CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY STUDENT SERVICES
L’ASSOCIATION DES SERVICES AUX ÉTUDIANTS DES UNIVERSITÉS ET COLLÈGES DU CANADA
WINTER / HIVER / 2014 / ISSN 1206-8500
Navigating
Change...
Literally!
...pg 14
NOTICE OF SPECIAL RESOLUTION
CAST YOUR VOTE: March 3-April 3, 2014
CACUSS has given notice regarding our requirements to make amendments to our bylaws
and submit “Articles of Continuance”* under the new Canada Not-for Profit Act. In order to
do so, we require a “special resolution” of
members.
Part of this process has also involved
discussion around governance and
structural change within the organization.
Read all the details of the bylaw changes,
the implications for the organization, our
proposed model for future organizational
structure, including the special resolution
details at www.cacuss.ca/Organizational_
Changes.html
CAST YOUR VOTE TODAY.
Contents
Communiqué
Volume 14, Issue 2, Winter 2014 /
Tome 14, Numéro 2, Hiver 2014
4
President’s Message
Editor / Rédacteur
Marty Williams, martywilliams@sympatico.ca
Janet Williams, Copy Editor
5
Message de la présidente
Design / Conception graphique
Allan Graphics Ltd., 613-546-6000
6
Executive Director Update
7
Mise à jour de la directrice générale
8
Benchmarking of Aboriginal Student Services at Canadian
Universities by Wendy Ing
11
York University’s Mental Health Disability Services Pilots
Transitional Program for New Clients and Incoming Students
by Sean Coleman and Nadia Ianni Palarchio
13
Breaking up with Robin Replicate by Monica Munaretto
14
CACUSS 2014 - Navigating Change... Literally!
by Laurie Schnarr
15
Everyone Love 90 GREAT IDEAS by John Austin
16
Connecting Well-being to the Learning Environment
by SFU Health Promotion
19
Column: Dear Elliott by Mark Solomon
20
Impactful or Irritating? by Lara Hof
21
Promoting Civic Engagement Through Global Learning
Programs by Janet Doner and Laurie Schnarr
CACUSS Board/Conseil ASEUCC
Janet Mee, President, cacuss-president@cacuss.ca
David Newman, President-Elect
david.newman@utoronto.ca
Sarah Burley, Secretary-Treasurer
sarah.burley@utoronto.ca
Corinna Fitzgerald, Member at Large (MatL) /
Director, Organizational Development
cfitzger@stfx.ca
Jack Dobbs, (MatL), Director / Professional Development
jdobbs@mtroyal.ca
Kelli Gray, (MatL), Director / Research and Recognition
kgray@lakeheadu.ca
Adam Kuhn, (MatL), Director / Inclusion and Advocacy
adam.kuhn@utoronto.ca
Keith Hotchkiss, Chair, 2014 Organizing Committee
keith.hotchkiss@smu.ca
Tim Rahilly, President, SASA, tim_rahilly@sfu.ca
Paige Isaac, Chair, NASSA, paige.isaac@mcgill.ca
Marcelle Mullings, President, SCAIA
marcellm@yorku.ca
Janine Robb, President, COUCH
janine.robb@utoronto.ca
Maxine Kinakin, President, CADSPPE
maxine.kinakin@usask.ca
Chris Mercer, President, CUCCA, chris.mercer@cna.nl.ca
Communiqué is published by the Canadian Association
of College and University Student Services (CACUSS)/
L’association des services aux étudiants des universities
et colleges du Canada (ASEUCC). All material copyright
CACUSS/ASEUCC unless otherwise noted. Material may not
be reproduced without the express written permission of
CACUSS/ASEUCC.
The opionions expressed in Communiqué do not reflect
those of the magazine or of CACUSS.
Le Communiqué est publié par la Canadian Association
of College and University Student Services (CACUSS)/
l’Association des services aux étudiants des universités et
collèges du Canada (ASEUCC). Copyright pour le contenu :
CACUSS/ASEUCC, à moins d’indication contraire. Aucune
reproduction du contenu de cette publication sans
l’autorisation écrite expresse de CACUSS/ASEUCC.
Les opinions exprimées dans Communiqué ne reflètent
pas ceux du magazine ou de l’ASEUCC.
Jennifer Hamilton, Executive Director,
<cacuss-ed@cacuss.ca>
23
Assessing Aboriginal Awareness Comes to Ontario
Advertising / La publicité
CACUSS Secretariat, contact@cacuss.ca
by Jennifer Massey and Anne Godlewska
25
Reflection with Direction by Cristina Peter
34
Column: Big Mouth Strikes Again - by Marty Williams
Submissions / Soumissions
News, articles, updates, opinion pieces, letters to the
editor, artwork and photographs relating to college and
university student services in Canada are all very welcome.
Send submissions to:
Nous acceptons les nouvelles, articles, mises au point,
énoncés d’opinion, lettres aux rédacteurs, illustrations et
photographies se rapportant aux services aux étudiants
des collèges et des universités. Faire parvenir vos
soumissions à :
Marty Williams - martywilliams@sympatico.ca
CACUSS Secretariat/Secretariat ASEUCC
720 Spadina Avenue, Suite 202,
Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2T9 • 647-345-1116
Email: contact@cacuss.ca
Website: www.CACUSS.ca
President’s Message
L
ook up “division” in a thesaurus and you will
find the following: separation, split, distribution,
boundary, category and department. The Oxford
English Dictionary defines division “as each of
the parts into which something is divided - a major section
of an organization, with responsibility for a particular area
of activity”.
Our current Constitution and By-laws state that our Divisions
represent specialized areas of activity and interest in student services.
In our current structure, our divisions are autonomous and, for all
intents and purposes, we have acted as a federation of associations.
We ask every member to identify a primary affiliation and we
distribute our resources based on the numbers of members in each
Division. In many instances this has meant that
work we consider to be critical to improving the
experiences of students is left to divisions with
fewer resources – both financial and human.
Over the past several months, the CACUSS Board
has hosted a series of town halls to engage our
members in a conversation about the proposed
new organizational model for CACUSS. How we
cluster our professional communities and how
they engage and support our members has been
a critical focus of this discussion. We have a long
and proud history as an association and our
Divisions have been an important mechanism
Janet Mee
for building community, facilitating professional
development and advancing our work. At the
same time, we have heard from our members that the nature of their
work has evolved and that they expect more than we are currently
delivering. As we consider a new organizational model, our goal is
to maintain all that is good about the work that has been supported
by our current structure while strengthening our ability to deliver
the best possible professional development and services to every
member of our association and seizing the opportunities created
through a common vision and shared responsibility for our work.
In proposing a new model, we have chosen our language carefully.
It is our hope and expectation that the words we have chosen will
define who we are and how we act – that we will turn to the literature
on communities of practice to guide and inform how our CACUSS
communities are formed and how they function.
A community of practice is a group of people who share a
common concern, a set of problems, or interest in a topic and who
come together to fulfil both individual and group goals. Successful
and sustainable communities have focused, well-defined purposes
that are directly tied to the sponsoring organization’s mission.
(Cambridge, Kaplan, Suter, 2005). Done well, communities of
practice foster strong and effective relationships, share best practice,
work collaboratively to solve problems and create new knowledge
4 / COMMUNIQUÉ / TOME 14 / NUMÉRO 2 / HIVER 2014
and improve practices. Communities of practice grow and evolve
to meet the need of its members and require strong and intentional
leadership.
As we evolve as an association, we will need to pay careful
attention to the ways in which we build our communities, the support
we provide to our leaders, and the mentorship we provide to new
professionals. We will need to ensure that the infrastructure is able
to support the ambitions of our organization and do the work of true
communities of practice. We will need to think and act differently.
So, what is in a name? A great deal I hope. Look up “community”
in a thesaurus and you will find the following: kinship, unity, identity,
cooperation, convergence, and spirit. And that is, at its heart, what I
believe our association is all about.
Janet Mee is the President of CACUSS. You can
reach her at
janet.mee@ubc.ca
References:
Cambrige, D., Kaplan, S., & Suter, V. (2005).
Community of Practice Design Guide. Retrieved
May2010, from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/
NLI0531.pdf (2005)
Message de la présidente
C
herchez le mot « division » dans un dictionnaire
analogique et vous trouverez ce qui suit :
séparation, scission, distribution, frontière,
catégorie et département. Le dictionnaire
français Le Petit Robert définit division comme « partie
non séparée d’un tout concrètement divisé – réunion de
plusieurs bureaux sous la direction d’un chef de division ».
Nos statuts et règlements actuels disposent que nos divisions
représentent des domaines d’activité et d’intérêt spécialisés en
services aux étudiants. Dans notre structure actuelle, nos divisions
sont autonomes et, dans la pratique, nous avons agi comme une
fédération d’associations. Nous demandons à chacun de nos
membres d’indiquer leur principale affiliation et nous distribuons
nos ressources en fonction du nombre de membres dans chaque
division. Dans de nombreux cas, cela a signifié que le travail que
nous considérons comme étant essentiel pour l’amélioration des
expériences des étudiants a été laissé aux divisions dotées de moins
de ressources—à la fois financières et humaines.
Au cours des quelques derniers mois, le conseil d’administration
de l’ASEUCC a organisé une série d’assemblées publiques en vue
de faire participer les membres à une conversation sur le nouveau
modèle organisationnel proposé pour l’ASEUCC. La façon dont
nous regroupons nos communautés professionnelles ainsi que la
façon dont elles s’engagent et soutiennent nos membres ont été un
élément central de cette discussion. En tant qu’association, nous
avons une longue et fière histoire et nos divisions ont constitué un
important mécanisme pour construire la communauté, faciliter
le perfectionnement professionnel et faire avancer notre travail.
Simultanément, nous avons appris de nos membres que la nature
de leur travail a évolué et qu’ils s’attendent à plus que ce que nous
offrons actuellement. Pendant que nous examinons un nouveau
modèle organisationnel, notre but est de maintenir tout ce qu’il
y a de bon dans le travail qui a été soutenu par notre structure
actuelle, tout en renforçant notre capacité de fournir le meilleur
perfectionnement professionnel et les meilleurs services qui soient à
tous les membres de notre association et en saisissant les possibilités
créées grâce à une vision et une responsabilité communes par
rapport à notre travail.
En proposant un nouveau modèle, nous avons choisi nos termes
avec soin. Nous formons l’espoir et le désir que les mots que nous
avons choisis définiront bien qui nous sommes et comment nous
agissons – que nous nous tournerons vers la documentation sur les
communautés de pratique pour orienter et éclairer la façon dont nos
communautés sont formées à l’ASEUCC ainsi que la façon dont elles
fonctionnent.
Une communauté de pratique est constituée d’un groupe de
personnes qui partagent une préoccupation commune, un ensemble
de problèmes ou un même intérêt pour un sujet et qui se réunissent
pour atteindre à la fois leurs buts individuels et communs. Les
communautés efficaces et durables possèdent des objectifs ciblés
et bien cernés qui sont directement liés à la mission de l’organisme
parrainant (Cambridge, Kaplan, Suter, 2005). Bien réussies,
les communautés de pratique favorisent les relations solides et
efficaces, elles échangent des pratiques exemplaires, travaillent en
collaboration pour résoudre les problèmes et créer de nouvelles
connaissances et elles améliorent les pratiques. Les communautés de
pratique croissent et évoluent afin de répondre aux besoins de leurs
membres et elles nécessitent un leadership fort et intentionnel.
Au fur et à mesure que nous évoluons comme association, nous
devons accorder une attention particulière à notre manière de bâtir
nos communautés, au soutien que nous apportons à nos dirigeants
et au mentorat que nous offrons aux nouveaux professionnels.
Nous devrons nous assurer que l’infrastructure est à la hauteur des
ambitions de notre organisme et en mesure de soutenir le travail
de vraies communautés de pratique. Il nous faudra penser et agir
différemment.
Que recèle un nom? Beaucoup de choses, j’espère. Cherchez
le mot « communauté » dans un dictionnaire analogique et
vous trouverez ce qui suit : parenté, unité, identité, coopération,
convergence et esprit. Et c’est, fondamentalement, ce que j’estime
être notre association.
Janet Mee est la présidente de l’ASEUCC. Vous pouvez la joindre à
l’adresse suivante : janet.mee@ubc.ca
Références :
Cambrige, D., S. Kaplan et V. Suter, (2005). Community of Practice
Design Guide. Extrait, mai 2010, tiré de http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/
pdf/NLI0531.pdf (2005)
If you are planning to attend
the American College Personnel
Association (ACPA) conference in
Indianapolis, CACUSS is hosting
a “Canadian Student Affairs
Networking Reption”
Monday, March 31, 2014
7:00-8:00 pm
Indianapolis Marriott Downtown
Florida Room
Meet President Janet Mee, other members of
CACUSS and friends.
Room locations and times of receptions are
subject to change. Please check the respective
conference program for details.
COMMUNIQUÉ / VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2 / WINTER 2014 / 5
Executive Director Update
M
any of our colleagues on your campuses spend a lot of time
thinking about, measuring, and strategizing about student
engagement. “Engagement” is not a unique term to higher
education. Retail and other for-profit entities also consider
and measure “customer” engagement. You may or may not be surprised that
membership-based organizations also measure their health and success by
the amount of “membership engagement” they can measure and track. I just
returned from a workshop (Canadian Society of Association Executives) where
the term was bandied about in almost every session. How members engage
in the association, how to track and measure member engagement, what that
means for member retention were all conversations and examples given by
presenters. Its complexity as a concept is challenging to define. It is nebulous
to measure. Its value and impact is tricky to explain.
