Research study launched to understand and address student mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic
While student mental health is not a new issue, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have severely impacted the mental health of university students. Amidst online classes and assignments, students are forced to grapple with feelings of isolation and anxiety.
In an effort to address this ongoing student mental health crisis, Harvard University and the World Health Organization have launched an international study called the World Mental Health International College Student survey. The study will survey post-secondary students across fifteen countries.
Dr. Daniel Vigo, along with the department of psychology at the University of British Columbia, is leading the Canadian side of the study. Marisa Young, associate professor of sociology at McMaster University and a Canada research chair in mental health and work-life transitions, is leading the study at McMaster.
This study is being conducted with support from the Student Wellness Centre and the McMaster Office of Institutional Research and Analysis.
According to Young, much of the research being conducted will allow the team to reach students with a range of different experiences to gain a better understanding of McMaster’s entire student population. Young hoped that this information can then be translated into ways to help students during COVID-19.
“The goal is to work with the Student Wellness Centre, which has been really integral in getting the study off the ground,” said Young.
Allison Leanage, a PhD candidate at McMaster has been involved with the administration of the survey. She explained that the study consists of a survey that is sent out to a randomly selected group of students. The survey asks questions about social relationships, substance use, the impacts of virtual schooling and general mental health.
“The impact of the survey is to gather more information about how students are impacted in their social settings and how mental health services can understand their situations, [which can] help improve those services,” said Leanage.
“The impact of the survey is to gather more information about how students are impacted in their social settings and how mental health services can understand their situations, [which can] help improve those services,” said Leanage.
Much of the interest surrounding this study comes from the fact that students across the world will be surveyed and studied. A standardized set of questions will be asked to each student, allowing answers to be compared once the study concludes.
According to Young, using a standardized survey to acquire data in so many different countries will help researchers to draw more accurate comparisons.
“There are a variety of measures that we use to understand psychological distress across cultures and across countries, which is great in a number of respects, but sometimes can lose the powerful comparison properties,” Young explained.
Young also explained that the international status of the survey might benefit McMaster students more directly as well.
“Being on an international level, the attention [to the study] will be so much more impactful,” Young explained. “The voices of those leading the efforts at McMaster will be louder because of the international presence,” she added.
Given the mental health crisis that university students are currently facing, this study has the potential to improve the experiences of students around the world, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We don't mean to fill your email box with just another call for a survey. We truly believe that this is going to have impacts for students at McMaster,” Young said.
“We don't mean to fill your email box with just another call for a survey. We truly believe that this is going to have impacts for students at McMaster,” Young said.
How students are becoming disillusioned with their science, technology, engineering and mathematics courses
With dreaded multiple choice midterms only days away, the genuine love for their science, technology, engineering and mathematics subject of choice is likely the last thing on the minds of students at McMaster University.
Canadian and American STEM students are dropping out of their degrees at an alarming rate, all because post-secondary institutions have changed scientific education to conform to what is comfortable.
No longer is scientific study oriented towards an exploratory field that is accessible to those who have a genuine interest in the content and put in the effort. Rather, it has become a numbers game with pieces consisting of a brutal grading scheme. “Weeding” courses, the dreaded mandatories or a synonym for hell. Whatever you call your introductory science and math courses, many students have at least once viewed themselves as “bad” in these subjects.
Whether one is a STEM student, former STEM student, or a shocked observer who would not touch an equation with a 10-foot pole — almost everybody in academia is wearily aware of the difficult reputation of university STEM courses.
As a culture, we are so used to perceiving science and math as a linear process where one is good at it only if they get the right answer, that we have forgotten why we developed a passion to explore these fields in the first place.
As a culture, we are so used to perceiving science and math as a linear process where one is good at it only if they get the right answer, that we have forgotten why we developed a passion to explore these fields in the first place.
It is understandable that university STEM education is intended to ensure that students attain a certain standard of proficiency in the technical aspects of their scientific subjects before they graduate to more abstract classes.
However, I feel that in attempting to use this method to get the highest achieving students in higher-level STEM courses, the current system eliminates the majority of their potential contributions, by the sheer force of academic discouragement.
Is it truly necessary for universities to do this to students? If the ultimate goal of putting students through such rigorous courses is to select the “best of the best” students in one particular course, why is it that we root for a smaller group of students to succeed instead of working to ensure everybody is performing to their full potential?
As a student who looked forward to every single reasonably difficult high school chemistry and calculus class, I was shocked at the nature of university-style scientific learning.
I found that one of the greatest faults with this type of instruction is that simple scientific concepts are taught in an overly complicated manner. This is most apparent with many of the mandatory first-year courses.
