment of faithful relationships, and pursuit of ultimate ends. This presentation proposes to examine the nature of spiritual questions in students’ lives, how they might be integrated into the post-secondary experience, and how student services personnel can respond to them in effective and developmental ways.

Trevor Huenison, Information Technology & Communications, Student Enrolment and Services Division, University of Saskatchewan
Julian Demkiw, Student Financial Assistance & Awards, Student Enrolment and Services Division, University of Saskatchewan

SASA

Working with technical people CAN be a fun experience when common pitfalls are avoided. A “techie” and a “non-techie” will take a humorous look at issues that arise and ways to avoid them or alleviate them. This presentation will also explore how collaboration between these two groups can help bring better services to students.

Techie –Learn how involving technical staff early can advance a project to earlier completion as a technical person that is part of the project team will be able to shape the solution so that it fits with business processes and is easy to implement and maintain.

Non-techie – Heh, these guys have some good ideas. Maybe they can help us out.

Building a positive relationship with your technical staff is possible and this presentation will help you find out how. It will be a good opportunity to see what makes a techie tick.

Jim Lees, Coordinator of Counselling, Confederation College
Thomas Russell, Recreation and Leisure Services Diploma, Confederation College
Alicia Scott, Student Law and Security Program, Confederation

CUCCA

The Respect Campaign, created and delivered during the 2006-07 academic year at Confederation College in Thunder Bay, is a grassroots initiative designed to bring the issues of respectful behaviour and civility to the fore. With more than 10,000 full and part time students of diverse ages, races and cultures attending Confederation College every year, the Respect Campaign is a pioneering response to combat all forms of disrespectful behaviour within our community such as swearing, racism and bullying. In addition to providing participants with a handout package containing samples (buttons, lanyards, posters) the workshop session will summarize and analyze the progress of the campaign during it’s first year, and overview our plans for the upcoming academic year. (Published in the Leadership Journal for Post Secondary Leaders, Volume 13.2, Fall, pp. 8-11).

Judy Chew, Counselling Services, University of Calgary

CUCCA, COUCH

Depression has been identified as a major health concern for university students. While it is a well known fact that twice as many women as men suffer from depression, one of the emerging concerns of counsellors, health professionals, and residence life staff is that there has been a lag on why this is and how to relate treatment to gender. More females seek counselling and research findings point to the gendered nature of depression. For both seasoned and new professionals as well as graduate trainees in counselling, there are gaps in translating feminist theory to clinical practice with women who experience depression. Mini lectures, discussion, and vignettes will be utilized. The workshop will provide an overview of feminist therapy tenets and the frameworks for understanding women’s depression. Feminist approaches to diagnostic conceptualization and suicide intervention will also be discussed.

Download this presentation

Joan Wolforth, Director, Office for Students with Disabilities, McGill University

CADSPPE, COUCH

Each year Canadian postsecondary service providers receive learning disability and attention deficit disorder assessments from students entering our institutions. But our institutions also expect us to be gatekeepers who exclude those who would claim disability as a means of gaining advantage. Without an understanding of assessment documents and how clinical conclusions should be linked to empirical findings, we are often left defenceless when our decisions are challenged in an increasingly litigious environment. We are increasingly concerned about the apparent willingness of psychologists and some students to misuse testing in order to produce an advantageous result for the student.
This session will report on the findings of a pan-Canadian survey of postsecondary service providers, funded by CADSPPE through a project grant, which sort to determine the level of expertise across the country, to investigate the variation in legal requirements and practices between provinces, and to assess how confident we feel about the decisions we must make. Ultimately this work will be compiled into a tool (materials on the CADSPPE web site, package of materials on CD, regional workshops, expert panel of advisors etc) which we hope service providers will find useful as a professional development or verification device. A final report on this project will be presented at CACUSS 2008.

Download this presentation

Dr. Patricia Mirwaldt, Student Health Services, University of British Columbia
Dr. Sara Taman, Student Health Services, University of Toronto
Kandi McElary, EnCana Wellness Centre, Mount Royal College

COUCH

Three Canadian post-secondary institutions (University of British Columbia, University of Toronto and Mount Royal College) separately participated in the spring 2006 National College Health Assessment (NCHA). The data from the assessments has been insightful for further understanding of students’ health habits, behaviours and perceptions for these institutions. The data also identifies health issues impacting their students’ academic performance. This winter, the three institutions partnered to combine their data sets which created the first version of a Canadian reference group utilizing the NCHA instrument. The presenters will outline the reasons for the choice of the NCHA as an instrument, related costs, and process.

Having a combined Canadian reference data set creates opportunities to identify differences and commonalities between Canadian and North American students. In addition, differences and commonalties between individual institutions and the Canadian reference group can be identified. The presenters will share information from the Canadian reference group data on students’ health habits, behaviours, and perceptions on the most prevalent health topics including sexual, mental, physical, and substance use. You will also learn which health issues impact Canadian students’ academic performance.

Relevant and specific student data is a vital prerequisite to advocate for a shared institutional vision that student wellbeing be a concern for all campus community members. Learn how the NCHA has been used to build bridges and create campus and community partnerships. The experience at Mount Royal College will be highlighted. Time will be allotted to group discussion

Download this presentation

Heather Cummings, Office of the Student Experience, University of Calgary

SASA

When deciding on which university or college to attend, students will often make their decision based on their perception of how well they will fit into that campus community. Subsequently, almost all campuses market themselves as the kind of welcoming community that they feel will appeal to the largest number of students. All of these efforts are, of course, intended to make the prospective student feel that this institution provides the best community that will support the aspirations of the student. Community is about meaningful interactions between students, faculty and staff in the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge. Simply put, it means that students feel a part of their university or college community and that it supports them in the pursuit of their educational and career goals.

To explore this concept further, many universities in Canada have participated in national surveys and ranking processes that have shed some light on the nature of community at their institutions. While revealing, the information gleaned from these surveys and rankings has been incomplete. For that reason, in January 2007, the University of Calgary conducted a study that looked at the sense of community amongst its students. As a large, urban and commuter campus, crating a sense of community is especially challenging but imperative for student success. Using a 62 item survey, all students, including undergraduate and graduate students, were invited to participate in the study. The results of this study will be presented including comparisons of gender, faculty, year of study, residence v. off campus and GPA. Implications and recommendations will also be provided. It is hoped that other campuses will be interested in conducting this study on their campuses for some national comparisons in 2008.

Download this presentation

Nona Robinson, University College, University of Toronto
Melissa Calder, University of Toronto, Scarborough

SASA

Student affairs deals with a wide array of important equity-related issues, both institutionally, and with students. Quite often, however, women’s equity is no longer at the forefront. With record female undergraduate enrolments, it could be easy to assume that this is not as crucial an issue as it once was, and existing programs related to women often focus on safety or health. However, there is a wide range of examples of ways women are still marginalized, both within post-secondary institutions, and in society. Examples related to student affairs include gender inequality in administration, lack of structural support for non-traditional age female students, women’s access to professional programs, lack of female representation in student politics, women’s issues being subsumed into other equity issues, tension between women’s equity and multiculturalism, and challenges related to the representation of women in popular culture. More subtly, people who challenge sexism may encounter a dismissive or even hostile response.

This session is intended to be workshop-focussed, with an emphasis on mutual support and network-building. Participants will together identify challenges or inequities they have dealt with both in our professional lives, and among students. We will celebrate the progress which has been made, and identify examples and solutions around what still needs to be done. The presenters will include a brief outline of the women’s movement in higher education, and a handout of resources and further readings. We want to rekindle a buzz around women’s issues as they affect students and student affairs. And we hope to have fun!

Download this presentation

Download bibliography

Ken MacLeod, Counsellor, Student Counselling Services, University of Saskatchewan

CUCCA

The recent heightened awareness in public consciousness of the often direct connection between human activity and environmental issues can serve to remind us of the “absent but implicit”, as Michael White might say. We are interconnected with the earth. We are not separate and never have been, a fact probably banal to most Aboriginal Student Services. It is a fact absent in most western thinking yet implicit in our very survival as a planet. What implications does this have to student counselling and other student services? Would a deepened awareness of it contribute to “student success”? Is there a connection between students’ experiences of problems in their lives and the disconnect that exists within modern society to nature? How does it challenge dominant concepts of the self and identity? What could it look like in practice if we were able to integrate some of the ideas and principles of sustainability, deep ecology, ecopsychology, and narrative therapy in our work with students? What difference would it make to students and counsellors to bring such questions and conversations into the therapy room or bring the therapy out into nature? This presentation, through a participatory workshop format, will explore some of these questions and possibilities. Through examples of what the writer calls, “econarrative practices”, ways of integrating therapy and social/environmental justice work will be examined. Hopefully this presentation can begin a larger conversation within the community about the importance of such ideas and the role of counselling for a sustainable future.

Download this presentation

Melinda Scott, Office of Student Affairs, University of Toronto
Dale Mullings, Department of Student Housing & Residence Life, University of Toronto, Mississauga

SASA

In recent years there has been an increasing emphasis on assessment practices in higher education – particularly those related to the development and measurement of learning outcomes. A wide range of assessment tools exist, including those designed to determine levels of student engagement, provide benchmarking data, evaluate programs and conduct needs assessments. There is an expectation that student affairs professionals have the ability to gather and analyze information related to student needs – although many may believe that they do not possess these skill sets.

While there is often a focus on gathering quantitative data, qualitative methods of inquiry – which value context sensitivity and understanding the full complexity of issues – can offer opportunities to gain a greater depth of knowledge about a particular issue. One such method is the use of focus groups.

The purpose of this presentation is to highlight focus groups as a legitimate method of inquiry and assessment that can complement and expand our understanding of student needs and experiences – and which offer opportunities to utilize skills already possessed by many student life staff, such as group facilitation and programming. Through a discussion of best practices, participants in this session will leave with the tools necessary to develop their own focus groups, from planning and facilitation through to the interpretation and reporting of results.

Download this presentation

Suzanne Zorbas, Learning Strategist Special Needs, Laurentian University

CADSPPE

This presentation will center on a program created to help secondary students learn about the services and accommodations available in post secondary institutions for special needs students. It will discuss the early development of this program; funding and its ongoing success. It will cover strategies that can be used in high school to help prepare students for their future studies, with emphasis on specialized software.