I spend a lot of time thinking about what “member engagement” mean
for us as an association. How do we define it? How do
we measure it? We know that members who are more
engaged in CACUSS are more likely to renew their
membership (which is important) but -- as a relatively
small organization -- engagement means so much more.
For one thing, it is a clear indication of the extent to
which our members find meaning in their experience
with the association. It is also about how your engagement
contributes to your learning as a professional, your
connection and growth in the field of student affairs,
and hopefully impacts the work you do on your campus
supporting students. We want you not only to believe in
the association, but also be involved in supporting its
current and future direction. How you have impact on
CACUSS means as much as how the work of CACUSS has
Jennifer Hamilton
impact on you.
Even with the addition of a paid staff member (me),
a small organization like ours is still very member-driven in our activities.
We depend on engagement and participation in activities to guide almost
every single thing we do. We would not have a magazine without member
engagement. We most certainly would not have an annual conference without
it. I am particularly interested in how members of different generations engage
with us as an association. And much like in your work with students, I am very
interested in how technology and social media impacts engagement. How do
members at various stages in their career engage with social media? How do
younger/newer professionals engage in traditional ways with the association?
Once could further analyze definitions of engagement versus definitions
of participation, but for the purpose of my humble report, I use the terms
interchangeably.
I have been very encouraged in the last 6 months by the amount of
participation and engagement by our members and how members have brought
in others from outside the organization to participate in various activities. The
things I am most proud of in the past 12 months:
• An engaged and robust Conference Program committee with national
representation from various institutions across the country as well as
enthusiasm from local hosts (both at McGill in 2013 and St. Mary’s in 2014).
• High level of activity, posts, tweets, retweets, likes and follows on social
media. Lots of sharing between members and other associations.
• Over 200 members participating in our regional events and webinars. This
member benefit will be expanded over the next 2 years. The Student Conduct/
6 / COMMUNIQUÉ / TOME 14 / NUMÉRO 2 / HIVER 2014
Judicial Affairs community (SCAIA) has been particularly active, as have the
Student Health and Mental Health communities.
• A 16% higher return on “Call for Proposals” for our annual conference.
• A 26% higher participation than expected in our “Call for Reviewers” for
our annual conference proposals.
• Participation in committees has increased significantly. Not only do we have
excellent participation in our current divisional structure, but we also have
expanded opportunities for participation through our discussions
• Close to a dozen individuals who have volunteered to present webinars as
we pilot this new method of PD delivery.
• Over 150 individuals who have participated in person or virtually in
conversations about our future.
• A very committed volunteer Board of Directors. Despite the fact that we cut
our “in-person” board meeting to reduce expenditures in 2013/14, I am
so proud of how hard our board is working to advance
our strategic plan, and have good conversations about
our organizations future.
This is all even more amazing because I know you
are working harder and longer hours on your campus.
You are pulled in many directions. To maintain this level
of engagement during this time of organizational change
(and contrary to research about other associations
which indicates that overall membership engagement is
declining) tells me that CACUSS has something special.
We want to embrace what we have built the last 41 years
and ensure that there are many opportunities to engage
and serve our membership.
I recently joined School Council at my kids’ school.
I am co-chairing a committee now. I have become so
interested and involved in what is happening with the
kids, the teachers and the community through this modest contribution. I
feel connected to other parents, the administration, and I believe I am better
equipped to support my kids in their education. I am more likely to attend
workshops, talk to the teachers about my concerns, and connect with other
families in the community. I think that is what engagement can do for our
students, and also for you as members of CACUSS. Help you be connected,
learn more, build competencies, and capacity. The parallels are the same.
If you have written an article for Communique, presented at the conference,
joined a committee, commented on posts online, joined a webinar, or otherwise
given some of your volunteer time to CACUSS this year thank you! We would
not have grown to be the organization we are now without the many members
who have volunteered before you. And our future depends on your participation
too. If you have comments or suggestions about how you’d like to be better
involved or how to improve the volunteer experience, please contact me anytime
at cacuss-ed@cacuss.ca, 416.899.7650, @cacusstweets.
Mise à jour de la directrice générale
U
n grand nombre de nos collègues sur les campus consacrent
beaucoup de temps à réfléchir et à élaborer des stratégies sur
l’engagement des étudiants et à le mesurer. Le terme « engagement
» n’est pas exclusif à l’enseignement supérieur. Les commerces de
détail et autres organisations à but lucratif prennent aussi en considération et
mesurent l’engagement des « clients ». Peut-être serez-vous surpris d’apprendre
que les organismes constitués de membres évaluent également leur santé et leur
succès par la mesure du niveau d’« engagement des membres ». Je viens tout
juste d’assister à un atelier (Société canadienne des directeurs d’association)
où le terme circulait dans presque toutes les séances. La manière dont les
membres s’engagent dans l’association, la façon de faire le suivi et de mesurer
l’engagement des membres, et ce que cela peut signifier pour le maintien de
ceux-ci étaient autant de sujets de conversation et d’exemples abordés par les
présentateurs. En tant que concept, sa complexité est compliquée à définir.
Son caractère flou est difficile à mesurer. Sa valeur et ses retombées, délicates
à expliquer.
Je passe beaucoup de temps à réfléchir sur ce que signifie pour nous, en tant
qu’association, l’« engagement des membres ». Comment le définissons-nous?
Comment le mesurons-nous? Nous savons que les membres qui participent
le plus aux activités de l’ASEUCC sont plus susceptibles de renouveler leur
adhésion (ce qui est important), mais—en tant qu’organisme relativement
petit—l’engagement signifie tellement plus. D’une part, il révèle clairement
dans quelle mesure nos membres donnent un sens à leur expérience au sein
de l’association. D’autre part, c’est aussi la façon dont votre engagement
contribue à votre apprentissage en tant que professionnel; votre rapport avec
les affaires étudiantes et votre croissance dans ce domaine; et, il est à espérer,
les répercussions du travail que vous accomplissez sur le campus pour appuyer
les étudiants. Nous voulons non seulement que vous croyiez en l’association
mais que vous y jouiez un rôle pour appuyer son orientation actuelle et future.
La façon dont vous influez sur l’ASEUCC est aussi importante que la façon dont
le travail de l’ASEUCC se répercute sur vous.
Même avec l’ajout d’un membre du personnel rémunéré (moi-même),
un organisme de petite taille comme le nôtre reste toujours largement dirigé
par ses membres dans nos activités. Nous comptons sur leur engagement et
leur participation aux activités pour orienter presque chacune des choses que
nous faisons. Nous n’aurions pas de revue sans l’engagement des membres.
Nous n’aurions certainement pas de congrès annuel sans cet engagement.
Je m’intéresse particulièrement à la façon dont les membres de différentes
générations nouent le dialogue avec nous, en tant qu’association. Et tout comme
pour votre travail avec les étudiants, je m’intéresse beaucoup à la façon dont
la technologie et les médias sociaux influent sur l’engagement. Comment les
membres communiquent-ils avec les médias sociaux à différentes étapes de leur
carrière? Par quels moyens traditionnels les jeunes et nouveaux professionnels
s’engagent-ils dans l’association? On pourrait approfondir l’analyse des
définitions d’engagement par rapport aux définitions de participation, mais
aux fins de cet humble rapport, j’ai utilisé les termes indifféremment.
Au cours des six derniers mois, j’ai été très encouragée par le niveau de
participation et d’engagement chez nos membres et par l’invitation qu’ils ont
faite à des personnes de l’extérieur de l’organisation à participer aux diverses
activités. Les choses dont j’ai été le plus fière pendant les 12 derniers mois se
définissent comme suit :
• Un comité du programme engagé et solide comportant une représentation
nationale provenant de divers établissements du pays, ainsi que l’enthousiasme
des hôtes locaux (aussi bien à McGill en 2013 qu’à St. Mary’s en 2014).
• Un niveau élevé d’activité, messages, gazouillis, gazouillis partagés, « j’aime
» et suivis sur les médias sociaux. Beaucoup d’échanges entre les membres
et les autres associations.
• Participation de plus de 200 membres à nos activités régionales et à nos
webinaires. Cet avantage offert aux membres sera élargi au cours des deux
prochaines années. La communauté de l’ACEIA , conduite des étudiants/
affaires judiciaires, a été particulièrement active, comme l’ont été les
communautés de la santé des étudiants et de la santé mentale.
• Une augmentation de 16 % du nombre de réponses à notre « Appel de
propositions de présentation » pour notre congrès annuel.
• Une augmentation de 26 % de la participation à notre « Appel d’évaluateurs
» pour les propositions de présentation pour le congrès annuel.
• Augmentation significative de la participation aux comités. Non seulement
nous avons une excellente participation au sein de notre structure
divisionnaire actuelle, mais nous avons également des occasions élargies
de participation dans le cadre de nos discussions.
• Près d’une douzaine de personnes se sont portées volontaires pour présenter
des webinaires, au moment où nous procédons à une expérience pilote de
cette nouvelle méthode de diffusion en téléchargement progressif (TP).
• Plus de 150 personnes ont participé en face à face ou de façon virtuelle à
des conversations sur notre avenir.
• Un conseil d’administration bénévole très dévoué. Malgré le fait que nous
supprimons notre réunion du conseil d’administration « en personne »
afin de diminuer les dépenses en 2013-2014, je suis énormément fière du
travail considérable qu’accomplit notre conseil d’administration en vue de
faire avancer notre plan stratégique et d’engager des entretiens sur l’avenir
de notre organisation.
Tout cela est d’autant plus extraordinaire, que je suis consciente que vous
travaillez plus fort et un plus grand nombre d’heures sur votre campus. Vous
êtes tiraillés dans de nombreuses directions à la fois. Le fait de maintenir
ce niveau d’engagement en ces temps de changements organisationnels (et
contrairement à la recherche sur d’autres associations qui indique que, dans
l’ensemble, l’engagement des membres est en déclin) me révèle que l’ASEUCC a
quelque chose de spécial. Nous voulons maintenir ce que nous avons construit
au fil des 41 dernières années et nous assurer qu’il existe de nombreuses
possibilités de faire participer et de servir nos membres.
Je me suis récemment jointe au conseil scolaire de l’école que fréquentent
mes enfants. Je suis actuellement coprésidente d’un comité. Je m’intéresse
beaucoup et je participe à ce qui se passe avec les enfants, les enseignants
et dans la communauté, grâce à cette modeste contribution. Je me sens liée
aux autres parents, à l’administration, et j’estime être mieux outillée pour
appuyer mes enfants dans leurs études. Je suis plus portée à assister aux
ateliers, à parler de mes préoccupations avec les enseignants et à établir des
rapports avec d’autres familles dans la communauté. Voilà ce que je pense
que l’engagement peut apporter à nos étudiants ainsi qu’à vous en tant que
membres de l’ASEUCC. Vous aider à établir des relations, à acquérir plus de
connaissances, à perfectionner vos compétences et à renforcer votre capacité.
Les parallèles sont les mêmes.
Si vous avez rédigé un article pour Communiqué ou donné une présentation
au congrès, si vous vous êtes joint à un comité, avez commenté des messages en
ligne, participé à un webinaire ou avez, d’une autre façon, donné bénévolement
de votre temps pour l’ASEUCC cette année, merci! Nous ne serions pas devenus
l’organisme que nous sommes aujourd’hui sans les nombreux membres qui
ont fait du bénévolat avant vous. Et maintenant notre avenir dépend de votre
participation. Si vous souhaitez faire des commentaires ou des suggestions
concernant la façon dont vous pourriez participer davantage ou la façon
d’améliorer l’expérience de bénévolat, veuillez communiquer avec moi en
tout temps à l’adresse suivante cacuss-ed@cacuss.ca, en composant le 416899-7650 ou à l’adresse twitter @cacusstweets.
COMMUNIQUÉ / VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2 / WINTER 2014 / 7
Letter to the Editor
Navigating Amongst the Service Silos
The theme for CACUSS Conference 2014 is “Navigating Change;” and I
thought I might tempt everyone’s professional taste buds for the topic with a
report on the navigating that’s been happening in my little eastern corner of
the student service world at Dalhousie. But first, the subject of how to steer
through the upheaval of fusing two or more student service areas has already
been given conference time…
At the NASPA’s Mental Health “Can’t Wait To Go Back” student services
conference many presenters talked about instances of collaboration and
service integration that were a direct result of a commitment to improved
service provision for students; often times with -- wait for it - budget increase
of all things! The reports are particularly positive as unit mergers are often
fueled, not by choice, but by budget cuts. It was inspirational to hear of both
the challenges unique to each school and those common across institutions.
One theme that has emerged from the discourse of navigating change is
“breaking down service silos” and is well-illustrated through the “Transforming
Student Services” at the University of Minnesota and University of Waterloo’s
recent review to assess mental health and related services provided to students‘,
The term also describes the experience at Dalhousie University, which set out,
in the summer of 2012 to blend Academic Advising with Disability Support
Services. The goal statement, at the time, was “to identify process efficiencies
and service improvements in order to achieve a service model that reflects
best/effective practice in the areas of: student transition, academic plan
development, and case management support,” but “breaking down service
silos” would have served just as well.
After an initial S.W.O.T. analysis, which included an internal and external
environmental scan, the newly- blended “Advising and Access Services”
became a reality. Our fusing of separate service silos is one of the rare kind that
occurs, not because of forced budget cuts (although we did manage to come
under budget), but because there was actually a perceived need to respond to
student needs, reduce the number of unnecessary referrals, improve service
relationships with students, and capitalize on the collective expertise amongst a
group of experienced, knowledgeable, compassionate and committed to their
profession, advisors. The success of the merging process at Dalhousie can be
found in its approach to navigating change.
Our success can be linked back to the following elements;
• The identification and mobilization of campus champions: students,
faculty, staff, and community; in other words, we recruited supporters
simultaneously from the bottom-up and the top-down.
