Establish a working group to review and explore strategies to increase graduate student presence at UTM.
This item supports sub-objective D2
Increase student retention rates
Goals Supported
Goal 1 - Inspire student success by supporting a rigorous and innovative academic environment
Goal 5 - Focus on transformation and innovation to create a sustainable and cohesive community
Sub-Objective Timeline
2017/2018
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Updates
Establish a working group to review and explore strategies to increase graduate student presence at UTM.This item supports sub-objective D2Consultation with Stakeholders
The Vice Dean, Graduate consulted with various stakeholders across campus including: departmental Chairs/Directors, the UTM Association of Graduate Students (UTMAGS), and specific faculty research clusters. These discussions have occured since on a yearly basis to ensure that specific needs of each stakeholder group are taken into account when exploring strategies for graduate involvement on campus.
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Encourage and monitor graduate affiliations.This item supports sub-objective D3
Updates
Encourage and monitor graduate affiliations.This item supports sub-objective D3Promoting Graduate Affiliations through Personalized Contact
Meetings with the UTM Association of Graduate Students (UTMAGS) occurred, wherein the topic of graduate affiliations was discussed predominately. In addition, through an Orientation session, all students have been directly contacted and connected to graduate affiliations.
2018/2019
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Internal study on best practices for student retention in North America.This item supports sub-objective D1
Updates
Internal study on best practices for student retention in North America.This item supports sub-objective D1Study on North American Post-Secondary Retention
A literature review was conducted and constituents attended the Consortium for Student Retention Data Exchange (CSRDE) Conference, to explore the best practices for student retention being employed across North America.
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Internal study of retention issues at UTM.This item supports sub-objective D1
Updates
Internal study of retention issues at UTM.This item supports sub-objective D1Study on UTM Retention Data
A UTM Retention Dashboard will be created and developed in order to faciliate the use of UTM data to track and learn about the movement of students across year levels. A comparative study will also be conducted in order to explore the approaches to retention at UTM compared with other Ontario Universities.
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Implement strategies to enhance graduate student presence at UTM.This item supports sub-objective D2
Updates
Implement strategies to enhance graduate student presence at UTM.This item supports sub-objective D2Graduate Research Workshops
- Twelve interdisciplinary Graduate Research Workshops have been vetted and are planned. These feature graduate student training, networking, and research activity across disciplines that takes place at UTM. Follow up evaluation is built into the workshop organization and data will be collected to assess graduate student involvement and research outcomes.
Committee Formed to Increase Graduate Presence
During the 2018-2019 academic year, a committee was established to evaluate the activities, events, and mechanisms for building graduate presence on campus. As a result, initatives such as, the Graduate Events Calendar were subsequently developed.
On-Campus Collaborations to Develop Events for Graduate Students
Increased collaboration with the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre (RGASC) occured to ensure that additional workshops and opportunities for tranferable skill enhancement were offered to graduate students. As a result, events like the Graduate Professional Development Conference (GPDC) were developed.
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Encourage and monitor graduate affiliations.This item supports sub-objective D3
Updates
Encourage and monitor graduate affiliations.This item supports sub-objective D3Graduate Affiliations and Fostering Relationships
- The Dean's Office, graduate student organizations, and UTM departments are continuing dialogue on this issue. While it is acknowledged that UTM affiliation is important in many departments and for many graduate students, UTM affiliation cannot be equally and successfully expected across all units due to the unique relationships that exist between UTM departments and graduate programs at U of T. In such instances where affiliation is not the expected norm, other models of acknowledging and fostering relationships between graduate students and UTM faculty have been pursued, including funding for graduate student travel for students advised by UTM faculty.