Download this presentation

Gladys Loewen, Manager, Assistive Technology, British Columbia
Yolaine Ruel, Manager Access Services – Service d’Acces, University of Ottawa
Melanie Thornton, Project PACE, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

CADSPPE

In this session, participants will continue the discussion generated in CADSPPE’s preconference session on reframing disability through strategic planning with the goal creating accessible, equitable, and inclusive learning environments. Presenters will summarize key points generated from the discussion and use that as a starting point to initiate further dialogue to identify current, philosophical underpinning as well as future goals and directions for the association. The aim is to advance our profession in an intentional manner.

Download this presentation

Brooke White, Director, Student Development & Support, University of Windsor
Beth Oakley, Director, Educational Development Centre, University of Windsor

SASA

Helicopter parents, hovercrafts, boomer bastions of control – however you phrase it, the reality remains the same. Parents of university or college students are involved and plan to stay that way. Millennial students and their parents share closer ties than any other generation of university and college students. This has created a conundrum of sorts for student support staff across our campuses, who through the previous two decades had perfected the art of teaching parents to let go and allow us to treat the students as the adults we wanted them to be. As evidence continued to mount that this was not to be the case, the University of Windsor developed a model that supports the transition of today’s students and their parents. Parents are now encouraged to be partners with the University in supporting the development of problem solving skills in the students that will lead to better decision making and development of mature independence and confidence.

This session will share the various components of our model and encourage discussion among participants about how it might be customized to their individual campuses. Participants should come equipped with their best stories and their own best practices to share.

Charmene Adams, Health Education Coordinator, Mount Royal College
Michael Morrissey, Communications, Mount Royal College

COUCH

The EnCana Wellness Centre at Mount Royal College is composed of counsellors, a human rights advisor, health services, a tobacco reduction coordinator, a health education coordinator, a communications specialist and a variety of therapists. The Wellness Centre embraces innovative solutions to address the personal wellness of its community. This presentation will be a brief synopsis of the services offered by the wellness centre, followed by a more detailed summary of its branding and community building initiatives.

Download this presentation

Jennifer Browne, Centre for Career Development and Experiential Learning, Memorial University of Newfoundland

CUCCA

Students who attend distant universities, including students from rural areas, typically face more challenges in making the transition to the "culture of university." This paper reports on a pilot project linking grade 12 students and their career counsellors to facilitators from 3 university service departments over a 3-week period through videoconferencing technology. Grade 12 students in two isolated communities were assigned preconference tasks by their local school counsellors in preparation for the three interactive sessions on career planning, course/major selection and orientation to the campus. Having completed career assessments, course planning tasks, and an on-line treasure-hunt, students came to the sessions for answers to their questions and for an overview of key related student services. Participants' knowledge of the services they were introduced to increased significantly as a result of the program and staff reported that the collaborative efforts, while logistically challenging due to scheduling difficulties, were professionally rewarding. The impact of the program on student success at university will be determined through follow-up evaluation.

Susan Corner, Student Affairs, University of Victoria

SASA

I am interested in how partnerships offer opportunities to change the focus from “my vision” to “our vision”. Noel Gough (2003) writes about frames and standpoints. This idea of moving the frame excites me! It makes me question my assumptions about the frame that I have created in my work and how it may limit my vision. How do I pan and edit and what do I include in my frame? What happens when I look to the side of the frame and focus on what is there, rather than what is at the front and in the centre? How can partnerships support this changing of focus?

To explore this question I will describe the process of building bridges between Student Affairs, the Faculty of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Students’ Society. UVic Connections for Graduate Students is the culmination of this partnership. Initial meetings in December 2002 led to the first graduate student orientation in September 2003. Since that time we have formed new partnerships to create a Faculties Welcome Reception which was added to the program in 2005.

Download this presentation

Nicholas Borodenko, Senior Research Associate, PRA Inc, Winnipeg
Dan Pletzer, Manager of Counselling and Disability Services, Nipissing University
Lynn M. Smith, Executive Director, Student Services, University of Manitoba

SASA

Knowing about our students is the foundation to doing effective planning, developing new programs and building institutional partnerships, both internally and externally. Since 1994, the Canadian Undergraduate Survey Consortium (CUSC) has surveyed specific groups of undergraduate students –using the Survey of First Year Students; the Survey of Graduating Students and the Comprehensive Survey of all students over a 3-year cycle. These surveys examine how students make choices about attending university, how they finance their university education, how their university experience contributes to their growth and development, their perceptions of employment prospects and very importantly – students’ use of, and satisfaction with, university facilities, services, and faculty. Institutions can compare their specific results with all other participating universities or similar sized subgroups of universities. This presentation will discuss the survey methodology, provide some examples of recent survey findings, and explore how participating universities are using the data to improve or change services and build effective institutional linkages to meet the needs of Canadian undergraduate students.

Charlotte Ross, Undergraduate Office, College of Arts & Science, University of Saskatchewan
Kathleen Makela, Aboriginal Students Centre, Student Enrolment Services Division, University of Saskatchewan

NASSA

This session is intended to share conditions that create success among Aboriginal learners and the promising practices that nourish the learning spirit from among the notable programs at the University of Saskatchewan. A panel of educators, scholars, and students will provide perspectives, indicators of success, conditions for success in Aboriginal learning, and success stories to demonstrate the best of programming, practices, and perspectives that nourish the learning spirit at the University.

Download this presentation

Susan Bens, Student and Enrolment Services Division, University of Saskatchewan
Carisa Polischuk, Integrated Planning Office, University of Saskatchewan

SASA

The University of Saskatchewan conducted a comprehensive study in 2005 and 2006 of undergraduate student retention and graduation rates. The study consisted of both quantitative and qualitative data. A longitudinal analysis was completed of the registration and degree completion patterns of 10 years of student cohorts, representing an estimated 30,000 individuals. A phone survey of over 300+ voluntary leavers collected data on these students’ use of services, views on the learning environment, levels of satisfaction, and key factors affecting their decision to stop attending the University. Focus groups on the teaching and learning environment provided retention-related findings as did in-depth interviews with a small group of students who had returned to their studies after a year away due to academic failure. This presentation provides an overview of the findings of the study and a copy of the final institutional level report will be provided along with a description of how these findings are guiding planning at the University of Saskatchewan.

Valeria Cortes, Leadership Development Program, University of Toronto
Frank Cappadocia, Centre for Student Community & Leadership Development, York University
Ross McMillan, Office of the Vice-President Students, York University

SASA

Online platforms allow Student Life Professionals to unleash innovation and create new opportunities to support student engagement. In this session, we will explore online initiatives launched by both York University and the University of Toronto, providing participants with insights on how online resources can support student leadership development and community building.

In consultation with students, York University created “Get Involved”, an online application that allows students to view and apply for several dozen programs, committees or councils online. The Get Involved website also provides student clubs, organizations and university departments with an excellent way of reaching out to student participants who have already indicated their willingness to “get involved” on campus.

In parallel, the University of Toronto, launched a student portal that allows the creation of online communities. The platform provides tools that enhance the collaboration of student groups, committees and communities of practice.

In our rapidly changing technological landscape, we are faced with an excellent opportunity to use current developments for the improvement of the student experience. The projects we describe are two initiatives to grasp this opportunity for the benefit of our students.

Sylvia Cholodnuik, Consumer Services, University of Saskatchewan
Catherine Hui

SASA

Student learning transcends boundaries of lecture halls or laboratories. We believe that university student residences are physical parts of learning spaces. In 2000 we initiated an academic program called Faculty-in-Residence (FIR) for 600 students living in Voyageur Place residences at the University of Saskatchewan. The mandate of the FIR program was to provide academic support to the students and to re-orient the environment in the residences. The program now funded through the Academic Priorities Fund has far outgrown its initial mandate and includes many learning activities. The program is currently run by the founding FIR who is a tenured university professor and four graduate students. The program includes academic mentoring in English, mathematics, chemistry, physics and biology, advice on resolving academic conflicts, workshops on handling examinations and on writing, a lecture series, a movie series, summer research placement and academic counselling. There are many instances where academic advising helped retain students who were ready to quit. It is our experience that the environment in residences has become more academic-friendly and there is a sense of intellectual vigor.

Aaron Doupe, Manager, Student Affairs, Glendon College, York Univesity
Susan Miller, Dispute Resolution Advisor, York Univesity

Student Judicial Affairs Special Interest Group

In April of 2005, York’s Office of Student Conduct and Dispute Resolution was created and given the mandate of writing a new non-academic code of conduct for students that would better reflect the current issues and values at York University.

The process for responding to student misconduct varied across the University. The University Disciplinary Tribunal had not been actively utilized as a tool to manage problematic student behaviour. It became apparent that along with the desire for a new Student Code of Conduct, there was also a need to build a foundation on which trusting relationships could be strengthened.

This seminar will explore the issue of building trust through the creation of a policy or process. Hear how York’s Office of Student Conduct & Dispute Resolution, through their consultation process, established trusting relationships with students, faculty and staff. Participants will have the opportunity to share the challenges facing their institution or department and work together on an intricate case study.

Download this presentation

Download bibliography

Curtis Mills, Student Counselling Services, University of Saskatchewan
Ken MacLeod, Student Counselling Services, University of Saskatchewan

COUCH, CUCCA

Internet accessibility has created challenges for a number of male university students who have become vulnerable to the use of pornography. Some men are able to speak openly about their use of pornography, its devastation on their lives and relationships, and their desire to change. Others may present to Health or Student Counselling with complaints of relationship breakdown, sexual dysfunction, substance abuse, low self-esteem, and may be too ashamed to discuss their use of porn. Or, they have become recruited into beliefs that use of pornography is part of normal male socialization, unaware of the negative impact that porn is having on their lives and others. We have been experimenting with narrative practices, a therapeutic approach pioneered by Michael White, in assisting men who are attempting to stand up to porn. This workshop will present narrative ideas as a fresh, non-prescriptive approach to personal change, that invites men to take a position against pornography. Case examples will be presented and participants will be encouraged to share their ideas and reflections.

Download this presentation

Mary DeMarinins, Student Development, UBC, Okanagan
Colin Good, Academic Advising, UBC, Okanagan

SASA, Academic Advisors Special Interest Group

UBC Okanagan is a brand new institution with a unique opportunity to create it’s own history. The UBCO student development team capitalized on this opportunity to build a strategy to address student retention. In January of 2007 we embarked on an aggressive campaign to identify, contact and follow-up with ‘at-risk’ students. This retention project originated in the academic advising unit of student development but utilized the resources of aboriginal student services, learning resources and supports, counselling, campus health, international student services, and the office of the Registrar. The workshop will detail the process, how the different areas collaborated together and the results of our campaign. The presentation would be of interest to practitioners interested in an interconnected response to student retention.

