Dal Student Life Experience 2012-13

2012-13 REPORT TO STUDENTS

DAL STUDENT LIFE EXPERIENCE

Chris Parent Photo Manager with Dalhousie Gazette Hometown: Saint John, N.B. Major: Neuroscience He’s a busy guy: ResLife Business Cluster Leader, CLDC Assistant Career Advisor, East Coast Student Leadership Conference Co-Chair, Volunteer Patient and Exam Invigilator with Dalhousie Undergraduate Medical Education, Psychology Study Centre Attendant and Volunteer at the IWK!

“While the education that I received in class was phenomenal, it was the education that I received out of class that best prepared me for my life post-university.”

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DALHOUSIAN SPIRIT KEEPS GROWING E

very year we prepare this report to tell you, our students, what we have been doing to make Dal a better place for you to learn and live. This is also a place to report back to you on the feedback you have given us. Dalhousie University is the only university in Canada that produces an annual accountability report to students. That’s because we recognize that the overall student experience, and the student services that support your experience, are really a core part of our academic mission.

Our goal is to create the best overall university experience in Canada for Dal students.

The last year has been a time of major change in our campus community, with the addition last September of the Faculty of Agriculture and the Agricultural Campus in Truro/Bible Hill and the retirement in June of President Tom Traves after 18 years at the helm. Dalhousie’s new leader, President Richard Florizone, wants to hear from Dalhousie students about what we are doing well and what we can do to make your academic journey even better. Check out the 100 Days of Listening project on Dalhousie’s website and add your advice to our new president as he learns about Dalhousie and formulates his leadership vision for the next five years.

At Dalhousie, our faculty and staff are here to support a positive, perhaps even profound, transformative learning experience for you. From our approachable faculty, to friendly librarians, student services staff who regularly go “above and beyond” for students, to the wide network of food service providers, tutors, advisors, coaches, IT specialists, accountants, administrative assistants, tradespeople and housekeepers on our campuses— we are here to support your journey to the day you walk across the convocation stage to collect your degree. As you cope with the stress of transitioning from high school to university study in your first term (it does get easier!), or the balance of juggling study, work, and keeping fit and healthy, or the challenge of your final year research project, remember to remind yourself: Why am I here?

“I see Dalhousian spirit in action all the time. It’s infused in everything you do in your experience at Dal—in the classroom, across campus, online and in our local community.

It’s the Dalhousian way: smart students inspired to make a difference, now and in the future.”

-Bonnie G. Neuman, Vice-President, Student Services

You’re here for the Dalhousian journey—to define yourself as the person you want to be in the world, to learn new knowledge and how to apply it, to make life-long friends, to transform yourself into a global citizen committed to making the world a better place.

You chose Dalhousie for the great reputation that comes with a Dal degree and for the superb Dal experience, both in class and beyond. You stay at Dal because the core values of our Dalhousie community resonate with what you want to accomplish: personal growth and achievement, meaningful contributions, community building and exemplary leadership. You are a Dalhousian, and you are proud of it! So savour each step along the way and your journey will be a success, wherever it takes you.

INSIDE Leadership & Career Connections Wellness Connections Learning Connections The Dalhousie Student Profile Community Connections

4 12 18 23 24

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CAREER & LEADERSHIP CONNECTIONS 4

LEADERSHIP & CONNECTIO

THE DAL STUDENT LIFE EXPERIENCE

LEADERS TEACHING LEADERS Thanks to the hard work of a group of 20 student volunteers, along with Dal staff from the Career & Leadership Development Centre (CLDC) and Student Services, in February the university hosted over 150 students and professionals for the first East Coast Student Leadership Conference (ECSLC).

After a group of Dal staff and students went to the Canadian Conference on Student Leadership in 2011 at the University of Calgary and realized that Atlantic Canada was underrepresented, they decided to plan something similar a little closer to home. They wanted something that would bring students together to share ideas and learn from business leaders, entrepreneurs, and social activists.

& CAREER ONS “We first identified what the students wanted and went from there,” says conference co-chair and neuroscience student, Chris Parent. “The speakers we came across were a perfect fit. We wanted to cover all different grounds.”

Social entrepreneur and founder of The 7 Virtues Beauty Inc., Barbara Stegemann, was a great keynote speaker for students interested in entrepreneurship. Small-scale farmer and champion of the local food movement, Chris de Waal, appealed to people interested in sustainability, and was a particular hit with the audience.

“Passion is insistency through adversity.”

“Don’t think that passion is feeling good all the time about it,” he said. “Passion is insistency through adversity...You have to work on cultivating your passion.”

In the Rowe Building, posters covered in student opinions lined the walls. On a display board asking for some of the challenges facing student leaders, responses ranged from “lack of funds” or “age,” to “lack of internal and external support” to “systematic oppression,” and even “remaining selfcynical.” On another board, students identified guest speakers, mentors, and media campaigns as some of the top ways to encourage student leadership on campus.

The ECSLC filled an important niche, and bursaries from Student Services made it even easier for Dal students to participate, while student delegates from outside Halifax (some from as far away as Guelph and Trent universities) were sponsored by local businesses.

With such great support from the university, the local business community, and all the volunteers the first time around, a second ECSLC is planned for this November.

Look for more information about the 2013 event at eastcoaststudentleaders.ca.

Watch for a new student leadership event coming to Dal in January 2014.

The Dalhousie Leadership Symposium, a partnership between the DSU, CLDC and Residence Life, will be a leadership development opportunity open to all students. The one-day symposium will be followed by an optional second day of service in the community.

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< Sagar Jha DSU president Hometown: Halifax, N.S. Major: Biology People would be surprised to know: Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m an experienced bow hunter

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THE DAL STUDENT LIFE EXPERIENCE

LINKING GOOD IDEAS TOGETHER On April 13, the McInnes Room hosted 65 members of the Dal community at the first LINK (Lightbulb Ideas, Networking, Knowledge) event. A joint effort between the DSU and Dalhousie Student Services, LINK offered a venue to promote communication, collaboration, and community between student leaders for the upcoming school year.

On hand were members of residence councils, Residence Life staff, international students, varsity council members and athletes, first-year students, and Student Services staff.

Participants shared their stories and experiences as Dalhousie students in a World Café style, brainstorming their ideas on giant light bulbs that served as centerpieces for the tables. They were then asked how to actually carry these visions forward—how to take their ideas, link up with other similar ideas, and create action plans.

The 2013-14 DSU VP Internal, Ramz Aziz, stressed the importance of “changing the culture of the campus” to get students working together from all backgrounds and areas of the university.

As a Halifax native who’s lived his life “in two postal codes,” DSU President Sagar Jha says a big part of his vision for Dalhousie is to “change the perception of students within the greater community of Halifax.”

In addition to strengthening the community connection, some other key themes emerged: creating more school spirit at varsity games, providing safe environments for people to have fun, connecting the DSU and Residence Life, more creative programming and more off-campus programming.

< Derek Norris Varsity athlete Hometown: Tantallon, N.S. Major: Kinesiology What makes me happiest: Making others laugh

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< Kelsey Mooney

Kaitlynn Lowe

Kelsey Mooney

VP Internal, DASSS Hometown: Bowmanville, Ont. Major: English & History Secret talent: Memorizing family trees of monarchies

SRA, Glengarry Apartments Hometown: Langley, B.C. Major: International Development Studies In my free time: I bake and knit

< Avery Birch Risley Hall Social Rep Hometown: St. Stephen, N.B. Major: Commerce Secret talent: I’m MacGyver-ish

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CAREER & LEADERSHIP CONNECTIONS

THE POWER OF VOLUNTEERISM

“DALconnects was a fantastic opportunity and welcome addition to my program this semester.

