Earthquakes in Syria and Turkey: supports for students

It has been devastating watching events unfold in Turkey and Syria following the earthquakes earlier this week. We have a number of students who call those places home and have been keeping them in our thoughts. Large-scale tragedies are felt far and wide and can impact anyone’s well-being.

Beneficial service supports can be accessed through Student Affairs and Services, including the International Student Centre, Counselling Centre and the International Wellness Ambassador through the Counselling Centre, and teams within the Student Success Centre.

There are also a number of free mental wellness supports available within SMU and throughout the HRM, which can be found on the Counselling Centre’s Resources page. We also encourage you to connect with your faculty’s academic advisors where needed. 

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Patrick Power Library & Student Affairs share literary display for African Heritage Month

Display at Patrick Power Library

In collaboration with the Patrick Power Library, Black Student Advisor* Bria Symonds compiled a selection of scholarly texts that celebrate Black joy and liberation as part of the university’s African Heritage Month initiatives.  

Bria Symonds

The literary display provides perspectives, education and information for a range of audiences. Drawing from her experience and education in social work, community engagement and activism to inform her selections, Symonds highlights three particular works as an excellent starting point for anyone interested in exploring, understanding and engaging throughout the month of February and beyond. 

Burnley “Rocky” Jones Revolutionary, by Burnley “Rocky” Jones 

Symonds describes the African Nova Scotian author Burnley “Rocky” Jones as “an amazing pillar in the African Nova Scotian community, who was engaged in everything from social justice and education to politics and community mobilization.” 

As noted by the publisher, the book “illuminates the Black experience in Nova Scotia, it explains the evolving nature of race relations and human rights in recent Canadian history, and it reveals the origins of the “remedial” approach to racial equality that is now practised by activists and governments.” Symonds calls it “a beneficial read for allies looking to inform and understand how we can work in ways that are community centred from a social justice lens.” 

Policing Black Lives: State violence in Canada from slavery to the present, Robyn Maynard 

Symonds describes this selection as a heavier but highly educative read. “This book has been an impactful scholarly piece in my educational journey and professional life,” she says. ”It looks at complex and difficult stories of what policing looks like in Canada and provides valuable context in understanding what anti-black racism is.”  

The publisher says “Maynard’s intersectional approach to anti-Black racism addresses the unique and understudied impacts of state violence as it is experienced by Black women, Black people with disabilities, as well as queer, trans, and undocumented Black communities.” With the heaviness of the topic, Symonds recommends taking time to process and reflect on the reading. 

Unapologetic: A Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements, Charlene Carruthers 

To contrast her previous selection, Symonds highlights Unapologetic as “a lighter read that is excellent for folks who are trying to understand the true meaning of intersectionality.” The notion of intersectionality looks at critical race theory and law and how that plays into the way multiple oppressions may be experienced. 

Symonds recommends the book as an exploration of “how we can reduce and prevent anti-black racism, as well as providing inclusiveness to those that come from a queer background.” Symonds points to the university’s commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility, citing Unapologetic as an excellent read to promote continued learning and engagement within the SMU community and beyond. 

These three reads, along with the full compilation of selected scholarly texts will be on display at the Patrick Power Library for the full month of February. The library also proudly houses The Lynn Jones African Canadian & Diaspora Heritage Collection in the University Archives. The Lynn Jones Collection is accessible at any time to researchers, the SMU community and wider community. Please contact or drop by the Archives. A limited selection of the collection has been digitized and hosted online.

*Note: At the time of the interview, Symonds held the title of Black Student Advisor. The position is currently vacant, however Black/African-descended student supports remain available through Student Affairs and Services. 

University announces updated Sexual Violence and Harassment Policy and enhanced supports

As part of Saint Mary’s ongoing commitment to promoting a positive and supportive learning environment, the university has announced an updated and expanded Sexual Violence and Harassment Policy. 

The policy replaces the previous Sexual Violence Policy and Procedures (2019) and introduces enhanced processes and new supports for the Saint Mary’s community, including the addition of a Sexual Violence Advisor that will be a key, confidential resource for faculty, staff and students. 

The update is the result of months of research, analysis and consultation on the part of the Sexual Violence Policy Review Committee (formed in November 2021), a working group comprised of members from People and Culture, Student Affairs and Services, the University Secretariat, SMUSA and faculty with expertise in sexual violence policy. 