• A clear vision of merge outcomes.
• Communication of the plan, along with its vision of success, and list of
challenges to all stakeholders.
• Evaluation, adaptation, re-evaluation, adaptation, re-evaluation…
• Accountability – every step of the way
Now that the combination of the two student service areas is complete, the
“Advising and Access Service” continue to achieve our goals by acknowledging
and embracing the multiple identities of our students, as well as the identity
of our institution. We navigate change by acknowledging and embracing the
evolving and expanding role of student services professionals.
Quenta Adams, Director, Advising and Access Services Centre, Dalhousie
University
1
2
https://uwaterloo.ca/mental-health-wellness/
http://www.educause.edu/ero/educause-quarterly-magazine-volume-23-number-2-2000
8 / COMMUNIQUÉ / TOME 14 / NUMÉRO 2 / HIVER 2014
Benchmarking of
Aboriginal Student
Services at Canadian
Universities
Concordia’s research examines national trends
By Wendy Ing
Introduction
Canada’s Aboriginal peoples are underrepresented in postsecondary
education (Mendelson, 2006). Simultaneously, Aboriginal populations in
Canada are proportionately younger and are growing at a faster rate than the
non-Aboriginal population (Statistics Canada, 2008). Research indicates that
education is by far the most important determinant of labour market outcomes
and plays a key role in improving social outcomes (Hull, 2005). Thus it is
imperative to promote the educational success of these growing numbers of
Aboriginal youth to ensure that they have access to labour market opportunities
that increasingly require postsecondary education (Holmes, 2006). Further,
higher educational attainment rates will result in enhanced social conditions
for Aboriginal peoples as well as help to supply a source of in-demand skilled
workers for the ongoing transition to a knowledge-based economy, thereby
sustaining the economic prosperity of the country (Hull, 2008).
Canadian postsecondary institutions have the opportunity to play a vital
role in ensuring the economic vitality and social wellbeing of the nation by
supporting the academic success of Aboriginal peoples. To carry out this
responsibility, however, institutional initiatives to encourage the pursuit of
postsecondary education as well as special programs and services tailored to
the needs of Aboriginal learners must be in place. Consequently, universities
across Canada, including Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, are
increasingly searching for ways to enhance their Aboriginal support services
to assist students in attaining their educational goals.
Context
Although many universities across Canada offer services specifically for
Aboriginal students, there is no set of national standards for best practices in
this domain of student services. Thus the Aboriginal Student Resource Centre at
Concordia University, under the direction of the Advocacy and Support Services
department, embarked on a benchmarking research project in an effort to learn
more about the array of Aboriginal student services and resources available at
postsecondary institutions across Canada. The research findings would allow
Concordia’s centre to perform a quality assurance exercise by assessing its
performance in comparison with national trends.
Specifically, a web-based benchmarking survey was created that touched on
various topics related to the operation of Aboriginal student centres at Canadian
universities. It included questions about the Aboriginal student population
at postsecondary institutions, the services and resources that the Aboriginal
centres provide, how the centres are financed, and the administration of the
centres. The goal was to distribute the survey to universities across Canada that
have Aboriginal student centres or provide at least some services specifically
for Aboriginal students.
As such, the Association of Universities and
Colleges of Canada (AUCC)’s directory of Aboriginal
programs and resources was used in addition to
website searches of over 90 Canadian universities
and affiliated university colleges to compile a list
of contacts. Sixty-two institutions were found to
have Aboriginal student centres or to offer at least
some services for Aboriginal students in particular.
Survey invitations were sent by e-mail to individuals
who occupied roles as directors, managers, or
coordinators of Aboriginal student centres or
were advisors for Aboriginal students at the 62
institutions in the contact list.
Findings
The overall response rate for the survey was 52%
(32 out of 62 institutions). Responding institutions
were located in eight provinces and ranged in
total enrolment size from under 1500 students
to over 50,000 students. In analyzing the results,
the participating institutions were considered as a
whole as well as classified into four groups based
on their total headcount student enrolment: six
institutions could be classified as “very small”
(under 4,000 students), 10 as “small” (4,000 to
10,000 students), seven as “medium” (10,001 to
22,000), and nine as “large” (over 22,000).
The benchmarking project found that many
universities across Canada offer a wide array of
resources, services, and cultural activities for
Aboriginal students. The following summarizes
some of the main findings of the survey, grouped
under four topical areas.
Student Population
should be noted that because of the reliance on
voluntary self-identification, it is most likely that
enrolment data do not capture all Aboriginal
students at any postsecondary institution.
Services and Resources
The survey found that three-quarters of
Aboriginal student service centres are located
within a larger institutional building, whereas 25%
are located in a separate building that is either
specifically designated for all Aboriginal services,
faculty, and programming or that is primarily for
Aboriginal services. Further, the average space
allocation for Aboriginal services is 3,038 sq ft, with
a median of 1,800 sq ft., and on average, centres
are comprised of eight rooms and offices, while the
median is seven rooms. Large institutions tend to
have bigger spaces for their Aboriginal centres, with
an average physical area of 4,944 sq ft and median
area of 3,024 sq ft.
Most centres provide Aboriginal students with a
variety of amenities. The majority of the responding
centres (between 80% and 100%) reported that
they have a computer lab, a student lounge, a
kitchen, access to telephone and fax services, a
resource library, and one or more study rooms
available; 63% also have a conference room. In
addition, medium and large institutions tend to have
fully functional kitchens rather than dry kitchen
facilities for their students.
Almost all Aboriginal centres support students’
academic achievement by providing a number
of resources, such as campus tours, orientation,
academic advising, assistance accessing funding
and financial aid, help with writing academic papers
and letters, and hosting visiting speakers/scholars,
Aboriginal peer mentoring program, and tutors, as
illustrated in the figure below. Moreover, two-thirds
of the centres offer personal counselling services
and over 50% have academic transition programs,
while over a third of the centres offer short term
laptop loans.
All of the respondents reported that they offer
cultural awareness presentations, while the majority
of centres (between 90% and 70%, in descending
order) have feasts, Aboriginal arts and crafts,
Aboriginal Awareness Day/Week, smudging, visiting
Elders, convocation banquet or ceremonies, and
drumming/dancing/singing. Over half of the centres
have powwows, Elders-in-residence, and cultural
field trips, whereas collaboration with chaplaincy
and sweat lodges are less common (31% and 22%,
respectively).
All except one institution’s centre reported
having regular weekday office hours, and the vast
majority also offer extended hours (88%). Among
the centres that provide extended service hours, the
main reason is for student access to study/social
space and computers (71%), and to a lesser extent
for events and activities (43%) and for mentoring,
tutoring, or academic assistance (39%).
Three-quarters of the centres responded that
there is an Aboriginal students association at
their universities, although none of the very small
institutions do. Further, all of the institutions that
have a student association confirmed that their
centres collaborate with the student organization’s
members, and half of them allocate office space in
their centres for the association, with large- and
medium-sized universities more likely to do so than
small institutions.
Universities in western Canada and Ontario
reported having higher Aboriginal student
enrolments compared to institutions on the
east coast. This was an expected finding given
that the western provinces have the largest
Aboriginal populations in the nation and the
highest proportions of the provincial population
identifying as Aboriginal (Statistics Canada, 2008).
Most institutions reported at least 1% or greater
proportion of total enrolled students identifying
as Aboriginal. Again, as expected, institutions in
the western provinces and Ontario, composed of
proportionally more Aboriginal people compared
to eastern provinces, have the highest proportions
of students identifying as Aboriginal (as high as
12%). Further, the most common methods used
by the respondents to identify their Aboriginal
students are the institutional admission form or
centralized provincial admission system (97%),
self-identification (81%), and lists from band
councils and education authorities (56%). It
COMMUNIQUÉ / VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2 / WINTER 2014 / 9
Alloftherespondentsreportedthattheyofferculturalawareness
Conclusion
Funding
Most respondents declined to share their annual budget information, but
most reported that their centres receive funding from their university operating
budgets (78%) and provincial governments (66%). Private donations are
less prevalent (25%), while student fees, federal government, and Aboriginal
funding sources are the least common sources of funding (16% each).
On average, the responding centres are staffed with four full-time employees
and five part-time staff, while the medians are four full-time and four part-time
staff. Additionally, at the centres that have permanent staff positions, 65% have
all Aboriginal permanent staff while another 27% have at least half of permanent
positions filled by Aboriginal employees.
Administration
Two-thirds of the centres reported that they perform assessments of their
services, and the main evaluation methods are focus groups (62%), paper
surveys (52%), and web-based surveys (38%). “Other” methods that 42% of
centres use include informal one-on-one interviews, discussions with students
and staff, and student advisory group meetings. Two-thirds of the centres also
produce an annual report.
Most institutions actively pursue the recruitment of Aboriginal students.
The responsibility of carrying out Aboriginal student recruitment for 58% of
institutions lies with the centre, whereas the task lies with the main institutional
recruitment office for 26% of institutions. Further, 56% of institutions have an
Aboriginal recruitment/outreach officer on staff either at the centre or within
the institution’s recruitment office.
The large majority (88%) of the responding institutions carry out Aboriginal
initiatives, including all of the large institutions. The most prevalent initiative is
the Aboriginal advisory committee (86%), which is common among all nine of
the large universities. Other frequent initiatives, as shown in the figure below,
are academic entry or preparatory programs (71%); policies targeting students,
such as an Aboriginal admission policy or a smudging policy (64%); and
seats reserved for Aboriginal students in various academic programs (61%).
10 / COMMUNIQUÉ / TOME 14 / NUMÉRO 2 / HIVER 2014
The benchmarking research revealed that Aboriginal centres at
postsecondary institutions across Canada are finding ways to address the
Aboriginal education gap by supporting their Aboriginal student body with
specific resources and services to encourage their academic achievement
and promote traditional cultural knowledge. Specifically, centres are easing
Aboriginal students’ transition from their home and community environments
by providing an array of cultural, spiritual, and social activities and a welcoming
and supportive space to gather. They are also attending to students’ educational
success in a variety of ways.
Concordia’s Aboriginal Student Resource Centre was able to use the national
trends identified in the benchmarking research to gain ideas on how it could
expand its services and resources as well as develop Aboriginal initiatives
at the university-level. Such endeavours would only enhance Aboriginal
students’ postsecondary experience and encourage students to form stronger
connections between their education and sense of self, culture, and identity.
Wendy Ing is a Survey and Information Analyst at Concordia University.
References
Holmes, D. (2006). Redressing the balance: Canadian university programs in
support of Aboriginal students. Ottawa: Association of Universities and Colleges of
Canada.
Hull, J. (2005). Post-secondary education and labour market outcomes Canada,
2001. Ottawa: Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.
Hull, J. (2008). Aboriginal youth in the Canadian labour market. Horizons, Policy
Research Initiative, 10, 40-44.
Mendelson, M. (2006). Aboriginal peoples and postsecondary education in
Canada. Ottawa: The Caledon Institute of Social Policy.
Statistics Canada. (2008). Aboriginal Peoples in Canada in 2006: Inuit, Métis and
First Nations, 2006 Census (Catalogue number 97-558-XIE2006001). Retrieved from
http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/as-sa/97-558/info-eng.cfm
York University’s
Mental Health Disability
Services Pilots
Transitional Program
for New Clients and
Incoming Students
This project was supported by a CACUSS Special
Projects Grant
By Sean Coleman
and
Nadia Ianni Palarchio
I
n the early Spring of 2012 the team from Mental
Health Disability Services (MHDS) began preliminary
discussions on developing a transitional program for
students attending York University who are living with a
mental health disability. The conversation that day bridged
two currently salient topics in post-secondary environments:
1. a growing focus on mental health awareness and programming on university
campuses,
2. Increased attention on the importance of an effective transition into postsecondary studies and supports.
As discussion grew into planning and program development, the Head
Start program began to take shape. In discussions, it became apparent to the
team that the design of the program needed to be grounded in the recovery
model of mental health, promoting life with and beyond mental illness. Such a
program must also help facilitate the process of recovery by foster conditions
of hope, healing, empowerment, and connection grounded in a culture of
positive human rights.
In addition, the development of the transition model was informed by the
work of Alf Lizzio, who has suggested “Five Senses” to successful transition to
university as a framework for describing and meeting the needs of students in
the postsecondary setting. Lizzio contends that student success at postsecondary
studies depends on their sense of: Capability, Connectedness, Purpose,
Resourcefulness, and Academic Culture.
Funding for Head Start was graciously provided jointly by CACUSS Special
Projects and York University. The program was implemented as a four day
structured program. In order to assess the impact of the program, and inform
future programming, evaluative measures were built into the design using a
mixed methods approach approved by the York University Office of Research
Ethics. The program evaluation was designed to compile quantitative data
using pre-test/post-test methods, and qualitative data was gathered through
the facilitation of a semi-structured focus group.
Overall, the design of the Head Start pilot program was informed by current
practices in disability services across university campuses, consultations with
students and other key stakeholders, and a review of published literature and
unpublished materials.