It gave me the ability to offer my time and service to important not-for-profits in the Halifax area, and attend some great workshops.”

In January the Career & Leadership Development Centre (CLDC) set its sights on the benefits of volunteerism and launched a new leadership experience and development certificate program called DALconnects.

Participating in the program helps students contribute to the community, get their experiences recognized, and expand their resume.

The program is guided by the belief that all students are potential leaders, and that community service can be an excellent avenue for them to discover their leadership style and apply their skills and knowledge.

DALconnects allows students who are already volunteering outside of Dal to have that work recognized on their Co-Curricular Record. The program combines leadership development workshops with community volunteer service.

Students participating in the program are required to complete three workshops and to volunteer a minimum of 15 hours in the community. Anyone who isn’t already volunteering off campus can be connected to opportunities through the program.

– Scott Harbinson, 3rd year, Environment, Sustainability & Society

EVERYONE WANTS A RECORD

1,206

students with a Co-Curricular Record for 2012-13 (682 in 2011-12)

1,602

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opportunities in the CCR directory (1,094 in 2011-12)

THE DAL STUDENT LIFE EXPERIENCE

Affirmative Ventures Big Brothers Big Sisters Black Educators of Nova Scotia Boys and Girls Club Camp Hill Veterans Memorial Hospital Canadian Cancer Society Canada Revenue Agency (Community Volunteer Income Tax program) Clean Nova Scotia Ecology Action Centre Empathy Factory Fairview Family Resource Centre Feed Nova Scotia Frontier College Halifax Sexual Health Centre Halifax Spryfield Pathways to Education Healthy Minds Cooperative ISIS Partners For Care: Urban Farm St. Georges Youth Net United Way Halifax YWCA

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During the first three months of the program an almost equal mix of 56 international and Canadian students registered for DALconnects. Partnerships were started with 21 not-for-profit community partners:

DID YOU KNOW? In October 2012 Dalhousie’s College of Sustainability launched a new program to inform and foster student leadership from an environmental point of view. The RBC Sustainability Certificate is open to all Dal undergrads who have taken an introductory Sustainability or Agriculture course. Students take part in three weekend modules: Leadership for Sustainability, Tools for Change, and Taking Action.

FLYING PAST THE COMPETITION In the summer of 2012, the Dal community cheered on swimmer David Sharpe as he made his Olympic debut in London. During the 2012-13 Tigers season, David continued to show why he deserved to be competing against the best in the world. He set new Dalhousie, AUS and Nova Scotia records in the 50-, 100-, and 200-metre backstroke, the 100- and 200-metre butterfly, the 200-metre individual medley and the 400-metre medley relay. As the AUS champion in the 100-metre backstroke and 100- and 200-metre butterfly events, David was named an AUS allstar and the AUS Swimmer of the Year.

At the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championship, he contributed three of the five medals that were won by Dal Tigers in all sports: silver in the 50- and 100-metre backstroke and a bronze medal in the 100-metre butterfly. That brought his career CIS medal count to three gold, five silver and three bronze.

At the end of the school year David was named Swim Nova Scotia’s male individual athlete of the year at the Ricoh Sports Awards, and earned his second Climo Award (for Dal’s male athlete of the year) in four years. In July, he travelled to Kazan, Russia for his third Summer Universiade as a member of Team Canada.

2012-13 HIGHLIGHTS Atlantic University Sport Championships women’s soccer women’s swimming men’s swimming

women’s track & field men’s track & field women’s volleyball 59 AUS All-Stars

2012-13 HIGHLIGHTS 4 ACAA All-Conference athletes ACAA men’s cross country champions Canadian Intercollegiate Lumberjacking Association (CILA) men’s and women’s champions

4 CCAA Academic All-Canadians

STRONG BODIES, SOUND MINDS

93

# of Dal varsity student-athletes named Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Academic All-Canadians in 2012-13

3.43 3.74

Minimum GPA required to be named an Academic All-Canadian

The average GPA of the 19-member Dal women’s soccer team (back-to-back AUS champs)

THE DAL STUDENT LIFE EXPERIENCE

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Chantelle McMullin

Marissa Ley

Rebecca Haworth

Ramz Aziz

CAREER & LEADERSHIP CONNECTIONS 10

BOARD OF GOVERNORS’ AWARD WINNERS The Board of Governors’ Awards are the top student prizes at Dalhousie. Since 1992 they’ve recognized contributions to the university through academic accomplishments and involvement in campus life, including community service. This year six incredible students were honoured at the Impact Awards:

Ramz Aziz “I wish to live life to the fullest, to experience new things, and to reach my potential.

I see so many opportunities for learning and growing here at Dal, and life is too short to pass them up. I feel that I become wiser with every new opportunity, every new challenge and every new endeavour. And that keeps me wanting for more.”

As President of the Dalhousie Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) for the past two years, Ramz has worked to empower Muslim students at Dalhousie and in Halifax, and make events more accessible and inclusive. He has also served as a Residence Assistant for two years, Vice President–Finance for the Dalhousie Science Society, Dalhousie Ombudsperson, Treasurer of INDISA, and as a board member of the DSU’s Board of Operations and the Nova Scotia Public Interest Research Group. For 2013-14 Ramz is the Vice President (Internal) of the DSU.

Rebecca Haworth “I wouldn’t be an athlete at the varsity level without the dedication of many volunteer coaches and I think it’s important to support today’s youth so they can have the same opportunities that I’ve had.”

The female co-captain on the track and field team, Rebecca has been named as a CIS Academic All-Canadian in each year she has competed for Dalhousie and was named the 2013 Dal track & field MVP. She is also a two-time winner of the Dalhousie President’s Award, for the athlete who best combines athletics, academics, leadership, and fair play. Besides working as a peer mentor on campus, Rebecca volunteers for Capital Health and the IWK, as an official and coach with Special Olympics, and as an assistant track and field coach at Sacred Heart School/Fountain Academy.

Marissa Ley and Chantelle McMullin “Helping new sponsored students settle into life here in Canada, participating on a brigade, and seeing all of our fundraising and work on campus come to life and affect the lives of so many people has all changed my life. The people I have met along the way also played a large part and helped change the way I view my life and made me realize how fortunate I am.”

- Chantelle

THE DAL STUDENT LIFE EXPERIENCE

Marissa and Chantelle make an incredible team. They’ve been working together to bring about positive change at the local and global levels since they were kids. During their first year at Dal they established a chapter of Global Brigades, an international organization that sends teams of students and professionals around the world to help resolve global health and economic disparities. So far, the society has been able to offer mobile medical and dental clinics, as well as public health education, to over 4,200 people while taking over $70,000 worth of supplies into their communities.

They’ve also become involved with the Dalhousie chapter of World University Service of Canada (WUSC), working to find private sponsorship for refugee students to come to Canada and pursue postsecondary education.

Aaron Wolf

Paul Manning

“The people I have met along the way also played a large part and helped change the way I view my life and made me realize how fortunate I am.”

– Chantelle McMullin, Board of Governor’s Award winner

Paul Manning “I have an incredible love for my campus. It’s provided me with many wonderful opportunities inside and outside the classroom. It’s important to be involved because it helps improve your well-being. When I’m feeling happy, healthy, and engaged, I do my best work.”

