University seeks feedback on initiatives for aboriginal students

The number of aboriginal students is increasing on campus, but UVic wants to attract even more. The university also wants to improve their opportunities for academic success.

Last summer a pilot study on postsecondary access and retention of aboriginal persons, led by UVic psychologist Dr. Chris Lalonde, revealed several potential areas of focus. The university is now looking for feedback on suggested initiatives the university would like to implement by the fall.

The pilot study, funded by the Millennium Scholarship Foundation of Canada, focused on three main areas: on-campus consultation and information gathering about what UVic is currently doing for aboriginal students; an examination of programs and services offered at other postsecondary institutions; and consultation with current, and former UVic students, First Nations community representatives and UVic faculty and staff members.

“Our research steering group was very aware that the short time-line did not provide sufficient time for the extensive consultation the project required,” says Lalonde who now shares co-investigator duties with Roger John, the aboriginal student advisor in human and social development. “We now want to do more extensive consultation on the four potential programs and intervention options that we developed.”

Aboriginal students, staff, faculty and alumni along with aboriginal community leaders, educators, counsellors and organizations, will be consulted in the coming weeks on the following initiatives: a peer mentoring program; direct financial support for students in the form of bursaries; research apprenticeships; and community internships to bring students, communities and university researchers together to focus on community-driven issues.

John and Lalonde anticipate much of the feedback will be done in small groups or one-on-one. Once the consultation is completed, the programs will be adjusted accordingly and the initiative, called LE,NONET (a Sencoten/Coast Salish word meaning “having or achieving success after many hardships”) will be launched in the fall. The effectiveness of the intervention strategies will be assessed over a four year period.

For more information call 472-4713 or visit uvic.ca/lenonet.