“The enhanced policy is designed to support the entire campus community and is a key to continuing to promote a safe and supportive campus environment and culture for all,” says Tom Brophy, Associate Vice-President, Student Affairs and Services. “A safe learning environment is fundamental to our students’ success, which has always been a priority at Saint Mary’s.”  

“We strive for Saint Mary’s to be a safe and respectful place to work and learn,” says Mark Moffett, Associate Vice-President, People and Culture. “This policy provides clear guidance and support and better reflects current understanding and best practices. Sexual violence and sexual harassment are not tolerated in any measure within the Saint Mary’s community.” 

Cross-campus consultations were held with faculty, staff and students to gather input, and the enhanced policy reflects feedback to ensure it is survivor-centred, trauma-informed, culturally informed, intersectional and procedurally fair. As such, the committee’s updates include a focus on confidential disclosure, enhanced supports and formal reporting processes and procedures. 

With a commitment to continuous improvement, the Sexual Violence Policy Review committee will convene every three years, or sooner as needed, to ensure the policy continues to evolve and reflect current understandings. 

New support: Sexual Violence Advisor  

Dee Dooley, Sexual Violence Advisor at Saint Mary’s University.

Included within the committee’s updates, the university has also developed provisions to enhance sexual violence supports at Saint Mary’s and has appointed Dee Dooley into the role of Sexual Violence Advisor. 

Dee is a community advocate with expertise in gender-based violence prevention and education. She holds degrees in Sociology, Gender Studies and Criminology and an Advanced Diploma in Counselling and Advocacy. For over a decade, Dee has worked with youth, community organizations, service providers, post-secondary institutions, and governments on various gender-based violence prevention, intervention, awareness, and response initiatives for and with women, youth, and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.  

Dee supports survivors, education, policy, and research as they pertain to sexual violence and harassment at Saint Mary’s. 

In the works 

Saint Mary’s is pleased to share that further initiatives are underway in support of enhancing a community of support. The Sexual Violence Support team will be rolling out a series of information workshops available to faculty, staff and students to promote awareness and understanding around sexual violence and sexual harassment topics. Faculty and staff sessions will be launched in the coming months and group booking opportunities will also be made available. 

Additionally, the Sexual Violence Support webpage is being updated to better support community needs and promote a refined user experience. Updates will include a simplified approach to accessing content and resources, and a modified visual experience that supports a survivor-centred lens. 

For a more in-depth understanding of sexual violence supports, distinctions and rights, visit the Sexual Violence Supports web page. 

FAQ 

Who can access the Sexual Violence supports? 

Resources and supports are available for all Saint Mary’s students, staff and faculty members. To access supports, visit https://www.smu.ca/svs/welcome.html or contact the Sexual Violence Advisor at sexualviolence@smu.ca. 

What is the difference between a disclosure and a report? 

As outlined in the Sexual Violence and Harassment policy, Saint Mary’s distinguishes between a disclosure and a report of sexual violence or harassment. 

Disclosing and reporting are separate actions, at the discretion of the survivor, that result in various levels of response or action by the university. 

Disclosure is the act of telling a member of the Saint Mary’s community about an experience of sexual violence or harassment for support and does not automatically initiate a formal investigation or response by Saint Mary’s University. Disclosing can help a person access support and information. 

Reporting is the act of telling a designated member of the Saint Mary’s community (i.e. the Sexual Violence Advisor) to initiate an institutional response. 

Do I need to make a report to access support? 

You can access any resource without making a report and have the right to stop using the resource(s) at any point. The only exception to this is if you are under the age of 16 and are assaulted or under the age of 19 and the perpetrator is in a position of power, in which people are legally obligated to inform the police or Child Protection Services. 

 Is my information confidential? 

Ensuring confidentiality is a key principle in creating an environment where people who have experienced sexual violence and harassment feel comfortable exploring their options and seeking support. Your information is confidential and protected by privacy legislation. There are some exceptions to confidentiality, including risk of imminent harm to you or the broader university community, a legal obligation to report due to age of the complainant, or a legal obligation to participate in a judicial process. 

What is the informal resolution process? 

To allow for increased survivor choice, an Informal Resolution process has been added to the Sexual Violence and Harassment Policy. The Informal Resolution process recognizes the need for an option for remedial, educational and restorative outcomes in cases of sexual violence or harassment. The Informal Resolution process requires the informed consent of both a survivor and a respondent. 