Paul has been on the Dean’s List every year he’s been enrolled in Environmental Science in the Faculty of Agriculture. After his first year he was selected to take part in a CIDA-funded research project in Ethiopia, studying appropriate storage technology for Ethiopian perishable fruit for 12 weeks. On campus, he’s been a CCAA Academic All-Canadian on the Rams cross country team, and served the past two years as President of what is now the Dalhousie Agricultural Student Association (formerly the NSAC Student Union), where he was actively involved in the merger transition between Dalhousie and NSAC. In the fall of 2012 all those accomplishments culminated in Paul being named Dalhousie’s 87th (and the Faculty of Agriculture’s first) Rhodes Scholar.

Aaron Wolf “Getting involved wasn’t exactly intentional.

Coming from a rural community, Halifax and Dalhousie just represented opportunity to pursue activities I was interested in. Everything I’ve done was simply following an interest or passion.”

Aaron has volunteered as a peer mentor, was a residence assistant in Howe Hall, worked with PeaceJam and Mavericks for Social Change, and was a receiver with the Dal football team for two years. He has also been very involved off campus with Phoenix Youth Programs, as a volunteer tutor for youth at risk and as a full-time Live-In Support Worker. As the DSU Vice President (Internal) in 2012-13, Aaron implemented new web applications and streamlined policy to make it easier for students to get involved with and create new societies on campus. And as President of the Dalhousie Chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society, he collaborated with Books With Wings to send hundreds of books to libraries in Afghanistan.

THE DAL STUDENT LIFE EXPERIENCE

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CREATING A WELLNESS HUB ON CAMPUS Set to open in the spring of 2014, the $48-million LeMarchant Street Mixed Use Building is well under way.

It’s being built with the aim of becoming the second building on campus to get a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification (the first was the Mona Campbell Building). The building will house over 300 students in five floors of residence rooms and centralize student wellness services including Health Services and Counselling Services.

WELLNESS CO The LEED features of the Mixed Use Building reflect that notion of a place of wellness.

When it’s finished, the building will include solar-paneled roofs to reduce the cost of energy and carbon emissions; a hydro efficiency system, where rainwater collected from the roof is stored in a cistern and used to flush toilets; a green roof on the terraced areas of the second level; and insulation and triple-glazed windows to keep more energy in.

Like the Mona Campbell building, plaques in the building will educate residents and visitors on how these amenities contribute to the building’s sustainability. A dashboard located in the lobby, and available online, will show how much water and energy is being used at that exact moment.

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It will take 12-18 months for the Mixed Use Building to become LEED certified after it opens, as it must demonstrate it can meet the requirements once it’s functioning. It will be assessed alongside The Life Sciences Research Institute (LSRI) and the new Ocean Sciences Building, which are both expected to gain silver LEED certifications.

While the LeMarchant Building is expected to be operational next spring, watch for it to be in full swing by the fall of 2014 when the residence rooms open up. A number of student services, including the Black Student Advising Centre, International Centre, Recruitment and Enrolment Centre, as well as Health Services and Counselling Services, will be moving in next summer.

ONNECTIONS IMPROVING HEALTH SERVICES The new Health Services facility will be a huge improvement for patients. The waiting room will be much larger and less crowded, there will be fewer lineups waiting to check in, and better overall flow. The bigger space will also improve patient confidentiality since there will be more private areas for nurses to assess patients and more examining rooms for patients to meet with physicians (including Dr. Amy Mallory, who joined Health Services in 2012-13).

Health Services is particularly busy in the fall and late winter. New multiple examining rooms will ensure that students feeling unwell wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily have to wait in the public waiting areaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;they can rest in an examination room.

The waiting time for test results has improved in Health Services, thanks to a new electronic record system for all patient files. The old system could take up to five days to get blood results and X-ray reports. The new system returns those results within 24 hours.

For the first time in six years, Dalhousie Health Services has a full-time psychiatrist. In August of 2013 the Health Services team welcomed Dr. Katie Manders, who has a special interest in young adult psychiatry. Dal students will be referred for an appointment with Dr. Manders by Counselling Services, a family physician, or a Dalhousie Health Services physician. Previously, students wanting to meet with a psychiatrist would have to wait an average of three months to be assessed through the Capital Health mental health unit on Bayers Road.

With a new fitness facility to come soon across South Street from the Mixed Use Building, the area around LeMarchant and South streets is destined to become the hub of wellness services and activities on campus.

DID YOU KNOW?

HEALTH BENEFITS Students on the Agricultural Campus benefit from a dedicated Health Services nurse on campus who deals with everything from diet counselling to immunizations and health assessments. There are also weekly medical clinics provided by a local physician, and one day of psychological counselling each month with a local psychiatrist. Students in both Truro and Halifax work in the Peer Health Education Program (RESPECT) to create awareness of health issues on campus.

The new LeMarchant Street building will also include a new Quiet Room for prayer and meditation with adjacent foot-washing facilities. Look for it on the second floor, next to Counselling!

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WELLNESS CONNECTIONS

CROWD-SOURCING FOR NEW FITNESS FACILITIES MORE FITNESS OPPORTUNITIES A big challenge at Dalhousie is maintaining the availability of fitness facilities during exam periods. Since the Dalplex fieldhouse is taken over by students hunkered over desks during exams, the hours of other fitness resources were rejigged to accommodate students wanting to break a sweat. This year the fieldhouse weight room, Cybex Room, Cardio Plus Centre and squash/racquetball courts were kept open later than usual until midnight. The varsity weight room was opened to the general membership during exams, and the Cardio Plus Centre was available throughout the exam period to all full-time Dal students.

Better fitness facilities have long been on the wish list of Dal students.

That’s why in 2010, with the approval of student reps on the Board of Governors, the Board passed a $180 annual fee that students will contribute to help ensure Dal’s fitness and recreation facilities are up to par. The fee will support the design, construction, and maintenance of new facilities on the Studley and Sexton Campuses. With construction planned to start in 2014, it will be a few years until the fee is applied since students won’t be paying it until the facilities are in use.

So what will the new facilities and upgrades include? Possibly more space for group activities, more social space, new cardio and weight areas, better accessibility, increased food offerings, women-only workout times, and improved change rooms. At least that’s what was suggested in hours of public consultations with Dal and King’s students, staff, faculty and community members.

3000 1000 400

Over students took part in the intramuraks in 2012-13 Over students are members of Dal Sport Clubs

Dal students Nearly play on a varsity Rams or Tigers team

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THE DAL STUDENT LIFE EXPERIENCE

“We’ve been asking people what they want to see in new facilities, giving us a ‘wish list’ of what matters most to them.”

- Nathan Rogers, capital development planner with Facilities Management

The new fitness facility on Studley Campus will be located near the current Dalplex location. The new facility will be a source of pride for the Dal community.

Meanwhile, students at the Sexton campus will be happy to hear that their recreation fitness facility fee will enable improvements on their campus, in correlation with planning for the new IDEAS building, which will enhance their academic experience as well.

92

workshops or multiplesession group programs conducted by Counselling

Services, with a total attendance of

MENTAL HEALTH Counselling Services has launched its online self-help program SHIFT (Self-Help For Improving Feelings & Thoughts) for Dalhousie, King’s, and NSCAD students who experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, and/ or stress. The program, previously titled ‘Feeling Better,’ now consists of modules students work through at their own pace and involves regular contact with a program coach.

