Module 5 Book: Support Services Across Campus
Topic 2: Know what supports are available.
TRU’s support offerings for students are extensive, and range from cultural supports like Cplul’kw’ten and International Student Advisors, learning supports like the Writing Centre and Supplemental Learning, and health and wellness supports like the Wellness Centre, the Multi-Faith Chaplaincy, and Counselling Services. Familiarizing yourself with these resources can help you know how best to direct students for support.
Explore the resources your institution offers for Indigenous learners.
Resources for Indigenous Learners
TRU offers specific supports for Indigenous learners. Consider sharing these in your course spaces.
- Cplul'kw'ten is the Indigenous centre on the Kamloops campus and offers snacks, on-site computers, counselling services and more. In Williams Lake, the Gathering Place offers similar supports.
- Indigenous learners can meet with Elders and/or Indigenous student mentors.
- Via the Indigenous TRU website, learners can connect with Learning Strategists and other culturally-competent support resources.
- Indigenous Experiential Learning can help with co-op and career placements for Indigenous learners.
- Connect student researchers to Knowledge Makers, TRU's award-winning Indigenous research network.
- Faculty and staff can improve their own cultural competencies by liaising with the Office of Indigenous Education.
What resources does your institution offer for Indigenous learners?
Activity 2: Available Resources
Please take a moment to review TRU’s currently available student supports. When you are finished, please try the following H5P activity.
Resource 2: Early Alert
Sometimes, it’s hard to know where to send a student who is struggling. Early Alert can be a first referral for any student, and you can contact them directly to reach out to a learner in trouble. Early Alert identifies the following behaviours as indications that an Early Alert referral may be appropriate.
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habitual tardiness
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unexplained absences
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difficulty completing work on time
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low quiz or assignment grades
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excessive in-class sleepiness
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homesickness
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social isolation
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changes in behaviour
Note
Early Alert is not an emergency service. If you have any reason to believe a student is in immediate risk of harm, please contact emergency services.
Watch this video to learn more about Early Alert.
TRU Student Life (2021, October 21). Early Alert - Thompson Rivers University [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g33jTRdGwfY
You can refer a student to Early Alert by emailing earlyalert@tru.ca. From there, the process is straightforward:
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A staff or faculty member notices a student experiencing academic difficulty and contacts the Early Alert office.
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Early Alert communicates with the student to offer optional, confidential support.
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Early Alert meets with the student to assess the student's needs and connects them to TRU resources or support services.
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Early Alert may check in with the student at a later date to ensure they are still getting the support they need to be academically successful.
Participation in the Early Alert program is voluntary and students may opt out at any time.