CONFERENCE PROGRAM 2017

JUNE 12 – JUNE 14

SHAW CENTRE | OTTAWA, ON.

Poster Presentations

45 & 75 Minute Sessions

Big Ideas: Powered by PechaKucha

PROGRAM KEY

Communities of Practice

CACUSS is a comprehensive organization consisting of networks and Communities of Practice representing many topical and functional areas of Student Affairs and Services. CACUSS Communities of Practice provide an entry point to the association for new professionals, facilitate professional networking and community for all members, and support the vision and strategic goals of the association by:

  • creating and sharing knowledge,
  • supporting professional networking and connections,
  • fostering and promoting relevant research
  • designing and delivering programs and resources that promote the professional and personal development of our members,
  • identifying issues that require advocacy, and/or
  • identifying trends and key initiatives that could become new organizational priorities.

This year, presenters were asked to identify which Communities of Practice they feel are most closely connected to their presentation. This information has been included in the conference program and app. Please note that this information is based solely on the information provided by presenters and is intended to help conference attendees choose the most relevant conference sessions.

All sessions are open to all conference attendees. When selecting sessions, delegates are encouraged to choose from a breadth of topics to benefit from the diversity in the conference schedule.

Student Affairs and Services (SAS) Competencies

CACUSS is excited to have launched its new Student Affairs and Services (SAS) Competency Model this past year. The model consists of eleven competencies that are each divided into three levels (core, intermediate, and advanced):

  • Communication
  • Emotional and interpersonal intelligence
  • Intercultural fluency
  • Indigenous cultural awareness
  • Post-secondary acumen
  • Equity, diversity and inclusion
  • Leadership, management, and administration
  • Strategic planning, research, and assessment
  • Student advising, support and advocacy
  • Student learning and development
  • Technology and digital Engagement

The role of a SAS professional varies by campus, institution, and province/territory. Despite these differences, at the core of this work are professionals who support student growth and development throughout their pursuit of post-secondary studies. Each competency represents the progressive levels of skills, knowledge, and attitudes required across all areas of SAS in Canada. The authors of the Competency Model call for a collective effort across Student Affairs and Services in Canada to apply this new model; outlining a role for individuals, institutions, communities, and organizations in making this model a living document.

The rubric used to guide the program review process included a new section this year that required presenters to integrate the competencies into the learning outcomes for their session. The presenters have self-selected which of the competencies they feel are most closely connected to their presentation and this information has been included for you in the conference program book and app. Please note that presenters will incorporate the competencies into their session in a variety of ways and are not necessarily expected to provide “training” in the identified competency/ies during their session.

For more information about the Competency Model, please visit:

Communities of Practice (CoPs) / Student Affairs and Services (SAS) Competencies
Aboriginal Student Services Assembly (NASSA) / Communication
Academic Learning / Emotional and Interpersonal Intelligence
Accessibility and Inclusion / Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Campus Mental Health / Indigenous Cultural Awareness
Co-Curricular Record / Intercultural Fluency
College Perspective / Leadership, Management andAdministration
Community Engaged Learning / Post-Secondary Acumen
Digital Communications / Strategic Planning, Research, Assessment
Equity-Seeking Groups / Student Advising, Support and Advocacy
Graduate and Second Entry Students / Student Learning and Development
Integrated Academic and Professional Advising / Technology and Digital Engagement
Internationalization in Student Affairs
Leadership Educators
Orientation, Transition, Retention
Post-Secondary Student Counselling
Research, Assessment, Evaluation
Spirituality and Religious Pluralism
Student Case Managers
Student Conduct
Student Health & Wellness
Student Peer Support Programs
Students with Family Responsibilities

~This schedule is subject to change~

MONDAY, JUNE 12, 2017

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

Canada Hall 2

Available in the showcase until Tuesday, June 13, 2017 at 4:00PM

Attended during the following times on Monday:

10:30AM – 11:00AM

12:15PM – 1:15PM

2:45PM – 3:45PM

P1. Peering into the Shadows: A Faculty of Arts Approach to Determining Student Intent and Supporting Institutional Retention

Rachel Doe, Mount Royal University, Julie-Anne White, Mount Royal University

How can we link student intent and institutional retention? What can registration patterns show us about student intent? Many students face constraints even before the start of their undergraduate experience due to existing institutional policies and the direct entry environment, as well as through the student experience during their degree completion. Our poster presentation aims to equip professionals in academic advising and others who work in related post-secondary student services with a methodology to identify the disparity between student intent and program choice with the goal of designing actions, strategies and solutions that promote student success as well as institutional retention.

