Module 5 Book: Support Services Across Campus
Topic 1: Why supports should be integrated.
It’s important to never assume that students already know what resources are available to them and how to ask for those resources. For many reasons, things that might seem obvious to those of us acclimated to the university – like going to the Writing Centre for help with an essay – may not even be on a student’s radar. You may be the only voice the student meets who can connect them to help.
Furthermore, students can have a perception that support resources are only for students who are in trouble, and they may feel stigma about reaching out for help. By presenting learning supports alongside our course materials, we can normalize asking for help as part of the teaching and learning process and an expected component of their learning.
A Moment to Reflect
What are your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to helping students access resources? Perhaps you struggle to set boundaries, and you want to know what resources are available so you can connect learners to experts. Perhaps you find students don't reach out to you for support, and you're curious about why. Maybe you're just looking for ways to be more proactive in sharing resources with your learners.
Do students often come to you for support? Why do think this is the case?
Have you referred students to support services in the past? Why do think this is the case?
In thinking this through, it can help to reflect on your positionality in the classroom. Consider sharing your thinking with students as you build a connection.
Resource 1: Reading: “Helping Students Ask for Help” by Jaqueline von
Spiegel
Please read this article about supporting help-seeking behaviours. Note
especially the conclusion: “While college faculty and staff interact with many
students every day, it is important to remember that one interaction with a student
reaching out for help can have lasting effects on their use of help-seeking as a
life-long skill. With clear guidance and empathetic support, students may become more
confident in themselves and their ability to reach out to others. The development of
adaptive help-seeking skills in college students not only will improve students’
engagement and success but will strengthen relationships with student affairs
professionals.”
Activity 1: Forum Post
Please share in the Module 5 Learning Activity (Optional): Discussion Forum an experience where you assisted a student to develop help-seeking behaviours as described in the article above. Try to be as concrete and specific as you can be while respecting your student’s privacy. After you share your experience in the forum, come back to reply to one or two of your colleagues.
Example: I like to start the term by talking about my struggles the first time I took this class. I realize after reading the article that what I’m doing is “Share struggles with students to create mutual vulnerability and trust.” I can think of one example where this was really powerful for a student, who came to me before the midterm to disclose that she didn’t believe she could pass. She said she came to talk to me because she knew I had struggled with the same concepts and wondered how I dealt with it. We talked about some resources I used and I discovered that they are now available online. I gave her a one-week extension on the midterm and encouraged her to connect with a Peer Academic Coach.