Handy Guide for Supporting Students

All staff can have a major effect on student retention because they usually have the most regular and continuous contact with students on campus and they are often the first people that students turn to when they are struggling, looking for Selkirk College or community resources or dealing with a crisis.

Retention Tips

• Provide early academic feedback and use Early Alert for referrals.
• If possible, walk students to the services they need to access.
• Share the Selkirk College Wellness Blog.
• Continue to create opportunities both in and out of class for students to get to know each other and to get to know you.

Please use the following info, resources and links to help find the right support for students in need.

"What I Wish They Knew" Video

How do students with mental health challenges, learning disabilities and chronic pain issues cope in the classroom? What do they wish their instructors and class mates knew? What advice to they have for their college community?  In the powerful video "What I Wish They Knew," students in trades and technical programs with health and learning challenges share their courageous stories and hard-won expertise on what works for them in post-secondary classrooms. This video is a part of a provincial collaborative project between Camosun College, the Justice Institute of BC and Selkirk College that is exploring ways to best support students with disabilities in Trades programs and will be used in instructor training workshops across the province.

View the video use the password "W1shtheyKn3w"

Early Alert

Students who fail midterms are 85% more likely to fail the course. Students identified as "at risk of failing" in the first two-three weeks of a course are referred to the appropriate services are much more likely to be successful in their course and program. Learn more about the Early Alert program.

Counselling

Students may opt to see a counsellor for a variety of concerns regarding career and educational planning, and personal issues. Counsellors are sources of information for programs at Selkirk and other colleges, universities, technical schools, and the university transfer system. Learn more about Selkirk College Counselling Services.

Indigenous Services

Indigenous Services provides support to all prospective and current Indigenous students and can help connect those students with financial aid advice, community support, career counseling, cultural activities and much more. Learn more about Indigenous Services.

Learning Resource Centre 

Learning Skills Coordinators provide support to students in three major areas: one-on-one tutoring, workshops, and through the recruitment, training, and supervision of peer tutors to support student success. Learn more about Selkirk College's Learning Resource Centre.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities

Accessibility Services at Selkirk College seeks to facilitate an accessible learning environment for students with a disability. Accessibility Services Coordinators, in collaboration with a student with a disability, identify those reasonable accommodations which will contribute to the successful completion of the student’s academic career. Learn more about Accessibility Services.

Assessment & Exam Services

Assessment services are offered to measure a student's current knowledge, finding the level of course work which will be most suitable. Selkirk offers a variety of assessment services and specialized tests, internal, external and specific exams to help you meet the prerequisites of your program. Learn more about assessment services.

Financial Aid & Support

We help students at any stage of their academic plan, from high school to admission to Selkirk College through to graduation. Dealing with finances can be stressful and we believe that financial health is an essential part of your well-being. Learn more about Financial Aid & Support.

Summer School & College Success

Whether students are heading to post-secondary classes for the first time or returning to school, they can take advantage of Selkirk College's free summer and college success programs to get them ready. Tuition and books are free. Learn more about Summer School & College Success.

Co-op Education & Employment Services

Selkirk's Co-op Education & Employment Services, "Education at Work"—Connecting Selkirk College students and graduates with quality employers. Learn more about Co-op Education & Employment Services.

Community Supports Available

24 Hour Crisis Line 1.888.353.2273

Here-to-Help: Personal stories and information for anyone struggling with depression, anxiety, and/or eating disorders; there are tool-kits that help you develop coping skills and a personal health plan.

Bounceback: This free skill-building program is designed to help adults and youth 13+ manage low mood, mild to moderate depression, anxiety, stress or worry.

Kootenays Mental Health & Addiction Services

• Nelson: 250.505.7248
• Castlegar: 250.304.1846
• Trail: 250.364.6262
• Nakusp: 250.265.5253
• Grand Forks: 250.442.0330

West Kootenay Eaiting Disorder Clinic - Caryn Malabar 250.505.7252 or 1.877.221.3388