Graduate Student Life Initiative

McMaster University has once again stepped up to the plate where graduate students are involved, starting up the Graduate Student Life Initiative. The brainchild of the Graduate Student Services Committee, comprised of individuals from Student Affairs, Graduate Studies, and the Graduate Students' Association,the goal is to determine the needs of graduate students and develop a framework to meet those needs. Prompted by feedback from a survey conducted by the Student Success Centre, key areas of concern have been identified, such as time management skills; academic support; and employment and career advice. Two years ago, McMaster created the position of assistant dean of Graduate Student Life and Research Training, the first of its kind at a Canadian university. That position is currently filled by Peter Self. Graduate student enrolment at the university currently stands at over 4,000 students, an increase of over 75% since 2000. But McMaster has made it clear that the management and servicing of this growing student population is a key priority, along with recruitment efforts, setting a great example for other Canadian universities to follow. Let's hope that they do.

Graduate Student Support Services

Two weeks into a new semester, I am gearing up to begin research for my doctoral dissertation, "Student support services and graduate student persistence in the social sciences and humanities disciplines." The purpose of this study is to identify graduate students' needs, particularly with regards to academic success, and the role of institutional-based support services in addressing these needs. This study aims to contribute to the existing literature on graduate student persistence, the role of student support services, and the experiences of graduate students, while filling a gap in the literature on Canadian graduate education and identifying future directions for research. The overall aim of this research is to elicit feedback that may better enable the provision of support services to the burgeoning graduate student community at Canada's universities.

Graduate Programs for Student Services Professionals on the Rise in Canada

An article appeared today on University Affairs about the growth of graduate programs for student services professionals in Canada. In recent years, masters and doctoral programs with specializations in the student services field have been implemented. As the article notes, Memorial University was one of the first to offer such a program, introducing the master's of education in post-secondary studies with a specialization in student services in 1998. Next fall, the University of Toronto will introduce a master's of education degree with a specialization in student affairs and student development. Many graduate programs in student services are offered part-time and online to accommodate working professionals. While such initiatives are fairly new to Canada, "the field is quite old in the U.S." according to Tony Chambers, associate professor of higher education at the University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE).

Heard it through the grapevine? Not with CCR

A new initiative from Memorial University's office of Student Affairs and Services is in the works. The Co-Curricular Record(CCR)reads like an academic transcript and documents a student’s involvement on campus throughout the year, accounting for various kinds of out-of-class learning. The service will be available to both undergraduate and graduate students, and will be extremely useful when applying for jobs, scholarships and awards, and building professional portfolios. Memorial is one of the first Canadian universities to implement the CCR; as Noreen Golfman, the Dean of Graduate Studies notes, it is an invaluable resource for grad students, many of whom participate in such activities as organizing conferences and running departmental societies, and until now, have not received 'credit' for these contributions to their university community. CCR is a formal method for communicating with potential employers and a launchpad for networking; it will be launched in fall 2010.

Graduate Student Orientation

Today I attended Memorial University's Graduate Student Orientation. The event featured welcome talks by the new university president, Dr. Gary Kachanoski, new Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Rob Shea, as well as keynote speaker, dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Dr. Noreen Golfman. Students could browse booths set up with information on numerous programs, services, and activities available on campus, enjoy a complementary breakfast, and attend afternoon discussions on the role of the supervisor/advisor and graduate officers; how to achieve a work/life balance while completing graduate studies. The day concluded with a campus tour.

Supporting Graduate Students

As a new semester draws near, The University of Western Ontario is gearing up to help meet the needs of graduate students. According to Western News, The Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) provides services and benefits such as bus passes, a health plan, and financial support, as well as enrichment opportunities like the Western Research Forum, bringing grad students from all different disciplines together to present their research. SOGS also owns The Grad Club- a restaurant/bar that operates out of Middlesex College.

As graduate enrolment continues to climb at many universities, there is growing recognition and acknowledgement that graduate students have different needs from undergraduates. McMaster University has even created a new position to tackle the many unique issues these students face- that of assistant dean of graduate student life and research-the first of its kind at a Canadian university.