Objectives
The specific objectives of Head Start were:
1. To provide knowledge and access to resources that are necessary in
achieving retention and academic success for students with mental health
disabilities
2. To promote the engagement of students with mental health disabilities in
the university environment
3. To deliver activities promoting problem solving, effective coping strategies
and valuable skills in university life
4. To promote a social network of support for students with mental health
disabilities
5. To encourage recovery of students with mental health disabilities
Key Features
The objectives were used to inform the development of Head Start with key
features including:
1. Building a campus community for students with mental health disabilities
(e.g., orientation to campus resources and services for students with
disabilities; interactive campus tours)
2. Relationship building (e.g., facilitation of activities promoting peer
connections; online message boards)
3. Skill development workshops (e.g., healthy eating, managing anxiety,
problem-solving, and self-advocacy)
4. Linking students with supports that promote social determinants of health
(e.g., presentations from career services and financial aid)
Outcomes
By all accounts and measures, Head Start was a success. There were 25
participants, the majority of whom had been clients of MHDS for less than
one year. They indicated gains in all of the objective domains, with some gains
being quite significant. Statistical analyses revealed that participants felt more
confident in their ability to navigate campus services and resources, with 64%
of participants indicating increased confidence at post-test in comparison to
40% prior to participation in the program. More specifically, 73% reported
increased confidence in their ability to navigate disability related services and
resources, and on how to become involved on campus. The group also reported
a 24% increase in confidence in their ability to problem solve issues related to
academic accommodations, and a 33% increase in their confidence in their
ability to self-advocate for academic accommodations.
The focus group results identified emergent themes related to the conditions
of recovery. Participant feedback indicated that Head Start was effective in
promoting a sense of optimism and future orientation, fostering hope.
Presenters who were living with a mental health disability were particularly
powerful. One person (commenting on presenters and peers sharing
experiences) said:
“Hopefulness and achievement and success. Sometimes you think
you are not going to be able to do it and if you see others in more or
less the same boat as you are struggling with mental illnesses, you
COMMUNIQUÉ / VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2 / WINTER 2014 / 11
are motivated and confident that you can do it too.”
Moreover, qualitative feedback indicated an increased internal locus of
control, healing in the context of recovery, with one participant (in response
to using experience in the program to meet academic goals) offering:
“Don’t try to use someone else’s expectation on what you can do, and
don’t think that just because you’re taking this much time versus
somebody else taking less time to do it. Just do what is best for you.”
As well, analysis revealed that participants found Healing by gaining
knowledge of supports and resources and employing self-care practices.
Furthermore, focus group results showed that participants felt Empowered
through obtaining knowledge that helped guide their choices:
“The presentation about self-advocacy. I went home and searched
for all my profs in September. I already emailed them saying I need to
make an appointment because I have class with them in September.
So actually sitting down and showing that I’m responsible.”
It was apparent through the analysis that Connection with others was the
condition of recovery that participants described as having the highest impact.
In evaluating the program, we defined connection as forming meaningful
relationships and having a social network of support. Participants also
perceived connection as facilitating their sense of safety and trust. In addition,
it was evident that sharing experiences facilitated a reduced sense of isolation:
“This program has exceeded my expectations in many ways. I found
we have all connected. We’re sort of all connected and I feel this
oneness and it was easy for me to communicate. You know I’ve gone
to so many other programs, courses, classes and I’ve never made this
connection and everyone has made it so easy.”
Most importantly, Head Start participants described the program as one
that was inclusive, respectful and caring. A great deal of attention was paid
to creating a welcoming, safe environment for group members; providing
an inviting space, healthy yet appealing meals and snacks and time to build
community. The environment of the program was also portrayed as one that
promoted tolerance, safety and trust.
“One of the reasons why I felt comfortable in speaking is the relaxed
atmosphere that [facilitators] have put together. They brought us
together in this atmosphere and were so relaxed with us and so
comfortable with us. They allowed us freedom to speak and I wasn’t
afraid to speak and normally I am. I think they provided us with the
atmosphere and I found that very encouraging.”
As many of us have learned throughout our careers, sometimes it is not
what you do to help someone, but how you do it. The sense of connection and
community that developed throughout Head Start may be the single greatest
benefit, even more than the resource orientations or educational groups.
Overall, Head Start participants expressed satisfaction with the new knowledge
that was acquired regarding services and resources on campus, the effort and
attention given to the details of the program, and opportunities to connect and
socialize with peers.
Constructive Feedback
Although there was a great deal of positive feedback indicating the success
of Head Start, there was also a fair bit of constructive feedback which has
implications for future iterations of the program. The findings enabled us to
make important observations related to areas that should be further enhanced
12 / COMMUNIQUÉ / TOME 14 / NUMÉRO 2 / HIVER 2014
in transition programming for students with mental health disabilities. These
include:
• providing an environment that cultivates meaningful social connections
and opportunities for shared experiences for students with mental health
disabilities
• inspiring recovery conditions through providing presentations by individuals
with lived experience
• including aspects of the program that facilitate each condition of recovery
is a key determinant of participants’ experience and outcomes
• strengthening skills in coping strategies, self-management and self-advocacy
• encouraging empowerment, confidence and independence through
equipping participants with knowledge of resources, services and systems
navigation
During the Summer of 2013, York University Mental Health Disability
Services was able to secure funding for Head Start 2013, again through the
generous support of CACUSS and York University. The MHDS team used the
2012 program evaluation to assess each element of Head Start. We endeavored
to integrate participant feedback as well as make adjustments to programming
based upon the knowledge we acquired facilitating the pilot. Initial responses
indicate that Head Start 2.0 was again a success and we hope to be submitting
another article next year with our updated findings.
Sean Coleman MSW and Nadia Ianni Palarchio M.Ed work at York University
seancole@yorku.ca
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Breaking up with
Robin Replicate
B y M o n ic a M u n a r e t t o
I
like to think that there is a spirit of sharing amongst our
colleagues; that ours is not a competitive occupation,
but one where we strive towards the common goal of
improving the student experience. In the process of fostering
post-secondary education for the greater good, citing where
a great program or idea began (or who inspired it) may not
seem important. Or is it?
This question first occurred to me after my colleague used the term “rob ‘n
replicate,” and I asked, “Robin who?” When I had been patiently educated that
the term refers to the “robbing” of ideas heard at professional conferences or
conventions, I accepted the concept without hesitation. For - I told myself - we
all do it; somehow that makes it okay. “I stole the idea from x university. I
attended their presentation at the conference last year,” another colleague told
me sometime later, as we discussed upcoming projects. At the time, I again
thought nothing of such a comment because I consider our profession to be
one of amazing collaboration.
However, “Or is it?” popped up repeatedly in the weeks and months that
followed. It reappeared when I reminded the undergraduate students I teach to
meet high standards of referencing and citation. It also revisited when I made
use of internet-based tools to identify when a student is presenting information
posted elsewhere and wrote in uncountable essay margins “When the idea is
not your own, be sure to cite your source.” The question gave me pause to
consider how I do not hold similar standards of referencing when it comes to
ideas borrowed and reapplied elsewhere and to ponder, at what point does
this practice warrant citation or reference?
To answer this question, I researched “best practices in citation and the
referencing conventions” for Student Affairs professionals. What I found was
that while there are a number of methods for citing written material (see MLA,
APA, or Chicago) there are no guidelines for how to cite an idea, a conversation,
or an entire program.
Did you notice how I used the phrase “researched best practices ” in
the paragraph above? Student Affairs professionals use this term often and
by it we mean what we learn from speaking, or writing inquisitive emails to
colleagues, attending conference presentations, Googling with key words to
see what pops up at other universities. The phrase does not, however, include
how to reference those “best practices.” Wishing to dig deeper into the issue, I
produced a document during a Service Learning placement that explored “best
practices” assisting international students in understanding academic citation
conventions in North American universities. I learned that the referencing styles
and expectations can vary from system to system and culture to culture. My
inquiry led me to next question: “What are the professional expectations in a
“rob ‘n replicate” situation in Student Affairs culture?”
In pursuit of this information, I started dropping the question in my
casual conversations across various campuses. I was surprised to find how
willing people were to share their experiences and opinions on the topic. The
discussion evolved into asking one another how do we articulate the difference
between “researching best practices” and all the collaborating, building upon,
borrowing from and creating something new that seems to be considered
an acceptable practice in student services. While the discourse raised more
questions than answers, it did produce ideas on how to honour each other’s
work, which are summarised below.
Searching:
In researching “best practices” we often turn to Google and other search
engines for quick information. The fallacy of this method of research is that
it is easy to forget where an idea comes from. The solution is simple: start
a document either in Excel or Word to record and organise your searches.
Track the origins of concepts you find intriguing and may use sometime in the
future. That way, if and when a time comes, credit may be given where it is due.
Contacting Colleagues: The Etiquette of Professional Inquiry
Surveying on the World Wide Web what is being done elsewhere is a
wonderful way to better understand our field. It can provide a wealth of
information and may inspire you to contact those people involved in program
initiatives and the like.
Before reaching out, however, take some time to:
• Review the program
• Visit the department web pages
• Pinpoint the best person to whom to direct your inquiry
• Look for recent news articles or press releases regarding the program or
practices.
• Read any posted job descriptions of positions inherent to the projects.
Only after compiling such available details can you begin to design
appropriate and incisive questions for your colleagues. By reviewing the
available information, and asking only the questions that remain unanswered
while directing them to the most suitable person, you demonstrate a respect
for your profession and your associates. Too often valuable time is lost when
the same ten questions are sent to everyone in the same department.
Gathering Information and Documenting: Constant Vigilance
and Carry a pen!
When gathering the above information, as well as communicating with our
colleagues it is essential that we get in the habit of keeping records of the data
sources. By doing so, we make sure all reference material available to give
credit when and where it is due.
Documentation of this kind takes vigilance as it can include the most casual
of exchanges. For example, a colleague has been openly sharing materials with
you that you then copy and take to your team meeting. The peers from that
meeting in turn may make copies for use at a later time. If the “author” of the
original materials is not noted on the original document, the materials could
end up being claimed as your own by simply appearing on a website or in a
program proposal.. It would certainly be an awkward conversation should
your inspiring colleague mention that they noticed their own wording in your
program pamphlet. Accidents happen, but minimize the risks. Always make a
note when an idea strikes you of where, when and from who you received it
-- even if you have no electronic copy and have to do this in pen!
A real-life example:
I recently began using materials from Griffiths University in my training
for a mentoring program. I simply emailed the program team and asked
permission. If using one of their reflection handouts, a reference to the source
is included. If I’ve adapted it to meet my program’s needs, I note that simply
by including the words “Inspired by…” or “Adapted from…” I have also
COMMUNIQUÉ / VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2 / WINTER 2014 / 13
kept the 2010 email granting permission, in case years from now a question
comes up about whether the work of that team has been honored appropriately
know my teammates have reprinted those documents this year. If I had only
mentioned the “inspiration” verbally and not amended the handout, Griffith’s
contributions would not be noted.
Re-Inventing the Wheel:
In my search for answers in regards to the “rob ‘n replicate” method of
information sharing, I often came up against the argument for “not reinventing
the wheel” by adopting previously tested programs. For example, A friend who
works in a government office reported that it is considered efficient to duplicate
documents (for example training materials) from other units that are already
prepared and fit their needs The justification is reasonable. However, what I am
presenting is that we can – and should -- still honor the contributions of others
simply by drawing attention to them when we do re-use ideas and/or programs.
When in doubt as to how best to do so, contact the person from whom the
idea came and ask for their preference. They may surprise you and own up
to being guilty of “rob ‘n replicating” as well and give you the name of the
person the idea truly came from. Most often, such a request has been received
with gratitude and some colleagues have said that knowing their program is
influencing great work elsewhere has given them new inspiration to do more.
These interchanges foster further opportunities for true collaboration
and the development of networks and communities of practice built on the
principle of mutual respect. We are drawn to this vocation by a desire to make
a difference. What a gift to learn that our work has made a difference beyond
our campus boundary.
What do we do with Robin?
I found many people eager to discuss their “rob’n’replicate” experiences
I believe there professional need for further discourse on the matter. I would
love to speak to our CACUSS community members to establish conventions
that work for our national community and hope to continue this discussion at
the conference in June. We are an amazing community of collaborators and
establishing a culture of honoring each other’s contributions is fitting.
As for me and Robin Replicate, well, I hope we’ve finally broken up for good.
Sometimes I think it would be easy to go back to her, but I’ve been making so
many new friends by connecting with the people who inspire me that I hardly
even notice that she’s gone.
Monica Munaretto, MA, is the Coordinator of New Student Advising at
Centre for New Students at the University of Guelph <monica.munaretto@
uoguelph.ca>
Opportunities for Involement with
CACUSS
In the next 2 months CACUSS will be seeking
membership involvement in the following roles:
Board of Directors (election to be announced)
2015 National Conference Program
Committee
Working and Governance Committees
Leadership of Communities of Practice.
Please check your email and the CACUSS website
for details in early April.
14 / COMMUNIQUÉ / TOME 14 / NUMÉRO 2 / HIVER 2014
CACUSS 2014 –
Navigating Change…
Literally!
T
by
Laurie Schnarr
he theme of our annual conference is particularly
fitting this year because higher education is on
the cusp of fundamental change. The response to
shifting demographics, and complex issues such
as mental health, hazing and substance abuse while facing
reductions in government funding and an increased pressure
to demonstrate the impact of our programs and services on
student learning will define the higher education institution
for the next decade, if not longer. The critical role that
Student Affairs and Services navigates in such a paradigm
shift is therefore worthy of discussion and study..
It seems only fitting then that in order to do so, the national association
undergo its own transformation – to remain nimble and responsive and
deliver the best possible opportunities for its members to network, share and
advance our work.
In order for each of us to explore new delivery methods, current research,
promising practices and innovative ideas… to network with our colleagues
and form new collaborations… to contribute to our national association and
inform the direction of our professional development, CACUSS implemented
some exciting changes to our annual conference planning process last year.
We now have a national Program Committee with responsibility for planning
and delivering our annual conference. Members from across the country
participate in a masked review process to ensure that the sessions you attend
meet key outcomes. And as always, our conference host plays a critical role
in laying the foundation for a culturally rich, impactful conference experience.
