Module 5 Book: Support Services Across Campus
Topic 4: How to talk to students about supports.
It is critical that we all work together to normalize the idea of asking for and receiving support at university. Too often, students believe that seeking help makes them seem weak; this can especially be true of students who are new to university and don’t have family models to explain how supports are a normal and necessary part of the process of learning.
Identifying the discipline-specific learning supports available that can help with success in your course is a great place to start. Some instructors, for example, offer a bonus point or other enticement for students who consult with learning supports in their area (please consult with the specific learning support you are considering to ensure they have enough resources available for you to do this). This helps students see learning supports as co-curricular initiatives that are open for everyone, rather than as remedial supports to be sought out once they are struggling.
For other support services, it can be helpful to share experiences or examples of
how you have been helped by seeking supports. Many students can’t imagine that the
person in the front of the classroom has ever needed to seek help, and disclosing (to
the degree that you are comfortable and that feels professional and appropriate) can
be a meaningful step in helping students to see where supports fit in their own
learning journey.
Activity 4: Reflection
Consider your own academic history. Is there a time when you wish you had known about a support service or wish one existed where it didn’t? Is there a time you have sought help? Reflect on the difference that this made in your life. Script a small vignette that you can consider sharing with students when you discuss supports.
Example: When I was a graduate student nearing the end of my degree, I was applying for a lot of jobs and fellowships and submitting a lot of things for publication, and as a result of all that hard work, I was getting rejected. A lot! After a few months of this I realized that I didn’t have the tools to process this volume of rejection and it was really starting to impact my mental health. At the time, I struggled to tell the difference between my own frustrations with my experiences and my feelings about my field. Luckily, we had excellent mental health counsellors at my university. I met regularly with one and learned some exceptionally useful tools for managing my anxiety, including some strategies – like taking stock of my daily accomplishments, no matter how small – that I still use to this day. I really believe that seeking mental health care at that stage of my life made it possible for me to find success later on.