UFV is gearing up to make the university more student ready, where the mindset is to cater to the needs of the students who attend the institution and give them the support and help they need to navigate and graduate from university. Dr. Alisa Webb, vice president students, broke down the characteristics of what a student ready university looks like and why it is an important step for UFV to take in their goal to achieve student-centeredness.
“A student ready university is a university that is ready for students. It’s about saying these are the students that we chose to admit. Therefore, those are the students that we are going to educate, engage and help graduate,” said Webb.
Webb explained that every decision and plan made is created to benefit the students at UFV and becoming a student ready university is “the next step.”
“This is a concept that I started raising, probably about six months ago, as what I think should be the next phase in UFV’s journey,” said Webb.
Webb pointed out that being student ready is more than simply thinking about or speaking to students, but it is also about the accountability UFV has to their students to ensure that they are getting the support they need.
“It’s about who the students are, what is it that they need, and how do we make sure we are ready for them,” said Webb.
“One of the things I really like about the moniker of ‘student ready’ is it embraces everything in the institution.”
Webb goes on to explain that this involves the way the university is set up and designed in terms of space and buildings, the way instructors teach and educate, the students the university accepts into their courses, and the offered services and support for students.
According to Webb, being student ready is also about considering the diversity amongst the student population and the importance of inclusivity. She breaks down that there are various types of students coming to the university from all walks of life such as a mature student or a student who is starting a family.
Webb also mentions that the Student Enrolment Management plan (SEM) has many goals to help create a student ready atmosphere and mindset within the university.
Around four years ago the university conducted a survey on why students leave the university before they complete their program of study called an early leaver survey. The leading reason why students quit university prematurely is “because they didn’t know where to go for help,” said Webb.
“It was so upsetting for me to hear that a student would leave because we have effectively failed them in some way, because they couldn’t figure out what they needed to know to do the next thing or to get access to the information or the support that they needed. And so for me, a real benchmark of success is that students are aware of what we do,” said Webb.
Webb explained how her “why” has always been students and how she tries to find different ways to help support them.
When asked if there is a role that students can play in helping the university to be more student ready, Webb said that they are looking into creating an institutional survey that students can fill out, as well as a potential student advisory group. The university is also looking at where students are in positions where they can be heard, such as senate, and also looking at areas that need more student voice and presence.
“If you go to the vice president students web page and you click on services, there’s a list of [support services] and it doesn’t matter whether those services report to me or not. It’s just a comprehensive list [and] it takes [students] to where they need to go,” said Webb, when asked about supports offered to students on the UFV website.
The weekly student newsletter written by Webb is another resource that helps to keep students connected and up to date on a regular basis. This newsletter began at the start of the pandemic and has continued to be emailed to students, giving them updates and information about important things like when to pay for registration and when to withdraw from a course.
The third resource Webb mentioned is the student support team that is in conjunction with the PASS program. Webb explained that there is a student support team office on the third floor of the Student Union Building (SUB) where the student support coordinators work as case managers to help students receive the support they need. Referrals can be from either faculty or the students themselves.
”[The student support coordinators] act as a case manager and it’s been a really successful way to get students quicker access to what they need and cut through the confusion about where they’re supposed to go. “
“If students go on to the PASS page, it’ll have a link for referral and students can refer themselves and a case manager will reach out to them within 48 hours, less depending on what they’re telling the student support coordinator,” mentioned Webb.
Webb has a lot of hopes for what a student ready university will look like and accomplish for students in the future.
“I like to say the goal is always a better tomorrow than today. So small increments towards a greater goal. Those things that seem small can have such an impact on a student’s experience.”
Rachel is working towards a BA with a concentration in English and Theatre. She has been employed at The Cascade since Fall 2021 as a Staff Writer and a Jr. News Editor. Currently, she is the sectional News Editor and enjoys meeting and interviewing people as well as taking long walks in nature. Rachel also likes to stay up to date on the latest trends and informs students through her fashion column entitled Campus Fashion.
