New and improved Student Affairs programming rolling out for fall

As students have headed back to class, the King’s Student Affairs department has been rolling out the many enhancements to their services that they have developed. The aim of this new and improved programming will be to serve and support incoming and returning students.

“Heading into a new term or especially a first term can be exciting, but there can also be challenges that come with that. Student Affairs has collaborated with many other departments and teams at King’s to develop programming and services that will assist our students as we transition back to campus,” says Joe Henry, Dean of Students.

The following programs have been created:

Mental Health

• Accessibility Counselling and Personal Counselling will continue to be offered via Zoom and telephone to increase access for our student community. In addition, same-day appointments will be offered.
• Emily Carrothers BSW ’13, MSW ’16, has joined Student Affairs as a Campus and Community Social Worker to assist at-risk students in partnership with the School of Social Work. Carrothers will be developing proactive wellness supports for the King’s community including presentations on a range of topics related to mental health.
• King’s will continue to welcome placement students from both the School of Social Work and the Counselling Psychology program at Western.
• In partnership with Western, a new counselling support system directed towards 2SLGBTGIA+ and BIPOC students has been added, along with a range of student support groups. More information is located on the Western Student Experience website.
• Accessibility, Counselling and Student Development offers group programming and adapting programming to meet campus needs.  If students have an idea for programming they would like to see, they can contact Joanna Bedggood, Manager of Student Wellness.

 

Enhancing Diversity Supports

• Student Affairs was pleased to work with Dr. Richard Csiernik, Professor of King’s School of Social Work, Siham Elkassem, Professor of King’s School of Social Work and Mikaeli Cavell, Research Assistant, to review programming to support our diverse community. King’s will be taking steps to implement their recommendations, focusing on improved access and programming for students who identify as Black, Indigenous and Persons of Colour.
• Over the course of the summer, the Student Affairs department underwent a collective 375+ hours of anti-racism training. Over 120 students participated in the training conducted by Shifting Perspectives, which will also be facilitating a new BIPOC student support group. Held in partnership with the King’s University College Students’ Council (KUCSC) and Student Affairs, this group will meet twice a week.
• Student Affairs will be collaborating with Indigenous Services on a dedicated liaison program, made up of three students, designed to promote more awareness of services for Indigenous Students through access to indigenous services at Western.

Career and Employment Programming

• The Fall 2021 term will see the launch of the inaugural cohort of the King’s Promise, a signature program that guarantees students meaningful employment within their first six months post-graduation through participation in programming created or supported by King's University College. For students not gaining employment after six months, King’s will guarantee additional undergraduate courses and career preparation for up to one-year post-graduation.
• King’s has entered into a new partnership with Devant, which will work with upper-year international students on career planning, resume and cover letter writing, interview preparation, networking, employer research and other areas as they begin their transition to a post-university career.
• The King’s Job Shadow Program is launching in the 2021-2022 academic year. Over the Winter Reading Week, students will job shadow over two consecutive days with a matched employer. This allows students to get a feel for a typical day within a career or industry of interest to them, while connecting employers to potential new hires from King’s. Students can register for the Job Shadow Program by completing the online registration form. and you will be matched to an appropriate employer based on your stated interest. Please note that you must complete the online Career Decision Making module through Complete Student before starting your Job Shadow placement. 
• King’s students will be able to participate in the first annual Entrepreneurship Summit held in collaboration with Western University in the first week of October. There will also be opportunities to take part in other career transitions events throughout the fall semester through Hire WesternU.
• A new Job Search Guide for Black Students, to offer inclusive career resources that reflect the diversity of our student population and acknowledge issues of educational and employment disparity, has been created.

Academic Supports

• A new program, DARTS (Developing Academic Resiliency and Tenacity), has been developed and will be facilitated by Dr. Adrienne Sauder,  our Learning Skills Strategist, to help students on probation and those who have previously experienced academic difficulty. The program will provide structured and consistent communication and interaction with campus resources and personnel that can help facilitate a change in behaviour, attitude, and/or skills that will assist students in reaching their academic potential.
• Our Mature student programming continues to evolve, with the addition of new social events to support our mature learners on campus.
• The King’s Academic Mentoring Program (KAMP) program has evolved to meet the needs of even more students on campus through new online cohorts for all first-year students this will be facilitated using our Owl Platform.

King’s encourages all students, whether first-year or returning, to utilize these resources to help make the most of your King’s experience and prepare for your post-university career.