In response to your feedback from the 2013 conference, we also made some
important adjustments in preparation for 2014. The Program Committee is now
supported by four sub-committees: Program Review, Program Development,
Assessment and Host. Each team has been working tirelessly to ensure that
your conference experience is inspiring, productive and rejuvenating. The
Program Review team streamlined the session types on offer and tightened the
program submission process. Program Development, mandated to curate 30%
of our conference content, has identified some exciting new plenary sessions
such as “90 Ideas in 90 Minutes,” and an alternative mental health ‘stream’
that aims to engage professionals throughout Student Affairs and Services in
sharing their knowledge and expertise in this important area.
The Assessment group has been investigating alternative assessment methods
to measure the impact of your conference experience and provide next year’s
team with rich data to facilitate decision-making. And, to help you ‘navigate’
your conference experience, and maintain our commitment to sustainable
practices, we are also exploring conference app possibilities. Stay tuned!
In collaboration with the CACUSS divisions a variety of pre-conference
workshops have been identified to immerse you in topics of relevance to your
work, and the Program Development team is planning a cross-disciplinary
session focusing on media response in the wake of critical incidents. To strike
a healthy balance between ‘work and play’ our host, Saint Mary’s University,
has lined up a rich variety of social activities that will facilitate networking and
expose you to the province’s rich cultural heritage. And never fear! While the
conference itself will be located in a conference centre for the first time in
our history, the influence of Saint Mary’s University and the dedication of our
host team will be evident to all!
The Program Committee team is so excited to welcome you to CACUSS 2014.
We want to engage you in a purposeful, energizing and inspiring professional
development experience that equips you to navigate the many changes that are
emerging just over the horizon.
See you due East – in Halifax, Nova Scotia – in June! We can
hardly wait!
Laurie Schnarr, MA, is the Director of Student Life at the University of Guelph
and chair of the 2014 Program Committee. laurie.schnarr@uoguelph.ca
Everyone Loves 90
GREAT IDEAS!!
H
By John Austin
ave you ever experienced conference fatigue?
It’s when, despite the great number of smart
and interesting people you’re learning from, the
thought of sitting in another cramped room for
another 60-90 minutes listening to someone’s promising
practice or thoughtful research leaves you dreaming of a
nap in the middle of the afternoon. It’s happened to most of
us. To get maximum value from our precious professional
development dollars, we cram as many conference sessions
in as possible, but are actually receiving maximum value?
Like toy soldiers, we follow the conference program, walk
the hallways, squint to find the right room number, and rush
to find a seat that meets whatever personal preferences we
bring. Do you like to sit in the front? Near the door? Next
to a wall where you can plug-in your phone or tablet?
What about presenting? We all work hard and want to share our secrets
with our colleagues. But does the thought of preparing yet another Power
Point or Prezi leave you feeling like someone has zapped you of all creativity?
And if you have never presented at a professional conference, how do you get
the nerve to make that happen?
Wouldn’t it be nice if some alternatives came along? Well, that’s what you’ve
told the Program Committee. In recent conference evaluations, you’ve told
us that you’d like to see some variety in presentation styles and presenter
demographics, and we definitely got the message that we need to shake things
up a bit. So, the Program Committee’s Program Development Subcommittee
is proud to introduce 90 Ideas in 90 Minutes.
Here’s how this is going to work:
There will be ten rooms running concurrently on Tuesday morning in
Halifax; each with a theme and nine curated speakers. The themes are currently
being finalized by the subcommittee with input from the Program Committee,
the CACUSS Board, and the CACUSS Divisions and will represent broad topics
with something for everyone! You will have an opportunity to pick the room with
the topic that is of most interest to you: one that you’re completely unfamiliar
with and you’d like to learn some new things; or one that is near and dear
to your heart; or maybe a subject connected to a new responsibility that has
been assigned to your current job or portfolio. Regardless of why you choose
the room you do, you’ll have an opportunity to listen to nine speakers present
for nine minutes each on some dimension of the topic represented in your
room. So… we will be looking for 90 volunteers to tell us something exciting
for nine minutes. Hopefully our Twitter-fed attention spans can handle that.
As an added feature, we will work with the Program Committee’s Assessment
Subcommittee to identify an “audience favourite” from each of the rooms.
Those selected speakers will be given an opportunity to present their great
idea again the next day at a CACUSS closing session. That way, all conference
attendees will have an opportunity to listen to the very best ten ideas,
representing the wide variety of topics and themes. This will be especially
helpful to those who have difficulty choosing a room in the first place.
We’re excited by this new program format as it facilitates a novel networking
opportunity as well as exposure to many new ideas and practices. The format
is set up to also help re-engage the seasoned professional who may have
gotten out of the conference presentation game, and to support first-time
conference presenters. Innovation is the name of the game - all wrapped up
in 90 minute sessions.
Look for details over the coming months as the 90 Ideas in 90 Minutes
themes are refined, and PLEASE accept our request to speak for nine minutes
if we call on you. After all, 90 ideas need 90 people!
See you in Halifax.
John Austin is the Executive Director of Student Affairs at Ryerson
University. Follow him on Twitter at @RyersonJohn
Members of the Program Development Subcommittee are John Austin,
Chair (Ryerson University), Darran Fernandez (University of British
Columbia), Robert Giardino (University of Northern British Columbia),
Jane Lee (University of Alberta), Pat Pardo (Mt. Royal University),
Chauncey Kennedy (Queen’s University), and Shannon Travers (St.
Francis Xavier University)
Life Memberships and Awards of Honour
CACUSS is currently reviewing its Awards and Grants
program for 2014. We will be seeking nominations for our
two prestigious awards.
CACUSS Award of Honour
In recognition of significant achievement and distinguished
contribution to the development and promotion of student
affairs, including contributions to CACUSS and beyond.
Life Memberships
Awarded to someone retired from their position in postsecondary upon recommendation to the CACUSS Board.
Information and deadlines about other awards, grants and
bursaries will be posted in mid-March.
For more information go to
www.cacuss.ca/about_awards.htm
COMMUNIQUÉ / VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2 / WINTER 2014 / 15
Connecting
Well-being to
the Learning
Environment
T
By: SFU Health Promotion
he well-being, particularly the mental well-being,
of Canada’s post-secondary students is increasingly
becoming a concern for the post-secondary institution.
There are higher expectations for such institutions than ever
before as they are called upon to consider the “whole”
student and prepare them for life in an ever-changing world.
Health and well-being are positively correlated with academic success and
learning (El Ansari & Stock, 2010; Swaner, 2005). The learning environment
i.e., the classroom is a central setting for students with the power to impact
student well-being and yet it is where the issue is rarely, if ever, discussed. The
literature on educational settings outline how the conditions for student wellbeing include the opportunity for social interaction, to gain a sense of control
over a dense workload and to make a valuable contribution to the institution
(Harter, Schmidt & Keyes, 2002; Morrison & Kirby, 2010. In addition, factors
such as optimal level of challenge, instructor support and positive classroom
culture have been shown to impact a student’s overall well-being and success
(Cotton, Dollard & Jonge, 2002; Morrison & Kirby, 2010). All of this knowledge
does not seem to be making it into the lecture hall.
In response to the disconnect between student well-being and the classroom,
SFU Health Promotion – in partnership with the Simon Fraser University (SFU)
Teaching and Learning Centre – has taken a forward-thinking approach to
enhance student learning experiences by creating the collaborative initiative,
“Well-being in Learning Environments.”
The project has two major components designed to have a positive impact on
student well-being through the learning environment. The first component
is the process of engaging with the instructors and developing an online
resource for instructional staff to apply supportive teaching practices and
create learning environments that are conducive to well-being. The second
component is an investigation into the impacts of learning environments on
student well-being and learning. The SFU Health Promotion team has been
awarded a research grant from Bringing Theory to Practice (a project within the
American Association of Colleges and Universities) in support of this initiative.
Engaging champions and developing tools to enhance wellbeing in learning environments
The crucial first steps were a literature review that established a rationale
and evidence- base for the project. As well, the key partnership was established
between the SFU Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC). An asset-based approach
was applied to build off of existing successes, and thus students were asked to
nominate instructors who created classroom settings that positively supported
their well-being. These “champion instructors” were interviewed to learn
more about what they were doing to enhance student well-being, the benefits
16 / COMMUNIQUÉ / TOME 14 / NUMÉRO 2 / HIVER 2014
they experienced from engaging in this kind of interaction with students, and
what evidence they had that their actions were positively impacting students.
The examples and experiences they shared were incorporated into real-life
examples to illustrate the primarily theoretical academic literature on the
topic. Profiles of the champion instructors were created and included within
an online resource, along with the rationale for their work.
The literature review, instructor interviews and student feedback contributed
to the identification of specific classroom conditions that support well-being.
Some examples of these conditions include: opportunities for personal
development and social interaction, positive classroom culture, making a
valued contribution, optimal level of challenge and support from instructors.
A list of tools that have been designed to improve conditions for well-being
in learning environments are included in the online resource. The list was
compiled from the literature, with a foundation in Universal Instructional
Design (University of Toronto at Scarborough Teaching and Learning Service
2004), and champion instructors.
In the further development of this initiative, an advisory committee was
created with a representative from the Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC)
and one of the champion instructors which acted to guide the progress and
suggest next steps. After gathering feedback from instructors and educational
consultants the website was revised and is now being shared with additional
instructors through a growing community of practice. The community of
practice, which includes members of the advisory committee and champion
instructors among others, will help to grow momentum and ensure effective
application and usability of the online resource. A panel presentation with
instructors and another session to highlight the online resource and enlist
feedback were given at the annual TLC Symposium in 2012 and 2013. The
presentations contribute to engaging faculty and instructors while also
adding members to the community of practice. Learn more about Well-being
in Learning Environments at: http://www.sfu.ca/healthycampuscommunity/
learningenvironments/WLE.html
Researching the connection between well-being and the
learning environment
The research component of the project was established to investigate the
impact of learning environments on student well-being and learning. There
are limited studies that specifically explore the subject, despite evidence of
the impact working and learning environments have on an individual’s wellbeing in public schools and the workplace (Harter, Schmidt & Keyes, 2002;
Morrison & Kirby, 2010). The research component of the Well-being in
Learning Environments project includes the development of a survey instrument
that has already been implemented in SFU classrooms, as well as a qualitative
feedback component. Specifically, aspects of the learning environment (e.g.,
instructor support, social connectedness, flexibility and control) within the
higher education context will be investigated in terms of how they contribute to
psychosocial well-being factors (e.g., well-being, flourishing, connectedness to
others…), in addition to learning outcomes. The project utilizes a participatory
research design, where instructors are invited to provide feedback on the survey
tool and utilize the tool in their own classrooms. Post-secondary instructors
were consulted during the survey development and revision. The survey tool
was launched at SFU during the Spring 2014 semester, so we can expect data
collection to follow.
Summary
As a unit situated within Student Services, SFU Health Promotion has
traditionally had minimal involvement with faculties and instructors. This
initiative has pushed those boundaries and as
a result, created ties with faculty members,
instructors, and the Teaching and Learning Centre.
Its success at doing so can be linked back to the
leverage the health and well-being of students has
in student learning, engagement and retention and
thus contributes to and aligns with the broader
goals of higher education. Moving forward, the
need to focus on policies, practices, and curricula,
and their impact on student well-being has been
highlighted. Well-being in Learning Environments
is now an important component of the Healthy
Campus Community initiative at SFU.
For more information please visit: http://www.
sfu.ca/healthycampuscommunity.html or contact
health_promo@sfu.ca
SFU Health Promotion team members are
Tara Black, Rosie Dhaliwal, Alisa Stanton
& Crystal Hutchinson http://www.sfu.ca/
healthycampuscommunity/contact.html
References
Cotton, S., Dollard, M., & Jonge, J. (2002). Stress and student
job design: Satisfaction, well-Being, and performance
in university students. International Journal of Stress
Management, 9(3), 147-161.
El Ansari, W., & Stock, C. (2010). Is the health and wellbeing
of university students associated
with their academic performance? Cross sectional findings
from the United Kingdom.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public
Health, 7, 509-527.
Harter, J.K., Schmidt, F.L., and Keyes, C. 2002. Well-Being in
the Workplace and its Relationship to Business Outcomes:
A Review of the Gallup Studies. Washington, DC: American
Psychological Association.
Morrison, W. and P. Kirby. 2010. Schools as Settings for
Promoting Positive Mental Health: Better Practices and
Perspectives. Summerside, PE: Joint Consortium for School
Health.
Swaner, L.E. (2005). Linking engaged learning, student
mental health and well-being, and civic
development: A review of the literature. Washington, DC:
AAC&U., DC: AAC&U.
University of Toronto at Scarborough Teaching and Learning
Service. 2004. Universal Instructional Design: Creating an
Accessible Curriculum. Retrieved from http://www.utsc.
utoronto.ca/~ability/Publication%20-%20Universal%20
Instructional%20Design%20University%20of%20
Toronto%20Scarborough.pdf
COMMUNIQUÉ / VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2 / WINTER 2014 / 17
Co-Curricular Record/Transcript Summit:
May 1-2, 2014 at the University of Toronto
The Co-Curricular Record (CCR), sometimes called a
transcript, is an institutional document that validates involvement
in co-curricular activities, allowing students to track, reflect
on, and market transferable skills and competencies. A CCR/T
Professionals Network has formed with over 90 professionals from
over 40 Canadian universities and colleges.
From May 1-2, 2014, people from all over Canada are invited
to attend the CCR/T Summit to connect with colleagues and to
develop a framework of recommendations on how CCR/T’s should
be structured in Canada as it pertains to quality and standards.