Download this presentation

Cheryl Washburn, PhD., R Psych., Counselling Services, UBC
Patricia Mirwaldt, MD., CCFP., Student Health Service, UBC
Whitney Sedgwick, PhD., R. Psych., Counselling Services

CUCCA, COUCH

In the National College Health Assessment conducted at UBC students report that depression is a significant factor affecting their ability to cope. Of these, fewer students report having been diagnosed with depression in the last year and fewer still reported having received any treatment. This gap in care has pointed to a need to better integrate existing resources and strengthen the capacity of primary care providers to effectively recognize, assess, and treat depression.

The UBC Shared Care Collaborative for the Treatment of Depression represents an effective model for linking existing campus and community resources and improving and extending care for students. This collaborative, which began September 2005, as an 18 month pilot project, has been approved for extension through November 2007.

In this presentation participants will learn about the key features of shared care collaborative, drawing on the UBC example and explore the applicability of a shared care approach for improving care and treatment outcomes in their communities. Areas of focus and exploration include:

1. Development and implementation of a shared care collaborative
   
2. Management of key challenges
   
3. Identification of benefits
4. Methodology for evaluating the collaborative
5. How a collaborative approach addresses sustainability issues.

Results of the evaluation of the UBC collaborative evaluation will also be shared to illustrate the benefits of a shared care approach to the treatment of depression.

Anita Abraham, Coordinator, Laurier Centre for Community Service-Learning, Wilfrid Laurier University

SASA

This session will explore the steps needed to help ensure community service-learning (CSL) is institutionalized in the critical first year of starting a program or when looking to expand into different areas. The Laurier Centre for Community Service-Learning in its initial year of formation has engaged over 900 students to participate in a CSL placement or project and attributes much of its success to the partnerships that have been built between the students, faculty, staff and community. We will share strategies and helpful tools that have played a key role in: (a) initiating and maintaining community partnerships (b) creating faculty incentives and support (c) developing student ownership and engagement and (d) creating a structure that utilized what already existed and allows for future expansion and diversity.

Come join in this workshop to learn, share and dig deeper into this inspiring work!

Presentation handout

Jane Corcoran, Disability Services for Students, University of Saskatchewan
Bill Rafoss, Supervisor Mediations & Investigations, Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission

CADSPPE

• How do you stay current with human rights decisions?
• How do you ensure your campus is proactive? Or is this not central to your purpose?
• Do we have to wait for a human rights commission investigation initiated by a student to change policy or procedures, remove barriers, or expand accommodations?
• How is the Meiorin test applied in an academic setting to determine if requirements are reasonable and justifiable? Do you know what the Meiorin test is?
• How do post-secondary institutions make sudden changes in response to new human rights decisions? Or do they?
  
• What makes professional colleges alter their criteria in light of human rights decisions?
• When undue hardship is claimed as a basis for refusal of accommodations, what criteria are used to draw the line?
• Do you know of Regina vs. Kivela (April 2006) which has added the issue of retroactive accommodation—is this a new area of advocacy?

Where in the post-secondary institution is the best place to rest responsibility for compliance with human rights decisions? In the offices of the disability service providers? If so, what do we need to know? What do we need to do? Our interactive panel discussion will present anticipated scenarios, proactive strategies, and shared knowledge for thought and debate.

Elizabeth Duret, Aboriginal Services, Student Development, Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology
Brian Gallagher, Aboriginal Services, Student Development, Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology

NASSA, CUCCA

Aboriginal Success in Trades and Technologies (ASITT) is a new initiative developed by the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) in partnership with the Saskatchewan Crown Investments Corporation. ASITT focuses on academic, personal and career preparedness. Life skills programming, cultural teachings, community and team building events were strategically layered throughout the program. In order for ASITT to be successful, several partnerships were developed within SIAST and community stakeholders. By realigning some existing services and introducing new initiatives through the ASITT framework, SIAST has designed and created new approaches to encourage and support Aboriginal students as they transition from secondary to post-secondary schooling and upon completion of their studies, transitioning to new careers in the labour market. Our presentation/workshop will explore the social barriers and the "real world" of Aboriginal students entering post-secondary. Critical components of the ASITT program will be presented.

Ian Cull, Associate Vice President Students, UBC, Okanagan

NASSA, SASA

In this presentation I will use the stages of my career evolution to illustrate one instance of the changing challenges, skills development, and vision required to successfully progress to more senior positions in Student Services. Additionally I will discuss how being an Aboriginal person has become increasingly important to me and its influence on how I do my work within a university setting.

Bill Wallace, Student Computing Program Manager, ITS, University of Saskatchewan
Kevin Hovdestad, Student, University of Saskatchewan

SASA

Our students give us insight into the effectiveness of our services. While many of us already collect student feedback at the end of the semester using questionnaires, it is usually collected too late to allow staff to respond by implementing changes to improve the status of the students offering the feedback. Student feedback is valuable throughout the term to give service providers a sense of student expectations. Following through and reporting back to students encourages further feedback.

At the U of S we have implemented a student advisory board to provide insight into student IT needs and concerns. The IT Student Advisory Board (ITSAB) consisting of 8-10 students from across the campus works with the Student Computing Program Manager on campus IT issues, solidifying a network of students which can better serve the needs of everyone who is a part of the U. of S. Join us as we share our experience, from both sides of the table, regarding the creation of a student advisory board. We’ll share our process, the benefits and the outcomes.

Download this presentation

Sheilagh Grills, Student Services, Brandon University

SASA

Post-secondary institutions offer a variety of orientation and first-year programming to help bridge the social, personal and academic distance from high school to university. Yet students often have difficulty generalizing from a transition workshop, program or course to their academic careers. As educators, and parents, we know that practice, repetition and a consistent message encourage the internalization of skills and attitudes. In 2005, Brandon University introduced an interdisciplinary learning strategies and critical thinking course to both introduce students to university and help build an enduring learning community. In order to integrate students into the broader academy, a team approach was used that promoted both skills and interaction with a wide range of campus members. This for-credit course required an extensive building of relationships between staff, administration and faculty. This session will provide a description and critique of that ongoing project.

Download this presentation

Blaine Jensen, VP Educational Services, Douglas College
Kyle Baillie, Manager of Office for New Students, Douglas College
Eric Glanville, Student Development Coordinator, Douglas College

SASA

Imagine this. Your institution is a Community College of two urban campuses with approximately 10,000 students, across eight faculties, and numerous programs. The economy is booming, driven by a pre-Olympic fever that has dropped the unemployment rate to less than 4%, the Provincial Government has boosted funding to Universities to increase their enrollment, and trades education has become an increasingly viable and attractive post secondary option. This combination of factors has left your college facing declining enrollment numbers and students in UT programs exiting earlier than in the past. In this 'show and tell'-style presentation, you will learn how The Office for New Students (ONS) was created as a strategic response to the aggressive college recruiting market in B.C. The mission of the ONS is simple: Build a student recruitment model that positions Douglas as a first-choice college while providing leadership on campus in the retention of students.

The presenters describe the administrative efforts and steps taken to establish this new department; the actions taken in the initial days, weeks, and months; and the implementation of specific programs into the college community.

This session will include a question and answer session and is open to all participants but will likely be most useful for colleagues at Community Colleges.

Download this presentation

Natalie Sharpe, Student OmbudService, University of Alberta

SASA, CUCCA

Our skills at communication depend not only on how carefully we choose the words, but also on how we frame and convey the message, including our emotions through tone, inflection, timing and body kinesics. The goal of this session is to build communication skills that will help to de-escalate and/or defuse emotionally-charged and difficult situations.

Tanya Corak, Nurse Clinician, Health and Wellness, UBC, Okanagan
Roger Wilson, Counsellor, Health and Wellness, UBC, Okanagan
Dr. Claire Budgen, Director, Health and Wellness, UBC, Okanagan

COUCH, CUCCA

We in the Central Okanagan pride ourselves in the building of bridges. In this presentation, “bridge building” is our metaphor for the relational practice of multidisciplinary professionals at UBC Okanagan Health and Wellness. Collaborative relationships are the foundation of our ecological model of campus health and wellness. This model incorporates interests of people (especially students), community and environment; health is considered to arise from the dynamic interactions among them.

The notion of dynamic interaction is of special relevance to us at this time. The University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBC Okanagan) is a distinctive small university campus situated on 230 acres in Kelowna. Rapid growth and change is providing stimulation and significant challenge; the goal is to build a vibrant campus community, supportive of diverse students, faculty and staff. Ultimately the goal is improved student success in terms of academics, personal wellness and self and community responsibility.

In this interactive presentation, the varied nature of relationships that span the community and contribute to our mission and goal are illustrated: student-clinician, student-student, student-campus community, clinician-faculty, college-university, university to external community. The ways that clinicians shape their practice within the Health and Wellness team and across the campus community and the larger regional, provincial, national, international community, are described. Health and Wellness staff and students will discuss the overall model of Health and Wellness at UBC-O and highlight bridges that have been successful and unique as well as those bridges that have been rickety and others that are under construction.

Helping Someone Who Self-Injures

How to stop: finding and doing alternatives

Tracy Riley, MA, CCC; Department of Health, Counselling, and Disability Services, Queen’s University

CUCCA, COUCH

Self-injury is the intentional hurting of one’s body by oneself, done in a physical way without suicidal intent but for the purpose of relief. Research suggests that self-injury among adolescents and university students is a relatively common phenomenon: one study found that 7.3 percent of university and college students reported deliberately injuring themselves at least once within the last year (Whitlock, Eckenrode, & Silverman, 2006). Deliberate physical injuring of oneself is, for many observers, difficult to understand. What set of circumstances must come together to make self-cutting or burning bearable or needed for the person doing it? In what way(s) does self-injury bring relief to the person who is intentionally injuring themselves? A lack of understanding to questions such as these, as well as a lack of practical information about how to help can create barriers to offering high quality, supportive relationships to students who self-injure. The purpose of this presentation is to build a bridge of understanding by offering resources to aid helpers in providing respectful, knowledgeable, and compassionate help to people who self-injure. Specifically, participants will be provided with information about self-injury—an overview of what it is, functions and meanings it can serve, it’s relationship with suicide, and influencing factors in its development—as well as a framework for helping, with concrete, practical suggestions provided about how to help.