What is the formal resolution process? 

When a Formal Resolution process is implemented, an investigator will coordinate a trauma-informed and procedurally fair investigation by collecting information from all parties involved. The Investigator will provide a report and recommend a finding on if a Sexual Violence and Harassment Policy violation has occurred based on a balance of probabilities. The Responsible Authority will make a decision on outcomes based on the Investigator’s report.  

Are there any key differences in the new Sexual Violence and Harassment Policy? 

The Sexual Violence and Harassment Policy will replace the Policy on Conflict Resolution and the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination in the University’s response to sexual harassment.  Ensuring a comprehensive, stand-alone policy and associated regulations on sexual violence and harassment is a best practice.  

Another important change: Due to inherent power dynamics and in the interest of maintaining integrity and respect in our working and learning environments, relationships between faculty and students, staff and students or two employees with a linear reporting relationship are prohibited.  

SMU community rallies to assist Fred Smithers Testing Centre during building closure

With exams swiftly approaching, the unexpected closure of the Student Centre in early December required some quick thinking from the team at the Fred Smithers Centre for Student Accessibility (FSC). 

A student uses Dragon speech recognition software, one of the supports provided by the Fred Smithers Centre.

The FSC offers a myriad of accommodations and is notably accessed for its testing and exams supports. On any given week, the testing centre supports between 50 to 75 test accommodations; a number that jumped to more than 350 during the first week of exams.  

With the testing centre unable to open, the FSC team turned to the Saint Mary’s community for support and were welcomed with open doors by areas in the Atrium and the Sobey School of Business, among other locations on campus. Faculty were incredibly supportive of the last-minute changes.   

“The students who [were] affected by the damage to the FSC will have had approved exam accommodations,” says Dean of Science, Lori Francis. “We have the responsibility to provide said accommodations to the point of undue hardship, which is a very high bar indeed.”  

The FSC team successfully assisted all students with approved exam accommodations, using the alternate locations across campus. The students were patient and flexible with the changes, and appreciative of the resource spaces. "I actually found the [Secunda Marine] Boardroom to be pretty relaxing,” said one student. “It was a nice space to write my exam."  

Students requiring specific technology supports such as the Dragon speech recognition software device were able to defer exams until they were able to regain access to the testing centre, which re-opened on December 19. One student who used the headset and speech-to-text supports noted that the Dragon software has been helpful in allowing him to focus on the content of his responses rather than worrying about the grammatical intricacies of writing them out.  

“The Fred Smithers Centre team is extremely grateful to the wider SMU community for all the help received during the closure,” says Kate McHugh, Manager of the Fred Smithers Centre. “From offers of physical space, flexibility in timing, and even treat drop-offs, the FSC felt incredibly supported by our colleagues across campus.”  

For information on student accommodations, visit the Fred Smithers Centre for Student Accessibility page.  

VIDEO: A holiday message from our president

Please enjoy this short video that reflects all that Saint Mary’s has accomplished this year. If so inspired, please share with your networks by using the Share function above.

Best wishes for a happy and safe holiday!

Food Service hours: Exam period + holiday break

Wondering what’s open for food options on campus over the coming weeks?

Check this listing to see what’s available during exams and over the holiday break on campus.

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women at Saint Mary’s

Saint Mary’s University students, faculty and staff gathered on December 6 to honour and acknowledge the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. 

The reflective event was led by Deborah Brothers-Scott, Director, Diversity and Inclusion. Raymond Sewell, Assistant Professor, opened the event with two captivating Indigenous songs, and Miriam H. Schroedor MA’71 2017 read a poem titled “I am a woman.”  

Saint Mary’s faculty members Dr. Erin Adlakha, Dr. Aldona Wiacek, and Dean of Science Dr. Lori Francis reflected on their own experiences, facing and overcoming opposition in their careers.  

Every year, a scholarship is awarded to a young woman studying Engineering at Saint Mary’s. Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray and SMUSA President Isobel Tyler presented the scholarship to this year’s recipient, Jade Cameron. 

