º£½ÇÉçÇø

• External Relations continues to feature students in YouAlberta highlighting the best spaces on campus to get the most out of their student experience. In 2024, YouAlberta was opened by an average of 41,000 students (74 per cent of the º£½ÇÉçÇø student body) weekly.
• The Faculty of Law and the Law Students' Association initiated a project to limit division or discrimination towards students with accommodations, whose numbers continue to increase. This includes exploring options for universal accommodations to enable more students supported by accommodations to complete exams with their peers.
• The Accessibility Enhancement Project, initiated by the Office of the Dean of Students (DoS) with support from the Office of the Deputy Provost, Students and Enrolment and the Office of the Vice-Provost, Access, Community and Belonging, is working to address challenges related to accessibility and accommodations identified by º£½ÇÉçÇø students, faculty and staff.
• More than 60 new all-gender washrooms are expected to open on North Campus this academic year, including in the Students’ Union and University Commons, with projects planned for Campus Saint-Jean and Dewey's.
• The pilot to increase cleaning standards in learning spaces and common areas was successfully implemented from January - April 2024 and sustained through Fall 2024 and Winter 2025.
• DoS implemented a grant to support renting space for prayer, ceremony and worship and enhancing cultural safety by removing barriers for students struggling to engage in religious practice on campus. Similarly, the College of Health Sciences increased access to prayer spaces.

• The new Geoffrey and Robyn Sperber Health Sciences Library was completed and opened, which includes a dedicated Indigenous Learning Space.
• The Family Corner in Rutherford North and the Campus Food Bank Community Pantry in Rutherford Galleria were opened to foster equity and access for students with additional needs.
• The Faculty of Pharmacy + Pharmaceutical Sciences supports students by coordinating accommodations across all of their courses and increasing the consistency in their learning environment thereby reducing the administrative work for the instructor and student.
• The Alberta School of Business MBA Office invites the associate dean to present at orientation on how many high-performing leaders have neurodiversityly traits. He also highlights the Student Success Centre as a resource for helping to ensure mental health.
• A working group consisting of members of the university, the Students’ Union and the Graduate Students’ Association are dedicated to developing trauma-informed, intersectional tools to support work-integrated learning (WIL) partners, administrators and learners in addressing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in WIL contexts, fostering supportive and safe learning environment for students.

• The º£½ÇÉçÇø’s maximum bursary values given to students are among the highest for Canadian universities and 5.5% of collected tuition goes back into student financial support.
• The º£½ÇÉçÇø Library and the Dean of Students recently convened a new Coalition for Affordable Course Materials with partners from across campus to explore and recommend additional strategies to reduce the costs students pay for course materials.
• A report is provided to the provincial government annually on the º£½ÇÉçÇø’s exceptional tuition increases (ETI) revenues and usage via the Student Financial Support Annual Report. Students can access the report and discuss it with the Deputy Provost, Students and Enrolment.

• An Advisory Working Group on International Student Thesis-Based Tuition was formed to review and provide recommendations on international graduate student thesis-based tuition amounts in the context of competitor institutions, ambitious enrolment targets and most importantly, through a lens of equity and inclusivity.
• The Office of the Registrar is partnering with the United Way to offer virtual workshops to students on financial literacy.
• The Faculty of Law recently completed a report on tuition spending that was shared with the Law Students’ Association.
• The Faculty of Engineering regularly shares the overall distribution of fees received from tuition with the Engineering Students’ Society.

Highlights

• The Undergraduate Research Involvement Fair was added to the Festival of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities (FURCA, March 2024) to showcase organizations, student groups and resources/funding programs that support undergraduate researchers.
• Roadmap For Research was launched in Fall 2023 through the Undergraduate Research Initiative to provide a non-credit pathway for undergraduate students to gain skills and confidence to prepare them for their first undergraduate research experience.
• My Schedule Builder launched in March 2024 and with ongoing enhancements, will continue to improve the course registration experience for students.
• The Office of the Registrar and Online and Continuing Education established shared definitions to distinguish the various delivery modes for online learning, empowering students to make informed scheduling decisions.
• Wireless upgrades across campuses are underway which will provide increased capacity for students to access online resources.
• The implementation of the syllabus management tool, which includes a university-level template, is on track. The tool will integrate with our existing systems while improving consistency, efficiency and accessibility.
• A new experiential learning hub website was created to support improved student navigability and awareness of experiential learning opportunities.
• Canvas is now available to all instructors, and eClass (Moodle) courses have been migrated to Canvas to facilitate a smooth transition between learning management platforms.

