GALDSU health & well-being report 2015-2016 by GALDSU

Graduate Architecture, Landscape, & Design Student Union Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, & Design University of Toronto

the 3rd annual health and well-being report for and by the Daniels Faculty graduate student body

health & well-being report 2015-2016

about this report This report presents the results of the Graduate Architecture Landscape and Design Student Union (GALDSU)’s third Student Experience Survey (previously named the Mental Health Survey) reflecting on the student experience at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto. This survey was developed in collaboration with Alex Daros, a doctoral candidate of the Department of Psychology of the University of Toronto as part of GALDSU’s Mental Health Initiative. The survey was distributed electronically on December 08, 2015 and closed on December 24, 2015. Results were processed during the months of January, February and March 2016 by student volunteers. The information in this report is based on the responses of 104 students. We hope this report continues to serve as an avenue for discussion on how mental health and well-being can be improved within our unique academic environment.

Graduate Architecture, Landscape, & Design Student Union Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, & Design University of Toronto

Based on the 2013-2014 Mental Health Survey by: Joël León, MArch, 2015 Roxanna Lilova, MArch, 2015 Jocelyn Squires, MArch, IV Alex Daros, PhD candidate, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto

letter from the executive "Each of us had our own perspectives on common behaviours in architecture school, but none of us could back our claims with substantial evidence." – Joël León, President of GALDSU, 2014-2015 Three years ago, the Graduate Architecture, Landscape, and Design Student Union (GALDSU) launched the first survey on mental health, examining the well-being of the graduate students at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design. The survey was born of the desire to better understand the needs of the student population which we both belong to and represent. Student responses to the 2013 survey were collected, processed and compiled, and the findings were published online in the 2013-2014 Mental Health Report. This first report highlighted challenges at the Daniels Faculty, echoing concerns present in many design schools. These issues, embedded within the culture and pedagogy of our disciplines, are only recently being discussed openly amongst students, within faculties, and throughout the profession as a whole. The 2013-2014 report attracted significant attention within our faculty and university, and from the international design community. Widely shared by news outlets and design blogs, the response demonstrated that the issues raised within the report resonate beyond the walls of our school. For the first time, the survey provided GALDSU with information on self-identified student needs, experiences and impressions. By using these results, we were able to advocate on behalf of the student body in a more informed manner. These surveys, considered across multiple years, will provide us with an important tool by which we can measure the effects of changes made by GALDSU and faculty on the student experience.

After the release of the first report, GALDSU decided to immediately respond to student concerns about space. Mobilizing student volunteers, GALDSU renovated the under-utilized Graduate Student Lounge into a multiuse space where students can gather to eat, relax, study, and rest. Not only have subsequent reports shown that the space is well-used and valued by students, but the lounge was also selected by the Student Life Office at the University of Toronto as winner of the Ulife Best New Initiative or Idea Award in the spring of 2015. These measures of the renovation’s impact show both the necessity of such a dedicated student space in the faculty’s new location at One Spadina and the effect that modest changes can have on student life. Other architecture schools have shown interest in our survey, and GALDSU and its alumni have worked with the Canadian Architecture Students Association (CASA) to conduct the CASA Health and Well-Being Survey at four additional schools across Canada. The results from these schools will give a point of comparison for our own survey results, providing insight on similarities and differences in student experience at architecture and design schools nationwide. Since the release of the first report, members of GALDSU have been invited to present to associated professional bodies, such as the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) and the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects (OALA). Engaging these associations has the potential to bring this discussion beyond the halls of academia into the broader profession, with the hope that productive change can proliferate throughout the design field.

letter from the executive With the release of the third annual report, GALDSU is one year closer to providing a sustained longitudinal study of health and well-being at Daniels. This growing data set will provide important points of comparison, as well as a means to identify both successes and possibilities for further improvement. As the Daniels Faculty moves and grows into our new home at One Spadina, GALDSU looks forward to continuing this endeavour, fostering the conversation about the health and well-being of our students, our faculty and our staff, recognising we are all part of an ever growing and changing community.

