With the last of the major term breaks over, students are confronted with preparing for final exams. Often they’ve established a network of friends and have found their niche on campus. By becoming members in smaller campus communities, they are more apt to recognize that their thoughts and ideas are valued. And, by talking with community members with similar perspectives, they will see that they are not alone in their views.

Some of what are students are focused on:

1. As the academic term is winding down and students are gearing up for exams, they should make sure they are on the right academic track. For advice on courses they need to fulfill degree requirements, guidance on degree programs or information on other undergraduate degrees, they should make a one-on-one appointment with an academic advisor in the Student Academic Success Centre or meet with their departmental advisor. They can visit carleton.ca/sasc/advisingcentre to make an appointment at SASC and to view a list of departmental advisors
2. Students should be aware that there’s a group at the university for virtually anyone with any interest. Some of the more common themes include academics, sports, religion, language, and politics. By visiting cusaonline.ca/clubs they can access a list of hundreds of clubs on campus.

In need of study space?

Students can look to the Library or program specific laboratories and resource rooms for spots to study alone or in groups. The MacOdrum Library provides students with access to a wide variety of materials in support of learning and research in all disciplines, including over three million books, journals, government documents, maps, newspapers, microforms, and more.

Supporting students in distress

Student life can be very stressful. Most students juggle heavy course loads with work, family and other commitments. Chronic stress is often made worse by crises: unforeseen events that can catch students off guard.

As members of the Carleton University community, we all have concern for the well-being of our students. We also have a role to play in identifying students who are in distress. Recognizing the signs of distress, and responding with concern and interest, are important factors in helping students resolve the problems they are facing and continue to be successful in both academic and extra-curricular activities.

The Carleton University Student Mental Health Framework is an important piece in our efforts to promote positive mental health and assist students in realizing their potential. Its purpose is to facilitate a consistent and integrated approach to responding to students who are in distress.

“Students in distress” refers to a broad continuum—from students experiencing a temporary setback or being confronted with a specific problem that is creating significant stress, for example, a student facing sudden financial hardship, to those who are facing chronic and serious psychiatric illnesses that interfere with daily living.

The intention of this Framework is to assist you in your efforts in determining when a student is in distress, how urgent the situation is and how you can help.

Please take the time to review the Framework and contact us with any question at avpstudents@carleton.ca.

Student site redesigned and relaunched

If you haven’t already noticed, the student site at students.carleton.ca was recently given a facelift. The new site, which still acts as the login page for students to the MyCarleton portal now gives much more prominence to news and events taking place at Carleton that impacts them.

We’ve also added what we believe is improved an improved search tool. If students are looking for something in particular about their academic or extracurricular life at Carleton, they can use our online directory to find what they need. If you notice something missing from our search, you can email avpstudents@carleton.ca and we’ll make sure it is added.

Another key feature of the new site is that it is Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Compliant and meets Level AA compliancy, as outlined in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. What does this mean? It means the site is accessible to students with disabilities like visual impairment.

This version of the site is a responsive design so it doesn’t matter if you’re viewing it on your desktop, laptop, tablet or phone, the site will adapt to what you’re using, ensuring the same experience no matter how you’re accessing it.

New early registration for the summer session

This year, registration for the summer session starts early, with registration for Carleton University degree students beginning March 27 and registration for Carleton Special (non-degree) students, international undergraduate exchange students, University of Ottawa undergraduate students, and visiting undergraduate students on a letter of permission opening on March 28.

Whether students are looking to get a head start on university, pick up some credits or missed courses, or enjoy some intellectual stimulation, Carleton offers courses for current students, students on a letter of permission and members of the Ottawa community during the summer months. This summer, we have a wide range of offerings from all our faculties.

Student Services highlight: Co-op and Career Services

The two services of Co-op and Career Services make up the on-campus centre for career development, employment preparation, and experiential learning opportunities for Carleton University students.

They offer a comprehensive collection of career development programs and services designed to equip students with the tools to make successful career choices and compete in the labour market.

In addition, they welcome more than 400 employers to campus each year to conduct recruitment, participate in career programming and provide career mentorship to Carleton students.

Co-operative education allows students to apply academic knowledge in the work place. Students can gain up to 20 months of work experience relevant to their field of study.

More of what we’re encouraging students to do right now…

• Visit the Awards and Financial Aid website for budgeting tools and resources.
• Visit the Career Development and Co-operative Education Office for summer job hunting or volunteer positions.
• Have résumés looked at by one of Career Development and Co-operative Education’s professional résumé reviewers.
• Registering for the summer session.