Winter term will begin with a flurry of virtual activities at Niagara College.
Aimed at supporting and encouraging students as they transition to College life, Winter Orientation will officially begin on January 7 with Online Orientation Day (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.). The day offers students a chance to gain an overview of their program’s expectations, ask questions, and meet their peers before classes begin on January 10. Online Orientation Day will include Program Information Sessions, Co-op Information Sessions (by program) and virtual engagement via social media. Students are asked to visit the Orientation website for information about their Program Information Session.
Winter Orientation will continue for the first six weeks of Winter term. Two virtual offerings per week will be available for new and returning students. Weekly topics will include Blackboard and Teaching Learning Plans (Week 1), time management; (Week 2), Mental Health Continuum (Week 3), Money Matters (Week 4), MyCareer and Getting Involved (Week 5), and Study Hacks (Week 6). Programming during the first six weeks is a collaboration between the College’s EAC and Intentional division.
Virtual engagement activities will be scheduled for students throughout January and the beginning of February to be delivered virtually via Zoom.
‘Virtual speed friending’ events will provide opportunities for students in different programs across the College to connect; and the popular ‘How to Crush College’ online session – introduced last fall – is making a comeback, offering students strategies to work smarter (not harder) and help set them up for success.
Initiatives are posted to event calendars at orientation.niagaracollege.ca/schedule/events and international.niagaracollege.ca/events. Students have also received information via EAC weekly newsletter and social media, and have the option of pre-registering for sessions or joining live.
Orientation programming is recorded and made available for viewing via the Be NC Ready app which is available for download on the App store and Google Play.
For details about Winter Orientation, visit orientation.niagaracollege.ca.
NCSAC events
The NC Student Administrative Council is also planning a variety of virtual events for students throughout the month of January, including virtual e-sports tournaments with rotating games on Mondays, Dirty Bingo with host Vanity a la Mode (January 11), a virtual Q&A with Sean Evans from YouTube web series Hot Ones (January 12), a virtual Deal or No Deal (January 25), and a virtual Q&A with Canadian sprinter and six-time Olympic medalist Andre De Grasse (January 26).
Upcoming NCSAC events will be hosted via Zoom. For information, visit yourncsac.ca/yourevents.
Consent is Key
Winter Orientation will also shine the spotlight on the College’s Consent is Key awareness campaign. Spearheaded by the Student Rights and Responsibilities Office, NC’s Consent is Key campaign aims to foster a safe and positive atmosphere – in person and online – that is free from discrimination and harassment, and promotes healthy attitudes towards sexuality and consent. Information will be shared with students during Program Information Sessions.
For more information about the Consent is Key campaign, visit niagaracollege.ca/consentiskey.
Mental Health and wellness supports
Several mental health supports and services are available for students as they begin or continue their studies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Health, counselling and accessibility services continue to remain available by appointment. To book an appointment, students may reach out by phone at 905-641-2252 ext. 4409 (Daniel J. Patterson Campus), 905-735-2211 ext. 7778 (Welland Campus) or email [email protected]. Whenever possible, appointments are being conducted remotely (either by phone or video). When necessary, in-person appointments will be available.
The Peer Wellness Program has also been relaunched in a virtual format. Students can access a Wellness Peer to chat about personal wellness. Appointments are 30 minutes in length and are offered virtually.
“These sessions can be particularly helpful for students acclimating to college life or experiencing loneliness or isolation due to the pandemic and associated lockdowns,” said Jay Burdon, associate director, Health, Wellness and Accessibility Services.
A number of workshops will also be available early in the term to assist new, incoming students, including Beating Homesickness and Adjusting to College Life,’ (January 27 and February 3) and Navigating Culture Shock (January 19 and February 1).
Information about the Peer Wellness program and workshops available during Winter term is available at niagaracollege.ca/hwas/workshops/ or @wellnessnc.