Jason Laker, Associate VP & Dean of Student Affairs, Queen’s University
Timothy A. G. Osachuk, Clinical Psychologist, Student Counselling and Career Centre, University of Manitoba

CUCCA, SASA

Have you ever noticed that male students are over-represented in disciplinary proceedings, and under-represented in pursuing support services? Have you asked yourself or colleagues why this is the case? This session will engage these questions and offer a venue for developing collaborative solutions—to build bridges across Student Affairs and across your institution.

Classical developmental theory fails to capture salient developmental processes of diverse groups and ironically fails to capture elements of male identity development. If the theoretical underpinnings of the Student Affairs profession neglect to frame student development with due consideration of gender identity, then the profession cannot adequately do its stated job, which is to facilitate students’ identity development.

Male students (arriving/graduating in declining numbers) have been socialized within a milieu that promotes a narrow and constraining masculine standard, living with a normative cultural tension between acting aggressively or risking social reprisal. Under this arrangement, the only acceptable emotional expressions are silence or anger. We will consider male students between, and around this dichotomous arrangement. For those few who act out, we do not condone or suggest ignoring bad behaviour. Rather, we challenge our field to establish gender-informed responses. For the majority of men who navigate tension without breaking rules, we present literature and methods for facilitating support and growth. We will provide a brief review of men’s gender identity literature, discuss examples of newer applications, and engage the audience in discussions about collaborations across units to promote student development in general, and men’s development in particular.

Lynette Kolodziejak, College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan

COUCH

Over the past several years, both government and the profession of pharmacy have acknowledged that pharmacists are not being used to their full potential in our health care system. In order to advance the profession of pharmacy in this area, guidance on how pharmacists can be integrated need to be investigated.

The purpose of this study was to identify how to integrate a pharmacist into an already established primary health care team, at the Student Health Centre at the University of Saskatchewan. The project was divided into three phases: defining the role of the pharmacist, implementing the proposed role and then evaluating and prioritizing the role. Using action research, an expert panel consisting of established primary health/ambulatory care pharmacists from across Canada helped to identify possible clinical activities for a Student Health Centre pharmacist. The results were presented to the primary health care team, who then collaborated with the pharmacist and researchers to define the role of the pharmacist. Once an agreement was reached, a pharmacist provided eight weeks of full-time clinical services. Upon completion, the primary health care team members and the patients evaluated and prioritized the pharmacist’s clinical services.

The role of the pharmacist was tailored specifically for the student health care centre selected for the study. However, the process of integrating and evaluating the role of the pharmacist, will serve as a template for other pharmacists desiring to be involved in any primary health care team interested in expanding their multidisciplinary service.

Download this presentation

Stella Blackshaw, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan

COUCH, CUCCA

Two case examples are presented which illustrate defense mechanisms common to certain personality styles which, when used by the student in crisis, can lead to considerable stress amongst members of the treatment team trying to help.
In the first case, a young man presents in strikingly different ways to different team members, causing dissent and disagreement over the treatment approach. The defense mechanisms of Splitting and Projective Identification, seen in association with Borderline and Narcissistic personality traits, are described. Guidelines for recognizing and managing these phenomena include being alert to polarity of opinions and having faith in the professional competence of colleagues.

In the second case a young women presents to several caregivers and expresses chronic suicidal ideation. This is commonly seen in association with Borderline Personality traits. While this is a serious situation, an approach is described which differs somewhat from that taken towards acute or episodic suicidal ideation. This approach involves helping the client to assume responsibility for her safety and gain confidence in her ability to access needed resources in order to cope. By not taking over responsibility, the development of increasing dependency is avoided, but team members must support each other in accepting a degree of risk.

Download this presentation

Shirley Amichand, PLAR Facilitator, Wascana Campus, SIAST
Cristal Gobeil, PLAR Facilitator, Kelsey Campus, SIAST

SASA, CUCCA

As Career Advisors, you help individuals make decisions about their future options regarding learning and work by providing impartial information, advice and guidance. In your practice you employ many useful tools to assist clients to decide on next steps: counselling skills, knowledge of education and employment programs, interest and ability tests, and partnerships with other organizations, to name a few. But, have you considered “Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) as a tool for career advising?

PLAR is a formal mechanism for recognizing prior learning and a valuable tool for guiding clients in making informed decisions about their career development or learning needs and PLAR is an integral part of the Education Training Framework at SIAST.

In this session you will be guided through real client scenarios involving the recognition of prior learning. Join us to learn more about the numerous potential benefits of using PLAR as a career advising tool. Information sharing, role playing and audience participation will be highlighted.

Garry Ayotte, Counsellor, Student Development, SIAST Kelsey Campus
Shelley Hosaluk, Instructor, Saskatoon Public School Division

CUCCA, SASA

Building bridges cross-institutionally in the transition from K-12 to post-secondary has become an identifiable goal across Canadian educational institutions and training providers. Creating a culture that assists students in setting career/life goals while defining their individual strengths and weaknesses as areas for improvement is a challenge to conventional planning strategies. The intention of this session presentation is to stimulate dialogue through the recognition of the value of formal and informal learning. A Powerpoint presentation and viewing of the DVD: The Power of Portfolio, PLAR Tool for Transition will be followed by discussion.
A pilot project partnership which resulted in the DVD documented a collaborative portfolio learning process for a group of secondary school level students looking to develop their future career and life management plans while moving to a Post-secondary situation of their choice.

This presentation will focus on the sharing of a “diagnostic routine” to develop a portal which can be useful in a strategic planning process to attain greater student satisfaction through the identification of student strengths. The process of transition often involves an empowering event or experience that transforms individuals into action-oriented people. The portfolio learning process has been shown to be an effective and constructive tool for demonstrating informal, non-formal and informal skills, knowledge, interests and abilities of individuals. Across Canada, the portfolio process has been particularly informative and valuable for encouraging diversity. Students, workers in transition, First Nations communities and immigrant populations have expressed satisfaction and interest in the benefits of portfolio learning experiences.

Lori Campbell, SHASS Advisor, Student Development, SIAST Wascana Campus
Martha Kilcup, SHASS Advisor, Student Development, SIAST Kelsey Campus

Academic Advisors Special Interest Group, CUCCA

The goal of SIAST’s Science & Health Aboriginal Success Strategy (SHASS) is to support the creation of a representative workforce in science and health sectors through enhanced recruitment, retention and success of Aboriginal students in SIAST Science and Health programs.

SHASS Advisors provide Aboriginal students with access to a variety of services: mentorship, culturally sensitive one-on-one relationships, Elder services, summer employment, academic preparedness, time management and tutorial services. information is also provided on other student activities, community services and agencies as required.

The mentorship program is a tremendous component – a ‘Step to Success’. The SHASS program provides two levels of facilitated mentorship because students experience different stages of transition. Student to student mentorship is for new students and utilizes second year or recently graduated Aboriginal students. The Student to Health & Science professional mentorship process facilitates the matching of a soon to graduate student with a seasoned science or health care professional to help prepare the student for success on the job.

Download this presentation

References

Dr. Tracy Morgan, Counselling Services, University of Waterloo

CUCCA

Bullying is a type of interpersonal intimidation that affects a relatively high percentage of students. It is a complex phenomenon due to its theorized etiology, the variety of forms it may take, the range of effects it may have, and individuals’ and institutions’ responses to it. Due to the high number of students affected by this behaviour, it is important for counsellors to understand more about it and to intervene effectively. In recent years, bullying has received more attention and different dynamics of this behaviour have been identified. Students with whom we work may have experienced bullying, perpetrated bullying, or been bystanders of it, and some may have been in more than one of these roles. Another aspect to consider is the potential motivations for the perpetration of bullying behaviour. While bullying behaviour continues to occur in-person, such as through comments and physical violence, the ongoing development of technology has provided additional venues. Cyber-bullying provides the opportunity for bullies to be anonymous, which can increase the severity of the nature of the bullying behaviours. As well, anonymous on-line bullying may make it more difficult to respond to it.

In this presentation, the variables mentioned above will be addressed, and implications for providing counselling to students who have experienced and/or perpetrated bullying behaviours will be discussed. Participants will be invited to share their experiences in providing counselling to students who have experienced bullying and/or bullied others.

Jim Bohun, Dean of Students Office, University of Alberta
Chris Fukushima, Residences Services, University of Alberta
Tracey Mason-Innes, Residence Services, University of Alberta
Chris Hackett, Student OmbudService, University of Alberta
Sarah Garskey

Student Judicial Affairs Special Interest Group

This presentation will focus on the growing problems for post-secondary institutions when university discipline issues spill over into non-university www sites. Student affairs professionals are increasingly required to engage with these technologies in both positive and negative ways. Some of the sites, such as facebook.com, explicitly organize themselves around individual universities and colleges. Others are used by students to organize and they become de facto outposts of the institution. There is an obvious potential for these sites to figure in non-academic disciplinary procedures, whether through cyberbullying, slandering other students or faculty members, or as sources of evidence in cases where the event took place on the physical campus and students have posted images on the site. This trend is in it’s infancy but the potential for this to figure in discipline cases will only grow as new technologies are developed.

This presentation will review the shared characteristics of Web2.0 sites, introduce the sites that our students are most likely to frequent, look at the way that these sites have figured into cases, and discuss the potential ways that they may fit into future cases. Finally, we will discuss why institutions may wish to place limits on themselves in trying to regulate their students’ activities on external web sites despite growing pressures on them to do so.

Bernie Marchand-Brown, Aboriginal Academic Advisor, Aboriginal Programs and Services, UBC, Okanagan

Academic Advisors Special Interest Group, NASSA

At UBC – Okanagan we have found that relationship building between the Aboriginal student and the post-secondary educational institution is crucial for the success of the Aboriginal Student. This relational bridge building must also include supporting the student’s connections with family and community. In this presentation, participants will have opportunity to learn about the approach currently taken by UBC-O to support Aboriginal students, and to discuss the merits and challenges of this approach. This presentation will consist of a slide presentation which will be used to encourage discussion with participants and some case scenarios.

UBC-O focuses on supporting the Aboriginal student in five main areas. These five areas are Aboriginal academic advising, Aboriginal student orientation, Aboriginal recruiting, Aboriginal communities and Aboriginal student activities. These contributions towards the Aboriginal students have offered Aboriginal students success and support that creates a bridge between the student and the academic institution.