Anxiety and depression are the most prevalent mental health issues for students. That’s why Counselling Services received a $100,000 grant from the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation to study the effectiveness of online self-help. Now we know the SHIFT program works, students who used the online program showed a clinically significant improvement—lower depression and lower stress—than students who were simply waiting for in-person counselling.

SHIFT isn’t a replacement for in-person counselling. It’s meant to be an outreach program for students who are reluctant or unable to sit down with a counsellor at Counselling Services, or who are waiting for an appointment with a counsellor. It also provides help for distance education students and augments the services available on the Truro Campus.

The program helps to alleviate mild to moderate stress and prevent it from worsening and teaches students skills they can use to control “overly worrisome or self-critical thinking.” (It’s not designed as a treatment for students experiencing symptoms of a bipolar, obsessive compulsive, eating, or posttraumatic stress disorder; an addiction; or psychosis.)

531

2,039

students attended career counselling groups to help them prepare for admission to professional schools in medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy

People who have anxiety are more prone to depression. SHIFT is the only online coached program in Canada that combines efforts to address stress, anxiety, and depression. Students taking the program can choose their focus of core modules, and the order they work through them.

To prevent stress, a downward depressive spiral, and other problems from occurring in the first place, it’s important to stay active—physically active, and also actively involved and engaged in life.

To register for the SHIFT program, go to dal.ca/shift. For more information, e-mail SHIFTcoach1@dal.ca

2,186

different students registered for counselling assistance in 2012-13 (up from 1,560 five years ago)

6,452

individual counselling sessions (7.2% increase over previous year)

THE DAL STUDENT LIFE EXPERIENCE

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WELLNESS CONNECTIONS

NOM NOM!

FUELLING YOUR MIND (AND BODY) Over the past year, Dalhousie Food Services and the DSU have been working hard to perfect what goes on students’ plates. They have each launched several incentives to ensure that food on campus remains local, healthy and tasty.

More and more students are concerned about where their food is coming from and want Dal to show more support for local farmers and businesses. Students also want fresher produce, more variety, and something different.

Pete’s To GoGo fit this vision: it has the fresh and the healthy, and it’s also part of a local success story.

Anyone is welcome to shop there— whether it’s a student grabbing a sandwich to eat before class, or a neighbour picking up some fresh fruit to take home—creating a true community feeling in the SUB. The addition of The Loaded Ladle also helped solidify the healthy food vision that students had for the SUB. A completely student-led initiative, funded by student fees, the Ladle now serves students free, locally produced lunches three times a week. It has become so popular that there are often days when it serves more students than there are places to sit.

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Dalhousie Food Services also noticed a higher demand for a change in the menu. Express offerings, food that students can grab on the go, have seen close to a 30% increase in use in the last year. The menu items typically lean towards healthier items—food such as healthy sandwiches, salads, yogurts, fruit parfaits, fresh fruits, hummus and pita.

Each retail vendor on campus also has its own initiatives on healthy food.

Information for different products at franchises like Second Cup, Subway, Tim Hortons, JustUs Coffee, Extreme Pita, and Pizza Pizza can be found online for students concerned with caloric intake, or for students who may have gluten intolerance or allergies to citrus, sesame seeds, or nuts. Second Cup, for example, recently launched a gluten-free pastry.

Campus Vending has also increased its health incentives—a minimum of 25% of its food, excluding pop, now has the blue health check mark.

Howe Hall’s dining area underwent an extensive $3-million renovation during the summer of 2013. Seating increased from 175 to 340, a separate glutenfree and vegan area was created, and more diverse foods were introduced— including Caribbean, Asian, and Indian cuisine—at the international station.

The Killam Atrium opened last fall with a bold new look and more food offerings for the Dal community. The complete redesign includes more and better seating and improved accessibility.

90% of French fries sold on campus are cut fresh, rather than cooked from frozen

With the new Farm To Table program, students can track where their food comes from locally—something few Canadian universities do.

The expanded menus in the residences are a benefit to everyone on campus, since anyone—not just residence students—can eat with payas-you-go and full meal plan options.

In fact, meal plans are becoming more popular, averaging a 30-40% year-toyear increase. Once students buy a meal plan, 90% return to buy a second one.

The DSU reinvests money generated from food services in the SUB in services for students: free legal services, the student advocacy service, and providing support for societies, to name a few.

And revenue from campus-wide Food Services helps support the Dalhousie Art Gallery, the Arts Centre and Dal Tigers varsity teams.

95.6% of first-year Dal students reported that they are satisfied or very satisfied with their feeling of personal safety on campus.

- CUSC, First-Year Students Survey (2012)

GETTING YOU HOME SAFELY

SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE

The Tiger Patrol shuttle service continued to grow this year, thanks in large part to students taking advantage of the new late-night service at the end of the school year. Started as a pilot project by Student Services, Dal Security, and the DSU, Tiger Patrol extended its hours for one van until 3 a.m. to match the hours of the Night Owls program at the Killam Library, which kept its doors open late for studying five nights a week at the end of each term.

In October, Dal Security led its annual nighttime “light walk” to check for places around the Halifax campuses that may create risks after dark.

This year, Dal’s Office of Sustainability came along for the walk to see how the university lighting retrofit was helping the cause of personal security. A partnership between the Office of Sustainability and Facilities Management, the lighting project is not only making the campuses brighter and safer (indoors and out), it’s also expected to cut down on both the environmental and financial costs of lighting the university. The retrofit replaced over 25,000 light bulbs, ballasts, and fixtures on the interiors and exteriors of 34 buildings. Conventional lights were replaced with LED and T8 ones, motion sensors were installed, and all exterior lighting was changed to LED lamps.

The work saves about 3,623 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year (equivalent to keeping 710 cars off the road) and $380,000 in energy costs.

Tiger Patrol drives:

7,162 16,980 20,606

2010-11: 2011-12:

2012-13:

Charity Tip Off, Dal After Dark

DAL AFTER DARK Student Services introduced a new initiative in 2012 to give students low-cost alternatives to spending money downtown. Dal After Dark provides safe, on-campus opportunities to socialize, make new friends, be active, and get involved in student life. In 2013-14 the program will be expanded with a wider range of activities organized by student societies, departments, and faculties.

An impressive number of students took part in many of the Dal After Dark events this year, including: Residence Charity Face Off (700) Residence Charity Kick Off (400) Residence Charity Tip Off (200) Hypnotist Night for Spread the Net (97) Dive-in Movie (87) Cosmic Bowling (110) Residence Varsity Basketball Night (400) Residence Varsity Volleyball Night (187) St. Patrick’s Day events (260)

FRAG for Cancer, St. Patrick’s Day, Dal After Dark

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LEARNING CONNECTIONS

LEARNING CO

435

The number of grade 12 students who connected with first-year advisors from Dal in their hometown high schools in the spring of 2012, for help registering for the fall term.

DID YOU KNOW? Research on student employment shows some results that might surprise you. Researcher David Astin discovered that taking a job on campus correlated with improved students’ GPA scores.

But working off campus had the opposite result, showing reduced academic success. Dal’s research gives some insight into why this might be the case.

Dal students who work off-campus are working a lot more hours per week on average. If you’re working to support your education, remember your first goal is academic success—keep your work hours to less than 14 hours a week.

ACADEMIC ADVISORS TAKE ON WIDER COACHING ROLE The best academic advisors go beyond the usual focus on course selection and degree requirements. And the best is what Dalhousie students deserve! So in 2012 we started a new integrated approach to provide Dalhousie students, and particularly those in BA programs, with “one stop” integrated advising that helps students plan their overall academic success.