On behalf of the 2015-2016 GALDSU Executive Council, Elise Hunchuck, President MLA III Dayne Roy-Caldwell, Vice-President MLA III Leah Gibling, Treasurer MArch IV Martin Lui, Secretary MArch III Gareth Hammond, Health & Sustainability Officer MArch II Karima Peermohammad, Social Events Chair MArch II

contents 07

SUMMARY

PARTICIPATION & DEMOGRAPHICS

DAILY LIFE

FACILITIES

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE

FINAL STUDIO

CAMPUS RESOURCES

participation demographics

sleeping habits physical activity eating habits social activity academic spaces student-run spaces pedagogy communication faculty students space & resources pin-ups & reviews competitiveness perceived performance

an end of term snapshot daniels faculty university of toronto

summary The following is a summary of the results of each section of the 2015-2016 Health and Well-being Survey. We strongly encourage you to look through the report and draw your own conclusions: PARTICIPATION AND DEMOGRAPHICS This year, 104 valid answers were received out of a total of 361 students (29%). Compared to last year’s survey, total participation dropped by 4%. However, we believe that this decrease is within a tolerable yearly variance and this response rate indicates continued and significant interest in the dialogue around health, well-being and the student experience at Daniels. DAILY LIFE A majority of respondents did not believe they had regular sleeping schedules (53%) and many admitted to pulling all-nighters to finish projects on time (47%). A striking 64% of students do not engage in regular physical activity and those who do only spend 2 hours a week or less on exercise. Furthermore, 64% of students state that they often skip meals. A considerable portion of students admit that they feel pressured to maintain unhealthy work habits and have little time for entertainment activities (83%).

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE A high-volume workload and expectations regarding deadlines were once again the main causes of stress for students, followed closely by faculty-student interactions, difficulties in achieving work-life balance, and coinciding and conflicting deadlines. This year, many students reported being discouraged by faculty from taking risks and fully exploring ideas. FINAL STUDIO EXPRIENCE This year’s results are strikingly similar to previous years, with the majority of students responding that they felt anxious, nervous, worried or on edge during most of these two weeks. In the open comments section, students report feeling pressure from many sides–from their fellow students, critics, studio instructors, the discipline as a whole and from themselves. Many also reported feeling grouchy, irritable, angry, depressed, down or hopeless during this period. CAMPUS RESOURCES

FACILITIES

As in previous years, the majority of respondents (56%) do not feel that the faculty is doing enough to address the mental health needs of students within our community. However, we believe it is worth highlighting that small changes being made by individual instructors have had a noted, positive affect on students.

Students were split almost evenly when reporting whether they preferred to work at studio or at home. As in previous years, insufficient space, noise, distractions and cleanliness issues were the leading challenges for working in studio. Students overwhelmingly stated that the two student spaces, Lounge 058 and Café 059, were important assets to student life and look forward to using the equivalent spaces in the new facility at One Spadina.

Results show low use and limited awareness of campus resources, even though most services are located within a one block radius from the Daniels Faculty at 230 College Street. This year the Registrar has embedded support staff who have weekly hours dedicated to Daniels students. We look forward to reviewing the data in future years once the embedded services have been incorporated into student culture.

participation & demographics “Even though I’m approaching the end of my time at school, I truly hope that change can continue to happen for the sake of future students and ultimately the entire profession.” – Student comment*

INTRODUCTION & METHODOLOGY

This section summarizes the demographic information of the respondents of the 2015-2016 Student Experience Survey. The survey was sent out to 470 email addresses using the student listserv made available to GALDSU by the Office of the Registrar at the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design. However, it must be noted that the number of email addresses (470) in this listserv exceeds the number of current Daniels students (361) provided by the Office of the Registrar. It is unclear why this discrepancy exists, and we would like to stress the importance of having an accurate listserv of current, registered students for future surveys, as well as for general communication between GALDSU and the student body.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

We received 104 answers that were considered valid for this report, out of a total of 361 students. As in previous years, the majority of responses received were from the Master of Architecture program (31%), followed closely by Landscape Architecture (25%), then Urban Design (25%), with the fewest responses coming from the Visual Studies program (7%). It may be worth noting that the Visual Studies program cohort is currently housed in a separate building from the main faculty. Compared to last year’s survey, total participation dropped by 4% and now represents 29% of our total membership. Despite this slight decline, the level of participation in this survey is high relative to other voluntary activities organized by GALDSU, and remains higher than that of our first survey. It is our firm belief that this response rate indicates a continued and significant student interest in the dialogue around health, well-being and the student experience at Daniels.

