U of S Aboriginal Students’ Centre helps newcomers adjust to campus life
- Fraser Needham | September 09, 2015
The University of Saskatchewan resumed classes in the first week of September and this means back to school for a number of Aboriginal students who are both returning and coming to campus for the first time.
In recent years, the U of S has made a concerted effort to both attract and retain Indigenous students and it appears the strategy is working.
This spring, the U of S graduated the highest number of Indigenous students in the institution’s history at 363 self-declared Aboriginal students, which was roughly 11 per cent of the total graduating class.
These numbers included an impressive 10 Aboriginal out of 84 graduates in the medical doctor program which accounts for roughly 12 per cent – the highest of any medical school in the country.
This fall, the U of S has 2,072 Aboriginal students registered for classes – also the highest number in the institution’s history and up from just over 1,900 students last year.
Further, the new Gordon Oakes-Red Bear Student Centre is expected to be completed sometime this fall.
The impressive structure, designed by renowned architect Douglas Cardinal, will be a place where Indigenous students can study, relax and converse within a culturally sensitive environment.
On September 1, the Aboriginal Students’ Centre held its annual welcome back function at Louis’ Pub.
Graeme Joseph is the centre’s team leader of First Nations, Métis and Inuit student success.
“Aboriginal students do face unique challenges with respect to their cultural transition,” he says. “So what we want to do at the Aboriginal Students’ Centre is provide them with supports in order to make a successful transition. And what we do is provide individual support, social, cultural and some academic supports in collaboration with our partners across campus such as the library as well as the colleges.”
Joseph adds how negative or positive a new student’s first few weeks on campus are can determine whether or not they drop out or go on to successfully complete their studies.
This is why the ASC tries to reach out to students early as a means of making them feel comfortable in what can be a daunting new environment.
“We know that students who struggle during that transition often have a lot more challenges throughout their studies and some of them will drop out rather than continue,” he says. “So the purpose of this event is really to provide them with that opportunity to come and meet people in a very relaxed social setting. To try and break down those barriers that people may be putting up in order to reach out and just have a conversation.”
Whitney Constant and Ronelda Robillard have both decided to pursue their studies at the University of Saskatchewan.
Both are 22 years old and have children under the age of five.
Constant is a first year student in arts and sciences with plans of going on to nursing.
Robillard is a transfer student from the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology going into third year at the Edwards School of Business.
The two young women are also from small northern communities – Constant from Opaskwayak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba and Robillard from Wollaston Lake in northern Saskatchewan.
Constant has lived in Prince Albert before and Robillard has lived in Saskatoon for the past few years, and, as a result, both say adjusting to life in a larger urban setting hasn’t been such a big jump.
However, both say finding affordable childcare on a student budget is a major challenge.
“One of the daycares I tried to go to - $800 for two weeks,” Constant says. “I’m a student, I can’t do that, it’s a lot.”
At the same time, both women say some of the outreach activities the university does, and in particular the Aboriginal Students’ Centre, certainly make the adjustment to campus life much easier.
“They make you feel comfortable and confident with yourself and what you are doing,” Robillard says. “They encourage you, it makes you feel good, it’s like home.”
One of the advantages of some of the outreach events the ASC does is it provides the opportunity to meet new people in what can sometimes be an impersonal university environment.
Take Whitney Constant and Ronelda Robillard for example.
Prior to the first week of classes, they didn’t know each other.
However, because they are both the same age and have young children, they are quickly on their way to becoming friends.
And, as we all know, it is often our good friends that give us the support we need to get through university and life in general.
Related stories:
- Centre to play key role in Aboriginal support at U of S
- U of S medical program graduates highest percentage of Aboriginal doctors in Canada
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