Students, SMUSA representatives, and faculty carefully placed 14 roses in a large vase to commemorate the 14 women who were killed at the l’École Polytechnique in Montreal on December 6, 1989. Those women are: 

• Geneviève Bergeron 

• Hélène Colgan 

• Nathalie Croteau 

• Barbara Daigneault 

• Anne-Marie Edward 

• Maud Haviernick 

• Maryse Laganière 

• Maryse Leclair 

• Anne-Marie Lemay 

• Sonia Pelletier 

• Michèle Richard 

• Annie St-Arneault 

• Annie Turcotte 

• Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz 

“It is necessary that we continue to mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on December 6 each year,” says Dee Dooley, Sexual Violence Advisor. “We remember and honour the lives of the 14 women engineers who were taking up space that was and is theirs to take. It is necessary that we reflect on the meaning of this day, and the impact of violence on the lives of those who experience it.”  

Cookies & Cocoa in the Quad

An annual holiday tradition has been forged at Saint Mary’s! For the second year in a row, President Summerby-Murray and SMUSA President Isobel Tyler, in collaboration with the Student Affairs and Services Student Success Centre, hosted Cookies & Cocoa in the Quad. 

Armed with cocoa, coffee, cookies and candy canes, the presidents served up treats and holiday cheer to students from a quaint wood cocoa stand. Despite the cold, drizzly weather, more than 200 students came out to chat with the presidents and enjoy a pick-me-up as they prepared for final exams to close out the fall term.

Waitlist pilot project launches

A pilot project for waitlist registration has launched for select undergraduate courses. Waitlist registration is a new feature in the Self-Service Banner system which allows students to join a waitlist for a course that is at capacity for an upcoming term. Waitlisting is being introduced as a pilot project over the coming months, and course waitlists will be broadly available for Fall 2023/Winter 2024 registration. The project allows Enrolment Services, in partnership with faculties, to review course demand and adjust to meet students’ needs. 

“We’re excited to introduce this new feature to our course registration system. Waitlisting will improve the efficiency of online registration for students, as well as allow the University to observe trends in course demand to inform our decision-making for future course planning,” says Dave Peters, Acting University Registrar.

Students can find out if courses for Winter 2023 have a waitlist offered, and find instructions for using this process on our website.

For questions about course selection and joining a course waitlist, students can reach out to their Academic Advising office.

Video: Sobeys Inspiration Hub Update

The newest addition to campus—the Sobeys Inspiration Hub—opens in Fall ’23. Watch for a behind-the-scenes tour of this inspiring building in progress.

Student-managed venture capital fund invests in Quebec-based online insurance distributor

The 2022 Venture Grade: Student Venture Capital Fund team.

An innovative Quebec-based online insurance distributor that removes barriers and offers affordable plans to young parents has received a boost from a student-run venture capital fund at Saint Mary’s University.

Venture Grade: Student Venture Capital Fund, a student-raised and managed venture capital fund, invested $12,500 in Quebec-based Emma Labs. Emma Labs is an online insurance distributor that focuses on distributing low-barrier life insurance, specifically targeted to younger demographics between the ages of 29 – 40 years of age, who have young children or are expecting children. To make life insurance more accessible and affordable, Emma Labs has removed cumbersome barriers to entry such as mandatory health checks, five to seven week wait times, and the requirement to speak to an insurance broker to streamline their process. In their role as an insurance distributor, they offer plans on behalf of insurance carriers.

The fund’s first investment outside of Atlantic Canada, Venture Grade chose to invest in the Quebec City start-up based on both company and market attributes. The company CEO and co-founder Felix Deschatelets is a serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in financing and marketing financial services start-ups. CMO and co-founder Jacomo Deschatelets has substantial experience in growth marketing strategies and financial security advisory.

“In terms of market attributes, the life insurance market is projected to grow over the next few years giving proven market demand,” says Hiro Tsuchiya, an associate investment analyst at Venture Grade.  “We expect that Emma Labs will add significant value to our investment portfolio as it has excellent exit prospects.”

Founded in 2016, Venture Grade is a venture capital fund raised and managed by graduate and undergraduate students attending Saint Mary’s University located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Nick Perrin, the Fund’s General Partner noted that Venture Grade liaises with Silicon Valley’s C100 group, Boston’s Canadian Entrepreneurs in New England, and most of the Atlantic VC funds like Innovacorp, Build Ventures, Sandpiper, NBIF, East Valley, Last 40, and Concrete.