CoP:Integrated Academic and Professional Advising // Orientation, Transition, Retention

SAS Competencies: Post-Secondary Acumen, Student Advising, Support and Advocacy

P2. Innovation for Mental Wellness

Susanne Heaton, CINIM

There is no health without mental health. The National College Health Assessment survey in 2016 reported that Mental Health continues to be a concern for many Canadian post-secondary students which in turn impacts academic areas in their life. CINIM (the Canadian Institute of Natural and Integrative Medicine), is a Calgary charity dedicated to creating stronger, healthier communities through revolutionary wellness programs. CINIM has created an award-winning, clinically proven online resiliency building program available 24/7, called BreathingRoom™ for youth ages 13-24. The Mental Health Commission wrote a briefing paper on BreathingRoom™ stating that those “who completed the program describe its impact as transformational; it changed how they see themselves and the world, what they do, and how they feel, often achieving what medication or counseling alone did not.” Let’s be proactive instead of reactive by addressing the 80% of youth who do not reach out for help due to long referral times, cost of therapy and stigma associated with mental health. CINIM is working on their next program for release later in 2017 for the 24 -45 yr old age group to decrease stress and help build resilience. By being proactive today, we will help to create a healthier future for tomorrow for not only the students, but also their families and communities.

CoP:Campus Mental Health // Student Health & Wellness

SAS Competencies: Emotional and Interpersonal Intelligence // Student Advising // Support and Advocacy

P3. Transfer Student Experiences in a Competitive Arena: Personal and Professional Development Through Co-Curricular Involvement

Lisa Higashi, Simon Fraser University

The experience of transfer students attaining an undergraduate degree is different from a traditional student who completes their program at one institution. This qualitative research inquiry examines how transfer students in a business school at a comprehensive university describe their co-curricular experiences. This inquiry looks at how students describe their experience, what led to their decision to get involved and if there were any barriers they faced. This poster outlines four categories of students which emerged as well as recommendations for further research and practice to support transfer students.

CoP:Co-Curricular Record // Leadership Educators //

SAS Competencies: Leadership, Management and Administration // Student Learning and Development

P4. Aboriginal Access to Engineering: Faculty-Specific Longitudinal Student Success for Indigenous Learners

Melanie Howard, Queens University

The Aboriginal Access to Engineering (AAE) initiative at Queen's University is in its sixth year of operation. This program takes a longitudinal approach to STEM education for Indigenous learners by running extensive K-12 educational outreach programs, providing transitional and ongoing support for undergraduate engineering students, encouraging graduate options, and actively engaging alumni professionals. AAE has grown from serving four students in its inaugural year to having a current student cohort of 36 undergraduate and two graduate students on campus, with high rates of student participation in its programming. This poster provides an overview of the initiative.

CoP: Orientation, Transition, Retention

SAS Competencies: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion // Student Learning and Development

P5. Peer Wellness Educators: A Creative Role for a Unique Context

Jen Ko, OCAD; Alex McLaren, OCAD

OCAD University boasts of its innovative educational programming, but until recently lacked the inventive peer health promotion programming emerging from other Canadian institutions. In the past year, and with funding from CACUSS, the OCADU Health & Wellness Centre initiated a peer program tailored to the creative context and centered on students themselves. The Peer Wellness Educator (PWE) program aims to provide creative health promotion that engages the community and helps involved students flourish. The poster presentation of the PWE program provides demonstrated insights regarding dynamic, student-driven programming, as well as practical strategies to adapt programming to unique contexts

CoP: Community Engaged Learning // Student Peer Support Programs

SAS Competencies: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion // Student Learning and Development

P6. Academic support service use and academic achievement among university students with a history of reading difficulty: A longitudinal, mixed method study

Annie Laroche, Dalhousie University; Bradley Bergey, Queens College, City University of New York; Helene Deacon, Dalhousie University

We report on the academic achievement of undergraduate students who self-report a history of reading difficulty. Our mixed method study tracked their academic achievement and academic support services use across four years. Results indicated that these students had lower GPAs and lower retention rates each year and used some support services more frequently, compared to students with no history of reading difficulty. Service use, though infrequent, was associated with higher retention rates. Through interviews with a subsample, we identified reasons why students with a history of reading difficulty chose not to use support services.

CoP: Academic Learning // Orientation, Transition, Retention // Research, Assessment, Evaluation

SAS Competencies: Strategic Planning, Research and Assessment // Student Advising, Support and Advocacy

P7. Breaking down barriers through an inter-Faculty social and learning network: Exploring the benefits of The University of Toronto’s Engineering Engagement & Development Network

Estelle Oliva-Fisher, University of Toronto, Cori Hanson, University of Toronto

Ever wonder how you could increase communication between colleagues all the while learning valuable and applicable skills? Or perhaps how you could ensure you employ the best practices in your profession, help others to do the same, and ensure efforts are not duplicated?

This poster presentation will present and explore the benefits of an inter-Faculty social and learning network: The Engagement & Development Network. Participants will gain ideas, learned lessons, and suggestions for increasing cross-departmental communication and engagement.

Join us as we present an initiative that was established in 2014 to increase communication and skill development among student affairs professionals within a large, multi-departmental faculty.

CoP: Academic Learning // Integrated Academic and Professional Advising

SAS Competencies: Communication // Leadership, Management and Administration

P8. Engaging Mentorship: Investigating Mentoring Relationships with First-Year Resident Students

Ria Rombough, McGill University

Student-faculty mentorship is thought to be an important factor in students’ engagement with their academic institution, but the benefit to students usually correlates with the quality of the mentoring relationship. McGill University’s Mentor-In-Residence program aims to increase meaningful student-faculty relationships, but the frequency and quality of these interactions has not been evaluated.