I strongly believe that it is not just a student’s fault when they are hit with the stark reality of their introductory classes and drop STEM in its entirety, when in fact the whole system is set up for students to fail. The system is built not to favour scientific advances per se, but to sustain this frankly toxic model we have created and fostered for our own egos.
The system is built not to favour scientific advances per se, but to sustain this frankly toxic model we have created and fostered for our own egos.
Even just a century ago, the fields of scientific and mathematical inquiry were considered a frivolous waste of time due to their inquisitive nature and lack of practical implementation in the lifestyle of the time. How is it that now we have managed to beat and dissuade the passion out of students in an age when scientific innovation is moving forward at the speed of light?
Where we once revelled in our marvellous ability to observe the very rudimentary particles which made us and allowed us to understand our place in the universe, we have merely reduced down to boring lecture videos and practice problems that make us cry.
The question thus remains on how can we as the McMaster community facilitate a trend of paradigmatically shifting away from STEM elitism, all the while preserving the proud legacy of our institution? Whatever the answer is, it is sure to benefit professors, students and our progress as a university.
The pioneers who spent decades discovering the theories and equations we memorize from a lecture slide in one night for a test would surely hang their heads in shame at the current state of our institutions.
Students’ lives have rapidly changed with the COVID-19 virus closing campus doors. On March 13 David Farrar, McMaster’s president, announced that all graduate and undergraduate classes were cancelled and no in-person exams would take place this April. The days following this announcement have brought updates including the closure of all non-essential services on campus.
Many students found that not only were their studies interrupted, but so were their on-campus jobs.
The McMaster Students Union employs students in more than 30 departments with over 300 paid part-time jobs. The university employs students across departments including Athletics and Recreation and Housing and Conference Services. Now, many student roles have been transitioned to remote work or let go entirely.
Two students whose on-campus workplaces closed share their perspectives.
Toni Asuncion, a fourth year PNB student, has worked at the MSU’s 1280 and the Grind for the past two years. Now she is graduating and ending her time at McMaster without being able to say goodbye.
“I am really sad that I didn't get to say bye to my co-workers because it was so sudden [. . .] I've been working with some of them for two years now, and a lot of them are like family,” said Asuncion.
The MSU had to close its food vendors along with other services on campus. Currently, Centro is the only food service open on campus, which is open for students and staff who are unable to move off campus or work from home.
Aside from being unable to say goodbye to her coworkers, Asuncion says that it’s a difficult time for students who are graduating as well. Soon to be graduates have had to forego or postpone important events in their university experience, like convocation or end of year festivities, many of which come at a price. Graduation photos, grad school applications, and other expenses make up a costly part of the fourth year experience, so the outbreak makes the circumstances for this year’s cohort more dire. As the expenses of graduating have piled up, the post-graduate job market is also facing the impacts of COVID-19.
Asuncion describes a “sense of uncertainty” that she and her peers are graduating into. Unable to rely on part-time employment, she and her peers are looking for summer employment opportunities, despite concerns over the uncertainty of the job market.
On April 8, the Government of Canada released a press release detailing changes to the Canada Summer Jobs program, allowing for some clarity during this precarious time. The modifications to the program are intended to create up to 70,000 jobs for youth between 15 and 30 years of age. Job placements could begin as early as May 11, 2020, and end as late as February 28, 2021.
Asuncion says that her managers have been supportive, even helping student staff navigate the application process for Employment Insurance.
Amber*, another student who works two jobs on campus, remembered the worry and confusion that she felt as McMaster made plans to close down. While at work, she heard whispers that her job might be affected.
“You're doing your job [and] at the same time [. . .] you're hearing all the talk about [the closures] going around. And it kind of puts you into a really panicked situation because you really don't know. It's very uncertain if this is your last shift. It is not your last shift? Are you really going to cope financially?” said Amber.
She soon heard that both of her employers would be closed for the foreseeable future and neither job was able to transition online. It was hard for her to hear that her service jobs, which she took pride in, were deemed “unessential”.
“When you don't make that cut, I guess you just kind of feel disposable,” said Amber.
While on shift in mid March, Amber asked her managers about the situation but even they were uncertain. The updates coming from the top of the university left student employees unsure whether they would have jobs the following day.
“But during this shift, we're hearing that all casual staff are really non-essential staff. And because we're a part-time student [staff] and not part of the union, our jobs would be terminated after our last shift that day,” said Amber.
As a casual staff member, Amber’s job isn’t covered by a union. Unlike academic workers, many student jobs do not have the security of a collective bargaining agency. It is up to the manager to decide whether or not to rehire student staff members that were laid off during the crisis in the fall, but Amber is hopeful that she will be able to go back to her jobs in September.
Even with hopes to return to their jobs in September, students still have to contend with tighter pursestrings for the time being. No one knows how long the closures will last, which is hard for students who are financially independent or have others to support.