The first phase of Dal’s new Coaching Model for academic success was put in place in July 2012, integrating accommodation services for students with disabilities with academic advising—one location, one advisor, both support areas, through appointments at the Bissett Centre for Academic Success Services located in the Killam Library atrium. Dal’s integration of advising and accommodation services is unique in North America. It ensures more timely service for students who have disabilities as well as easier access to appointments for all students.

ONNECTIONS The integrated coaching model helps all students who connect with the Bissett Centre for advising and academic success support. The advisors work closely with the assistant deans of the faculties and other campus experts in study skills, writing improvement and financial aid, to ensure smooth referrals to reduce students’ risk and improve academic results.

Early planning and action on your part makes for less stress and a better university experience overall.

Ever heard the old saying, “If you don’t know where you are going, how will you know when you get there?”

Our academic coaches help students: Set goals that keep you focused Select courses and course timing best suited to achieving those goals Identify risk factors unique to you and link you to other support services to address risk before it impedes your success Highlight opportunities to build your co-curricular record Develop action plans each term with goals for academic skills, but also goals for personal wellness, social community, campus engagement and use of your time – all critical to your academic success

Connect with other resources from online information to skills workshops to appointments with other support areas, depending on your unique needs Make wise choices that lead to career success after graduation (how many hours do you really need to spend on social media every day?)

This fall, closer integration of career counselling will be added to the coaching model, with academic advisors benefitting from closer alliance with our two expert career counsellors from the Lawson Career Information Centre. Dalhousie’s academic advisors and career counsellors are the best educated, most prepared expert advising group in Canadian universities…every advisor and counsellor has a Master’s level education, in fields spanning related disciplines including education, counselling psychology, social work and occupational health/therapy. You are in good hands!

Of course all the support in the world makes no difference if you don’t take ownership of your academic success! Give yourself a great start by meeting with an advisor early in the school year. Even the most successful students can learn more skills to do even better…so check us out online: dal.ca/learnwell.

DID YOU KNOW? Many of the programs and initiatives that promote and encourage academic achievement at Dalhousie are available thanks to the generosity of an alumnus. A native of Charlottetown and longtime resident of Calgary, David Bissett graduated with a law degree from Dal in 1962 before starting a long career in financial services. In 2003 David and his wife Leslie donated $2 million to Dal to create the Bissett Centre for Academic Success, which includes Academic Advising and Access Services, Study Skills and the Writing Centre.

19

LEARNING CONNECTIONS 20

The personal treatment

15:1 21:1

NEW PILOT PROGRAMS Advising and Access Services in the Bissett Centre developed two successful pilot programs in 2012 for Intentional Advising and Summer Orientation.

The Intentional Advising program uses a coaching model to encourage new Dal students to develop strong academic plans that include academic, personal, and career goals.

During the five months of the program, Dalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Intentional Advisor contacted over 580 first-year Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences (FASS) students through email, letters, phone calls and in-person visits to residences, inviting them to meet with an advisor in Advising and Access Services.

On the Truro Campus, a full-time advising position was created to handle First-Year Transitions and Intentional Advising. Advisor Brian Crouse reached out to each new student who started in January to arrange individual advising appointments before the end of the school year.

THE DAL STUDENT LIFE EXPERIENCE

The new Summer-O pilot program was held for the first time in July of 2012. Eighty-two new students (along with 62 friends or family members) visited Dal to get acquainted with the Halifax campuses before their September arrival. This new program allowed students and their families to orient themselves to campus and introduced them to all the academic support resources and other student services available to them. It also included four spin-offs to address specific populations: students of African descent, mature and transfer students, Aboriginal students, and those who require academic accommodations.

The program was so well-received by those who attended that the pilot continued in the summer of 2013. This fall we will follow up to measure how much of an actual impact the program had on academic results and persistence to second year.

The student-faculty ratio at Dal.

The average ratio for the top 15 research intensive universities in Canada (of which Dal is a part).

LEARNING STUDY SKILLS The Studying for Success program (SFS) is a fantastic resource that teaches Dal, Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, and NSCAD students essential study skills that can help not only in the classroom but also in personal and career development.

During the 2012-13 year, 446 one-onone coaching sessions and over 100 workshops covered everything from critical reading to oral presentations.

A total of 1,716 students took part in the program.

In January of 2013 SFS started a new tutoring program that matches students with student peer coaches to get help with course-specific work. During the first term of the program there were 17 tutors on staff representing 125 different courses at Dal. Fifteen students received a total of nearly 50 hours of tutoring.

After starting office hours on Sexton Campus in 2011, SFS expanded its reach even further in 2012. It now holds additional office hours in the Black Student Advising Centre and the Native Education Counselling Unit, and has a presence on the Agricultural Campus.

Nathan Musoke, Varsity athlete and award-winning Student Peer Advisor

BLACK STUDENT ADVISING CENTRE The Black Student Advising Centre (BSAC) had a couple of firsts in 2012-13. The new summer orientation for students of African descent gave incoming students an opportunity to meet each other, faculty members and upper-year students to help with the transition into university. The BSAC also created a new student peer advisor position to be the first point of contact for new students to help them navigate their way through their first year at Dal. The BSAC partners with the Writing Centre, Advising and Access Services and Studying for Success to provide in-house academic support services to students. The Centre also has 20 peer mentors who support and coach students in various subjects. In 2012, Nathan Musoke, one of the BSAC’s peer mentors, won the Dalhousie Student Peer Advisor Award for dedicated mentorship of his fellow students. A medal-winning runner on the Tigers track and field team (and CIS Top 8 Academic All-Canadian), Nathan earned a perfect 4.3 GPA in his Physics program.

His scholarship excellence has been recognized with a NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, the Burgess McKittrick Second Year Prize, the Dr. A. Stanley MacKenzie Prize in Physics and the Dr. William J. Archibald Prize in Physics.

Nathan is also involved with Imhotep’s Legacy Academy, which works to mentor young Black Nova Scotians’ interests in studying science.

Now that’s a “Dalhousian”!

THE WRITE STUFF The Writing Centre expanded service in a number of ways in 2012-13. New funding added two more half-time writing advisors to work with the 32 student peer tutors who help students develop their writing skills.

The demand is huge, with a 163% increase in the number of students visiting the Centre since 2007-08. We also added space in the Killam Library to have a quieter, more confidential place for students to discuss their writing.

The Writing Centre has enhanced services for students, including those who didn’t visit in person. The website (dal.ca/writingcentre) eases the navigation of information and booking of appointments, and includes an extensive online resource guide. The Guide has information and examples (including papers that are annotated to explain what’s happening in them) of different types of writing for different disciplines, tips about the writing process and adapting to writing in university, and an interactive tutorial about avoiding plagiarism.

Thanks to a collaboration between the Writing Centre, the Faculty of Science, the Centre for Learning and Teaching, and Information Technology Services, plagiarism cases in Science were reduced by 18.8%.

The Academic Integrity Module went online in September of 2012 as a pilot project with first-year Science students.

With a high participation rate and impressive result, the pilot will be expanded to include the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences this September. But you don’t have to be part of the pilot group - you can access this directly online as well.