2019/2020
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Establish a working group to review and study the context of our current situation and needs.This item supports sub-objective D1
Updates
Establish a working group to review and study the context of our current situation and needs.This item supports sub-objective D1Data Collection on Retention and Graduation Rates of Undegraduate Students
The Divisional Data, Research and Assessment team in the Office of the Dean began data collection on retention and graduation rates of undegraduate students. In 2021, UTM will assemble a core working group to explore key findings and recommendations from an Academic Advising Environmental Scan
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Put forward recommendations for UTM.This item supports sub-objective D1
Updates
Put forward recommendations for UTM.This item supports sub-objective D1Academic Advisory Program
During the summer of 2019 and 2020, UTM piloted an academic advisory program that targeted Year 2 students at risk of not getting into the programs they selected at the time of their registration. Student peers were utilized, in addition to skilled academic advisors to counsel students about alternative programs and directing students to well-being and financial resources. This was UTM’s first attempt to judge if such early and proactive interventions could improve retention. Over half of the students who responded to calls or emails from peer mentors followed up by booking appointments with Academic Advisors at UTM.
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Encourage and monitor graduate affiliations.This item supports sub-objective D3
Updates
Encourage and monitor graduate affiliations.This item supports sub-objective D3Promoting Graduate Affiliations through Personalized Contact
Meetings with the UTM Association of Graduate Students (UTMAGS) occurred, wherein the topic of graduate affiliations was discussed predominately. In addition, through an Orientation session, all students have been directly contacted and connected to graduate affiliations.
2020/2021
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Implement strategies to improve retention rates.This item supports sub-objective D1
Updates
Implement strategies to improve retention rates.This item supports sub-objective D1Pilot Program for Vulnerable Students
In collaboration with the Office of the Registrar and the Office of the Dean, the Centre for Student Engagement participated in the second year of a pilot program that provided email and direct peer outreach to subject post vulnerable students (students who were not successful in their subject post applications) to connect them with resources and specialized advising sessions that will offer support.
Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE) Results
The International Education Centre and the Centre for Student Engagement launched a transition vulnerable coaching program. This program provides 1:1 coaching and goal setting appointments with professional staff and peers for new to UTM students who scored low on the transition index within BCSSE.
Co-Curricular Transition and Mentorship Programming
The Centre for Student Engagement, in collaboration with other co-curricular initiatives, provided supports to help students transition, including the Eagle Connect (pre-arrival) mentorship program, Re-Orientation (for upper-year students transitioning to remote learning), and LAUNCH (a peer mentorship program).
Environmental Scan on Academic Advising
In addition, UTM conducted an environmental scan of the academic advising landscape at UTM, which revealed a number of ways to enhance advising and enhance retention. As a result, UTM is planning on hiring a academic advising consultant in the future to design and help to implement a number of key improvements to academic advising of students at UTM, including required one-on-one meetings with an advisor during Year 1.
PASS Program Donor Renewal
The Promoting Academic Skills for Success (PASS) program, run by the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre (RGASC), aims to help undergraduate students adopt healthy long-term study strategies and understand the keys to success in courses. The program received donor renewal in 2021.
For more information on the PASS program, visit: https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/asc/promoting-academic-skills-success-pass. The next cycle of the PASS Program will launch in June 2021.
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Evaluate strategies to enhance presence of graduate students at UTM.This item supports sub-objective D2
Updates
Evaluate strategies to enhance presence of graduate students at UTM.This item supports sub-objective D2Monitoring of Graduate Student Activity
Continued efforts to evaluate strategies for enhancing graduate students were accomplished through data-tracking of events, and by assessing the type and number of activities and programs being offered.
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Encourage and monitor graduate affiliations.This item supports sub-objective D3
Updates
Encourage and monitor graduate affiliations.This item supports sub-objective D3Promoting Graduate Affiliations through Personalized Contact
Meetings with the UTM Association of Graduate Students (UTMAGS) occurred, wherein the topic of graduate affiliations was discussed predominately. In addition, through an Orientation session, all students have been directly contacted and connected to graduate affiliations.
Incentivizing Graduate Affiliation via the Graduate Expansion Fund
The Graduate Expansion Fund (GEF) transferred to become associated with graduate affiliations; as a result graduate affiliation has been incentived, as GEF funding is now directly related to participation.
2021+
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Evaluate and revise strategies accordingly.This item supports sub-objective D1
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Check progress in number of affiliated students (Y1-Y5).This item supports sub-objective D3