Program Engagement

What is Effective Student-Centered Programming?

To help post-secondary students succeed in achieving their academic goals, institutions often offer various programs to support their wellbeing. These programs may include mentorship and orientation programs, academic support, career development, wellness initiatives, financial aid, diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and many more. These programs not only support student wellness, but also provide a sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and opportunities to address any disengagement.

However, students may not be able to attend these programs due to competing demands; lack of awareness, information, accessibility; or many other factors. Additionally, with the limited time and continuous stressors students face, programs may fail to clearly indicate a compelling reason for continued attendance or engagement. This approach is fundamentally one of co-creation. To have effective student-centred programming, institutions must consider the following:

• Students are involved at each level of decision making during the conceptualization of programs.
• The program encourages participation of diverse student voices at each stage of program
  development and evaluation, especially for equity deserving groups.
• The program focuses on encouraging students to be active, engaged, and/or learn.
• Leadership within the program is student centred and the program supports students.
• The program is continuously assessed by students. This assessment is key for the development of the program.

Co-creation

Co-creation brings students in to be part of program development on campus. When co-creating, students might consult, participate, provide opportunities for growth, and co-produce programming.

The benefits to co-creation are vast when applied to campus initiatives, especially when these initiatives are related to mental health:

• Ensures support is relevant and prioritizes student needs within the campus community.
• Centers social justice through prioritizing diverse student voices.
• Shapes the direction of program implementation based on experiences and current issues and
  trends.
• Builds trust and communication with institutional staff, faculty, and students.
• May improve understanding, knowledge, and confidence on what the campus provides.
• Provides skill building opportunities for students.

Check out our webinar on Engagement and Co-Design here.

The 3 Rs – Resourcing, Reciprocity, and Reinvestment

In addition to co-creation, resourcing, reciprocity and reinvestment ensure that students – specifically student staff or volunteers – remain engaged within campus programming.

• Resourcing ensures that students are equipped with sufficient tools and resources that allow them to attend or be part of programming. Resourcing can look like providing adequate materials, training, support, staffing, etc.
• Reciprocity ensures that students are provided with something of value for being part of programming. Reciprocity may look like providing certifications, course credit, recommendation letters, monetary compensations, or food and beverages. It is important to gauge what students find worthy of their valuable and limited time and energy. This can be done through a pre-program survey or through co-design.
• Reinvestment ensures that contributions and lessons learned from each student are used to benefit the experience of future students. Reinvestment may look like ensuring exit interviews and feedback from students and staff are taken seriously, and that there is continuous effort for improvement and commitment to center students through student voice.

Example: University of Guelph

The University of Guelph’s Peer Helper program incorporates co-creation and the 3 Rs to provide students with the opportunity to build skills in different departments including health promotion, career advising, and community engagement. Peer Helpers can collaborate and inform events and initiatives conducted within these realms, develop employment skills, receive access to free training, and receive honoraria as well as a notation on their transcript.

Example: Western University

The Western Wellness Hub at Western University uses a “for students by students” approach and embeds co-creation as a core component to provide courses such as “Navigating Change” that support mental wellbeing on campus.

Example: University of British Columbia

he University of British Columbia developed a foundational training on starting conversations on mental health through co-creation and uses the lived experience of students to inform their program.

Co-Creation and the 3 Rs can be a foundational approach to provide effective student engagement within different programming.

Recommendations for Program Engagement

• Highlight programs as skill-building as opposed to help-seeking.
• Supplement services with online methods to increase accessibility.
• Partner with academic staff to ensure well-rounded availability.
• Implement strategies that normalize support.
• Regarding Co-creation

1. Have clear guidelines on confidentiality at each stage of co-creation.
2. Determine which staff are appropriate to include in co-creation so they can show up authentically and speak freely.
3. Address intersectionality by increasing opportunities for student groups who face specific concerns or barriers around access to services such as racial discrimination, ableism, and many other barriers.
4. Provide hybrid options to increase accessibility for students to partake in co-creation.
5. Consider how stigma can be addressed during recruitment for co-creation (specifically for
   mental health programs)
6. Provide financial incentives for participation in co-creation.

*Check out our grants tip sheet on ways to improve funding.