In an effort to maintain consistency in our data analysis, we have used the list of Daniels students separated by program as provided to us by the registrar. We are confident that all responses were from current Daniels graduate students.

*As part of the survey, students were given the opportunity to freely comment on answers they provided. Comments were selected based on their relevance to each section within the survey. In the spirit of maintaining confidentiality, any identifying statements were not considered for inclusion in the report.

participation & demographics PARTICIPATION

Student population by program

Student responses by program Responses | student distribution by program

Population | student distribution by program

M.Arch

71.5 %

M.Arch

77.7 %

M.V.S.

3.9 %

M.V.S.

1.0 %

M.U.D.

4.4 %

M.U.D.

3.9 %

M.L.A.

20.2 %

M.L.A.

17.5 %

Student responses | rate of response per program

31.0 % M.Arch

24.7 % M.L.A.

25.0 % M.U.D.

7.1 % M.V.S.

participation & demographics DEMOGRAPHICS

rel

With whom do you currently live?

Age of respondents

35+

With whom do you currently live?

roommate(s) relatives

married roommate(s) partner partner, married not married partner parents/ partner, siblings not married parents/ alone siblings 0 alone

12 24 Number of respondents 0 12 24 Number of respondents

32 31 30 36

28 27

is your to campus How long is How your long commute to commute campus (one way)? (one-way)? How long is your commute to campus longer than (one-way)? 60 minutes

rage: 26.5

25 25

longer51-60 than 60 minutes minutes 41-50 51-60 minutes minutes 31-40 41-50 minutes minutes 21-30 31-40 minutes minutes 11-20 21-30 minutes minutes less than 10 11-20 minutes minutes 12 24 less than 100 minutes Number of respondents 0 12 24 Number of respondents

ma pa pa not ma pa sib

Age of respondents

With whom do you currently live? relatives

roomm

average: 26.5

26 25 24 23 22 0

5 10 Number of respondents

longer 60 mi 5 mi 4 mi 3 mi 2 mi 1 mi less th mi

participation & demographics DEMOGRAPHICS

Have you ever been diagnosed with a mental illness?

As which gender do you identify?

79.6 %

Female

49.5 %

Yes

8.7 %

Male

50.5 %

Prefer not to answer 6.8 % Unsure

4.9 %

What is your registration status?

International 11.7 % National

88.3 %

daily life â&#x20AC;&#x153;Concerns regarding student well-being have improved since these surveys began but I still think the faculty encourages behaviours that are detrimental to students.â&#x20AC;? comment* â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Student comment INTRODUCTION & METHODOLOGY

The following section summarizes data collected on aspects of student daily life at Daniels, divided into four main categories: sleeping habits (including all-nighters), physical activity, eating habits, and social life. The following legend applies to all stacked bar graphs in this section:

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

A majority of respondents (53%) did not believe they had regular sleeping schedules and 47% of students admitted to pulling all-nighters to finish projects on time. A majority of students also admitted to having worked though multiple nights with less than three hours of sleep: more than one third of respondents have had 3 to 5 nights with less than three hours of sleep, and close to 15% have had 11 to 15 such nights over the course of this semester. A striking 64% of students do not engage in regular physical activity and those who do only spend 2 hours a week or less on exercise. Furthermore, 64% of students state that they often skip meals. This trend is continued from the past two years and is something that needs to be addressed. A considerable portion of students admit that they feel pressured to maintain unhealthy work habits and have little time for entertainment activities. Moreover, the majority of students only manage one recreational activity per week.

daily life SLEEPING HABITS

ALL NIGHTERS*

I have a regular sleep schedule. I have a regular sleep schedule. I have a regular sleep schedule

I often pull all-nighters.* I often pull all-nighters.* I often pull all-nighters

