Every three years, the University invites students in their first and final years of study to take part in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), to share their perceptions of what’s happening in and out of class, what engages them, what works — and what needs work.

Research undertaken by the developers of the NSSE has identified that certain educational strategies, such as high-impact practices, help students to become deeply involved in their learning, while also fostering strong relationships with others on campus, says UWindsor provost Douglas Kneale.

High-impact practices include:

• Being part of a learning community or some other formal program where groups of students take two or more classes together;
• Taking courses that include a community-based project (service learning);
• Working with a faculty member on a research project;
• Internships, co-ops, field experiences, student teaching, or clinical placements;
• Studying abroad;
• Undertaking a culminating senior experience, such as capstone courses, senior project or thesis, comprehensive exam, portfolio, etc.

In 2017, owing to the efforts of faculty, staff, and students, the survey drew response in unprecedented numbers: about 59 per cent of eligible students participated, more than double the participation rate in 2014. With the 2020 survey set to launch in early February, the University hopes to have another successful campaign.

Faculty are encouraged to invite their first- and fourth-year students to participate in the survey. A PowerPoint presentation, created by biomedical sciences professor Dora Cavallo-Medved, is available for download for use in class.

Eligible students will be contacted via email with invitations to take part. A link will appear on Blackboard in early February 2020. Students who complete the survey by April 15 will receive $5 credited to their UWinCARD.

More information about the NSSE is available at uwindsor.ca/provost/nsse2020.

Do you plan on hiring a student for summer 2020? The federal government’s Canada Summer Jobs program is designed to provide youth with quality work experiences and opportunities to develop and improve their skills while responding to national and local priorities to improve access to the labour market for youth who face unique barriers.

As a public sector employer, the University of Windsor is eligible to receive funding for up to $7 an hour or 50 per cent of minimum hourly wage for positions between 30 and 40 hours per week over the summer. The University of Windsor will submit one co-ordinated Canada Summer Jobs application to include all individual job proposals received by the internal deadline. The application process will be co-ordinated by Career Development & Experiential Learning in partnership with the Department of Finance.

“This is a great way for faculty and staff to stretch their budgets a little further while providing a student with an opportunity to get valuable on-campus work experience over the summer,” says Kerri Zold, manager of Career Development & Experiential Learning. “In 2019, we were approved for 21 positions at six to eight weeks each.”

The deadline to submit your proposal and have it included in the University of Windsor application is 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18. Faculty and staff interested in hiring a summer student may apply online to request funding. All applications for positions at the University of Windsor must follow this process so that they are submitted by someone with the authority to enter an agreement on behalf of the University and provide the financial details required to claim the funding at the end of the summer.

Visit Career Development & Experiential Learning for more information: http://www.uwindsor.ca/career-development-experiential/551/canada-summer-jobs.

The Centre for Teaching and Learning is calling for nominations for the GA/TA Awards for Educational Practice (up to two will be awarded) and the GA/TA Award for Educational Leadership (one award) recognizing contributions that graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants make to the University of Windsor’s learning environment.

The awards aim to:

• recognize and honour exemplary graduate and teaching assistants who contribute to a positive, learning-centred environment at the University;
• inspire GAs and TAs to recognize their potential for excellence in educational practice and leadership, and motivate them to transform that potential into reality; and
• publicize examples of excellence in GA/TA educational practice and leadership that can inform the practices of all teachers, while contributing to student and faculty pride in teaching and learning at the University of Windsor.

The deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. May 25. Find details on the nomination process on the CTL website. Questions and comments may be directed to learning specialist Pierre Boulos at boulos@uwindsor.ca.

When she saw that Feb. 5 is celebrated as World Nutella Day, Sandra Riccio-Muglia knew she couldn’t let the occasion pass unobserved.

“I’m putting this together super-quick, but how can I pass up on Nutella?” says Riccio-Muglia, director of events and programming for the CAW Student Centre.

An avowed fan of the sweetened hazelnut cocoa spread, she will distribute single-serve packs from the information desk Wednesday starting at 11:30 a.m.

“It’s going to be limited supplies,” she warns. “Just stop by the centre for a Nutella and Go snack.”

A town hall meeting today — Wednesday, Feb. 5 — will update the campus community on the process of negotiating Strategic Mandate Agreement 3 (SMA3).

UWindsor president Rob Gordon will host students, faculty, and staff from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the Winclare Room, Vanier Hall.

The new agreement will establish performance metrics and targets related to ministry funding for the 2020-25 period. More information, including a draft of the SMA3 document and details on the consultation process, are available on the SMA3 website.

A student group promises an introduction to the writings of German philosopher Karl Marx and his followers, starting next week.

The Revolutionary Student Movement will host the Marxist Reading Group each Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. beginning Feb. 12, in room 253, Dillon Hall. Find more details on the event Facebook page.