In The Faculties

• The Faculty of Arts created updated versions of their Undergraduate Program Guides to communicate program requirements.
• The College of Social Sciences and Humanities launched the Black Youth for Social Innovation (BYSI) program to connect Black undergraduate students to work-integrated learning opportunities.
• The Faculty of Law recently completed an audit of its extensive experiential learning offerings. A Manager of Experiential Learning was hired in Fall 2024 to create efficiencies in the existing program and seek new opportunities. Work has started on a possible Faculty of Law clinic to provide students with an in-house client-facing clinical program and a "placement guarantee" at graduation.
• The Faculty of Education developed several new programs: an online Professional EdD, expansion of streams in the online Graduate Certificate in Education Studies, delivery of an online part-time pathway for students in the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program (ATEP) and continued refinement of the online ATEP program for full-time students.

Highlights

• External Relations consolidated five social media accounts into one "@UofAStudentLife", doubling followers and increasing engagements by 218% since September 2023.
• The committee brought together over 100 partners on campus and released a roadmap in Fall 2024.
• º£½ÇÉçÇø International added more group sessions for students to access immigration and settlement information in a timely way.
• The Finances, Funding + Support webpage was launched, a hub of information on financial assistance, money advice and related support for º£½ÇÉçÇø students.
• The Office of the Dean of Students hosted a student-facing academic leaders symposium, a service walk and an internally-focused “not-A-townhall” set of events to educate partners about their supports and services.

In The Faculties

• The Alberta School of Business PhD office offers students, past candidacy and ready to seek employment, the opportunity to write a short article about their work. The articles are edited and then publicized on social media, the faculty’s website and their Research Focus newsletter. Review by external academics, such as co-authors, help the students to translate and explain their research before seeking employment.
• The Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation offers multiple Teaching Matters professional development sessions each term.

• The Faculty of Pharmacy + Pharmaceutical Sciences developed Charting New Paths Together: A Strategic Roadmap for Pharmacy Excellence 2024-2029. The roadmap focuses on four key areas: teaching and learning, research and innovation, people and culture and community engagement that align with many of the university’s strategic plans.
• The Faculty of Agriculture, Life & Environmental Sciences (ALES) initiated student participation on hiring panels for student-facing roles in student services with great success. They also introduced a new “Dean for the Day” program which gives students an inside look at an academic leadership role.
• Through the Faculty of ALES’ FAUnA club, weekly coffee get-togethers are held every Wednesday morning by the ALES lounge where faculty, students, staff and instructors can meet informally. The gatherings have become well-known, fostering a sense of community and belonging for those in the faculty.
• The Faculty of Engineering facilitates or co-host events such as industry panels and networking nights. In 2024, this included student-industry mixers for underrepresented genders, disabilities and neurodiverse persons.
• The Faculty of Engineering Dean’s Office is working with student clubs to re-launch the Engineering Undergraduate Student-Staff Committee to learn more about student opinions and concerns related to undergraduate affairs.
• The College of Natural and Applied Health Sciences held their first academic advisors professional development in the summer of 2024, where they coordinated with the faculties of Science, Engineering and ALES to bring academic advisors together, highlight 'wins' from the previous year and share strategic planning ideas.

Highlights

• University Athletics hosted the Academic All-Canadian Breakfast (for student-athletes with +80% GPA), engaging deans, faculty and over 200 student-athletes across the university. The event connects people, celebrates academic achievements and the programs/faculties that support their ability to succeed both on the field of play and in the classroom.
• Between July 2023 and June 2024, there were over 475 student groups registered with the university. The Office of the Dean of Students approved 2,440 student group-led events that enrich student life in a variety of ways.
• The Undergraduate Research Initiative (URI), in collaboration with the Library Publishing Team, supports connections and community among student journalists (e.g., ice cream social for student editors, student journal showcase in Rutherford).
• The Career Centre added a new student staff role (Career Peer Educator) at Augustana in 2023/24 to offer in-person advising appointments.
• Careers Day 2023, Education Career Fair 2024 and Spring Hiring Fair 2024 were held in both English and French events for the first time.

