Initiatives across the college involve various teams working to make a more accessible, equitable, diverse, and inclusive campus for our Niagara College Community. A paramount student experience often relies on these dynamic groups to work together across departments, many of which become professional friendships.
The following blog will outline the importance of EDI on the student experience, from initial contact with student recruitment, to academic support in advising, and finally classroom engagement with faculty. Considering the importance of EDI on the student experience, from a group of employee-friends, whose mutual respect, collaboration & shared passion for equity-deserving groups, can enhance the entire NC student experience.
Student Recruitment
Starting when a prospective student interacts with Outreach and Education Coordinator and EDI Catalyst, Ali Ryder, the significance of respect and inclusion could make a difference in confirming an offer of acceptance from a post-secondary institution. The genuineness of this interaction and the embedded views of EDI, allow Ali to show what they can expect when they attend Niagara College. Speaking from a lived experience as an identified member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, Ali is comfortable speaking with prospective students about how to leverage their own authenticity to increase academic and professional opportunities.
Understanding that all perspectives are valued, Niagara College strives to provide a fair and equitable community for our students and staff, giving everyone a voice and opportunity to be part of proactive movements as we learn and grow together. As part of her role in recruitment, Ali speaks with high school gender and sexuality alliance groups, attends multiple community pride events, sponsors and attends a rainbow prom annually, all of which allows her to engage with future NC students in a comfortable, safe, and respectful environment.
Academic Advising
After much research and decision-making, when a student decides to join the NC family, they will continue being supported by our team of empathetic and inclusive Academic Advisors, which is an easy transition from working with student recruitment. Dedicated advisor of 13 years, Jody Thomas, who works with Nursing, PSW, and Allied Health students approaches each student where they are at and assists them in getting to where they need to be to be successful. Should obstacles arise, she further assists them to get them back on track with their program and career goals.
When considering the role of Academic Advising in terms of EDI and the student experience, our Academic Advising team have all attended training sessions with an EDI focus, taken on individual projects to ensure that the department is welcoming and inclusive, and provide a safe space for students to take on academic challenges with confidence and reassurance from their support staff. Establishing an EDI-focused community of practice within career services, academic advising, and co-op education, ensures that across the board, we are consistently using inclusive language and supporting students with an equitable lens.
Learning Environment
The classroom and learning environments are where the student puts their plans into action with the assistance of their professors and instructors. One of those individuals is Professor and Coordinator of General Arts and Science programs, Adele Caruso, who has been a professor at Niagara for over 13 years. Through classroom experiences, from planning to executing lessons and activities, the focus is on creating an EDI environment that takes purposeful steps from the course’s inception, not as an afterthought.
Working with an academic team, as well as her colleagues from support staff positions, Adele uses her allyship to ensure that the student’s learning experience is built from a curriculum that purposefully includes diverse perspectives, which empowers NC students to consider, question, and sometimes challenge their own position.
Working at Niagara College can be far more than just a job, and for many of us, it is. Having like-minded, passionate, and caring colleagues, who we also call friends, is a bonus that can’t be calculated. We have power and privilege when working with our prospective, current, and alumni students, and realizing the incredible impact that each of us can have on people’s lives is a reminder of why we do what we do!
Equity, diversity, and inclusion is important for everyone, and we all look forward to continuing to learn and grow together, as colleagues and friends.