2.9 % 2.9 %

32.0 % 32.0 %

11.7 % 11.7 %

29.1 % 29.1 %

24.3 % 24.3 %

14.6 % 14.6 %

32.0 % 32.0 %

6.8 % 6.8 %

35.0 % 35.0 %

11.7 % 11.7 %

Strongly Agree Strongly Agree

Agree Agree

Neither Agree nor Neither Disagree Agree nor Disagree

Disagree Disagree

Strongly Disagree Strongly Disagree

Strongly Agree Strongly Agree

Agree Agree

Neither Agree nor Neither Disagree Agree nor Disagree

Disagree Disagree

Strongly Disagree Strongly Disagree

How many nights this semester have you had less nights this semester you less had than less 3 than 3many hours ofthis sleep? HowHow many nights semester havehave you had than 3 hours of sleep? hours of sleep? 26 to 30 26 to 30 21 to 25 21 to 25 16 to 20 16 to 20 11 to 15 11 to 15 6 to 10 6 to 10 3 to 5 3 to 5 0 to 2 0 to 2 0 16 32 0 Number of 16 respondents 32 Number of respondents

48 48

64 64

80 80

How many all-nighters* have you done this all-nighters* havedone youthis done this HowHow manymany all nighters have you semester? semester? semester? 26 to 30 26 to 30 21 to 25 21 to 25 16 to 20 16 to 20 11 to 15 11 to 15 6 to 10 6 to 10 3 to 5 3 to 5 0 to 2 0 to 2 0 16 32 0 Number of 16 respondents 32 Number of respondents

*An all-nighter is defined as two continuous working days in a row without sleep. 14

48 48

64 64

80 80

daily life PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

EATING HABITS & SOCIAL ACTIVITY

activity. I engage in regular physical activity I engage in regular physical activity.

I often skip meals. meals I often skip meals.

5.8 % 5.8 %

18.4 % 18.4 %

11.7 % 11.7 %

36.9 % 36.9 %

27.2 % 27.2 %

Strongly Agree Strongly Agree

Agree Agree

Neither Agree nor Neither Disagree Agree nor Disagree

Disagree Disagree

Strongly Disagree Strongly Disagree

How many hours per week do you exercise? How many hours per week do you exercise? How many hours per week do you exercise? more than 10 hours more than 10 hours 8-10 hours 8-10 hours 6-8 hours 6-8 hours 4-6 hours 4-6 hours 2-4 hours 2-4 hours 0-2 hours 0-2 hours 0 16 32 0 Number of 16 respondents 32 Number of respondents

48 48

64 64

25.2 % 25.2 %

29.1 % 29.1 %

17.5 % 17.5 %

Strongly Agree Strongly Agree

Agree Agree

Neither Agree nor Neither Disagree Agree nor Disagree

20.4 % 20.4 %

7.8 % 7.8 %

Disagree Strongly Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree

How often do you go out per week for entertainment? (e.g., dinner, movies, get-together, social stuff) How often do you go out per week for How often do you godinner, out permovies, week for entertainment? (e.g., get-together, entertainment? (e.g., dinner, movies, get-together, social stuff!) social stuff!) More than five times More than five times Three to five times Three to five times Twice Twice Once Once None None 0 16 32 80 0 Number of 16 80 respondents 32 Number of respondents

48 48

64 64

80 80

daily life DO YOU FEEL PRESSURED TO MAINTAIN UNHEALTHY DAILY HABITS TO KEEP UP WITH YOUR WORKLOAD?

Yes

80.2 %

Unsure

8.5%

12.3%

facilities “Although more spaces have been provided for pin ups and collaborative work, its still not enough for the amount of students/professors using it.” – Student comment* “The student lounge is a significant improvement from previous years.” – Student comment*

daily life INTRODUCTION & METHODOLOGY This section examines student perceptions regarding “Concerns regarding student well-being have improved physical infrastructure and what aspects need to improve since these surveys began but I still think the faculty in order to support a stronger studio culture. To this end, encourages behaviours that are detrimental to students.” we have asked students to assess their experience using – Student comment academic as well as student-run spaces available to them. It is worth recognizing that we are in the process of moving to a new building at One Spadina Crescent. It is our sincere hope that the results of this survey, as The following section summarizes data collected on well as those of previous years, will help guide the aspects of student daily life at Daniels, divided into four allocation of space in this new building in a sensible main categories: sleeping habits (including all-nighters), way that reflects and supports student needs. physical activity, eating habits, and social life. INTRODUCTION & METHODOLOGY

The following following legend legend applies applies to to all all stacked stacked bar bar graphs graphs in in The this section: section: this