In The Faculties

• The Faculty of Pharmacy + Pharmaceutical Sciences ensures their student clubs have representation on key decisions in the faculty including curriculum, appeals, admissions and awards.
• The Faculty of Engineering’s Student Engagement Team launched the Student Engagement Leader program, a volunteer and professional development program designed to foster connections among undergraduate students.
• In 2024, the Faculty of Law’s dean introduced an informal opportunity to meet with students each semester called “Donuts with the Dean”. The vice-dean also offers “Justice Jaunts” to interested students, including monthly walks in the river valley and around North Campus, providing an informal way for students and staff to interact, ask questions and take a break from work.
• The Faculty of Education hosted the first-ever faculty-wide Graduate Student Research Symposium in Winter 2024. It will become an annual event.
• The Vice-Provost Access, Community and Belonging began work on the Disability Cultures and Access Hub resources. The Hub serves as a centralized resource to coordinate tools, strategies and awareness programs aimed at reducing barriers and supporting disability-inclusive practices.

• Counselling and Clinical Services’ (CCS) One at a Time Therapy (OAATT) model was launched which added 7 new counselling positions to CCS. CCS also added one new psychologist in the main clinic and a new satellite psychologist position in Education. In addition, three new support groups were launched and directed towards key student demographics: graduate students, racialized and Indigenous students and international students.
• The Vice-Provost Access, Community and Belonging launched the Options Navigation Network, a group of university units (138 people trained in 17 units across three campuses) that assist those who have experienced sexual and gender-based violence in exploring and understanding the options available to them through the university. Options Navigators receive general and role-specific training to take an intersectional and survivor-driven approach, working with disclosers to understand their needs and identify options that might reduce barriers to their participation in university life.
• The Decima Robinson Support Centre, assisting students with introductory calculus, linear algebra, or statistics courses, will have an enhanced presence in University Commons. The centre will include a virtual tutorial space to support further student learning and a calming room, a peaceful student-designed space that will support students' mental health and wellness.

• The Learning Strategies team in the Office of the Dean of Students collaborated with the º£½ÇÉçÇø Library to offer drop-in services to meet students at their chosen location. A similar pilot targeted at international student academic support was also added in Fall 2024.
• In the Engineering Student Success Centre, first-year engineering students have access to free group and one-on-one tutoring to help develop academic skills and ensure their success.
• Through the Faculty of Law’s mandatory LAW 401 Foundations of Law, first-year students are taught about student supports in the first two weeks of classes.

• The Office of the Dean of Students (DoS) initiated an online graduate student orientation with information tailored to the user experience such as international or Indigenous student status. 59% of students surveyed accessed the orientation.
• DoS enhanced undergraduate university orientation by collaborating with campus partners to deliver tailored events, including a community-building meetup with The Landing, a session for graduate students on building strong supervisor relationships, a trivia night for mature students and a Q&A panel facilitated by the Graduate Students’ Association for graduate students.
• Launched in 2024, the Undergraduate Research Initiative (URI) created Future Scholars Discovery Tours, a collaboration with the Recruitment Centre of Expertise and the º£½ÇÉçÇø Library, to support high school classes visiting campus to work on their research projects. Students receive a library orientation, small group mentorship from URI students and a campus tour.
• The Career Centre onboarded more partners and services to campusBRIDGE, allowing more students to access one platform for career development and work-integrated learning supports.
• The Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation introduced a tiered orientation in 2023/24 that starts with events at program entry and continues to unfold over the term to provide information synchronized with time of need.

• The Faculty of Pharmacy + Pharmaceutical Sciences supports academic success and transition through their proactive Faculty Advisor program and the Alberta Pharmacy Students’ Association Mentorship Program.
• In 2025/26, the Faculty of Engineering plans to expand their Indigenous and Black Engineering and Technology Momentum Fellowship (IBET) to include four PhD candidates (up from three previously), funding of at least $30K, $5K annually in conference travel and mentorship from industry and academic professionals.
• Campus Saint-Jean, in collaboration with the Career Centre, introduced a French-speaking Career Peer Educator on-site at La Centrale.
• The Faculty of Education’s Aboriginal Teacher Education Program is working to improve access for equity-denied students. Students can enter the program from Open Studies and the Transition Year Program (First Peoples’ House) and receive the necessary support and skill development to help Indigenous students successfully transition to the º£½ÇÉçÇø.