Session 3: Supporting college students
Chair: Rossie Kadiyska
Joanne Spicer
Implementing the Canadian National Standard for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post Secondary Students in a Sample of Ontario Colleges
This presentation will be a snapshot of my current PhD thesis research. The purpose of my research is to examine the influence the Canadian National Standard for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary students is having on the development, implementation and evaluation of policies, student support programs and evaluation of services intended to support student mental health and well-being. In July 2020, the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Canadian Standards Association released the Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students National Standard (the Standard), building on more than a decade of research identifying the ongoing challenges faced by post-secondary institutions in supporting the complex needs of students. The standard is a planned, comprehensive, evidence based framework informed by an advisory committee made up of representation from key stakeholders in student mental health and wellness, including mental health support organizations, Universities Canada, Colleges and Institutes Canada, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Canadian Standards Association. My research intends to examine how three Ontario Colleges are using the Standard, and how the standard is influencing institutional decision making.
Dr. Arif Toor
Business as Unusual: Role of Ontario’s Graduate Certificate Programs in our Transition System
Ontario colleges have offered post-baccalaureate programs since the 1970s. The most recent developments took place in 2003, when graduate certificate programs were announced as a college credential. More than 80% students who attend these programs come with at least a bachelor’s degree and their main purpose is to get job after graduation. This makes graduate employment outcomes a key criterion of success for these programs. These programs are often referred to as “postgraduate” whereas the Ontario Qualifications Framework (OQF) lists these certificates below the bachelor’s degree. These programs are very popular among international students and the possibility of getting a postgraduate work permit seems to be the biggest motivator for these entrants. Business is the most popular field of study and only a small percentage of programs offer co-op or work placement. The programs’ labour market outcomes are higher than all other non-degree programs offered by the colleges, but only a small percentage of graduates can find work in their field of study. These programs are a good example of a transition system dominated by the education logic. However, the colleges promote their programs as being applied and boast about their stronger ties with the labour market through connections with the employers. Such claims give an impression of a transition system that is dominated by the employment logic instead.
Dr. Jennifer Sparks
The Development and Evolution of Graduate Certificates in Ontario’s Colleges
Historically, post-secondary education (PSE) has been idealized as a rite of passage marked by a separation between students and their parents (Braxton et al., 2014). This breaking away was once considered advantageous to students’ success and immersion into campus life (Tinto, 1993). Recently, notions of the home-school relationship have shifted from parents providing passive encouragement, to parents now assuming a more active role in their students’ PSE related experiences. Through my doctoral research, I sought to elucidate the nature of parent involvement in the context of college in Ontario. My presentation will conceptualize influences (including parents) on student development and highlight how parents are involved throughout students’ college journeys, from recruitment through to graduation, and beyond. Ultimately, I endeavour to synergize the support students receive in their PSE journeys: both the familial and institutional.