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

Students were split almost evenly when reporting whether they preferred to work at studio or at home. As in previous years, space issues were the leading challenge for working in studio, and the principal concerns continue to be the lack of personal and collaborative work spaces, as well as the cleanliness and atmosphere of studio space. Issues such as messiness, temperature/ ventilation and noise were also listed as challenges. We hope these concerns with the physical environment will be addressed in the move to One Spadina. SUMMARY OF RESULTS

Students overwhelmingly stated that the two student spaces, Lounge 058 and Café 059, were important A majority of respondents (53%) did not believe they assets to student life (71% and 85%, respectively) and had regular sleeping schedules and 47% of students had used the lounge space for a variety of reasons in the admitted to pulling all-nighters to finish projects on past semester. time. A majority of students also admitted to having worked though multiple nights with less than three hours of sleep: more than one third of respondents have had 3 to 5 nights with less than three hours of sleep, and close to 15% have had 11 to 15 such nights over the course of this semester. A striking 64% of students do not engage in regular physical activity and those who do only spend 2 hours a week or less on exercise. Furthermore, 64% of students state that they often skip meals. This trend is continued from the past two years and is something that needs to be addressed. A considerable portion of students admit that they feel pressured to maintain unhealthy work habits and have little time for entertainment activities. Moreover, the majority of students only manage one recreational activity per week.

ACADEMIC SPACES

Do you find any challenges working in studio on campus?

facilities ACADEMIC SPACES

Do you find any challenges working in studio on campus?

Physical Space lack of individual work space lack of collaborative work space lack of review/pin-up space lack of model-making space lack of storage space lack of quiet space/break space lack of private space overcrowding dirtiness/messiness restrooms availability of food lack of space/equipment for food storage/preparation lack of chairs uncomfortable work space reviews in studio areas causing distractions elevator (including lights) inconsistent cafe hours 0

facilities ACADEMIC SPACES

Do you find any challenges working in studio on campus?

Atmosphere stressful atmosphere air quality lack of control over temperature/ventilation unpleasant or toxic odours unpleasant lighting noise unhealthy studio culture competition distractions

Production Facilities not enough computers in lab lack of appropriate software on lab computers lack of/difficulty reaching plugs wi-fi competition for timeslots in shared facilities lack of printers lack of space in workshop/fabrication facilities spray booth 0

facilities ACADEMIC SPACES

prefer to to work work at at home home instead instead of of at at the the Faculty faculty studio. II prefer studio I prefer to work at home instead of at the faculty studio. 13.6 % 13.6 %

23.3 % 23.3 %

24.3 % 24.3 %

22.3 % 22.3 %

16.5 % 16.5 %

Strongly Agree Strongly Agree

Agree Agree

Neither Agree nor Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree

Disagree Disagree

Strongly Disagree Strongly Disagree

How many hours a week would you say you How hours week youbuilding? say How many hours week would you saywould you spend at you spendamany at school, ina the architecture spend at school, in the architecture building? school, in the architecture building? more than 80 hours more than 80 71-80 hours hours 71-80 hours 61-70 hours 61-70 hours 51-60 hours 51-60 hours 41-50 hours 41-50 hours 31-40 hours 31-40 hours 21-30 hours 21-30 hours 11-20 hours 11-20 hours 10 hours less 10 or hours or less0

8 16 0 Number of8 respondents 16 Number of respondents

average: 48.0 average: 48.0

24 24

32 32

40 40

facilities STUDENT-RUN SPACES

I believe that Lounge058 is an important space at Daniels I believe that Cafe059 is an important space at Daniels Daniels. 1.0 % 2.9 % 36.9 %

34.0 %

Strongly Agree

Agree

22.3 %

5.8 %

Neither Agree Disagree nor Disagree Strongly

Disagree

55.3 %

30.1 %

11.7 %

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree

Over the course of this past semester, in what ways have you used the Lounge? attended a TGIF meeting other students or professors eating studying pool ping pong donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t use the space 0