Download this presentation

Jennifer Browne, Director of Career Development, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Tamara Leary, Student Development Coordinator, University of Prince Edward Island

SASA, Academic Advisors Special Interest Group

The intent of this presentation is to openly discuss current trends in academic advising and career development services for post secondary students. Academic Advising is moving away from a traditional prescriptive approach and in doing so, recognizing the bridge between students’ academic needs and career goals.

What are various institutions across Canada doing with academic advising and career development? What is your institution doing or not doing in this area? What are the trends and challenges? What research currently exists in this area?

Find out what two east coast universities are doing, share your success stories and brainstorm creative future collaborative possibilities. Participants will walk away with a clear depiction of what’s happening in Canada and ideas for their own campuses.

Goals of Presentation:

• Encourage collaboration between Academic Advising and Career Development;
• Provide a snapshot of what’s going on in Canada on this subject;
• Engage members working in these areas to identify the connection between these two units and build effective programs and strategies to best meet the needs of students;
• Encourage networking and collaboration between institutions

Download this presentation

Cindy James, Assessment Centre Coordinator, Student Affairs, Thompson Rivers University

SASA

Thompson Rivers University’s (TRU) Career Technical Centre (CTC) offers a unique bridging opportunity in which secondary students can combine their last two years of high school with their first year of post-secondary training in a variety of entry level trades training programs. This program involves partnerships between the TRU Career Technical Centre, the BC Provincial Government Industry Training Authority, participating school districts, the various TRU trades programs and the TRU Assessment Centre. This bridging program has been extremely successful for a variety of reasons, one of the main ones being the very thorough assessment of all applicants by the TRU Assessment Centre, a Student Affairs department.

In this presentation, participants will be given an overview of the CTC program at TRU and its various linkages, as well as a detailed description of the integral role of the TRU Assessment Centre. Specific information about the assessment process which includes assessing the initial application portfolios, and facilitating and assessing a numeracy and literacy test, also will be provided.

Download this presentation

Christine Burke, Housing, Food and Conference Services, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Nancy Parsons, Housing, Food and Conference Services, Memorial University of Newfoundland

SASA

Historically student housing at Memorial University’s St. John’s campus has, unlike most mainland universities, guaranteed returning residents spaces in our dormitories and filled vacancies with new students. Mounting demand for beds on campus has necessitated a change in this policy. Our predominantly first year dormitory community, was unable to accommodate more than one hundred new residents, so this fall Burton’s Pond Apartments will become home for over two hundred new students who will be away from home for the first time. Traditionally considered housing for senior students, Burton’s Pond was never envisioned as an environment suited for first year students. Life in the pond is typically one of lower levels of support and a higher level of independence that suits the older, more experienced student. Cooking, cleaning, and resolving roommates conflicts are typically skills the residents of Burton’s Pond Apartments have already acquired. New students, particularly the millennial generation, rarely arrive on campus with these skills.

This presentation will outline the changes to the support systems, resources, and culture that are needed to adapt an on-campus, apartment style student community to suit the psychosocial developmental needs of first year students. Student housing staff will find this session useful for identifying their own programs and resources in the context of creating a living learning community for transitioning millennial students.

Download this presentation (Pt. 1)

Download this presentation (Pt. 2)

Pam Komonoski, RN Nurse Practitioner, University of Saskatchewan
Julie Fairservice, BScN, Clinic Director, Campus Health Centre, McMaster University
Patricia Mirwaldt, Physician, Director UBC Health Services
Ben Tan, MD, FRCPC, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist, Royal University Hospital

COUCH

Post secondary students are required to prove immunity from infectious diseases prior to practicing in a clinical setting. This requires a thorough review of immunization and health history and often provision of vaccines and laboratory tests to confirm adequate protection. There is a great deal of discrepancy between the different post secondary and health care institutions and immunization requirements. The task of filling out numerous and different forms for each elective and rotation application is frustrating for the student. It is also costly for Student Health Centres to provide this service. In some cases, students may have to pay for this service. Students have repeatedly asked healthcare workers to work toward developing a common immunization form.

COUCH representatives from across the country as well as an Infectious Disease specialist will present and discuss best practice immunization guidelines for Health Sciences students. We will make the case for a standard set of guidelines and a standard form that all parts of the country can accept.

Learning objectives of this presentation are:

1. For participants to develop knowledge of best practice immunization guidelines for Health Science students.
2. To implement a standardized national immunization form.
3. To enable participants to provide seamless service to Health Science students nationally.

Christa Ovenell, Director of Student Services, Great Northern Way Campus

SASA

The Great Northern Way Campus is a unique academic partnership in Vancouver, British Columbia. The University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design and the British Columbia Institute of Technology have come together on an industrial parcel of land on the edge of the city’s urban landscape to create innovative programming in two distinct tracks: Digital Media and Urban Sustainability. September, 2007 will see the launch of the first collaboratively designed curriculum: a Master degree in Digital Media. This paper will explore the opportunities and pitfalls facing what is, essentially, the educational equivalent of a ‘start-up’, and illustrate the process by which new policies were created, co-opted, and in some cases, simply invented out of little more than a desire to offer the best student experience possible.

Download this presentation

Original paper

Chris Hibbs, Department of Student Affairs and Services, Student Success Programs, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Lauren Michael Power, Department of Student Affairs and Services, Student Success Programs, Memorial University of Newfoundland

SASA

At Memorial, there are several separate entities that provide support to commuter students: The Off-Campus Housing (OCH) division of Memorial University’s Student Affairs and Services provides enhanced web resources and programming to students living off-campus. The Memorial University of Newfoundland Student Union (MUNSU) SafeDrive program provides vehicular transportation for students who are leaving campus and traveling to a destination within a specific set radius from campus. “Answers” acts as a student’s first stop for information about campus life. Ride Share, an initiative of the environmental-awareness volunteer organization known as Project Green, is a recently developed service at Memorial that assists students in developing carpools.

Though Memorial offers commuter student services with quality and variety comparable to universities of similar status, these services are not linked by programming, and thus, are not reaching as many students as they could.

In this session, presenters will describe a Student Success model that follows basic principles of comprehensive interagency collaboration, Student-centredness, and flexibility.

Shelley Belhumeur, Facilitator, Aboriginal Activity Centre, SIAST Woodland Campus

NASSA, SASA

Leadership comes from within. This presentation will be of interest to those educators and counselors who work with indigenous students in primarily non- indigenous environments and who are looking for practical strategies to enhance leadership in their student population.

The Aboriginal Student Activity Centre at SIAST Woodland Campus is located in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. The centre is staffed by a coordinator, and Elder. This institution provides secondary and post secondary programs to approximately 1200 students 46% of whom are Aboriginal and many of whom have relocated from remote northern communities to pursue education. The majority of the staff on campus is non-Aboriginal.

The first part of this presentation will be an interactive discussion that provides a humorous look at seven of the most common beliefs surrounding Aboriginal persons in this province. eg. “All Indians play bingo,” and demonstrates how these beliefs impact on students. The second part of the presentation will focus on the Centre’s activities and events that support the development of leadership in the student population. This will include the Aboriginal Relay challenge, the Honor Ceremony, leadership and Cultural Camp weekend. Tawow Aboriginal Student Committee. The facilitator will also explain the Passport System as a practical way of assisting staff and students in becoming more aware of Aboriginal Culture.

Deanne Fisher, University of Toronto
Heather FitzGerald, University of Waterloo
David Newman, University of Alberta
Margot Bell, University of British Columbia

SASA

In our hectic and outcomes-oriented work, reading is often last on the to-do list. Even for those of us who do find time to read, the opportunities to reflect upon what we have learned are rare. This session is designed to stimulate lively intellectual discussion on the issues and trends that affect our work and the students we work with. Building on the success of past Open Book sessions and, in keeping with the theme of this year’s conference, this year's panel will introduce participants to new work from both within the profession, from related fields and from higher education in general. A reading list is distributed and participants are encouraged to contribute their own thoughts on the works presented and to bring their own recommendations for additions. The session is also ideal for those looking for advice on how to spend a limited book budget.

Corey Davis, Systems and Reference Librarian, B.C. College and Institute Library Services, Langara College

CADSPPE

CILS (http://www.langara.bc.ca/cils/) is a library service for students at publicly funded colleges in British Columbia. Our clients are students who cannot use conventional print because of visual, learning, or physical disabilities. We provide alternate format learning materials and information services for these students. This is challenging for several reasons. First, only 5% of published material is made accessible, and without information in a format such as DAISY, electronic text or digital audio, success at a post-secondary level is hard-won for students with print disabilities. Second, many people work in isolation. Disability service providers who don't communicate with each other or information specialists like librarians, produce alternate formats at great expense that cannot be shared through established channels like interlibrary loan networks, or AMICUS, a free catalogue listing the holdings of libraries across Canada. Often material is produced redundantly. Third, in order to be successful, our clients require the expertise of people who know about disability services, information services, and technology. This expertise is generally distributed across departments, and these departments rarely communicate with each other. Using the B.C. post-secondary experience as a framework, this presentation will explore our collaboration across departments and institutions and how it has made a real difference in the lives of print-disabled students in B.C.

Wallis Balog, MSc, LivingWorks Master Trainer, Trainers’ Instructor, principal Wallis Balog and Associates
J. Paul Balog, Professor, Faculty of Business and Creative Arts, George Brown College

CUCCA, SASA

Suicide is widely reported to be the second leading cause of death among post-secondary students. Estimates of the prevalence of suicidal ideation among post-secondary school aged youth range from two to four times that of the general population, and an alarming number of post-secondary students admit to having a plan to kill themselves. Since thoughts of suicide can lead to action, a logical conclusion is that in order to reduce the numbers of deaths by suicide among post-secondary students, attention needs to be paid to identifying those students with suicidal thoughts and intervening to reduce the risk of acting on those thoughts. Recommendations from various levels stress that an effective response to student risk for suicide must go beyond “information only” campaigns, to include a comprehensive and integrated program incorporating awareness and skills training. However, until recently, there have been few systematic or comprehensive attempts to establish effective suicide prevention programs on college and university campuses. We will be presenting a review of the literature on post-secondary student suicide and recommended actions for an effective program of response, an example of how those recommendations can be efficiently put in place, and preliminary results of a study investigating current level of readiness of Ontario community colleges to respond to student suicide.

