The Campus Life Alumni Series (Nova Scotia / Newfoundland & Labrador) Webinar
Written by Nancy Maria Fernandez
@metaphornandez
Photo by Saint Mary’s University
The Campus Life Alumni Series (Nova Scotia / Newfoundland & Labrador) virtual event was held on July 20th, 2020 at 7pm ADT. Presided over by 3 members of the SMU Alumni, the meeting covered several topics relevant to students including campus life, housing, Welcome Weeks and the Jump Start programs and other services that will soon be made available to students when the Fall term begins. Many students who registered for the event, joined in to attend the session from different parts of the world, including from Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates.
The panel was made up of 3 SMU graduates — Dominick Desjardins (Class of 2016), Haley Glennen (Class of 2015) and Samuel Turpin (Class of 2019). While Desjardins and Turpin are currently working for the Student Recruitment Office at SMU, Glennen is employed at a non-profit organization in Halifax. Besides briefing current and incoming students about the various new developments happening at the university, all three members shared some fond, pleasant memories they had while studying at SMU. Glennen recalled having a splendid time with the therapy dogs that occasionally drop by the campus, while Turpin and Desjardins fondly looked back at their time living in residence as a SMUdent.
Turpin began the session by briefing students about residence and housing services on-campus. He informed students that the residence is still open (and will continue to remain open during the Fall) and that those who are living on-campus will have the opportunity to meet fellow students, residence mates and future classmates. Additionally, they said that “socially distant activities” are being conducted on campus in order to foster a spirit of community. This will also allow students to meet and interact with new people this upcoming semester.
Turpin also briefly explained the recently-launched “peer coaching” initiative, which involves pairing an upper-year student with a new student in order to help them navigate through university life for the first year of their degree program. This is advantageous as peers serve as a form of moral support to incoming students as they help them adjust to this new chapter in their lives. Additionally, Turpin says there will be several virtual student success workshops that will be held in the months to come. These workshops would provide students with the essential tips and tricks on how to be academically successful in a virtual university.
In addition to that, the Welcome Weeks have been extended by two months in order to accommodate incoming students as they prepare for online classes during their first semester of university. Turpin also said that a lot of exciting events have been planned for Welcome Weeks, including academic yoga, craft nights, trivia, online scavenger hunts, open mic and online concerts, and more. Another important development is the Jump Start 2020 program which has been designed to help incoming students transition to virtual university. Additionally, free summer writing workshops and webinars are being offered to help students advance academically.
Furthermore, the university has arranged several services for international students including airport pickup, the Students Acting for Global Awareness (SAGA) program and international students’ orientation(s). The SAGA is a paid volunteering opportunity for students to meet new people and work together as a team to better educate students about various cultures and plan several events and activities on campus. Most importantly, the university has announced that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has updated the visa policies to better accommodate international students. Turpin also assured new international students that if they have already taken classes in the Spring and Summer terms this year, “those credit hours will be added to their post-graduate work permit.”
Turpin contends that moving to a new place for university can be challenging, but it comes with a lot of benefits as you are on the path to earning more than just your degree. “There are so many things you learn at university,” he said, discussing some of the life skills that you develop when you live alone and manage your own schedule. Recalling fond memories of the three years he spent living on campus, Turpin said that SMU “felt like a home” to him. He also added that “the connections you make [while living] in the residence stay with you for the rest of your life.”
Another topic covered during the interactive session was the various societies and clubs at SMU. Haley Glennen discovered that she really enjoyed working with people after she signed up to become a member of some of the societies and clubs on campus. Having transferred to SMU in her second year of university, Glennen arrived on campus after the Welcome Weeks were over. However, she found friends in societies and clubs during her time at university.
The experience afforded her the opportunity to meet and work with several students from across the world and at the same time helped her gain new perspectives. “SMU feels small, but it [actually] isn’t,” she added. It also further enriched her understanding and appreciation of what she was learning in the classroom as an International Development Studies major. At the same time, it also contributed to her personal growth. It shaped her future career choices and she ended up pursuing a “Masters degree in Anthropology from the University of Ottawa.” She is currently working at a non-profit organization that specializes in helping immigrants find work in Canada. Glennen also stated that SMUSA would be hosting an online society fair which would give students the opportunity to meet and interact with new people virtually until the university reopens.
Dominick Desjardins spoke about additional facilities and requirements for students who are planning to live on campus for the upcoming academic year. He said that if a student chooses not to move to the residence for the Fall 2020 term, they can defer their room to January, 2021. Also, if students decide against living on campus this year after paying the 500-dollar deposit fee, the amount will be refunded to them in full. For those students moving to campus housing in the Fall, “the official move-in date is September 5th 2020,” he said.
Desjardins also mentioned that students coming to SMU from places that fall under the “Atlantic Bubble” (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador and Prince Edward Island) do not have to self-isolate for the prescribed period of 14 days. These students are also allowed to have a family member assist them in moving into the residence. However, international students and students coming from parts of Canada outside the “Atlantic Bubble” are required to self-isolate for a period of 14 days and must call in advance to inform the residence officials of their arrival so that separate dorm rooms can be arranged for them to quarantine in.
Desjardins also stated that double rooms are currently unavailable. However, he did hint that they might be made available once the university reopens. He assured students that more information on housing, meals, and quarantine facilities will be made available to them soon. He also said that should anyone have any queries or concerns regarding housing on-campus, they should reach out to the residence officials at residence.housing@smu.ca. Additionally, more information is available under Campus Life on the SMU website. Desjardins also mentioned that the SMU Bookstore is now open but advised students to wait until they receive the course outlines for their classes before purchasing the physical copies of the required textbooks. Desjardins pointed out that the university is working on making facilities like the library, gym, the Writing Centre and tutoring services available to students as soon as it is safe and feasible to do so. As we approach the Fall semester, one of SMU’s goals is to instill the feeling of being part of a community while social distancing.
One of the questions asked during the interactive session was, ‘How will a degree from SMU affect the employment opportunities of international students post graduation?’ In response, Desjardins admitted that there are no concrete answers, owing to the unprecedented times we are currently living in and how it has adversely affected the economy. However, he did say that the International Student Centre is doing a commendable job by helping international students identify future employers, seek CO-OP opportunities, etc. Additionally, the SMU Career Services department is committed to helping students explore their employment opportunities and maintain their co-curricular record. Desjardins and Glennen, who said they consider the Career Services to be a great asset, encouraged all students to take advantage of those services. Glennen praised Career Services as they helped her immensely when she was in the last years of her degree program. When it comes to deciding one’s future plans, she advised students not to rush, but rather “give yourself some time.” Glennen did the same thing by taking a gap year in order to explore her options before going off to graduate school the following year.
This webinar proved to be quite an informative and enjoyable session for new and current students. The speakers discussed various university responses to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and also offered their perspectives and experiences as members of the SMU Alumni on what it was like for them to be a SMUdent.