12 24 Number of respondents

academic experience “There isn’t enough time to manage core courses, studios and electives simultaneously. Although you become quite good at picking your priorities, something always has to give. Often times the scheduling over the course means students have little time to recharge.” – Student comment* “It would be helpful if instructors spoke to each other during a given semester so that they know the amount of assignments each class is being assigned. I can appreciate the aggressive pace at which we need to learn to cover all the required material but the overall amount is simply too much to do your best work. Running people into the ground isn’t [a] sustainable work strategy.” – Student comment*

daily life

“Concerns regarding & student well-being have improved INTRODUCTION METHODOLOGY since these surveys began but I still think the faculty encourages that detrimental to students.” This sectionbehaviours is composed ofare a series of questions –concerning Student comment students’ academic experience at Daniels. The questions ask students to share their experiences within their respective programs as well as their review INTRODUCTION & METHODOLOGY experiences. The following section summarizes data collected on For several of the questions we allowed students to aspects of student daily life at Daniels, divided into four comment freely on their experiences. We have carefully main categories: sleeping habits (including all-nighters), analyzed the lengthy list of comments in order to extract physical activity, eating habits, and social life. their principal ideas, and created graphs to help us understand the issues facing students today. The following following legend legend applies applies to to all all stacked stacked bar bar graphs graphs in in The this section: this section:

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

A high-volume workload and expectations regarding deadlines were once again the main causes of stress for students, followed closely by faculty-student interactions, difficulties in achieving work-life balance, and coinciding and conflicting deadlines. This year, many students also reported being discouraged by faculty from taking risks and fully exploring ideas as a cause of stress. 42% of students stated they experience difficulty with time management, identifying personal as well as external factors as possible reasons. The resulting challenge was in maintaining a healthy work/life balance. Institutional reasons for complications in scheduling time included a lack of communication and organization from and between faculty, as well as conflicts between SUMMARY OF RESULTS studio and other course deadlines. A majority of respondents (53%) did not believe they had regular sleeping schedules and 47% of students admitted to pulling all-nighters to finish projects on time. A majority of students also admitted to having worked though multiple nights with less than three hours of sleep: more than one third of respondents have had 3 to 5 nights with less than three hours of sleep, and close to 15% have had 11 to 15 such nights over the course of this semester. A striking 64% of students do not engage in regular physical activity and those who do only spend 2 hours a week or less on exercise. Furthermore, 64% of students state that they often skip meals. This trend is continued from the past two years and is something that needs to be addressed. A considerable portion of students admit that they feel pressured to maintain unhealthy work habits and have little time for entertainment activities. Moreover, the majority of students only manage one recreational activity per week.

What do you find most stressful about your program?

academic experience PEDAGOGY / COMMUNICATION

What do you find most stressful about your program? Pedagogy deadlines lack of breaks length of program (MArch) insufficient time to complete assignments workload pinups/reviews overemphasis on quantity of deliverables superstudio structures difficulty learning required technical skills difficulty balancing priorities of studio with courses assumption of devoting all time to Studio group work

Communication lack of clarity over grading/evaluation lack of positive feedback/overly negative feedback lack of deadline coordination between courses lack of communication regarding pedagogy/direction difficulty communicating with the administration conflicting or unreasonable expectations from faculty language barriers 0

academic experience What do you find most stressful about program? FACULTY / STUDENTS / SPACE & your RESOURCES What do you find most stressful about your program? Faculty supervisor-student interactions discouraging risk taking faculty disorganization lack of concern for mental health

Students meeting own expectations competition unhealthy studio culture time management financial stress lack of work-life balance uncertainty in professional future lack of motivation no time to maintain support network of friends commute lack of sleep lack of help for struggling students thesis

Spaces/Resources lack of instruction in using faculty resources use of faculty computers plotting laser cutting lack of space 0

PERCEIVED PERFORMANCE

What challenges do you face in scheduling your time?

academic experience TIME MANAGEMENT

What challenges do you find in scheduling your time? Personal work/life balance time management group work job commute work taking longer than expected

Institutional lack of timely communication from faculty lack of organization from faculty coinciding deadlines balancing studio with other courses superstudio workload unhealthy or unclear expectations from professors insufficient time to complete assignments booking time for resources (i.e. laser cutters) coinciding deadlines thesis 0

academic experience TIME MANAGEMENT

I am generally satisfied with the quality of my school work work. 7.8 %

47.6 %

22.3 %

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neither Agree nor Disagree

Do you find it difficult to schedule your time?

