Lethbridge College student roundtables build connectivity
While online learning is helping keep students safe during the pandemic, it can affect their connection to classmates and the rest of the student community.
Lethbridge College is responding to the concerns by creating opportunities for students to connect in an online environment, as a tool to improve their mental health.
From the results of a survey done in September, where students shared their thoughts about their educational experience, the college identified seven key themes and is acting to improve the students experience.
One of the first initiatives is The Student Roundtable, a weekly series of session running throughout the semester where students are able to log in and connect with other students in an informal setting.
“Connection and community were top themes identified by students in our September survey,” says Nancy Russell, Dean of Student Affairs. “So our Wellness Services team is working with the Lethbridge College Students’ Association (LCSA) and Accessibility Services to create an environment where students interact outside of the academic setting.”
The Student Roundtable is the result of a two-part initiative to create more connectivity in and outside the classroom.
The first part has members of the college’s Wellness Services team visit a variety of virtual classes in the first days of the Winter 2021 semester to facilitate icebreaker activities, start building connection between students, and highlight services that are available to them.
The second part of the initiative welcomes students to join weekly virtual roundtables, with each session beginning with a short presentation from a service area, and then becomes an informal and opens up to a connection opportunity, facilitated by a member of the LCSA.
All roundtables are designed to help students feel more comfortable and work towards building their network of friends and community within the college.
“In a classroom, the students would have the opportunity to talk to others and do their own engagement, but it’s not as natural in an online setting,” says Ashley Amso, Lethbridge College Health Promotion coordinator. “Students seem to be more shy in that environment, so we recognize there may be challenges with connectivity. It’s all about building community because connected students are motivated students, and it presents better learning outcomes and better mental health when those connections are made.”
The initial roundtables have been held each Wednesday, but as the semester goes on the days and times in which it is held will change to give more students the opportunity to be involved.
“The most underrated part of the student experience is the connection students make with each other,” says Tanner Marcer, LCSA Events and Communications coordinator. “The shared experiences students have led to long-lasting friendships and fond memories for a lifetime. The student roundtables are important because they provide students with an opportunity to make the connection they have been missing for the last two semesters. We at the LCSA feel the roundtables foster a community of support and joy that impacts their experience at the college now and in the future.”
Other new student support initiatives include Thriving in Action, a sevenweek program focused on key resilience skills such as grit, optimism, gratitude, mindfulness and self-compassion, where students learn academic and personal wellness strategies, and Be Ready Webinars, which helps students discover the programs and the services available to them.
Students can learn more about all services available to them at lethbridgecollege.ca.