Erin Kaipainen, First Year Experience Office, Carleton University
Shannon Butters, First Year Experience Office, Carleton University

SASA

Carleton University’s First Year Experience Office facilitates leadership development programs and involvement opportunities for students in first year.

In this session, presenters will focus on The Adventure Leadership Program, The Emerging Leaders (certificate) Program, and the Tools for Change student leadership conference. These programs offer students the opportunity to 1) get involved in campus life and leadership activities, 2) refine and develop leadership skills, 3) make connections to other students, staff, faculty and community members, and 4) continue their engagement in coming years. These programs are structured in a way that builds momentum through the academic year. This begins at the start of the academic year when students are encouraged to get involved and develop their leadership potential through to upper years where they continue to shape their leadership potential through volunteer and paid work.

The presenters will share information about Carleton’s leadership development programs, as well as experiences providing meaningful and engaging opportunities for student staff. The presenters share what they have learned through working with students in a Student Affairs office.

David Ness, Student Counselling and Career Centre, University of Manitoba
Lisa Seymour, Student Counselling and Career Centre, University of Manitoba

CUCCA

The Canadian University and College Counselling Association (CUCCA) revised it’s Guidelines for College and University Counselling Centres (heretofore referred to as simply the “Guidelines”) in 1992. Recently, the CUCCA executive has initiated a contemporary review of these guidelines as a prelude to another possible revision. The foundation of the decision to review these guidelines is the fact that counselling services across the country are facing a very different demand for service and a different working reality than in the past. Revisiting these guidelines could allow incorporation of this new reality as well as incorporation of information from a variety of other sources such as the Personal Counselling in a Canadian Post-Secondary Context paper (please see CUCCA website for this document). This session is an invitation to CUCCA members to participate in a discussion on the merits of revising the Guidelines. Your contributions to this question are requested and welcomed. Participants are encouraged to review the Guidelines on the CUCCA website prior to this session.

Jackie Andre, Disability Services for Students, Student and Enrolment Services Division, University of Saskatchewan

What do you do as a disability service provider that’s exciting and innovative? Are you piloting a unique or serendipitous program for your students? Have you found a surprising low-tech solution to a long standing issue? How are you innovatively dealing with student issues while balancing budgetary restrictions, staff shortages, and workplace stressors? What is unique about your programs that you would like people to know about? We all come to CACUSS eager to learn, but we all have much to teach as well. Come share your success stories, helping us all to build bridges towards success. Our interactive group discussion will feature break out groups where you can focus on the topics of your choice. The ideas and solutions that emerge from each group will be compiled and presented to all participants at the end of the session. Results can be emailed to participants after the session as well. Not sure that you have a success story to share? You might be surprised to find that something you do on a daily basis is innovative to others. Join us for discussion, networking, and inspiration.

Dr. Debbie Nifakis, Centre for Student Development, McMaster University

CUCCA

Attachment theory stresses that emotional ties with others that offer all of us a safe haven in terms of needs and a secure base from which to explore and learn to survive in a dangerous world. Many counsellors may consider attachment issues when working with clients but may sometimes wonder how to use that knowledge when doing counselling or therapy. This presentation will provide an overview of Attachment theory and how it can be used in our understanding of the students we are helping. This presentation will outline attachment theory, identify attachment issues and will look at case examples in an effort to make the theory come alive.

Download this presentation

Darrell Cole, Executive Director, Career Trek Inc.

SASA, NASSA

Each and every year Canadian post-secondary institutions provide significant and varied support services to students with the ultimate goal of maximizing student retention and graduation rates. Despite these efforts, many communities (Aboriginal People, Students with Disabilities, Students from low-income backgrounds, etc.) continue to be under-represented on our campuses.

In response, a unique educational attainment program was established. Career Trek is a free-standing, not-for-profit organization that provides innovative educational programming for young people with perceived barriers to entering post-secondary education. Operating at the University of Manitoba, the University of Winnipeg, and Red River College, and in partnership with 60 middle years schools, the program is designed to educate these young people and their families about the importance of staying in school, aspiring to a post-secondary education and corresponding career options career options.

In addition to the core program, Career Trek has established a partnership with Skownan First Nation to found the Apinochek Pasaquok (Children Rising) Project. This is an eight-year pilot project designed to assist reserve members in understanding the value that he gaining of a formal education can have to their lives.

This presentation will provide attendees with a detailed overview of the Career Trek program structure and its services. Following this, an open discussion on how such programming might benefit attending institutions will occur.

Download this presentation

Christopher Mercer, Counselling Services, Bay St. George Campus, College of the North Atlantic

CUCCA

This presentation traces the evolving process of bridges building between mental health professionals in Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador from the perspective of a counsellor in a post secondary college. It highlights the context, issues, and successes of a home-grown collaborative approach to dealing with trauma in our community. It also asks the question “What is the role of the post secondary counsellor in building bridges to the community”?

Salient points that emerged upon reflection of the Stephenville experience include: issues of ownership and who provides leadership, fit between community capacity building and adult education, having a will to make the collaboration work (despite the plethora of policies, protocols, and guidelines that stakeholders bring to the table), potential barriers, and the need for a high degree of trust among team members. Additionally, collective concern for the common good is an assumption that team members should be able to depend on when making decisions and taking action.

Download this presentation

Michael Mandrusiak, Student Counselling and Career Centre, Student Affairs, University of Manitoba
Angela Bohonos, Career Employment Advisor, Career Employment Services, Student Affairs, Univesity of Manitoba
Gavriela Geller, Student Counselling and Career Centre, Student Affairs, Univesity of Manitoba

CUCCA

The number of international students attending Canadian universities is steadily growing, along with a new emphasis placed on recruitment of students from foreign countries. There is a growing consensus that student development professionals have a responsibility to assist international students with preparation for post-graduation life, including the school to work transition. However, there remain few reported effective interventions for meeting these needs. The following study reports on a Career Planning Seminar Series for International Students, which was collaboratively developed by counselling centre and career employment service personnel at a large Canadian university. The six week seminar was offered to international students in all years of university study and focused on enhancing career decision-making, helping students plan for acquiring career-related work experience and facilitating the development of more effective job search strategies. The effectiveness of this program at meeting these goals was evaluated and this data will be presented. Additional discussion will focus on the rationale for the program, the experience of the facilitators and the overall impact of the program.

Ann Remy, College of Arts & Science, University of Saskatchewan

Academic Advisors Special Interest Group

Research shows that a significant number of students with lower high school averages struggle with first year full-time university study, yet we know that if they make it to second year, their success rate is the same as all students. The Transition Program has been designed to meet the needs of those students who do not meet the regular admission requirements. The Transition Program provides a unique learning environment with extensive supports and resources to assist students in their success and prepare them for their future studies. The presenter will share how a College structured a first-year student learning program that improved student success and retention.

Janet Mee, Director, Access and Diversity, University of British Columbia
Ruth Warick, Senior Diversity Advisor – Disability, Access and Diversity, University of British Columbia

CADSPPE

Disability service officers are faced with increasing complexity of requests for standing deferrals and withdrawal from courses due to disability complications. Presenters will share the framework of policies and guidelines used for their work and discuss the benefits of a partnership and team management approach to complex situations. Actual cases examples will be used.

Five areas will be covered in the workshop as follows:

1. Evaluating the medical documentation to assess when the request of the student for an academic concession is a reasonable disability-related accommodation.
2. Partnering with faculty, including faculty advisors, to review complex academic concession requests. Faculties may – and often do – differ in their requirements and processes depending on their culture.
3. Dealing with repeated and extended requests such as cases when a student requests academic concessions term after term. Is there an end point to concessions? If so, when and how is this determined?
4. Considering late requests. Sometimes requests are made months, even years later. When is it too late, if ever?
5. Implementing procedures to ensure fairness and consistency among cases. This topic involves a look at guidelines concerning fee rebates, notations of ‘W’s on a student’s transcript, and transcript modifications. Participants will be invited to share information about their institutional approaches to academic concessions as well as their experiences partnering with faculty and their solutions for reasonably providing concessions for disability-related reasons.

David Hannah, Associate Vice-President, Student Enrolment Services, University of Saskatchewan
Kelly McInnes, Registrar and Director of Academic Services and Financial Assistance, Student and Enrolment Services, University of Saskatchewan
Laurie Pushor, Director of Enrolment, Student and Enrolment Services, University of Saskatchewan
Susan Bens, Director of Student Retention, Support and Development, Student Enrolment Services, University of Saskatchewan

SASA

In 2001 the University of Saskatchewan committed to a major change in its organizational structure when it decided to bring the Student Affairs and Services Division and the Office of the Registrar together as a single organizational unit. The session will examine the historical context and background to this change, the processes and plans that were developed to implement it, some of the twists and turns that have occurred along the way, the challenges (and rewards) we have experienced over the past five years, and the current state of (student) affairs at the U of S.

Download this presentation

Laurie Schnarr, Assistant Director, Student Life & Counselling Services, University of Guelph
Brenda Whiteside, Associate Vice-President, Student Affairs, University of Guelph

SASA

At the University of Guelph we distributed a survey to Student Affairs staff and gained new insights on their professional development expectations and needs. Learn more about our findings and some of the programs and activities that we implemented as a result. We will highlight some of the interesting trends and surprising outcomes, new initiatives, and future plans in the area of professional development and community building. This will be a highly interactive session with plenty of opportunity for you to share your insights and talk about professional development initiatives on your own campus.

Phaedra Hitchings, Student and Enrolment Services Division, University of Saskatchewan

SASA

The presentation will outline the experience of the University of Saskatchewan's 2 years of pilot experiences in offering an "Alternative Reading Week" as a co-curricular learning experience for Arts and Science students. The impact of this program, focusing on the core communities of Saskatoon, and deemed 'positively transformational', will be presented by a panel of partners from the university and the community.

Christina Ling, R.D., B.Sc Nutrition, M.Sc. Kinesiology, Student Health Centre, University of Saskatchewan

COUCH

Student computers at the U of S were identified as an unused space with potential for health promotion. This session will explore the development and implementation of screen savers as a medium for reaching students with moderate health messages. The twenty screen savers with nutrition, physical activity, and stress management messages will be reviewed during the session. Come and journey through the processes around message development, bridging between departments and the unexpected results on campus.