Yes

42.7 %

Unsure

22.3 %

35.0 %

15.5 %

I have the appropriate resources available to me to successfully address my school work successfully address my school work. 6.8 %

Disagree Strongly Disagree

6.8 %

52.4 %

26.2 %

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neither Agree nor Disagree

1.9 % 12.6 %

Disagree Strongly Disagree

Have you ever taken time off school?

Yes

25.2 %

74.8 %

academic experience PIN-UPS & REVIEWS

COMPETITIVENESS

Overall, how would you rate the experience of giving

How would you rate the overall competitiveness in

a pin-up and review? Use the following scale: 1 = Very

the faculty? (1 = not very competitive at all; 10 = very

Negative; 10 = Very Positive

competitive) How would you rate the overall competitiveness in the faculty? Use the following scale: 1 = Not Competitive at All; 10 = Extremely Competitive

Overall, how would you rate the experience of giving a pin-up and review? Use the following scale: 1 = Very Negative; 10 = Very Positive Very Negative

Very Positive

Not Competitive at All

Extremely Competitive

academic experience HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED QUITTING YOUR PROGRAM?

Have you ever considered quitting your program?

No 41.7 %

Yes 58.3 %

final studio experience “I believe changing the studio submission deadlines to the night prior to presentations has made a positive difference in student health and well-being. I think further initiatives in this direction would be beneficial.” – Student comment* “At Daniels, the pressure to always have a perfect and polished presentation creates a culture of shame and conformity where students are afraid to take risks or pursue ideas that are important to them.” – Student comment*

INTRODUCTION & METHODOLOGY

The following section presents a snapshot of student well-being during the final two weeks of studio from December 8th–24th 2015. The following introduction was placed before the questions in this section: “The questions below ask about behaviours or feelings that might have bothered you recently. For each question, click on the option that best describes how much (or how often) you have been bothered by each problem during the PAST TWO (2) WEEKS.” For each question we have used a simple pie chart to visualize the frequency of students’ self-identification with specific feelings or behaviours.

nearly everyday

almost half the days

several days

less than a day or two

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

GALDSU strongly believes that student feedback regarding the final two weeks of studio says things about our design culture here at Daniels which we cannot ignore. This year’s results are strikingly similar to previous years, with the majority of students responding that they felt anxious, nervous, worried or on edge during most of these two weeks. In the comments, students report feeling pressure from many sides–from their fellow students, critics, studio instructors, the discipline as a whole and from themselves. Many also reported feeling grouchy, irritable, angry, depressed, down or hopeless during this period. A holistic look at this report, and those of the past three years, shows that many stress factors are within the faculty’s control: coordination of deadlines, adequate support for fabrication/technology, additional cleaning staff and adequate time to finish projects. While the final weeks leading up to a studio deadline or final reviews will always be stressful, the utmost effort should be made by faculty during this time to address these controllable factors in order to reduce the pressure students already feel.

none at all

final studio experience A SNAPSHOT OF HOW STUDENTS FEEL DURING THE FINAL TWO WEEKS OF STUDIO

Little interest or pleasure in doing things?

Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless?

Feeling more irritated, grouchy, or angry than usual?

Feeling panic or being frightened?

Avoiding situations that make you anxious?

Unexplained aches and pain? (e.g., head, back, joints, abdomen, legs)

Feeling that someone could hear your thoughts, or that you could hear what another person was thinking?

Problems with sleep that affected your sleep quality overall?

Problems with memory (e.g., learning new information) or with location (e.g., finding your way home)?

Not knowing who you really are or what you want out of life?

Not feeling close to other people or enjoying your relationships with them?

Drinking at least 4 drinks of any kind of alcohol in a single day?

final studio experience A SNAPSHOT OF HOW STUDENTS FEEL DURING THE FINAL TWO WEEKS OF STUDIO

Sleeping less than usual, but still have a lot of energy? Starting lots more projects than usual or doing more risky things than usual?

Feeling nervous, anxious, frightened, worried, or on edge?

Feeling that your illnesses are not being taken seriously enough?

Thoughts of actually hurting yourself?

Hearing things other people couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hear, such as voices even when no one was around?

Unpleasant thoughts, urges, or images that repeatedly enter your mind?

Feeling driven to perform certain behaviours or mental acts over and over again?

