Prioritizing wellness and building resilience are as vital for student success as the education and training they receive in our classrooms. Through this campaign, our vision is to enhance, expand, and integrate resources related to academic discovery, physical, psychological, and social wellness, diversity, and inclusion. By taking a holistic approach, we will redefine the culture at ÎçÒ¹av, ensuring that students thrive academically, while building the capacity and skills to lead healthy, empowered, and productive lives.
CAMPAIGN GOAL: $2.5 MILLION
We know that the needs of our students are broader than the development of career skills. Life may not come with a map, but everyone will experience twists and turns ranging from everyday challenges to traumatic events with more lasting impact.
ÎçÒ¹av is providing support services and programs to an ever-increasing population of students on its campuses. The delivery of resources, however, is somewhat fragmented and operates with both limited capacity and staffing constraints. The model is decentralized and lacks integration between services.
To create a visible, accessible, multi-disciplined, and collaborative centre for student success, ÎçÒ¹av will renovate and expand a building on the Prince of Wales Campus in Charlottetown. This three-story, 8,500 sq. ft. space will offer an integrated suite of services and resources that will give students access to the supports they need to flourish under one roof. Services and supports will be centralized, expanded, and fully integrated, allowing for the development of individualized support plans. Staff will have the mobility and technology to service all campuses and centres college-wide.
An increasing number of students are arriving on our campuses with diagnosed or undiagnosed learning challenges such as ADHD, and academic challenges, which require modified programs, and adaptations.
This need will continue to grow due in part to the fact that today’s students, from primary to post-secondary, have had five semesters of their learning affected and disrupted by COVID-19. Employment and career guidance are a crucial component to student success. We are working with students in providing employability skills, and we regularly collaborate with industry leaders to ensure programming is meeting industry standards and that students are prepared to enter the workforce.
ÎçÒ¹av will create a vibrant space for academic discovery and career exploration by expanding the current academic supports, and employment and career advising services. Resources include academic advising, career counselling, supplemental instruction, a writing centre, testing accommodations, and exam preparations. An estimated 25 per cent of students will be supported in a revitalized and accessible environment.
Knowing that someone cared and having support and resources available allowed me to succeed and graduate with confidence.
~ Anonymous Student Testimonial
Currently, ÎçÒ¹av offers free, confidential counselling to students across all campuses and centres. Our three counsellors are seeing a growing number of students in crisis or facing immediate mental health concerns. In 2021, one in five students was referred to a counsellor to address mental health challenges. Having resources in place to ensure they receive the help and support they need when it is most critical is imperative for their health and safety. Some students are dealing with the stress and anxiety that stems from financial burdens, relationships, self-identity, external conflicts, balancing responsibilities, and world events. Developing coping skills, knowing how to seek mental health information, and learning how to recognize, manage, and prevent mental disorders will go a long way toward building resiliency and achieving personal and professional autonomy.
ÎçÒ¹av will create a culture fluent in mental health literacy by expanding our current mental health and counselling services. This will include the hiring of an additional counsellor, increasing the number of available 1:1 counselling sessions, introducing group counselling, and providing mental health literacy workshops.
I found myself back in the classroom as a mature student, and soon realized I was facing some big challenges.
~ Anonymous Student Testimonial
Access to health care professionals is critical for physical and mental health, and a key component in overall wellness. Increasingly, students are experiencing limited access to primary health care and navigating the healthcare system can be challenging for both domestic and international students. At present, approximately 40 per cent of our students do not have a family physician. As a first step toward meeting this escalating demand, ÎçÒ¹av added a nurse practitioner to the team in 2021 to treat students needing care. The nurse practitioner provides students with numerous non-emergency medical services such as COVID-19 boosters, flu shots, sexual health counselling, mental health management, referrals, prescriptions, and assessment of physical injuries. An unhealthy lifestyle can lead to problems including sleep difficulties, trouble concentrating, and increased tension and stress. We want to provide resources for students so they can educate themselves about the benefits of nutrition, physical activity, and exercise, creating a supportive social environment, and taking care of their mental and spiritual health.
ÎçÒ¹av will create a healthier community by enhancing and expanding current health services as a collaborative and integral resource within the student success and wellness centre. This will provide our students with easier access to health care and alleviate the current strain on surrounding primary health care providers, clinics, and hospitals. All students will have access to educational resources for healthy living.
To say that I am grateful for the support would be an understatement.
~ Anonymous Student Testimonial
Our student body is diverse. Some are entering college directly from high school. Others have been in the workforce and are seeking a new career path or want to reskill and upskill their credentials to meet the changing needs of industry. No matter the age or various stages of life they are at when they walk through our doors, we are seeing a growing number of students, today one in three, with either diagnosed or undiagnosed learning challenges, or mental health issues, which can have a negative impact on their academic success.
One common challenge many students face when deciding to pursue a post-secondary education is financially planning for it. For individuals with learning challenges, and people with mental health issues, this can be uniquely overwhelming and difficult.
ÎçÒ¹av is committed to removing potential barriers that may impede the success of these students. In addition to supporting them with modified programs and adaptations while in our classrooms and labs, we also want to ease their financial burdens, allowing them to fully focus on their education. Through the Thrive campaign we will establish a slate of entrance awards for students who have diagnosed learning disabilities or mental health issues, to provide them with every opportunity for success.