The Summit will provide the opportunity to discuss criteria,
the validation processes, competencies, learning outcomes,
stakeholder perceptions, and the future implications of the CCR/T program in Canada.
No experience with CCR/T programs is needed to attend. If you would like to receive updates about the Summit, are
interested in joining the network, or have any questions, email kimberly.elias@utoronto.ca.
IT’S TIME!
Membership renewals. Your current membership expires on April 30, 2014!
Your membership dollars support:
• research and support for work in CACUSS
• access to free webinars, online discussions, forums
• discounts on regional events, workshops, conferences
• access to over $20,000 in grants, bursaries and awards
• networks and communities of practice
While you are at it, please go online and update your member profile! This will ensure
you continue to receive vital membership information, access to resources and events.
18 / COMMUNIQUÉ / TOME 14 / NUMÉRO 2 / HIVER 2014
Column
Mark Solomon
Dear Elliott
Before I start, Uncle Les says “Hey sweetheart!” The last time
Uncle Les and I drove to get you he told me a story about the time
that his daughter ran into people he knew and who were happy
that they knew him. They were happy because Les had stopped
and worked on their broken down vehicle for hours, delaying
his own time up at his hunt camp. You know Uncle Les -- so
you know this is typical of him-- but the key line of the story was
“you gotta help.”
Those three words made me think about Student Affairs and
where we as a profession are going. The question often visits me
when sitting in department planning meetings in which we are
attempting to come up with the next year’s vision statement. At such
a time I wonder why a vision statement “Do good, if not, we can
help” isn’t enough. I mean, isn’t that what we actually do anyways?
Generally speaking, I try to shy away from calling something
a trend until I think it has been with us for a while, so you know
that when I say there is a new trend of thinking about assessment
in Student Affairs, you know I mean it. You also know that Dad
doesn’t mind being unpopular about bedtime or snacks, but my
opinion on this new trend will make me unpopular at work too.
I worry that if I state my opinion to my colleagues that all I will
discover is how we have forgotten the heart of Student Affairs when
we assess, or when we write learning outcomes. I even cringe a
little when I hear the term “Co-Curricular.” I would prefer it if
Student Affairs continued being the “extra,” the value added, the
cool topping on your sundae.
When the idea that Student Affairs was no longer to be
considered a sundae topping was first explained to me, I
understood the rationale. All extras are cut, and in lean fiscal
times -- which we are always in -- it is important to prove that the
extras are actually essential, because without toppings a sundae
is just a dish of ice cream. But then something changed about
that rationale and it stopped being about proving our worth, but
proving that we could offer a formalized education as well as the
academics. That is not what I signed up for.
Remember Uncle Les’s words “you gotta help.” Notice there
isn’t a “and then assess.” Just help. I expect you, as my daughter
(and Les’s niece), to help others when you see them stumble.
Uncle Les was a foreman for a steel company and never had the
opportunity to become a student affairs professional, yet I learned
a lot from him about how to work in student affairs, because what
my job comes down to is: be good to people. I am told that it is
more than that and that there are theories to back me up, but
Uncle Les makes me wonder if it just isn’t that complicated. That
maybe all the assessment and re-assessment and “essentialising”
of student affairs isn’t just a fancy way to describe the adage “you
gotta help.”
Because, Elliott, here’s the thing: I have attended every single
workshop offered by a department being assessed, and had
learning outcomes written and assessed for a 10 minute address
by a President of an institution and many other examples besides,
and yet I am still not sure I buy it. What I mean is…well, let me
explain it this way. One of Daddy’s heroes in Student Affairs is Dr.
Peggy Patterson because I heard her ask in a speech whether
Student Affairs was a Career or a Profession (with a profession in
this case being defined as something being guided by theories).
I don’t think she was arguing either way, but stating the fact that
it should be clear. In all my years in Student Affairs, Peggy is the
only person to address the question. I continue to go to conference
sessions, workshops, meetings and all of them, but one, involve
assessment. Only one, a workshop offered by Neil Buddel, didn’t
mention any theory associated to their programs.
So what does all this mean? That only two people in Dad’s
profession have dared to suggest that their jobs are not made
“essential” through theory and assessment, but those two people
stay in my mind, you know, and make me think of Uncle Les and
his stories that always end up being about someone saying, “you
gotta help.” ‘Cause I tell you son, I think “you gotta help” feels
like an excellent rallying cry for us all, regardless of profession.
Even a student that makes use of student affairs departments
can help others. And I expect you to help too, Elliott. I expect
all of us to help and guide when we can, and carry and struggle
when we must.
The upshot of all these thoughts is I want you to know that I
think it important that you learn from your professors and from
Uncle Les: both inside and outside of the classroom, inside the
institution and outside of it. I want you to learn what you learn
and not to have to worry obsessively about the assessment of that
learning; of whether or not it’s essential. Granted, assessment
has its place and time, but I can’t remember the last time I had
to show a transcript of essential coursework to get a job, or that
taking any course made me a better person or at doing my job.
Elliott, I care that you learn and experience, not how you were
assessed. Ultimately, I care that when someone says “you gotta
help,” you will; no theoretical question about it.
Mark Solomon is the Director of Student Conduct at Seneca
College. Mark.solomon@senecacollege.ca
COMMUNIQUÉ / VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2 / WINTER 2014 / 19
Impactful or
Irritating?
Developing effective learning driven
student conduct outcomes
By Lara Hof
(This article is adapted from the author’s notes from the 2013 CACUSS
conference session, presented with Lindsay Winger)
R
eflecting on my experiences with student conduct
in Canada for over a decade, I have come to
realize that the two terms “assessment” and
“student conduct programs” are distant cousins.
Even from a simple statistics perceptive, only 10 years ago
no one wanted to know what happened on campus after
4:30pm. It was rare to find an annual report that took such
things into account and the numbers were always considered
an institution’s dirty laundry. Fast forward ten years and at
every conference we gather to share our “best practices” in
an effort to find the most effective way to determine not only
how many of “something,” but also if a student found the
process to be fair and that they learned something of value
as an end result.
Over the past few years there has been a dramatic evolution in the types of
sanctions -- or outcomes -- that decision-makers are using to hold students
accountable for their actions. It used to be that students raked up the leaves
or picked up garbage for drinking too much on a weekend because, at the
time, we thought such chores were the definition of community service. Then
we altered when campus society caught on to the notion that, at the very least,
the “punishment” service should reflect some nature of the offence. So the
leaves continued to fall, but the students collected empties on campus and
helped Resident Assistants make bulletin boards on harm reduction. Then
online alcohol education programs came along, with their research to back
them up, and those working in student conduct believed we were really on to
something this time. Some schools even had the resources to create a more
hands-on in-house seminar for students. This was it – the perfect educational
outcome. Wasn’t it?
Not as such. At CACUSS 2013, we ran re-visited an old, but new to many,
question. Are we in student affairs having a meaningful impact on student
conduct or are we are simply irritating those few who violate a laundry list
of offences?
My colleague, Lindsay Winger, Community Standards Officer (University of
Guelph), and I continued to reflect on this question for months afterwards
and called each other to brainstorm outcome options for students involved in
a code process. Instead of always answering to the pressure for a quick fix to
any given case we began to challenge each other to do it right.
Lindsay set out to make several of the learning outcomes in use at the
20 / COMMUNIQUÉ / TOME 14 / NUMÉRO 2 / HIVER 2014
University of Guelph more effective. After conquering the common hurdle
of how to track completion rates, the University of Guelph has brought their
learning outcomes to a new level. The success comes from three primary
changes in policy:
• Learning outcomes are being written with an established purpose
• Any pre- and post-outcome surveys are implemented not to only reflect
satisfaction rates, but to actually assess whether learning objectives are
being met.
• Appropriate rubrics have been created to increase accountability and
measures for reflective learning assignments.
• Lots of meaningful data was gathered with which to refer to when making
future decisions regarding student conduct policy.
Now people want to know what Guelph knows.
It has been a long process and many still lack the resources to even track
a simple “Sanction complete: Yes/No” checklist. With some institutions still
feeling overwhelmed by having to fight historic battles over the merit of a fine,
Lindsay and I wish to share what we have learned as a result of our experience
over the past year.
Here are five points to consider when developing effective learning-driven
student conduct outcomes:
• Be critically aware of your input and outputs
• Build in accountability and follow-up
• Demonstrate clarity of purpose
• Engage the student
• Make sure the outcome fits
Be critically aware of your input and outputs
No matter the size, each post-secondary institution needs to set realistic
goals. If these goals dictate a quick-fix intervention to solve a current case, it
needs to be recognized for what it is: a quick, potentially meaningless outcome
in order to close a case and increase completion rates. It also needs to be
made clear to all involved that this style of student conduct intervention often
results in the student not completing the assigned task and therefore learning
little from the entire experience .
Our advice is to start small. Instead of having ten outcomes you use regularly
that aren’t effective (and irritating your students), set ONE effective goal each
year to implement. This approach will allow the time to invest at the front-end
of the process and ensure a student’s success. Be specific when answering the
question: what do you want the student to learn from completing this outcome?
Make partnerships with any campus or community stakeholders who have had
success with setting learning outcomes and seeing positive results.
Build in accountability and follow-up
In addition to setting the student up for success, set your program up for
success by ensuring you have the resources to track completion rates and
value. Otherwise, how will you know if the student completed the outcome
well? How will you assess what the student is learning? In addition, keep the
types of outcomes you expect current by applying what the research says about
any given type of intervention. The challenge to doing this is that there remains
minimal to no research on the subject from Canada and so we are limited to
a handful of journal articles, studies, and books by our neighbours to guide
us through students’ views on effective outcomes.
Demonstrate clarity of purpose
Identifying what you hope to achieve is fundamental to a student completing
any outcome well. When writing learning outcomes, it is critical to remember
that just as employees seek out purpose in our everyday tasks -- especially
those we find tedious or daunting – so too do students. We share the need to
understand why we have to do the things we do and therefore it is imperative
that we take the time to understand and be able to explain the purpose of
our outcomes – a daunting task in and of itself that may be tempting to skip.
An effective way past any initial resistance to the task is to begin with what
you already know and write learning outcomes based around the tools in the
student affairs toolkit.
Engage the student
Investing the time to get to know the student and engage them in the conduct
process will lead to more effective outcome most if not all, of the time. Nobody
likes to be told what to do and yet as decision-makers we often get sucked
into the ease of reviewing a file and deciding the student’s fate prior to even
meeting them. We momentarily forget that it takes patience to ask the questions
that will lead to both making thing right and the student learning something
of value. Brainstorm a game plan and set deadlines together. With a few good
prompts, you’ll be amazed just how creative they can be – and they’ll be more
likely to follow through.
Make sure the outcome fits
King (2012) said, “Utilizing a one-size-fits-all approach to address student
misconduct will undoubtedly fail to foster a learning experience for segments of
the adjudicated student population” (p. 577). To be fair is not to be consistent –
appreciation for that concept takes time for some. If we take the time to reflect
on how our “punishments” differed from those of our siblings when growing
up, we will understand the concept of “outcome fit.” My mother knew better
than to make me clean the house as a punishment, because I loved doing so.
I even asked for a vacuum cleaner for my birthday. For my sister, on the other
hand, having to spend any time vacuuming, was an excellent reminder not to
miss curfew again. Take the time to model the lessons we to fit the person
and the infraction.
We all want to implement restorative practices into our student conduct
programs, but our offices are never going to secure the resources we need
if we can’t demonstrate that “our” students learn something along the way.
We need to remember that if we can’t demonstrate learning, awareness,
reduction, and retention, we are not justifying our not only our resources,
but our professional time and energy!
As my boss always says, “don’t make so many lists. Start with what you have.
Build your foundation and with time, add in measures for repairing harm and
rebuilding trust!” Simply assigning outcomes to students has been done case
after case, but it’s time to pause and ask ourselves: are they impactful or just
plain irritating?
Lara Hof is the Manager of Community Judicial Affairs at Humber College.
<Lara.Hof@humber.ca>
Reference:
King, R. H. (2012). Student conduct administration: How students perceive the educational
value and procedural fairness of their disciplinary experiences. Journal of College Student
Development, 53(4), 563-580.
Promoting Civic
Engagement
Through Global
Learning Programs
Strategies for Avoiding the Shadows
I
By Janet Doner
and
Laurie Schnarr
ncreasingly, post-secondary institutions are offering
a range of global learning programs in keeping
with their mission to help students develop lives of
civic purpose and global citizenship. Students that
take advantage of these opportunities because they want to
step outside their comfort zone, volunteer their time, and
immerse themselves in a learning experience that cannot
be found in the classroom. Recently, a spoof article in the
popular Onion magazine made jest of the trend of young,
university-aged students having ‘transformative’ experiences
during short stints to dusty rural African villages, culminating
in their Facebook profile photos being forever changed. At
the article’s conclusion one is left to wonder if that, indeed,
is the extent of possibilities to such programs.
These programs – often categorized as ‘voluntourism,’ tend to consist of
students with the financial means volunteering for various projects somewhere
in the global south (usually with people from drastically lower socio-economic
means), and peppering their experience with cultural excursions in the host
country. Most post-secondary institutions (and now secondary and even
middle schools as well) across Canada and the U.S. offer some iteration of
a curricular or co-curricular service-learning program that exposes students
to global issues while ‘lending a hand’ in return. Many of these programs are
a source of great pride for the school and the student who makes the plunge
and are used as exemplars of the outreach that the West engages in, and of
post-secondary education’s commitment to the development of global citizens.
