The Priority #2 Action Group first met in November and got straight to work on a plan to collect an inventory of on-campus student support services. By the end of the first meeting, they had drafted a set of seven questions:
- How would you define student support in your area or department?
- What student support services do you currently offer?
- Are any student supports missing to service your students?
- Please identify key priorities to support students in your area.
- What would allow you to provide more complete student support services?
- Any other comments or suggestions?
- What department are you from?
Over the course of two months, responses to these questions were collected via email and face-to-face interviews with key area contacts. Despite the end of the winter term and holiday break, the group was able to get a response rate of about 70%.
The next step for the group was to determine the best way to analyze the copious amounts of data they had collected. No easy feat! The group divided up the questions and areas and worked in sub-groups to analyze the responses for their April meeting. The sub-group representing non-instructional areas such as Counselling, Library and International Education analyzed responses to questions 2-5 and identified a set of six trends:
- Improved communications between departments and to students
- Increase support for students with mental illness
- Increased IT support for software and applications
- Transition, Retention and Academic Success plan for all students
- Increased resources (human, financial, and space)
- Specialized support for individualized students (e.g. Aboriginal, Disabilities, IE, LGBQT, Athletes, Religious)
After a discussion of each of the identified trends, group members agreed to begin their focus on four of the trends and brainstormed a series of actions to get started.
- Improved communications between departments and to students
- Development of a campus-wide online calendar of events and services
- Promotion of events and services utilizing strategically placed on-campus televisions and bulletin boards
- Increase support for students with mental illness
- Development of an information sheet with tips for faculty and staff on how to support students in crisis
- Development of workshops through LEDC, TCDC or CS that teach condensed mental health first aid and/or intervention techniques
- Development of promotional materials that highlight the services offered through Counselling and other areas on campus
- Rebranding of Counselling to remove stigmas that may prevent students from using their services
- Promotion of Counselling services and/or crisis training during New Employee Orientation sessions
- Organization of events to coincide with national or international mental health awareness initiatives
- Increased IT support for software and applications
Understanding that the IT department is dealing with resource challenges, the group identified two high priority areas to Centre the action.
- Development of orientation materials for high use applications such as Word
- Expand D2L troubleshooting support for students
- Transition, Retention and Academic Success Plan for all students
The group discussed academic success planning and intervention before it reaches a probationary or suspension stage and made the following plans:
- Reviewing and updating the Academic Standing – Academic Probation and Academic Suspension policy
- Promotion of student supports in admissions letters
The group will be meeting next in mid-May to review the status of the actions as identified in each of the trends as well as continue their inventory analysis work, particularly those gathered from the Academic Departments.
Join the conversation – How would you define student support in your area or department?
