Happy Friday Advisors,

Please see the important update from Heather Morris - Director, Student Advocacy and Case Management

Subject: Student Advocacy update for December

Hello Faculty partners,

I wanted to connect with you all and share some updates from Student Advocacy:

December schedule

Our Student Advocates are fully booked for one-one appointments for the month of December. Barring any cancellations, we do not foresee being able to offer any more appointments to students until 2026.

Please continue to refer students to us, however with the understanding that, if a one-on-one appointment is needed, the earliest that this could take place is in January. We appreciate your help in managing students' expectations, so as to minimize frustration and challenging interactions with our intake staff.

Advocacy assistance

As a reminder, Student Advocacy assists students in a number of ways. Our confidential intake staff triage inquiries on the basis of urgency and complexity, to determine how we can most effectively assist a student (and not every situation will necessitate a one-one appointment with a Student Advocate).

For example: in some situations, students are invited to attend a Zoom webinar (developed and presented by Student Advocates) and afterwards may have the option to receive additional information/feedback via email, or an appointment.

When you are referring students to our office, it can be helpful to use more general language, such as "connect with Student Advocacy for assistance" (as opposed to saying "meet with a Student Advocate"). While we would love to be able to offer a one-on-one appointment to every student, unfortunately we do not have the resources to do so. In developing our different service offerings (appointments, webinars, email feedback), our goal is to assist higher volumes of students in the most timely manner possible.

Student Well-being

December can be a challenging month, with the stress of final exams and the colder weather impacting students' mental health. The university winter closure creates a period of time when most supports and services are unavailable to students.

We recommend that faculties and departments consider the timing for sending out correspondence that may be distressing to students.

Examples include allegations of academic misconduct, decision letters outlining penalties, and denials of requests and appeals. Receiving this type of news can interfere with students' ability to study and write their final exams.

If the correspondence is sent in the final weeks before the closure, there is a concern that students will not be able to receive assistance from offices on campus and may be in distress over the break (with only limited supports available off-campus), which can put some students at risk.

Another situation that has been identified, is when instructors indicate in UMLearn that coursework is "under investigation" if it is being referred for a misconduct allegation. Sometimes grade comments are added in UMLearn during the break. It is important to keep in mind that during the break, students do not have access to UM services to gather information, ask questions, or seek support.

If anyone has questions or feel there is an urgent matter that needs to be addressed before the break, please reach out to me directly and we can discuss options.

Thank you for your support!

Heather

Heather Morris Director, Student Advocacy and Case Management

520 University Centre University of Manitoba Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Tel (Office): 204.474.7423 Tel (Direct): 204.474.6813

Pronouns: She/Her

The University of Manitoba campuses and research spaces are located on original lands of the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Ininiwak, Anisininewuk, Dakota Oyate, Dene and Inuit, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Metis.

As a white European settler on this land, I am grateful for the water provided by Shoal Lake 40. I recognize the harms of the past and present and strive to listen to, learn from, and work collaboratively with Indigenous people toward reconciliation.

This email, and any documents contained within, are available in alternate format upon request.

Student Affairs- Leaders in cultivating exceptional student experiences.

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