11,719

Writing Centre appointments in 2012-13 (up from 2,728 five years ago)

2,295

Number of Dal students who met with the Writing Centre in 2012-13 (up from 874 five years ago)

DID YOU KNOW? For the past five years the Writing Centre has hosted Writing Week for Grad Students. The week helps them commit to finishing their theses or dissertations.

And many grad students feel isolated when they’re working on their research, so participating in a writing group for a week, where they can bounce ideas around with fellow grad students and Writing Centre advisors, re-connects them with a wider academic community.

93.8%

first-year Dal students reported they’ve been successful at meeting academic demands

89.3%

satisfied with study skills or learning support services - CUSC, First-Year Students Survey (2012)

21

LEARNING CONNECTIONS

CANADA’S OCEAN CLASSROOM Being Atlantic Canada’s leading research university, in the perfect location beside the ocean, it made sense for Dal to create Canada’s first undergraduate Ocean Sciences program, starting this September. After 40+ years, undergrads will at last be able to take full advantage of the incredible new resources of the Oceanography Department and start working earlier towards careers in a vital and growing sector.

Ocean Sciences students will likely get to know the Ocean Sciences Building quite well. The $41.5-million, 75,000-sq-ft research facility opened its doors in May of 2013. Connected to the west wing of the Life Sciences Centre, it features four floors of research labs, offices and an expansion of the Aquatron tank capacity. Expected to receive its LEED Silver Certification (the process can take up to 18 months), the building even features an DID YOU KNOW? electric car charging station. It has already Are you a Biology student interested in pop attracted renowned researchers such as culture? Or a History student who loves anything Doug Wallace, giving current and incoming related to the ocean? It used to be that anyone students the opportunity to work and wanting to major in one subject at Dal and research with a world-class team. dabble in another was restricted to only a few These two fantastic additions to choices of minors. Not any more. Starting this year, the Faculties of Science and Arts and Social Dalhousie will give our Ocean Sciences, Sciences, along with the University of King’s Oceanography and Marine Biology students College, is offering over 60 minor choices. So feel an incredible advantage and exposure to free to delve into some sociology while you work world-class research and teaching. on that degree in Theatre!

ROSEMARY GILL AWARD WINNERS The Rosemary Gill Awards are presented each year to Dal staff members who make a big difference at Dal by providing outstanding service to students in non-teaching roles. The winners for 2012-13 were: Brenda Armstrong (administrative secretary in the Department of Medical Neuroscience); Dr. Penny Corkum (director of clinical training for the Clinical Psychology program); Dr. Gerri Frager (professor of Pediatrics and director of the Medical Humanities program); and Carolyn Young (administrative assistant in the Department of Biology).

A big thank you for all you do!

22

THE DAL STUDENT LIFE EXPERIENCE

The Dalhousie

STUDENT PROFILE *937

ENROLMENT by faculty

2012

.4%

18,268*

10

Total enrolment

by place of residence

6%

Agricultural campus students (0.5% of total)

17.

13,146 Undergraduate

9,765

Maritimes

3,222

Graduate

6,048

Rest of Canada

Professional (ME,DE,LA)

2,452

International

1,900

SMART, DIVERSE & ENGAGED STUDENTS

THE DAL STUDENT LIFE EXPERIENCE

23

COMMUNITY CONNECTIO

24

SMART STUDENTS INSPIRED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE Dalhousie prides itself on being an integral part of Halifax. With 18,000 students, how couldn’t we?

And as such a significant factor in the city, it’s no wonder Dal students are so engaged with the community beyond our walls. The work Dal students do with outside organizations highlights the same spirit we show on campus. And (no surprise) Dal students are full of spirit.

Whether it’s raising money and awareness for charity through softball tournaments, hockey games or movie nights, or working hands-on with charitable organizations, Dal students continue to demonstrate their commitment. Dalhousie provides you with many opportunities and tools to connect with the community, and you do the rest.

Y ONS

COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERING Dalhousie encourages you to get involved in the community from Day One on campus. Why? Besides being the neighbourly thing to do, it’s a fantastic way to develop skills and gain experience that will help you in your lives and careers after you leave university.

On September 8, Dal ResLife partnered with groups around Halifax for our annual Community Day. It’s a great day when inspired residence students get involved and make a difference off campus. Students helped out across the city: getting their hands dirty at the Common Roots Urban Farm, sprucing up rooms at the Discovery Centre, and helping out at organizations like Ronald McDonald House, Feed Nova Scotia, Ecology Action Centre, Habitat for Humanity and the Salvation Army.

On September 13 the Student Careers and Leadership Development Centre hosted the annual Volunteer Fair, bringing many of the Community Day partner organizations to campus. Each year the Fair is your chance to meet with local groups and discover all the opportunities available to make an imprint on the city (and build your resume at the same time).

DID YOU KNOW? Over 1,100 youth participated in Tigers Superskills camps at Dal during their March Break and over the summer months. Not only do the camps provide a valuable community service to local families, last year they raised over $90,000 to help our varsity programs pay for equipment and exhibition competitions.

< A DAL TRADITION CONTINUES

The annual Residence Charity Faceoff raised another $31,500 for the IWK through such events as Pie in the Face week, candygrams, Superbowl parties, and player auctions, just to name a few. Residence Charity Faceoff events over the past eight years have raised over $125,000!

25

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Getting involved with the community is about more than raising money. One of the great things about Dal is our commitment to collaborate with our neighbours. As a Dal student you have numerous opportunities to engage with the community, and do meaningful work, whether it’s through your academic program or a student society, or simply by connecting with your neighbours.

On the Sexton Campus, a group of Engineering students created a concept called “If You Build It” to create community renewable energy projects in Nova Scotia. Last spring, after meeting with Lil MacPherson, a Halifax businesswoman and owner of the Wooden Monkey restaurants, they brought up the idea of powering her home in Tatamagouche with a wind turbine. She loved the idea and five weeks later the job was finished, thanks to MacPherson’s financial assistance and a group of 30 people with different skills banding together for a common goal. Now the students of If You Build It are working on a solar-powered, hand-built energy unit that can be transported by bikes. The aim is to create a device that will be able to power outdoor film screenings and other events in the community.

26 THE DAL STUDENT LIFE EXPERIENCE

“Seeing the smiles on the faces of the participants made all the work that went into the program worth it” – Rebecca Haworth, Varsity Track and Field Athlete

SPECIAL TIGERS Let’s Talk Science (LTS)

is a national organization—with a strong Dal chapter—that works to get young school kids excited about science, technology, engineering, and math. With financial support from the faculties of Science and Graduate Studies, as well as the Vice-President, Academic, and Vice-President, Student Services, Dal’s LTS group organizes partnerships in the community that get Dal student volunteers working with local school kids. They visit local schools to conduct experiments, help out with school science fairs, and organize events on campus that bring school kids to Dal— like the Halifax All-Science Challenge in May. Under the guidance of the LTS coordinators and 25 Dal student volunteers, the event brought together teams of middle-school students to compete against each other and have fun while celebrating science. The quiz show portion featured space-related questions presented on video by astronaut Chris Hadfield, while the construction tasks included creating a working Canadarm replica out of popsicle sticks.

“It’s really great to be able to bring the students here to Dal,” says marine biology student and LTS coordinator Katie Kowarkski. “Everything they study for LTS is extracurricular, above and beyond what they learn in the core classroom. It really gets them excited about the idea that science is a great thing to learn.”

