The International Student Centre will be offering its first-ever Suitcase to Backpack Program for incoming Year 1 undergraduate international students this fall to assist in the early stages of their Lancer journies and offer resources for continued success.

The program is divided by topical modules with an aim to helping students develop life skills and socialization. Topics include:

• How to survive the first semester in Canada; 
• Living in Canada;
• How to be successful as a student;
• Campus and Community Support;
• Health and Fitness; and
• How to proceed.

Suitcase to Backpack reviews the information offered during ISC Orientation, Welcome Week, and other on-boarding events and offers an opportunity for students to better understand and ask questions within a smaller, personalised setting.

A peer mentorship component is a key element of the program and connects incoming students with current UG student mentors who can share their experiences and establish a campus community.

The program will be offered virtually over six weeks from  September 17 to October 22, and will include  weekly live sessions and additional contact hours with mentors.

More information is available at https://www.uwindsor.ca/international-student-centre/newstudent

Making the transition from high school to university is an exciting and often stressful transition. This summer the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and, Social Sciences (FAHSS) launched a pilot program called Transform First Year for incoming first year FAHSS students to ease the transition and give them a jump on their first semester.

“We wanted to give students the tools that they’ll need to be successful during their first year studies,” said Tony Vo, student experience coordinator in FAHSS. “By offering the Transform program, we are working to ensure students will have the necessary skills for a great first year experience.”

During the six-week program, incoming students were assigned an upper year student mentor who worked with them throughout the program. The first year students completed weekly interactive videos addressing common first year concerns. These videos included understanding the administrative structure of the University and FAHSS, academic policies, student services, student health and wellness, and learning about academic integrity. The videos were created with the help from the Office of Open Learning.

“Transform was quite engaging with modules every week on BlackBoard in the form of short interactive videos and meeting once a week with my mentor,” says Dunbarin Akinwande, an incoming International Relations and Development Studies student. “The midterm tested my knowledge of what I’d learned. I am quite grateful for this amazing opportunity.”

In addition, these students met with their mentor groups once a week to do online activities that reinforced what they had learned in the videos. The students also experienced mock midterm and final exams on materials learned during the Transform program to help build their confidence in writing exams this fall.

“I am extremely grateful to have taken the Transform program. Without it, I wouldn’t be as confident or as knowledgeable as I am today,” says Carly Stark. a first year Social Work and Women’s and Gender Studies student. “ I would encourage all first year FAHSS students to consider joining the seminars and programs offered.”

(Written by Tony Vo)

Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 7, the doors to the Leddy Library will be open to patrons for the Fall 2021 semester. Capacity will be set to 325 for September and may change during the semester.  

The library will be open Monday – Friday from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, from 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM on Sunday, and will be closed on Saturdays.  

“We are very happy to be unlocking the doors for the first time since March 2020,” said university librarian, Dr. Selinda Berg. “We know our students are eager to return to campus and we have worked closely with Health and Safety to re-open our spaces safely for them.” 

Patrons using the library must ahere to campus vaccination protocols, complete the COVID Self-Assessment via the Safe Lancer app before coming to campus, and show/scan their approved badge to enter the library. Patrons will also be required to wear masks while inside the library. 

Study spaces, including carrels, tables, and workstations, will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. A space will be available on the main floor of Leddy West where students can participate in online classes and limited personal study rooms will also be available by reservation. While cleaning cycles will increase, patrons will also be asked to wipe down work areas before and after use. 

Course reserves will resume in September and will be available to students via the information desk. Standard course reserve loans will be 1-day loans and reduce to 2 hours for items in high demand. Faculty members who intend to place material on reserve are encouraged to submit resources as soon as possible.  

Patrons will be able to browse the stacks and retrieve material on their own. Alternatively, requests for digitization and print materials can be placed online for pick up at the Information Desk. 

Printing services will also resume and be available through the public copiers on the main floor. 

Any previously borrowed material should be returned to any of the Leddy Library drop boxes. Patrons can renew their loans online by logging in to their library account. Items that have been declared lost during the pandemic can be returned to the information desk and all charges will be waived until the end of the fall term. 

The library team looks forward to opening the doors and encourages visitors to check the library website for the latest news and updates.  

With an election fast approaching, Windsor area residents may be wondering what local candidates’ priorities are for the region.

This Thursday and Friday, members of the campus community and the general public are invited to join moderator Rich Garton (CTV Windsor), along with Windsor West and Windsor-Tecumseh candidates for a virtual conversation to hear what the major federal parties – and their local candidates – have to say about the federal government’s role and policies on issues that affect our cities today.

Topics including housing, climate action, transit, mental health, infrastructure and more will be discussed during these two virtual forums organized by the Windsor Law Centre for Cities.

“What do candidates see as the priority issues for Windsor?,” asks Windsor Law professor and Centre director Anneke Smit. “We hope that members of the public will attend these virtual sessions and submit their questions for the candidates in real time.”

To register for the Windsor West and Windsor-Tecumseh forums, please visit the Windsor Law Centre for Cities website.