The same institutions that get to brag about offering global volunteer
programs are also dedicated to critical inquiry and to tackling complex
interdisciplinary issues and are therefore responsible for engaging in hearty
research and debate about the efficacy of such learning programs. There is a
growing library of criticism regarding the impact (both positive and less so) of
short-term international volunteering programs on their Western participants
that acknowledges the layers or nuances of the impact on stakeholders
(communities, students, institutions, and our planet) of said programs. As
cautioned in the NASPA brief, “Five Things Student Affairs Professionals Can Do
to Institutionalize Civic Engagement,” universities who sponsor global volunteer
programs must work collaboratively with the global community partners to
effectively prepare and educate our students for both the experience, and how
COMMUNIQUÉ / VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2 / WINTER 2014 / 21
to integrate the learning they experience overseas to better the potential for a
positive reciprocal impact.
At Student Life at the University of Guelph, we regularly engage in discussion
about both the purpose and the process that informs our various communityengaged learning opportunities. We reflect on the capacity of programs to not
only address learning outcomes, but to also contribute to strong, mutually
respectful partnerships and longer-term social change in our own community
and beyond. We still have a way to go, and are deeply conscious of the darker
crevasses of our social and environmental footprint, but over the years we
have unearthed some particularly constructive strategies that have aided
us in delivering what we believe to be a more democratic model of a civic
engagement program that holds its intentionality and integrity. The strategies
can be categorized as:
• Theme-based
• Our Own Backyard
• The Adult Learner
• Sustainable Partnerships
Theme-based
When developing new community-engagement learning programs it is
important to consult with students and community partners about the themes
of interest and/or gaps in understanding that could benefit from exposure
to a more diverse perspective. Rather than striving to address ‘issues’
within communities, the theme-based approach allows the participants to
explore topics that are: complex and challenging, alongside rich examples of
community resiliency and social change.
The tone for the theme-based approach is set from the application stage
onward. From the orientation and group training activities that occur prior to
a student’s immersion in the program until and after they have been and come
back from the host country. This emphasis on theme is intentionally designed
to shift the focus from destination – be it local, across the country or across
the globe – to the learning that can be had wherever you may be.
The result of the theme-based approach is that a student’s articulation of
their experience exhibit levels of layered questioning reflective of a newly
found understanding due to exposure to diverse perspectives. The participant
of the theme-based program is able to clearly express what they wish to pursue
beyond the program, engage actively with the community partners to co- solve
complex problems together.
Our own backyard
There was a time, not long ago, when those of us whose task it is to offer
the community outreach programs to students came face to face with the
shadier side of our programming. We were confronted with the question: Are
we more concerned about offering exciting destination options to students
or rich learning opportunities? Suddenly it became blatantly obvious that our
learning outcomes could be equally or better met by many of our domestic
programs rather than our annual menu of options for spring international
programs. We were also already aware of many students who, due to cost, were
excluded from participating in the more exotic destinations. The facts were
drawn out into the light; it was time to change our approach. We have since
limited our international programs to specific opportunities that nurture strong
relationships, intentionally bridge the curriculum and co-curriculum, and
advance our mission to promote learning that has a lasting and transformative
impact on students and communities.
Regardless of destination, all of our programs are rooted in our commitment
22 / COMMUNIQUÉ / TOME 14 / NUMÉRO 2 / HIVER 2014
to develop a stronger connection to and understanding of our local reality.
With the help of faculty, staff, governmental representatives, grassroots and
community organizations, and individual residents, our teams explore the
historical, cultural, political, and socio-economic context of the program’s
theme as it pertains to the location of our program and the Guelph context.
Our new orientation has resulted in a trend of students returning to Guelph
from the programs and feeling more connected to their own community, and
better able to contribute on a longer term basis to organizations and populations
associated with the theme.
The Adult Learner
Community-engaged learning programs are grounded in adult education
and experiential learning models that value the lived experience and knowledge
that learners and community partners bring to the table. Opportunities for
new knowledge to be co-created, for reflection and meaning-making to occur
through a critical lens, and for learning to be integrated throughout students’
lives are central to this approach. Adult Education also places the responsibility
on learners for their own learning. In Student Life we see student participants
as integral in creating the optimal learning experience. While we lay the
foundation for students to examine the implications of social location, selfinterest and privilege, we invite them to seek out resources - individually and
as a team – to best educate and prepare themselves for their program, so that
the responsibility for their learning resides with them and not with us, or our
community partners. The involvement of students in setting the direction of
the pre-program curriculum is what also contributes to making each program
and team experience unique, rather than formulaic.
Sustainable partnerships
It should go without saying that partnerships with communities, organizations
and individuals should be founded on a commitment to growth and learning,
defined mutual benefit, and a belief that we are all working towards something
much larger than ourselves.
At Student Life, we are fortunate to have strong, long-standing relationships
with our community and organizational partners, each with their own unique
story of how they came to be connected to us, and how we work together.
The trust and friendship that has developed between them and us allows
for a collective vision of new opportunities for collaboration. This far such
projects have come in the form of democratic civic engagement programs,
research opportunities, joint proposals, community projects, and fundraising
initiatives. As in any good relationship, strong partnerships grow over time
with mutual commitment, clear and respectful communication, and a sense
of common purpose.
By sharing the above strategies, we hope to encourage other post-secondary
institutions to shed some light on the more shadowy aspects to their communityengaged learning programs, regardless of whether they take place in a
neighbourhood on the other side of the world or a stone’s throw away. There
is always the danger of reinforcing stereotypes and perpetuating an ill-informed
‘charity’ approach to community development if such programs are not diligent
in their approach. However, they are also a great opportunity to invest in our
students’ capacity to learn, work collaboratively with community partners in
tackling the complex challenges we face, and, ultimately, to support students
in developing the civic commitment necessary to contribute toward a more
just, sustainable and harmonious society for all.
Janet Doner is the Manager of Community Engagement & Global Citizenship
at Student Life, University of Guelph; Laurie Schnarr is the Director of
Student Life, University of Guelph
Assessing Aboriginal
Awareness Comes to
Ontario
Assessing What We Know (And Don’t Know)
About Aboriginal People
(This project is funded with support from the Advisory Research Council
of Queen’s, Memorial University, Student Affairs and Services Association
(SASA) and NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education)
B y J e n n if e r M a ss e y
T
and
A n n e G o d l e ws k a
a real change in the environment of the Canadian university and for the larger
society in attitudes about and towards Aboriginal people in Canada. Aboriginal
people represent a growing percentage of the Canadian population and
therefore a significant portion of future taxpayers, employees, and employers.
Yet they continue to fall far behind non-Aboriginal students in terms of rates
of high school completion and university entry and retention (Drummond &
Watts 2011). As a result of growing media and political attention to Aboriginal
rights in recent decades, Canadian universities are having to acknowledge
such cultural differences as a problem inherent to the university system and
not simply a problem among Aboriginal students themselves. In order to do
so successfully a partnership has blossomed between Student and Academic
Affairs professionals.
The Student Affairs Professionals bring a knowledge of how the university
networks within the associations of the administration, the university
professoriate, and valuable connections to Aboriginal Initiative offices or
Aboriginal houses who can advise on how to approach the greater Aboriginal
communities.
The Academics bring the accumulated knowledge from the questionnaire
development, and the ability to analyze the data while allowing for cross
institutional comparison. They also provide key access to academic networks
necessary to fund and publish the research results. Student and Academics
Affairs Professionals working together will expedite the process from research
results to actual reform at each university.
he Assessing and Addressing Aboriginal Awareness
Project seeks to improve the quality of education about
Aboriginal people across Canada. Young people in
most provincial schools and in most Canadian universities
appear to be learning through omission that Aboriginal
people have little to do with Canadian geography, history,
Involving Aboriginal People
the arts, sciences, technology, and indeed Canada itself. With
With schools, boards of education, universities, and many educators all
the assistance of Aboriginal people a curricular analysis of lacking awareness of Aboriginal people, cultures, histories, and current
Primary to Secondary education and a survey of 1st year and issues, it is obvious that any survey meant to test the knowledge students
graduating 4th year university students,
have about Aboriginal people must be designed
in full consultation with Aboriginal educators and
the awareness project works to analyze
specialists. Accordingly, in the spring and summer
The
Awareness
Project:
the source of the problem. The data
of 2013 under the auspices of Student Affairs (Tom
and results are shared with university
Student and Academic Affairs
Brophy and Dr. Cecilia Reynolds) and the Aboriginal
partners (Students Affairs, Equity and
Resource Office (Sheila Freake), the team met with
working together to achieve
Aboriginal Education Offices, etc.) and
Aboriginal representatives in universities, colleges
real change for
and communities in Newfoundland and Labrador
Aboriginal communities to enhance
Aboriginal
people
in
Canada.
and with administrators at Memorial University
curricular and co-curricular programs.
Assessing What is Taught and Learned
about Aboriginal People
What do Canadians think and know about Aboriginal people? To answer
this question two areas require examination: what is being taught and what
has been learned.
What is being taught: Our research into the Ontario curriculum suggests that
the provincial curriculum, through its content and its delivery, is perpetuating
ignorance and prejudice amongst Ontarians about Aboriginal peoples and
issues. The team is studying curricula across Canada and publishing as they
go. (Godlewska et al, 2010).
What is being learned: A 2004 study of 500 first-year university students
across Canada (CAAS, 2004), found an extraordinary level of ignorance about
Aboriginal issues of any kind. However, 500 students is a tiny sample for the
size and complexity of the issue.. Our Student Awareness Survey seeks to reach
tens of thousands of students, measure knowledge (or ignorance) of particular
Aboriginal issues and link knowledge to a variety of demographic factors (see
textbox) (Godlewska et al 2013c).
A Partnership Between Academic and Student Affairs
Student and Academic Affairs professionals are now collaborating to achieve
in St. John’s. The committee continues to meet
with Aboriginal representatives in universities,
colleges and communities and administrators in Ontario. Together they are
creating questionnaires that reflect the knowledge Aboriginal leaders think
Canadians should have about Aboriginal life in each educational jurisdiction
(generally by province) of Canada. The questionnaires are designed to have
40% locally- specific questions and 60% nationally relevant questions. Many
Ontario Universities have already committed to administering the survey in
September 2014.
Pilot Project Queen’s University
The research was first carried out as a pilot project at Queen’s University
in 2010. Aboriginal research partners included the Aboriginal Council of
Queen’s University, the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation, the Aboriginal Healing
Foundation, the Native Women’s Association, Seven Generations Institute, and
the Kenjgewin Teg Institute. In 2010 student knowledge of Aboriginal presence
and relevance was measured amongst first-year students at Queen’s University
(Godlewska et al 2013). We had a response rate of 29%. 2.9% was the lowest
score and 82% the highest. The average was 27.7%. Therefore, most first-year
students at Queen’s in 2010, knew very little about Aboriginal peoples. The
findings from the pilot project are necessarily limited, but they do highlight
COMMUNIQUÉ / VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2 / WINTER 2014 / 23
Some of the questions we seek
to answer through the study
• What do students know about Aboriginal
peoples, issues, and cultures?
• Are students stronger in questions of
historical or contemporary fact?
• Are they better or less well informed on
Aboriginal cultural, economic or political
issues?
• Are students aware of legal issues
concerning Aboriginal people and all
Canadians?
• Are 19th century stereotypes evident in
what they understand?
• Is there a relationship between the socioeconomic status of parents and students’
knowledge or attitudes?
• Do the social attitudes of parents and
family influence student willingnes to learn
about Aboriginal people?
• Are recent immigrants better informed or
less well informed about these issues and
how does this differ according contry of
origin, age or gender?
• Do students know anything about
Aboriginal communities closest to where
they live?
• Do students have a sense of shared
community with Aboriginal people?
• Do non-Aboriginal students think of
Aboriginal people as differently Canadian
than they are?
• Are students informed, uninformed or
unwilling to be informed?
• What do students think of what they know?
• Do students feel they should be getting
more education on these issues? If so,
where?
• Where are students learning what they
know and what effect does that have on
what they know?
• What situations or instructors do students
identify as providing remakable training
opportunities?
some important points:
• students retain what is taught in primary school
about Aboriginal peoples
• students pick up some understanding, but
perhaps just as much misunderstanding, from
the media
• where and how Aboriginal material is included in
course material (e.g. History of Ontario) carries
a message pertaining to the value Aboriginal
material in university education
• due to a focus on the Aboriginal’s participation
in Canadian history, students know least about
current events or legislation shaping the lives of
Aboriginal peoples
• students carry a general lack of awareness of the
geography and presence of Aboriginal people
in Canada
• students who report that they learn most about
Aboriginal peoples from their families are
generally the least informed
• those who learned from their own personal
initiative or from an elder, perform best on
the test
• students who claim to have learned of Aboriginal
issues in high school perform a little better on
the test than those who do not
• students are good judges of the quality of the
education they have received in regard to the
inclusion or exclusion of material on Aboriginal
peoples
The qualitative data generated by the survey
taught us that for many students the expectations
of the educational system define what is reasonable
to know which suggests the considerable power of
the school system in defining important knowledge.
Many students cling to current stereotypes about
Aboriginal people as knowledge. Most significant,
is the appearance of a deep divide between the
general student population and its Aboriginal
members. The results of the pilot survey show that
the average Queen’s student considers that their
history or society has little or nothing to do with
Aboriginal people in any way.
Going Forward
As the survey crosses Canada, more data
will provide a demographic map of student
relationships to Aboriginal affairs. Some of the
questions we include are listed bleow:
• Are universities addressing the issue of
unawareness through curriculum or through
co-curricular programs?
• Are there variations in quality of Aboriginal
peoples education from one institution to the
next?
• If yes, are those differences easily identified in
ways that could help other institutions progress?
24 / COMMUNIQUÉ / TOME 14 / NUMÉRO 2 / HIVER 2014
• Are some disciplines more able/inclined to
incorporate Aboriginal awareness content than
others?