Mark Solomon, Manager, Aboriginal Student Services, Seneca College

NASSA, SASA

"Welcome to Aboriginal Student Services", my new boss said as she pointed to an empty room. Follow the development of Aboriginal specific services in a College setting over a year in the GTA. Student Development Theory provides an excellent basis for the work for Aboriginal Student Services. The Theory however, must be adapted to include cultural, social and even political aspects of the life of an Aboriginal Student. Participants in this workshop will follow a "year in the life of Aboriginal Student Services". This year will show the rebuilding of a service, the development of relationships with the Aboriginal community, and teaching the importance of an Aboriginal identity on campus. Using a case study, model participants will be engaged in solving three "crisis" that affect the lives of Aboriginal students.

Dr. K.C. Giede, MD FRCSC, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Saskatchewan

COUCH

Dr.K.C.Giede will discuss recent innovations in vaccinating women to prevent genital warts, cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancers due to HPV infections. Learning Objectives:

1. To develop an understanding of the prevalence of HPV infection and the impact of this infection
2. To discuss the immunization recommendations for HPV

Download this presentation

Lesley McRae, University of Guelph

SASA

One of the most important bridges for an institution to build is that between the community and the campus population. With roughly 13,000 students living off-campus, the issue of waste generated during spring move out has become a large issue in the City of Guelph. Neighbourhood Relations & Off-Campus Housing collaborated with several groups to create a program now known as "Move Out Madness. The goals of this program are threefold; to divert reusable waste from landfill, to donate food & non-perishable clothing to benefit the community, and to help improve the relationship between the university and community residents. There are three initiatives within the program to meet these goals: the Stuff Swap, Clear the Shelves, and the Bulky Item Pick-up. The City of Guelph, Guelphfreecycle.org, University of Guelph Meal Exchange, University of Guelph Sustainability, and Guelph Students for Environmental Change have all committed resources toward the success of this program. The engagement of such a wide breadth of groups has further validated the program and contributed to an improved town and gown relationship. This presentation of the outcomes of this program, research surrounding the benefits of a positive town and gown relationship, and a discussion about best practices, will expand the knowledge of participants on the topic of neighbourhood relations.

Dale Mullings, Department of Student Housing and Residence Life, University of Toronto, Mississauga
Nic Weststrate, Department of Student Housing and Residence Life, University of Toronto, Mississauga

SASA

The First Year Photoethnography Project, made possible with the support of the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services Special Project Fund, attempts to examine the ways in which students formulate their impressions of the institution and its values, the importance they place upon certain aspects of the university experience, and how transition issues affect the development of students’ self perception of during this critical period of growth and change. Fundamentally, the purpose of the project was understand how first year students conceptualize and make meaning of issues they encounter during their transition to university life at the University of Toronto Mississauga.

Twenty residence students participated. They were required to: (a) participate in an initial interview and project briefing; (b) take photographs with a digital camera in response to a set of research questions, and document their thoughts regarding using an online journaling system (c) participate in a structured photo elicitation interview during the 7th week of each academic term, and (d) participate in a focus group interview at the end of the ninth week of each academic term.

This presentation includes the preliminary results of the project, including photographs, journals, quantitative survey data, interview and focus group outcomes along with an a series of identified trends resulting from the initial data analysis, challenges faced throughout the project.

John Ault, Manager, Student Employment and Career Centre, Student and Enrolment Services, University of Saskatchewan
Shauna Tilbury, Career Development Coordinator, Student Employment and Career Centre, Student and Enrolment Services, University of Saskatchewan

SASA, CUCCA

In this session the participants will be introduced to the Student Employment and Career Centre's (SECC) Service Delivery Model. Our objectives are to offer students/alumni a self-directed learning experience that is conceptually driven and visually interactive, and allows them to develop a sense of process, ownership and purpose in their career development/choices. Delegates will be navigated through an on-line virtual model through the eyes of a student. This interactive and engaging process will be introduced in the form of an on-line puzzle. The SECC's Virtual Career Development Learning Model is a cyclical process that encourages students/alumni to engage in their career planning pending one’s immediacy and readiness. The model has six different sections: “Discover Who I Am”; “Explore My Options”; “Choose My Direction”; “Achieve My Goals”; “Join the Workforce” and “Continue to Develop”.

Website may be viewed at: http://students.usask.ca/support/employment/careerguide/

Download this presentation

Amy Gaukel, Manager, First Year Student Experience, Student Services, Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology

SASA

The presentation will begin with a brief outline of the Canadian context of orientation programs, including the differences between university and college programming. An institutional overview of Seneca College will then be given. I will outline a brief history of the orientation program at Seneca and the observations I made of the fall 2006 orientation. I then will explain the processes of change: from how orientation was planned, to how we marketed the program and how by simply asking, stakeholders will help you out. The session will begin to wrap up with a demonstration of how small things add up to big change, a brief assessment of where the orientation program now stands, and where it is headed. Throughout the session, systemic barriers to success will be discussed, as well as the steps being taken to address such barriers. This session is essentially a case-study of changing an orientation program at an Ontario community college with the hope that lessons learned can be transferred to other institutions hoping to change.

Carney Strange, Ph.D., Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs, Bowling Green State University

SASA

Processes of teaching and learning have been conceptualized in various ways, from an exclusive focus on the effectiveness of attending to student cognitive structures in the planning of pedagogical practices (e.g., Perry) to the benefits of recognizing a broader range of learning styles and preferences that shape students' motivations for the learning task and their capacity for understanding and retaining what is learned (e.g., Kolb). In taking the latter tact, this presentation integrates story telling and song writing as techniques for teaching about student development theories of graduate and professional education in student services.

Story telling and song writing alike draw from similar artistic skills in that they require the creator to distill in images and abstractions the essence of whatever phenomenon is being addressed. Authors and communicators are required to draw upon a range of creative conventions, such as character development, plot, and humor, melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic options, and tools of assonance, alliteration, and payoff lines, to evoke the meaning of what is conveyed in a way that motivates and inspires the learner.

Through use of original material, participants will engage in the techniques of songwriting and story telling to explore the bases of psychosocial and identity, cognitive developmental, and typological dimensions of students' development. They will learn some of the basics of song writing and see how such techniques have been used to capture the key constructs of several student development models.

Download this presentation

BJ Jensen, Vice President, Educational Service, Douglas College

SASA

What some think is focusing on students other say is a cloak that disguises personal self-interests. How can student affairs staff begin partnering with other key players to really focus on the students issues?

With the approval of a new academic direction for Douglas College, Student Affairs Leaders recognized the need to bring the whole institution behind a new strategic direction. Invitations to all sectors of the college was extended for a day-long retreat that:

1. Identified strategic issues that should be included in a plan
2. Established a process wherein the plan would be validated and finalized and
3. Identified issues arising from the Academic Plan that impact college services

The vision was that the college-wide service plan and the Academic Plan would form the basis of a new comprehensive Strategic Plan resulting in “Students First: A shared Vision to Support Learning and Services”.

The new plan has spurred growth in student services and greater collaboration between student affairs and services and all other areas of the College. Students First demonstrates how Douglas College used a collaborative model to develop a strategic plan that has resulted in more than a dusty report on a VP’s desk!

Norman J. Lee, MD, CCFP, Chief Physician, Student Health Service, Memorial University of Newfoundland

COUCH

Most sexually transmitted infections are diagnosed in young adults 16-24. In this session, Dr. Lee will review some of the highlights of the recent Canadian Guidelines on Sexually Transmitted Infections (2006) and review the diagnosis and treatment of the most common STI's.

Download this presentation

Muriel Miller, College of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Saskatchewan

Student Judicial Affairs Special Interest Group

This presentation will describe current activities at the College of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Saskatchewan, which are designed to educate graduate students about academic integrity. One of the items to be discussed is a workshop that was presented to graduate students and faculty at the University of Saskatchewan in September, 2006. The workshop featured a number of speakers from the university community and provided an overview of the policies on academic integrity. Workshop participants then had an opportunity to meet in small groups to review and discuss a number of case studies related to academic integrity.

The presentation will also look at some of the activities that the University of Saskatchewan Language Centre used in its hands-on writing workshop for international graduate students. Topics included appropriate use of paraphrasing and citation.

Lastly, we will review the hearing and appeal procedures for students charged with academic dishonesty and the newly-developed policies related to the academic consequences of cheating and plagiarism.

Download this presentation

Phil Warsaba, Student Academic Success Centre, Carleton University

SASA

In the Winter term of 2007, Carleton University’s Student Academic Success Centre (SASC) implemented a pilot Early Warning initiative designed to assist students in, or at risk of, academic difficulty. This pre-midterm alert effort consisted of requests, issued to faculty members, to assess the performance of students they felt were having difficulty in their classes between the third and sixth week of the academic term. Faculty members were then asked to report the nature of specific difficulties to the Student Academic Success Centre when intervention from an Academic Advisor could benefit the identified students. Specific areas of assessment that triggered requests for intervention included poor assignment performance, class attendance, class participation, and/or non-completed assignments and exams.

This presentation will outline the Early Warning model adopted by the Student Academic Success Centre and will provide a summary of results based on the participation of six courses. The model will also be compared to other intervention strategies employed by SASC. A brief analysis of quantitative and qualitative data collected will be supplemented by an extensive discussion of strategies used and challenges faced, including: collaboration with departments and faculty members, students’ responses, common issues impeding student success, Academic Improvement Planning sessions, joint advising appointments, and resources.

The presentation will conclude with a discussion of the potential impact that a widespread pre-midterm alert effort could have on course success rates, retention, and the overall performance of students at risk of academic difficulty.

Oonagh Holmes, First Year Advisor, Acadia University
Bruce Belbin, Director, Student Success Programs, Memorial University of Newfoundland

SASA

Join the Director of Student Success programs at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the First Year Student Advisor at Acadia University as we present various innovative methods in which we ensure the success of our students. We will share how we reach out to our students before they even get to our campus, to the types of programs that we offer within their first few weeks in order to ensure their success. We will discuss various trends like messenger and facebook and how these mediums can assist us with understanding our students and keeping out fingers on their pulse!

We are in the business of staying current and growing along with the changes and updates in our student demographic. We are seeing students that have only been successful in their high school years, the children of helicopter parents who have done everything for their children. How much are we expected to do for them? Is doing too much possible in terms of being detrimental to their success? Is the University/College campus the place where the transition of the student starting to do things for themselves should be happening?