CoP: Academic Learning // Community Engaged Learning // Co-Curricular Record // Orientation, Transition, Retention // Research, Assessment, Evaluation

SAS Competencies: Student Advising, Support and Advocacy // Student Learning and Development

P9. The Student Affairs Society at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education: A Collaborative Vision for the Future of Canadian Student Affairs Practice

Eric Schwenger, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (University of Toronto), Sania Hameed, OISE/UT; Meagan Lau, OISE/UT; Jacquie Beaulieu, OISE/UT

The first of its kind in Canada, our group - the Student Affairs Society at the University of Toronto - is a student-led initiative that facilitates dialogue between higher education students and student affairs professionals while fostering community across the broader field of Canadian Student Affairs. Our poster explores the changing face of professional higher education in Canada and the shift towards graduate training in the development of the next generation of professionals. Through an examination of the changing landscape of Canadian Student Affairs, we offer insight into how graduate students might be better integrated into the field.

CoP: Graduate and Second Entry Students // Student Peer Support Programs

SAS Competencies: Student Advising, Support and Advocacy // Student Learning and Development

P10. Excellence, Emotion, Empowerment: How Academic Advisors Describe the Goals of a Business Undergraduate Academic Advising Program

Colleen Stevenson, Simon Fraser University

How can an academic advising office without clearly articulated goals know what they’re working towards? Using student development theory and academic advising research as a guide, I articulated a set of common goals described by all the advisors in the sample. Through my research, I also discovered a strong cultural training component that included frequent, informal peer and self-evaluation conversations. This poster may be helpful if you’re having trouble determining the goals of an advising unit, or if you want to know more about applying a student-centred approach in academic advising.

CoP: Academic Learning // Integrated Academic and Professional Advising

SAS Competencies: Student Advising, Support and Advocacy // Student Learning and Development

P11. From Typewriters to iPhone Apps: the evolution of note-taking with a growing population of students with disabilities and technology at our fingertips

Eleni Wener, University of Manitoba

This presentation will acknowledge note-taking programs at the University of Manitoba from the past, what was learned from experience with a growing population of students requiring accommodations and what innovative approaches are being implemented for the future. Note-taking services are a standard accommodation at the University of Manitoba and Student Accessibility Services has successfully created, managed and implemented three note-taking programs to meet the varying needs of each student.

CoP:Accessibility and Inclusion // Integrated Academic and Professional Advising

SAS Competencies: Student Advising, Support and Advocacy // Student Learning and Development

P12.Campus Recreation - A New Value Proposition

Chris Dawe Kathleen Hatch

Out with the old gym paradigm and in with the new "classrooms and incubators of student success”. Where else on campus can you foster the regenerative energy we all need everyday while cultivating learning for life. Campus Recreation is poised to be a catalyst and leader on campuses addressing issues of physical and mental health and building cultures of real compassion and individual well-being. Come hear about promising and best practices in every province and new ways to inspire a ‘revolution’ of human health ready to contribute and flourish. It’s a quiet campus asset that is ready to ROAR - especially if you are ready to give it a push!

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

MONDAY JUNE 12 ~ 11:00AM – 12:15PM

1.01A Draft of Professional Standards for Indigenous Programs and Services

Room 203

Ian Cull, University of British Columbia; Asma Antoine, Royal Roads University; Ruth Young, University of Victoria; Rob Hancock, University of Victoria

The CAS Professional Standards for Higher Education provides general standards for practice and functional areas. The standard for Indigenous Programs and Services has yet to be developed. This session will present the initial draft of such a standard currently being developed by a working group. The intention is to further support the professionalization and growth of Indigenous programs and services across North America and to bring awareness of Indigenous ways of knowing and being within institutional structure.

CoP:Aboriginal Student Services Assembly (NASSA) // Research, Assessment, Evaluation

SAS Competencies: Indigenous Cultural Awareness // Leadership, Management and Administration

1.02. Our #RoadtoCACUSS: A Journey of Holistic Well-being

Room 214

Jennifer Gonzales, Ryerson University; Kaitlyn Taylor-Asquini, Ryerson University; Brandon Smith, Ryerson University; Ian Crookshank, Ryerson University; Troy Murray, Ryerson University

Professionals are called to innovatively solve problems in their practice, while maintaining personal well-being, and modeling wellness to colleagues/students. 20+ professionals from across Canada planned, trained, and participated in Road to CACUSS, a cycling journey from Toronto to Ottawa. Positive Psychologist Dr. Martin Seligman’s PERMA-V (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment, Vitality) model of well-being was used to ground this experience. As the story of the journey is shared, session participants will consider how the building blocks of PERMA-V could be used to inform their professional practice, and transform a current challenge they are experiencing.

CoP:Leadership Educators // Campus Mental Health

SAS Competencies: Emotional and Interpersonal Intelligence // Leadership, Management and Administration