Dal track and field athlete Rebecca Haworth partnered with the Special Olympics provincial and regional offices to organize the first Special Tigers Sports Days. It connected Dalhousie student-athletes from the Dal Tigers varsity teams with intellectually challenged young people from the community for a morning of fun, games and the development of special friendships. They were such a success that eight Special Tigers Sports Days have been planned for 2013-14.

“Seeing the smiles on the faces of the participants made all the work that went into the program worth it,” says Rebecca. “The support of our Dalhousie student-athletes was overwhelming.

Everyone from Dal was great. We got the track coach to donate a bunch of t-shirts for the kids, Student Services donated water bottles, Athletics and Recreation donated thundersticks and tattoos. It was great that they were all able to help out.”

Dal students, making a difference: PUTTING YOUR MONEY AND TIME WHERE YOUR HEART IS In March Dalplex hosted the Metro University Relay for Life —a 12-hour, overnight fundraiser and awareness builder for the Canadian Cancer Society. Once again, Dal students showed they’re tops in partnering with the community for a worthy cause. Not only were six of the 15 members of the organizing committee Dal students, we also contributed 23 teams, 184 participants and raised $14,880.

That’s just one of the many community-minded events that Dal students participated in and organized in 2012-13. The overall impact of Dal students is enormous—you really are making a difference.

PERFECT PARTNERHIPS We all like to have our alone time every now and then, but when it’s time to do great work and get things done, there’s nothing better than a good partnership. Take Orientation Week, for example.

Amazing events such as Shinerama, HFXplore and the Field Party are made possible by the solid leadership of the DSU and its close working relationship with Student Services.

Much of the annual Induction Ceremony is organized by the Office of the President and the DSU, and is enhanced by things like the black and gold scarves handed out to new students courtesy of Student Services and the ice cream social hosted by the Dal Alumni Association.

<

The Dalhousie Association of Psychology Students (DAPS) and the Undergraduate Neuroscience Society (UNS) raised $7,100 for the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia through bake sales, social events downtown and their annual Charity Gala with silent auction.

CANFAR Dalhousie

$7,000 for HIV and AIDS

research Dal After Dark St. Paddy’s Day events

$1,000 for the IWK Foundation

Dal Law Community Outreach Society

$3,000 for the AIDS Coalition

(also raised money for Wadeng Wings of Hope, the Halifax Refugee Clinic, the SPCA, Feed Nova Scotia)

Dalhousie Arts and Social Sciences Society

Dalhousie Commerce Society

$1,800 for the Halifax Refugee Clinic

$16,232 for Movember prostate cancer fundraiser and

$8,400 for the IWK Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society’s Camp Goodtime

$1,500

Dalhousie Maritime Muslim Student Association

Over for charitable causes including aid for Palestinian and Jewish refugees in the Middle East

Dalhousie Students Offering Support

Over for construction of a school in Nicaragua

Dalhousie Undergraduate Engineering Society DalSense

$11,000

$2,000 for the Halifax Region Children’s Aid Foundation

$2,500 for a student-funded

scholarship for the visually impaired

Dal Tigers varsity games

Faculties of Health Professions, Medicine and Dentistry fundraiser

$2,600

Over for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and Prostate Cancer Canada

$28,000 for various charities

(For the Health of It)

Global Health Committee for the School of Occupational Therapy Howe Hall Residents’ Society

$1,200 for Red Cross $550

for Movember prostate cancer fundraiser

$800

Hypnotist Night

for Spread the Net (fighting malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa)

Stuff-a- Bus at Dalplex

(25 boxes) of food collected for Feed Nova Scotia

Dal Tigers varsity teams

volunteerings with community groups

1,331.4 lb

900 hours

27

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Happily Ever Active was recognized in April with the HRM Volunteer Award for a youth-driven community group, and selected as one of three finalists for the Doctors NS provincial Strive Award.

HAPPILY EVER ACTIVE DALHOUSIE

ECOLYMPICS

For two weeks in March of 2013 Dalhousie’s residences went head-to-head in fierce In September of 2012, a new student competition during the 4th annual society on campus, Happily Ever Ecolympics. Gerard, O’Brien, Mini-Rez, Howe, Active Dalhousie, launched its Risley, and Shirreff filled their hallways with inaugural program: a free “creative green energy while raising environmental movement” program for seniors. consciousness and improving sustainability at Designed to help seniors keep mentally Dalhousie. and physically healthy and engaged, Hosted by Dalhousie’s Green Residence the program was created and led by a Forum (GRF) each March, the premise of the team of 12 Dal student volunteers.

Ecolympics is simple: small changes can Based on the great feedback make a big difference. With that in mind, from participants, the team designed residence students take steps to use less a permanent, free fitness program power, heat and water. At the end of the two for seniors and adults with physical weeks, the winning residence is the one that’s limitations that launched at one of the reduced its energy and water consumption city’s Metro Housing units in January. the most. This year students were able to The Ever Active program helps seniors stay motivated and in the competitive spirit make exercise a regular part of their by watching their energy and water reduction lives and encourages a sense of in (almost) real time on a handy online community. The program was such a dashboard. success it expanded to a second Metro The winner for 2013 was Mini-Rez, Housing unit at the end of April. Both who benefited from the four power meters sites now run the program year-round purchased last year by the Office of the on Saturday mornings.

Vice-President, Student Services to offset the environmental costs of producing this annual report to students. (What goes around, comes around!)

The residents of Mini-Rez walked away with $500 to donate to an environmental cause of their choice.

“Deep down, it’s RESIDENCE LIFE really about having conversations around issues of sustainability and learning more about students living in Dal residence In September how we can help our environment while having fun at the are in first year same time,” says Melissa MacKay, Dal’s Manager of Student Life.

2,177

1,452

28

THE DAL STUDENT LIFE EXPERIENCE

There are two main goals of Happily Ever Active. The first goal is to make healthy physical and mental activities accessible to marginalized seniors. The program also empowers the secondary goal: to train students to become certified fitness instructors who can design and lead fun and accessible fitness programming for people who face barriers to healthy living and physical activity.

During the summer of 2013, the society once again expanded its programming to include the Heart & Soul Summer Arts Camp. The free program pairs seniors experiencing physical, cognitive, social, or financial challenges with volunteers in a variety of arts activities ranging from painting to breakdancing and West African drumming.

< DID YOU KNOW? Applying to Dal got a lot easier for international students in 2012-13 with the creation of a new admissions website for international students. Not only does it have admission requirements for students coming from over 180 countries, it has scholarship information and visa requirements as well. And it provides information in six languages other than English, so students’ families can be just as well-informed.

57.4 Americas

Bermuda & Carribean

Asia

Middle East

6.5

6.4

15.1

19.8

Europe

enrolment increase

%

81.1%

50. 6

2008-09 2012-13

Total: 445 Total: 806

Americas

Bermuda & Carribean

Asia

Europe

Middle East

9.2

13.0

12.5

7.0

8.2

2.5

percentage

1.5

15.1

enrolment increase

6.5

GRADUATE

percentage

Other

62.2

Total: 739 Total: 1646

10.8

6.6

%

4.3

14.9

28.4

122.7%

10.2

UNDERGRAD

19.8

It’s easy for most local students and even those from the other side of the country to feel at home at Dal. But for many international students, the transition to Canadian culture, food and social activity is a much bigger step. That’s why the International Centre added more initiatives in 2012-13 to help Dal’s international students feel comfortable and eager to stay and finish their degrees here. Thanks to new funding dedicated to student support and advising services, recent graduates and co-op students were hired to run the programs.

