New advisors to help with Aboriginal student retention

The Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology is hoping that six new student advisors will help Aboriginal students experience success in their studies and transition.

“Students can do it, they just need some support,” said Myrna Yuzicapi, special advisor to SIAST Aboriginal Initiatives and supervisor of the six advisors. “We have a wide range of certificate and diploma programs and that’s one reason why we have such a large population of Aboriginal students. There’s so much to choose from that can lead to numerous employment opportunities.”

There are more than 2,800 Aboriginal students enrolled in programs at SIAST. The advisors will be distributed among three campuses: two in Prince Albert, three in Saskatoon, and one in Moose Jaw.

All students find their first weeks attending a post-secondary campus overwhelming. Even those who are from the city take some time to adjust to the fast-paced routine and to finding their classrooms and labs.

“But especially those from out of town, from a tiny community where the biggest building is their school. Then they are coming to these huge complexes that cover blocks and blocks, the hugeness of the urban centre. They have to find a place to live, where the nearest grocery store is, getting acclimatized to using the bus, finding day care for their children. It’s all very confusing,” said Yuzicapi.

 While the student advisors primarily work on campus, they do try to lend a hand with these types of problems and next year SIAST has planned a transition program to run in the summer.

“But for this year, we bought students in a week early and some of our staff gave them rides to check out apartments, and that sort of thing, helped them get started,”  said Yuzicapi.

The campus staff and instructors know they can refer students to the advisors, whose emphasis is on forming relationships and getting to know the students.

 “It may not be even to solve a problem, but just to have a friendly face who cares and who they can talk to,” said Yuzicapi. “Students can discuss everything from advice on getting around the city to a request for something that is program-related.”

A couple of times a week each advisor conducts an after-hours get-together, providing students with a social outlet to interact with their peers, but also to work on their homework together.

“It will give us a chance to see if they need support, whether it’s time with a tutor or simply learning some organizational skills, such as time management and how to study,” said Yuzicapi.

The initiative reflects SIAST’s long-term commitment to Aboriginal student recruitment and retention through supports such as Aboriginal activity centres and Elder access at each campus.

“It’s been a long time coming. We know our students are capable and the advisors are there to help them develop their full potential,” said Yuzicapi.