Val Arnault-Pelletier, Native Access Program to Nursing/Medicine, University of Saskatchewan
Trudy Unger, Native Access Program to Nursing/Medicine, University of Saskatchewan
Dr. Peter Butt, Northern Medical Services

Academic Advisors Special Interest Group

The Native Access Program to Nursing/Medicine (NAPN) was initiated by the College of Nursing in 1986 and is presently funded federally, provincially and by the two academic partners in the Nursing Education Program of Saskatchewan (NEPS) – the College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan and the Nursing Division of the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST).

The last two years the College of Medicine has also provided financial support for the collaborative partnership with NAPN resulting in a name change in 2005 to the Native Access Program to Nursing/Medicine (NAPN/M). Presently the NAPN/M and partners offer a blend of group and individual support services targeted at recruitment and retention of students of Aboriginal heritage in the NEPS and the Medical Program.

Over two hundred Aboriginal students are presently enrolled in the NEPS across Saskatchewan, and 9 Aboriginal students are studying in the College of Medicine. The success of this program is related to dedicated staff and students. It is also due to the committed leadership of the nursing and medical academic partners, the academic institutions and government. The effective partnership also includes communities, post-secondary counsellors and health regions. An overview of the history of NAPN/M, effective students supports culminating with a student success story (or two) will all be part of the presentation.

Download this presentation

Elaine Ransom-Hodges, Office for Students with Disabilities, McGill University
Gordon Dionne, Office for Students with Disabilities, McGill University

CADSPPE

The purpose of the McGill OSD Mentor/Tutor (MT) program and the OSD Discussion Group is to provide additional academic and social support to vulnerable students with disabilities, with a focus on ‘hands on’ role modeling of student skills and problem solving strategies by expert students and through peer support. The students who participate in these programs may be new to the university setting, or have experienced significant academic and social difficulties due to a variety of disability related factors. Often, they feel isolated and have not established a connection to the university. With the guidance of an ‘expert student’, they will discover and learn how to use university resources and supports, building bridges and making connections between themselves and the larger university community. The goal of the OSD Discussion Group is to break the social isolation that many students experience, to make connections between students with disabilities so that they can share their experiences and fine tune some social skills in the process. In so doing, the students have reported an increase in self-confidence and a greater connectedness to and awareness of the disability community. In our session, we will outline the history and development of our programs, describe the management and evaluation of the programs, and share some of our success stories. Participants will be provided with information packages that will enable them to replicate the programs on their campuses.

Download this presentation

Rachel Hill, Algoma University College
Cindi Elgie, Algoma University College
Barb Muio, Algoma University College

SASA

It is well-known that academic and social integration are key factors in student retention and persistence; however, how do we as student service professionals successfully meet the academic, learning, health, and social needs of commuter students? And, how do we do this with limited resources?

As a small undergraduate campus of 1200 students, of which 70% are commuters, Algoma University College has been faced with the challenge of effectively engaging commuter students on its campus. During this session we will share what strategies, using limited resources, have been implemented on our campus to address commuter student engagement.

Although the majority of Algoma U's commuter students are direct from high school, its student body is diverse with an average entering age 2 years older than the national average due to a large number of college transfer and mature students; therefore, strategies that include addressing non-millenial commuter students' needs will also be included.

This will be followed by a roundtable discussion to find best practices from across the country as it pertains to engaging commuter students.

Deborah Tsagris, Learning Strategist, University of Ontario Institute of Technology and Durham College

CUCCA

The session will describe how the Durham College and University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) institutionally shared Centre for Students with Disabilities used web technology in an online community to provide service to students’ with LD and their instructors. The objective of the departmental project was to use the Student Homepages to encourage positive transformative outcomes in the students and their environment. We will exhibit examples of students’ web pages, and share preliminary research results of student and instructor feedback. The 'Student Homepage Project' used webpage development to hook LD/ADHD students into learning essential skills and self awareness for academic success in higher education and integrate these skills into a finished product to be shared as a self-advocacy tool to communicate with their Professors. Vogel and Holt 2003 comparative study of adults with LD/NLD recommended that higher education work towards improving disability awareness with students with LD and providing adult instructors training regarding LD. Student Homepages can possibly meet both agendas. Our Students have reported that the creation of their homepage improved their disability awareness and gave them a method to share this information with their professors. The use of technology allowed us to build a bridge for students to move from the high school environment (teacher/parents directed) to the post-secondary environment (student directed). Student Homepages also function as an alternative method of faculty training, building a bridge to better dissemination of learning disabilities information and UID.

Rita Mireles, Health Education Coordinator, Student Health Centre, University of Saskatchewan
Graham Matsalla, In Motion Consultant, Saskatoon Health Region

COUCH

Presentation purpose:

• To provide facts on the physical activity levels of Canadian adults.
• To discuss benefits of physical activity and minimum amount of physical activity required for health benefits.
• To present In Motion, a community based Canadian wide physical activity strategy.
• To present Move US (in partnership with In Motion), a University of Saskatchewan focused physical activity initiative.
• To share the spin-off affects of new and unusual partnerships
• To share wellness initiatives from other locations and workshop participants.

In Motion is a health promotion strategy that encourages Saskatoon Health Region citizens to make regular physical activity a part of their daily lives. It is a comprehensive approach using public awareness, education, motivational and target intervention strategies combined with constant research and evaluation. In Motion provides the tools for groups and organizations to promote healthy active living.

Move US is a multi-partnership initiative committed to increasing physical activity among students and staff at University of Saskatchewan. In the fall of 2006, ten university departments came together to look at ways to partner with In Motion to improve the fitness level of staff and students. Since that initial discussion, this group has developed a web-site, a group site that connects participants, a brochure that features indoor and outdoor walking paths, and campus wide publicity. The extensive partnership has been key to the initiative’s exposure and publicity. This workshop will take attendees through the Move US process, share the successes, and demonstrate how challenges have been overcome.

Download this presentation

Marianne Schroeder, Enrolment Services, University of British Columbia
Shagufta Pasta, Alma Mater Society
Margot Bell, Student Development, University of British Columbia

SASA

Newly admitted students often feel overwhelmed as they approach the beginning of term.

In March 2006, a group of student service professionals from across campus met to discuss the implementation of strategic, just in time communications for students. As a result of these discussions we agreed to collaborate in three ways:

We began by taking an inventory of all of the email communications each unit sent to students during the summer and looked at questions students ask during specific months from data we had available. We examined the information available to students on the web, determined which information was essential to students who were newly admitted, and moved all of the information so it was accessible from a single URL. We re-worked an existing Student Success orientation publication so that the messaging, format and name of the publication was consistent with this new communication campaign.

In the process of working together, we discovered that each unit had unique information about transitions, student life, critical events during the academic year and student expectations. We asked student leaders working with each of the units to contribute advice for New to UBC students and published that advice on the web. This presentation will focus on the unique collaboration between units, the things we learned from students in the process, and the challenges we face as we move forward.

Shannon Fahey, Retention Services, University of Saskatchewan

SASA

Why are some partnerships and collaborations more successful than others? What groundwork can be done in establishing and sustaining campus partnerships? This interactive program will provide participants the opportunity to discuss in large and small groups their experiences in establishing successful partnerships and collaborations as well as how to address the challenges staff face when trying to establish or sustain a partnership. There will also be opportunities to review best practices, and learn some practical tips that can be applied when participants return to their campus. A practical guide developed by the presenter will be included.

Download this presentation

Julie Coote, Aboriginal Services and Programs, Nipissing University
Laurie McLaren, Manager, Aboriginal Services and Programs, Nipissing University

NASSA

In this session, participants will be provided the opportunity to learn about the various partnerships with local educational institutions and First Nations communities that the Aboriginal Services and Programs office at Nippissing University have embarked upon to enhance student retention and success. The session will also include an opportunity for others to share their experiences in providing Aboriginal student programming and partners that have proven effective.

Joanna Holt, Centre for Student Development and Counselling, Ryerson University

CUCCA, COUCH

Self-harm is intentional harm to one’s own body and is used by some students as a means of coping with emotional distress. The act of self-harm is usually done in isolation, and there can be considerable shame attached to it. As a strategy, however, it can be highly effective, and clients may be reluctant to consider the idea of giving it up. The focus of this presentation will be on assessing the self-harm, differentiating self-harm from suicidality, and generating alternative coping strategies with the client to reduce the self-harm behaviour. Format will include the use of composite case examples and discussion.

Darren S. Newton, Housing, Food and Conference Services, Memorial University of Newfoundland

SASA

The transition from the family home to campus housing can be tumultuous for young adults. The separation from the family unit and the home community, an introduction into a new peer group, the demands of post-secondary studies, and the unprecedented level of freedom can evoke strong emotions and be overwhelming. Helping new residents learn to adapt to, and thrive in, their new community while striking a healthy balance between the academic and the social, is a key challenge of the Residence Life staff. Our ‘Your Choices: Parts I, II and III’ program was developed by Memorial University’s Residence Life Office in response to identified student needs. Since its first iteration, Your Choices has evolved to better educate new residents about student life issues that range from personal health, to academic success, to discipline. A mandatory program for all new residents, Your Choices is delivered in an informative and entertaining format.

This presentation will outline the development of the Your Choices program with specific regard to the identification of resident needs, changes in structure, content, and delivery, and the underlying theoretical and philosophical framework upon which the program is based. Residence Life and Student Affairs staff will find this session useful for identifying salient issues within their own student population and developing educational programming to address emerging student needs.

Download this presentation

Connie Gerwing, Career Counsellor, SIAST Woodland Campus
Kathy Saunders, Career Counsellor, SIAST Wascana Campus

CUCCA

SIAST's student success strategy is focused on having the right student in the right program at the right time in their lives. Potential students and those who assist them in planning their post-secondary education, teachers, counsellors and parents, need resources to make the best choices. The Secrets to Success website is set up to provide information, links and contacts for potential students in three areas: personal, academic and career preparedness.

Erin Kaipainen, First Year Experience Office, Carleton University

SASA

Community Service Learning stands apart from volunteerism or community service in that service to the community and student learning are treated as being equally important. Effective service learning programs must address a need in the community while enhancing student learning and development. Campuses across Canada are developing new or expanding existing service learning programs and Carleton University is amongst these institutions. In this discussion, the presenter reflects on the importance of ‘building bridges’ between university departments, educational institutions and community actors and organizations for service learning initiatives. The presenter will share insights gained from the expanded co-curricular service learning program, and the completion of Carleton’s first Alternative Spring Break program that was facilitated in partnership with the University of British Columbia’s Learning Exchange.