“The Venture Grade student venture capital fund is designed to formulate a win-win-win scenario,” says Dr. Ellen Farrell, co-founder of Venture Grade and a professor at Saint Mary’s Sobey School of Business.   “The fund contributors win by providing great opportunities for an unparalleled education experience; the students win by gaining scholastic opportunities not offered elsewhere; and the entrepreneurial ecosystem wins by having the funds go to worthwhile ventures in our entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

A place for possibility: the new Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre

Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre team members review and discuss the building plans. From right to left: Jada Joseph, Project Manager; Natasha Fernandes, Student Project Assistant; Michael Sanderson, Director and Chirag Narang, Project Manager.

Saint Mary's University has a rich history of fostering economic growth in Atlantic Canada and the people who are the driving force behind it, and its Sobey School of Business is synonymous with entrepreneurial success. More than 75 start-ups have been created by Saint Mary’s students, faculty members, alumni and partners in the past five years alone.  

Building on this strong track record of helping launch new businesses, and with the generous support of the university’s donors and supporters, the Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre (SMUEC) is preparing to move into its new home in the Sobeys Inspiration Hub. Set to open in fall 2023, this 43,000-square-foot four-storey building is the cornerstone of a 62,000-square-foot capital project that extends from the Sobey School of Business to the Loyola Academic Building.  

"We envision a space that provides a full suite of services that enable students to take a start-up or business idea from concept to actualization—all in one place on campus," says Michael Sanderson, the Director of SMUEC. " We are a place for people to come together and develop entrepreneurial skills that can help further their studies and career. 

With a focus on growth, innovation and cultivating the entrepreneurial mindset, the Saint Mary's University Entrepreneurship Centre is committed to helping the Atlantic Canadian economy grow and prosper. A university-wide and interdisciplinary support centre, SMUEC's physical expansion will support the vast array of programming, such as training, mentorship and coaching, offered by the centre and provide the foundation to expand and fill the growing demand for their services. 
 
“I am so honoured to have been supporting students through their entrepreneurial experiences over the past two years,” says Shannon Byrne Susko BCom’89 BSc’92, a former Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Saint Mary’s and the Founder and CEO of Metronomics. “The new space for the Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre will allow for further collaboration between faculties, and also bring in an additional level of innovation that we’ve been working towards with initiatives such as the March Madness Pitch Competition.” 

As the Sobeys Inspiration Hub takes shape, so does the entrepreneurship centre’s new home. What remains constant is that a variety of opportunities that will be made available to entrepreneurial-minded students and faculty from across all faculties. 

The services envisioned include: 

• digital prototyping lab 

  • This area will be dedicated to digital product design, enabling students to ideate and create prototypes in a virtual environment using state-of-the-art prototyping software. 

• podcasting studio 

  • From weekly podcasts to influencer videos, this space is open for booking to support students creating original content for online audiences. 

• collider spaces 

  • Open collaboration spaces that are modular and feature additional smaller areas to focus on different styles of collaboration and projects. 

• incubator space 

  • A start-up area dedicated to supporting local community businesses and emerging entrepreneurs as they move on from the idea phase.  

• dedicated interdisciplinary space.  

"While the exact nature and dedicated areas may change, we are focused on providing opportunities for our students, faculty, staff, alumni and local community to come together and exchange ideas," shares Sanderson. 

Alumni and the local community play a critical role in the support and services provided by the SMUEC. From the entrepreneurs and alumni-in-residence programs supported through the philanthropic investment of the RBC Talent Hub to guest speakers and mentorship, SMUEC connects students with the larger community. Through co-operative education and internship placements, training, Entrepreneurial Mindset Success Certificate, and experts, the RBC Talent Hub provides students more hands-on learning opportunities. The skills developed through this program give students a leg up in the job hunt and help them to excel in the workplace post-graduation.  

"From my time as a student to now working at the entrepreneurship centre, our alumni and connection with the local entrepreneurship community have been so important to supporting students," says Leslie Arsenault Bcomm’19, Project Manager with SMUEC. "I've seen student-led businesses receive key advice from community mentors at vital times in their growth. I've heard from students and alumni whose careers and businesses wouldn't exist without what they learned at Saint Mary's University and the support they received from SMUEC."  

"We are excited to create new memories and opportunities for collaboration and innovation," says Monique Boudreau, the Manager of Operations and Community Engagement with SMUEC. "We've received great feedback and insights from different university areas to get to this stage, and we are incredibly grateful for that support. We can't wait to celebrate the opening of the Sobeys Inspiration Hub, the Exchange and the new entrepreneurship centre."