The Holiday Program offered support to international and domestic students who stayed in residence over the two-week December break, as well as all other international students staying in Halifax, by planning social activities to bring them together and foster a sense of community.

There were also three new advising programs introduced last year: the Intentional Advising pilot project, the Transition Advising pilot project, and Peer Advising. The Intentional Advising project had advisors reaching out to firstyear international students in a proactive way, in order to help them address potential future challenges. Transition Advising was done in an informal setting, allowing students to meet with advisors in places like student lounges without having to make an appointment. And Peer Advising ensured that students would receive faster service during busy advising periods, by having student peer advisors provide basic advising and refer more complex issues for follow-up with staff advisors.

International student enrolment by region

11.9

INTERNATIONAL CENTRE

%

Other (including Africa)

Source: Office of the Registrar

IRELAND TRIP Dalhousie students’ community involvement extends far beyond the Halifax city limits. In late February of 2012, eight students supported by the Dalhousie Multifaith Centre took part in the Dalhousie Northern Ireland Dialogue for Peace Study Trip.

While in Northern Ireland, the Dal group spent time in Corrymeela Peace and Reconciliation Centre in Ballycastle, met with community members who are working for peace in Derry/Londonderry and Belfast, and spent two days talking with students at Boys Model School in Belfast.

After they returned to Dal, the students led peace and conflict workshops for classes at Citadel High School, Dartmouth High School as well as sessions in Bedford and even Moncton, N.B. All told, the group worked with over 300 students in Canada and Northern Ireland.

“I learned more than I had ever expected about the region, its history, conflict management, and about myself” - Emma Waterman, 2nd-year IDS and Law student

THE DAL STUDENT LIFE EXPERIENCE

29

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

IMPACT Awards by the numbers

WHAT AN IMPACT! “There are so many chances for experiential learning that students can take advantage of, while helping give back to the community in the process,” says Ramz Aziz, DSU VP Internal, 2013-14.

That’s one of the driving sentiments behind Dal’s annual Student Impact Awards, which were celebrated for the second time in March of 2013. Dal is all about smart students making a difference, so get involved as much as you can because you can make a difference to your own future and that of others as well.

In Ramz’s case, his involvement was rewarded at the first Impact Awards in 2012 with a Residence Life Leader Award and at the 2013 event with a Gold D, the Science Faculty Leadership Award and a Board of Governors Award.

The Impact Awards program is a partnership between the DSU and Dalhousie Student Services, but it is also a truly collaborative effort across many of the university’s departments and faculties. Once again tickets to the awards banquet were available for free to students, thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Deans, university administration, and other friends of Dal’s students.

Over 70 amazing students from all of Dal’s four campuses were recognized at the 2013 event.

Award categories covered academic life, student life, community service and residence life.

400 294 72

attendees nominations

award recipients

“It’s important to have fun and enjoy the journey, which can go by way too fast” – Ramz Aziz, Impact Award and Board of Governors’ Award winner

IMPACT Awards WINNERS came from

11 7 7

faculties countries provinces

2013 DALHOUSIE IMPACT AWARD WINNERS Student Entrepreneur of the Year Megan McCarthy

Best Student Society Dalhousie Students Offering Support

Best Departmental Society Biology Organization of Graduate Students

International Student of the Year Ding Fan

Tigers Live Well @ Dal Award Rebecca Haworth

Best Faculty Society Dalhousie Undergraduate Engineering Society

Residence Life Impact Awards Kevin Bradley, Lauren Dickhout, Jessica Hill, Ahmed Lutfi, Rebecca Ocana, Brandi O’Keefe

Recreation Live Well @ Dal Award Manoj Hariharan

Most Charitable Student Society Dalhousie Community Outreach

Intramural Live Well @ Dal Award Bryan Gray

DSU Community Engagement Award for King’s Students Alexandra Shoichet

Faculty Awards Architecture & Planning - Will Perkins Arts and Social Sciences - Eleftherios Michalopoulos Computer Science - Leah Brown Engineering - Elizabeth Croteau Health Professions - Sarah Lutes Management - Taylor Thompson Medicine - Luke Richardson Schulich School of Law - Christopher Keliher Science - Ramz Aziz

Lilly Ju Award Katie Van Patter

Residence Life Leader Awards Andrew Cherubini, Michael Fraser, Kirby Hayes, Kate Mercier, Katie Van Patter, Randii Sullivan Rising Star Awards Alissa Calladine, Andrea Civitarese, Annie Hinton, Kudakwashe Ndadzungira, Alexis Stevenson Top Residence Council of the Year Howe Hall Residence Council Dal’s Got Talent! Winner The Woodshed

30

THE DAL STUDENT LIFE EXPERIENCE

Level Chan Award Johanna Goosen Student Leadership Distinction Award Qi Liu Student Ambassador Award Jackob Vogel Green Award Rob MacNeish Student Activist of the Year Roslyn Chambers

Top DSU Council Member Kyle DeYoung DSU Certificate of Distinction Haley Augustine, Michael Fraser, Sharique Khan, Monica Khattar, Anna von Maltzahn, Aaron Merchant, Evan Price, Andrew Swift, Malissa Skara, Katie Van Patter Gold D Awards Ramz Aziz, Matt Bartley, Nicole Crozier, Rebecca Haworth, Marissa Ley, Chantelle McMullin, Shannon Paine, Shun Kai Yang Malcolm Honour Award Matt Bartley DSU Teaching Award 2012-13 Dr. Keith Wilson DSU Teaching Award 2010-11 Dr. Arunika Gunawardena Board of Governors’ Awards Ramz Aziz, Rebecca Haworth, Chantelle McMullin, Marissa Ley, Paul Manning, Aaron Wolf

Dalhousie

STUDENT SATISFACTION Percentage of Students Who Say That Their University Met or Exceeded Their Expectations

DALHOUSIE

2003 2006

GRADUATING STUDENTS

PEERS* 76 78

DAL PEERS

2009

DAL PEERS

2012

DAL PEERS

*PEERS:

Our U-15 peers — a

data-exchange consortium consisting of Canada’s top-15 research-intensive,

81 82

medical/doctoral level schools. Dal is a member of the U-15.

86 85 100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Percentage of Students Who Strongly Agree or Agree That “I am Satisfied with My Decision to Attend This University”

GRADUATING STUDENTS

78

2003

DAL PEERS

2006

DAL PEERS

84 85

2009

DAL PEERS

85 87

2012

DAL PEERS

87

90 89 100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Percentage of Students Who Are Very Satisfied or Satisfied With Their University’s Concern for Them As Individuals

GRADUATING STUDENTS

2003

DAL PEERS

2006

DAL PEERS

2009

DAL PEERS

2012

DAL PEERS

38

50 43 45 48

55 55 54 90

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

ARE YOU SATISFIED?

We want to hear your feedback about your Dal Student Life experience or simply let us know what you think of this report to dalstudentlife@dal.ca

Source: CUSC, Graduating Students 2003-2012

THE DAL STUDENT LIFE EXPERIENCE

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dal.ca/studentservices

HELPING TO GROW A GARDEN To help offset the environmental costs of producing this annual report to students, the Office of the Vice-President, Student Services sponsors an on-campus project that will help reduce a similar amount of greenhouse gasses. In the past weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve planted trees on campus and purchased power monitors for each of the Mini-Rez houses. This year we contributed $2,400 to the student community garden (behind the Computer Science Building) to develop the new herb garden project and help with other plant purchases. We look forward to tasting some of those herbs!