Feeling detached or distant from yourself, your body, your physical surroundings, or your memories?

Smoking any cigarettes, a cigar, or pipe or using snuff or chewing tobacco?

Using any medicines without a doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s permission, in greater amounts than prescribed (e.g., painkillers, stimulants, sedatives, tranquilizers) or drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, hallucinogens, heroin, inhalants, and methamphetamine).

campus resources “I am aware that there are many resources in regards to mental health available to students but they are often hard to access. Because of the stress we are under during school, taking the time to seek out and find help can add significantly to the stress.” – Student comment*

INTRODUCTION & METHODOLOGY

This section is composed of a series of questions concerning knowledge about campus resources available to students at the University of Toronto. Additionally, we asked students whether they felt that the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design was doing enough to address their mental health.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

As in previous years, the majority of respondents (56%) do not feel that the faculty is doing enough to address the mental health needs of students within our community. However we believe it is worth highlighting that small changes being made by individual instructors have had a noted, positive affect on students as reported in the survey comments. These small changes include changing studio submission deadlines from the day of presentations and reviews to the day before in an effort to ensure students are well rested for their reviews, as well as coordination–sometimes facilitated by students– between faculty in an effort to stagger deadlines. While most campus student services are located within a one block radius from the Daniels Faculty at 230 College Street, students' responses indicate that most do not make use of them. The most used services are the Campus Health and Wellness Centre, which combines the Campus Medical Clinic and Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS) into a single service. As part of a broader movement within the university to localize support services, the Office of the Registrar now has embedded support staff who have hours each week specifically dedicated to Daniels students. As results from previous reports show low use and limited awareness of campus resources, we look forward to data in future years once the embedded services have been incorporated into student culture.

campus resources DANIELS FACULTY

Do you feel the faculty does enough to address mental health? Do you feel the faculty does enought to address mental health?

56.3 %

Yes

9.7 %

Maybe/Unsure

34.0 %

campus resources UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

Have you personally used any of the following services available to all University of Toronto students?

Yes 40.8 % No 59.2 % Health and Wellness Centre

Yes 8.7 % No 91.3 % UTGSU

Yes 1.9 % No 98.1 % Grief Support

Yes 0.0 % No 100.0 % Assault Counselling

Yes 1.9 % No 98.1 % Accessibility Services

Yes 1.0 % No 99.0 % Family Care Office

Yes 0.0 % No 100.0 % Sexual Harassment Office

Yes 2.9 % No 97.1 % Embedded Social Worker

Yes 1.9 % No 98.1 % Embedded Career Counsellor

Yes 1.0 % No 99.0 % International Transition Advisor

Yes 2.9 % No 97.1 % CAPS

Yes 52.4 % No 47.6 % None

acknowledgments We would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to all of the graduate students at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto for being part of this important conversation. Your participation, both in this survey and in student life, is invaluable. In addition, we would like to thank the following people for their dedication and time in the compilation and review of data as well as the preparation of this report: Gareth Hammond (MArch II), Elise Hunchuck (MLA III), Martin Lui (MArch III), Karima Peermohammad (MArch II), Dayne Roy-Caldwell (MLA III), Jocelyn Squires (MArch IV).

Graduate Architecture, Landscape, & Design Student Union Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, & Design University of Toronto

SURVEY & REPORT PREPARED BY

Gareth Hammond, MArch II Elise Hunchuck, MLA III Martin Lui, MArch III Karima Peermohammad, MArch II Dayne Roy-Caldwell, MLA III Jocelyn Squires, MArch IV Naomi Shevchuk, MArch II Martin Malchev, MArch I DATA PROCESSING BY

Martin Lui, MArch III Jocelyn Squires, MArch IV BASED ON THE ORIGINAL 2013 SURVEY BY

Jo毛l Le贸n, MArch 2015 Roxanna Lilova, MArch 2015 Jocelyn Squires, MArch IV Alex Daros, PhD candidate, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto WRITTEN & EDITED BY

Gareth Hammond, MArch II Elise Hunchuck, MLA III Dayne Roy-Caldwell, MLA III Jocelyn Squires, MArch IV DESIGN & LAYOUT BY

Elise Hunchuck, MLA III Dayne Roy-Caldwell, MLA III FONT TYPES

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