• Is there a geography of unawareness in Canada
related to proximity to Aboriginal communities
or to being taught in urban rural or suburban
schools, private or public education
• Do Aboriginal students themselves carry a
significant awareness of other Aboriginal peoples
or are there many solitudes?
The immediate plan is to survey Ontario then
Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Quebec in
successive years and returning three years later
to each province/institution to conduct a survey of
fourth-year students.
Implications and Impacts of the Project
As university educators and teachers of the next
generation of leaders, we must assume responsibility
for promoting a respectful and inclusive awareness
of Aboriginal peoples in North America. To do
this effectively we need to understand the level
of knowledge (or ignorance) among current
university and college students and thereby identify
strategies that can be implemented both within and
without the classroom to help foster interest and
knowledge about Aboriginal peoples. Exploring
student’s knowledge of Aboriginal peoples, in
conjunction with the analysis of curricula and
texts, will contribute to understanding how -- often
unintentionally -- the Canadian education system
silences, stereotypes, and promotes a problematic
status quo of the Aboriginal people that are sitting
in their classrooms.
We are looking for University and Aboriginal
partners across Canada.
To get involved in the study contact Anne
Godlewska directly at anne.godlewska@
queensu.ca
Further information:
http://www.geog.queensu.ca/aware/
Schaefli, L. and Godlewska, A. (2014). Unawareness as
a Strategy of Indigenous Exclusion; Voices from the
Bouchard Taylor Commission, Settler Colonial Studies. DOI:
10.1080/2201473X.2013.866514.
Schaefli, L. and Godlewska, A. (Accepted October 2013a). Geographic
Strategies of Indigenous Exclusion. Evidence from the 2007
Bouchard Taylor Commission on Reasonable Accommodation, The
Canadian Geographer/ Le Géographe canadien.
Godlewska, A. Schaefli, L. and Chaput, P. (2013b) Assimilation
Through Neoliberal Education Reform, Special Issue on the
Critical Geographies of Education. The Canadian Geographer/ Le
Géographe canadien. 57, 3: 271-79.
Godlewska, A., Massey, Jennifer, Adjei, Jones K., and Jackie Moore,
(2013c) “The Unsustainable Nature of Ignorance: Measuring
Knowledge to Effect Social Change. First Results of an On-line
Survey of Aboriginal Knowledge at Queen’s University” The
Canadian Journal of Native Studies. 33, 1: 65-95.
Godlewska, Anne, Moore, Jackie and Drew Bednasek. (2010).
Canadian Education in Ontario: Cultivating Ignorance of Aboriginal
Existence, The Canadian Geographer/ Le Géographe canadien 54,
no 4 (2010) 417-440.
CAAS (Coalition for the Advancement of Aboriginal Studies). (2004).
Learning about walking in beauty: placing Aboriginal perspectives
in Canadian classrooms. (Presented to the Canadian Race Relations
Foundation (CRRF)).
Reflection with
Direction
Strategically Navigating Two
“New Year’s”
A
B y C r is t i n a P e t e r
s educators, we have the fortune of celebrating
two “new year’s”: one in January, and one in
September. While a new start can offer new
energy and the opportunity to reflect, we are
often wrapped up in daily tasks and keeping up with the
latest research while trying to maintain a work-life balance
(whatever that is).
Here are some ways to strategically add a bi-annual reflection to your
everyday professional life, while simultaneously completing items on your
to-do list.
Looking Back While Keeping Current
Navigating Forward
Now that you have looked back, it is time to determine your mission forward
and recalibrate your personal and professional compass. Consider the question
Who am I? -- but stay away from wording used in your job description. Apply
the data you’ve collected in the above exercises and fill a page with your
personality traits, daily habits, accomplishments, hobbies, purpose, aspirations,
and everything that is you. Choose elements that best describe you and package
them into sentences. From these sentences craft one single professional mission
statement For example: “I am an enthusiastic and creative mentor who supports
and empowers student leadership” is far more true to who I am personally
and professionally than “I’m a Campus Life Coordinator.”
Let your reconfigured compass guide how you encounter the challenges
and successes of the coming months. Add your job title and institution to the
end of your mission statement and you’ve just crafted an elevator speech to
use in Halifax.
Tackling To-Dos: Redefine, delegate, or ditch
Let’s return to “the real world.” Grab your project list, and your mandates.
How do these tasks make you feel, how do they fit with your mission statement?
Jot down which of the tasks fit you perfectly. and why they were made for you.
Recall these points of positive energy as you follow through with the actual
doing of the task.
Other projects on your to do list may require some massaging to make them
work for you and your mission, so here are some ways to help you do that:
The best reflection begins with remembering to celebrate our • Redefine: Some tasks need a change in perspective or in how you’re tackling
them. What is the purpose of the task? How can you redefine the task to
accomplishments, recognize “disasters” for what they really were (Were they
fit your mission and your strengths? How can you define it to feel great
that disastrous after all?), and reliving moments of inspiration. As an active
about doing it?
means of reflection this year take a look at your
• Delegate: After re-defining, it may be time for
resume and/or LinkedIn and consider the projection
collaboration and delegation! Determine why you’re
of yourself you have created online or on paper and
struggling with the task and how it could be redefined
Some
tasks
need
a
acknowledge the awesomeness that you are. Then
to better suit you with help, or if there is someone
add your new accomplishments such as papers
change in persepctive
better suited to the task you might ask to take it over
published, courses taken, and career development.
from you. In other words, clearly define your needs
or in how you’re
Let your résumé or LinkedIn become the memory
will get you the help you need, while demonstrating
box you can revisit for a positive boost.
tackling them.
that you know how to get it!
The active reflection combined with the chore
• Ditch: Any tasks you have left on your to do
of updating your online presence or maintaining a
list that you are not suited for and cannot achieve
current CV can be a bi-annual celebration of your
through collaboration or delegation may well not
work.
be necessary. Re-assess whether they require more resources than they
Asking the Right Questions
New Year’s resolutions can end in disappointment, especially if they are
task based. Tasks are a measure of accomplishment, but the key to whether or
not you have the gumption to complete these tasks is how you feel. Therefore,
when making resolutions ask “How do you want to feel?” rather than “What
do you want to do?”
In order to do so, think back to moments when you were at your best
and recall how you felt. Choose about 5 “feelings” that represent you at your
fullest potential such as: Inspiring, Accomplished, Innovative, Strong (you
get the idea).
can contribute. Don’t be afraid to step back and ditch the tasks that aren’t
contributing to bigger picture.
And with a little direction
Reflection is great, but reflection with direction allows you to celebrate the
past, acknowledge the present and prepare for the future… while updating
your resume/LinkedIn profile, crafting your elevator speech, and getting excited
about your to-do list. Make it a bi-annual tradition to reflect on who you are
and you’ll be better prepared for navigating where you’re headed.
Cristina Peter is a Campus Life Coordinator at St. Michael’s College in the
University of Toronto. cristina.peter@utoronto.ca
Throughout the year the year check in with how you’re feeling in the moment
while completing that task list and ask yourself: How do I want to feel? And once
you know that start to calculate what steps can you take to get yourself there.
COMMUNIQUÉ / VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2 / WINTER 2014 / 25
Column
Big Mouth Strikes Again
Toronto student ‘too shy’ to attend class full
of women loses human rights bid against fail
grade
The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario has dismissed a
student’s discrimination claim that his University of Toronto
professor failed him for being male because he was “too
uncomfortable and shy” to attend a class full of women.
Wongene Daniel Kim lost marks and subsequently failed
his Women & Gender Studies class — according to the
tribunal decision — after his professor refused to fulfill
an accommodation request that would excuse him from
attending the class of 40 female students.
“The applicant has not satisfied me that his claimed discomfort
in a classroom of women requires accommodation under
the [Human Rights] Code,” adjudicator Mary Truemner
writes. “He admitted that his discomfort is based on his
own ‘individual preference’ as a shy person.”
--- National Post, February 5, 2014
Dear Professor,
I am writing to you today to ask for permission to never come
back to class. It is very hard for me to attend in person because of
the proliferation of smart people who know something about the
subject matter we are studying and/or who have – unlike me –
done the assigned reading. I have feelings of shame and of being
unworthy; I grow anxious at the thought of being asked a question,
of being singled out as clueless, of feeling like a “bad student” simply
because I’ve been out every night (and most afternoons) at the pub
instead of doing the work. Do you have any idea what it’s like to be
surrounded by people with self-control, ambition, and intellectual
curiosity when you yourself have none? No, of course you don’t: Silly
question. You, of course, thrive in such a hostile environment – that’s
how (and perhaps why?) you became a prof. Unfortunately for me, I
am spoiled and lazy. I have had everything handed to me on a platter
and therefore have developed no positive work habits or motivation
to succeed – but it’s not my fault. I hope you understand and allow
me to simply complete some kind of on-line indication of a minimum
understanding of the subject. To come to class hurts me too much.
Dear Professor,
There are too many males in my class. I know that I am a male
too, but I don’t like the ratio. It distracts me. I don’t know how to
behave. One week I try blushing and being shy, the next week I snarl
and make rude remarks about the Treaty of Ghent. See, the problem
26 / COMMUNIQUÉ / TOME 14 / NUMÉRO 2 / HIVER 2014
Marty Williams
is, I grew up surrounded by a perfectly equal number of women
and men and in every step of my journey we had all socio-economic
groups represented. Every race, culture, ethnicity, religion, and point
of view was present in every encounter. So when I come to your class
it’s just not the same. I am out of sorts. Which is why -- I am sorry
to have to tell you -- I can’t attend anymore. I can do some sort of
on-line quiz if you’d like – just as long as it has no more than 10
true or false questions and leaves no room for ambiguity. I hate that.
Dear Professor,
I can’t come to class anymore because I love you. My religion
forbids me to love a mathematician unless they specialize in ZermeloFraenkel set theory (which you don’t, so don’t try to pretend you do).
It cannot be, “we” cannot be, and because we can’t be “we,” I cannot
be me, and thus (alas!) cannot be near you. So I won’t be back to
class. That you are much older, in a relationship, and not attracted
to people of my gender does nothing to comfort or give me solace.
The divinely prescribed no-nos that guide me also forbid me to feel
what I feel and force me to request on-line accommodation. Perhaps
a 100 word essay on the Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory?
Dear Professor,
I am shocked and appalled to discover that this course, English
writers of the 1800s, has nothing but English writers from the 1800s
on the syllabus. WTF? (Where’s The French?). Can you honestly
expect that people like me, not born in England and not from the
1800s, will continue to come to your class and “discuss” this narrow
(and frankly, narrow-minded) band of dead Limeys? You can expect
therefore, that I will no longer be in attendance and will require
a change in the marking system to reflect a broader scope. I have
attached an essay that, I believe, fulfills what this course should be
about. Entitled “French Writers of the 1800s: a personal voyage of
discovery,” I know it to be an A level paper. At least, that’s what I got
when I submitted it last term. D’accord, ok?
Dear Professor,
I will no longer be able to come to your class. I will have to have
100 % of my final grade be for on-line work only. The reason? It is
simple: there is simply too much snow. It’s everywhere. And even
though I live on campus and the class is in the same building complex
my room is in so I don’t have to actually touch it, the mere presence
of snow outside the window causes me to shiver, shudder and shake.
I can’t concentrate, I can’t participate, and I can’t communicate. I
freeze. I drift. My brain turns slushy. So I must take a powder. And
that’s not a snow job, it’s the truth. Honest.
Saint Mary’s University and its CACUSS 2014
Host Committee are excited to welcome
everyone to Halifax, NS for this year’s
CACUSS National Conference in June!
In addition to the myriad professional development and
networking opportunities being worked on by the Program
Committee, the Host Committee from Saint Mary’s has
developed a schedule of events that will allow you to truly
experience Halifax’s world-famous East Coast hospitality.
Once you arrive, there will be opportunities to tour historic
downtown Halifax on Harbour Hopper amphibious tours,
a chance to head out to gorgeous Peggy’s Cove to see the
lighthouse, and time to walk through some of the city’s
numerous parks (Point Pleasant Park or The Dingle, to name
a couple).
Halifax, nestled along the Atlantic Ocean and steeped in
history and culture, has something for pretty much everyone.
Your visit could also include navigating bustling downtown
city streets, taking a leisurely stroll along the magnificent
Halifax Harbour, wandering through parks like the Public
Gardens or Point Pleasant, visiting attractions like the
Canadian Immigration Museum at Pier 21or the Maritime
Museum of the Atlantic, or even taking in some of the live
music scene for which the city is known.
Our opening reception at Halifax’s Citadel Hill – a national
historic site – is sure to kick things off in style. From that
‘surf and turf’ beginning, we’ll move on to a traditional
Lobster Supper, plenty of East Coast entertainment, and
cruises of the Halifax Harbour aboard the Tall Ship Silva.
Throughout the week you’ll have plenty of opportunity to
sample local food and drink, and then kick back and relax at
our CACUSS Ceilidh at the Cunard Centre as the conference
draws to a close.
We can’t wait to see you!
JUNE 8–11, 2014 — HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA
The annual CACUSS Conference brings together Student Services
REGISTRATION OPENS: Monday, February 17, 2014
EARLY BIRD CLOSES: Friday, April 25, 2014
REGISTRATION CLOSES: Friday, May 30, 2014
CACUSS ASEUCC 2014
Barrington. A limited number of rooms reserved at Saint Mary’s
University Residences. Book early to secure your room!
Fly Porter and get 15% off. Use discount code CACU14.
For more details please visit cacuss.ca/conference
28 / COMMUNIQUÉ / TOME 14 / NUMÉRO 2 / HIVER 2014