A joint message from Senior Vice-President, College Operations, Pam Skinner, and Dr. Chris McGrath, Vice-President, Students:
Dear NC employees,
As we welcome new and returning students to our campuses for Fall 2025, we want to reaffirm Niagara College’s commitment to fostering an equitable, inclusive, and accessible learning and working environment for all. As faculty and staff, we can support students to reach their fullest potential as they strive towards their personal, academic, and career goals.
Supporting Mental Health
Mental health is constantly evolving – we all have good days and bad days, and moments that leave us feeling elated while others may be really challenging. You, your students, and your colleagues may experience periods of #ncLIFE that are both exciting, and at times, overwhelming, but you are not alone because the ‘ups and downs’ are completely natural and expected.
At NC, we believe mental health supports should be accessible, culturally inclusive, and integrated into everyday campus life.
For students, we’ve made it easy for them to learn about how they can engage with supports by creating a single link at the top of the college’s homepage, called ‘Are you okay‘.
Screenshot of niagaracollege.ca homepage, highlighting the ‘Are you okay?’ feature in the top navigation.
Please familiarize yourself with this webpage, which provides all the information students need about their mental health including: emergency crisis response, support services and programs, specialized services for Indigenous, BIPOC and International students, and the Niagara College Mental Health Policy.
For employees, counselling and mental health support are available through the Employee and Family Assistance Program.
Building a safe, inclusive and respectful community
NC is committed to creating a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment where all students, employees and volunteers can be successful. To help ensure that this commitment is realized, we have many policies and procedures in place, including those to prevent and address incidents of hate and racism, which provide guidance on how to respond. The policies and procedures can be found on through the college’s policy website, which also includes the following helpful information:
See something, say something:
If you witness or experience hate or racism at Niagara College, we encourage you to speak up. Likewise, if a student shares an experience with you, please empower them to report it.
You can report either in person or through NC’s online confidential reporting form.
Students can report an incident in person through Campus Safety or the Student Rights and Responsibilities Office. To report confidentially, please use NC’s confidential online reporting form.
Employees who experience hate or racism can report it in person through Campus Safety, or with a Human Resources consultant. To report confidentially, please use NC’s confidential online reporting form.
Reports submitted via the confidential reporting form go directly to the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) team, who will ensure the information is shared with the right department for follow-up. The form can be used to report many kinds of incidents, including graffiti, slurs, hate speech, harassment, or discrimination based on Indigeneity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, race, ethnicity, disability, or other aspects of identity.
Free learning resources about anti-hate and racism
As part of our commitment to education and awareness, employees and students can access a series of learning opportunities and resources, including online modules focused on Anti-Asian racism, Anti-Black racism, Antisemitism, and Islamophobia.
Employees can also take intro to anti-racism workshop, a one-hour session that will help them consider connections between their work at NC and anti-racism, and identify ways they can practice anti-racism in their roles.
A campus where Consent is Key
To ensure a safe, inclusive and respectful community, the College also actively works to promote consent and end sexual and gender-based violence. The Consent is Key website provides information on how victims of sexual and gender-based violence can seek support, how to respond as a by-stander, and additional resources and information about terms, prevention and events.
You can also learn more about the college’s work to end sexual and gender-based violence by reading our annual report to the Board of Governors online.
Support and feedback
If you have comments, questions, or suggestions related to any of these topics, please reach out to:
Health, Wellness & Accessibility Services [email protected]
EDI team [email protected]
Consent is Key [email protected]
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to supporting our students. I wish you all the best for a successful Fall Term.
Sincerely,
Pam Skinner & Dr. Chris McGrath