Although individual managers have helped student staff navigate the unprecedented circumstances, the crisis shows the structural failings of casual labour at McMaster. Student staff are among the most vulnerable employees on campus, and yet their jobs remain precarious.
After our interview, student staff found out that their pay would continue uninterrupted until April 5 for jobs where there is no longer any work available. From April 5 onward, only essential employees and those working from home would be paid.
While Amber understands that tough decisions had to be made by university administrators, she also says that there weren’t sufficient measures in place to help staff cope.
“I think there needs to be a little bit more security for students on their jobs,” said Amber.
Without a safety net, students now have to figure out how to make ends meet during a global crisis, while also finishing classes. Graduating students have to contend with extra costs and the disappointment of a final year unfinished. Low income students, students with children or dependents and students in precarious housing, or who are otherwise vulnerable, have the additional burden of finishing a school year without financial stability.
As the virus progresses and McMaster remains shuttered, only time will tell what the future holds for on-campus employment.
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On March 24, McMaster announced that this year’s spring convocation ceremonies, previously scheduled from May 19 to June 12, will be postponed. Instead, virtual celebrations will be planned to comply with the need for physical distancing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The press release assured students that an in-person ceremony will be held at a later date, but did not specify what this ceremony would entail.
This is one of many measures being put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19. On March 17, the provincial government declared a state of emergency in Ontario, and banned all gatherings of more than 50 people. Stronger action has been taken since then, with the Ontario government prohibiting gatherings of more than five people as of March 28.
Online convocation celebrations are currently being planned, but it is not yet clear how these will proceed. It has also not been confirmed how students will receive their parchment degrees.
“We recognize that Convocation is an important and special event for graduands, our award recipients and their families, and we are actively developing plans for both the online and in-person celebrations,” stated the release on Mac DailyNews.
It was also confirmed that the timing of graduation and degree conferral will not be changed, and that those eligible to graduate will do so on time.
Adrianna Michell, who was slated to be the Valedictorian for the Humanities class of 2020 and is also the Features reporter at the Silhouette, believes that the university made the right call by cancelling the in-person ceremony. However, she still found the news disappointing.
“There’s a global pandemic and objectively convocation doesn’t matter at an equal proportion, but it’s still something that I cared about and other students cared about, especially first generation students and their families, and marginalized students and their families. It is an important thing when you’ve faced systemic barriers preventing you from university or that make it harder to complete a university degree,” she said.
Aleigha Kampman, who will be graduating this year with a combined honours in political science and health studies, was looking forward to convocation as a form of closure.
“Convocation for me was the chance to say goodbye to friends that I didn’t realize I would be seeing for the last time, and professors I never got to thank or who I had become close to over my four years,” she said.
According to both Kampman and Michell, the only communication that graduands have received from the university are the posts on Mac DailyNews.
McMaster is not the only university to cancel or delay convocation due to COVID-19. On March 25, the university of Toronto announced via a series of tweets that convocation ceremonies would be cancelled outright, without being postponed to a later date. Furthermore, York University, the University of Regina and McGill University are some of the other universities to announce plans to postpone or cancel spring convocation ceremonies.
“I think we have to make hard decisions, and one is that we have to miss out on things that we were looking forward to. Life can’t continue business as usual, it’s still okay to feel upset about it or feel like you’re missing out on an important part of your university experience, but it is the right decision,” said Michell.
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Let us preface this guide by telling you that if this period of uncertainty is stressing you the f*&k out, it's okay. There's quite a bit on our minds — reorganization of courses, fears over graduation, lost jobs and co-ops, forced move-outs and the sudden disruption of pretty much everything.
In more ways than one, this time is defining our present and future, and soon it will be just a single moment in our collectives histories. The details of the stories and lessons we will learn are blurry, but there's no doubt that this time presents an opportunity for our communities to re-emerge breathing a new rhythm. So slow down, discover a new pace for yourself and appreciate reflective silences. Lean into companionships with your loved ones, neighbours and strangers — especially our community members who are being disproportionately impacted right now. Nothing about this is normal, and it's okay to feel a little lost.
The Silhouette staff made this guide with McMaster undergraduate students in mind, we hope you'll find it helpful. This guide will be updated as we learn to navigate this period of change together.
By Touka Shamkhi, Contributor
It’s 5:30 a.m. and I allow myself to enjoy a few moments of pre-dawn peace before I get up to confront the day ahead of me. As I scramble to get ready, I take a mental note of my plans for the day: placement, work and then tutorial prep. Why work, you may ask? Well, although midwifery students receive reimbursements from the program, it takes a long time to process and it hardly covers the amount that needs to be spent on paying for a car (a program requirement), gas, car maintenance, travel and relocation fees, hospital/placement-related parking and course materials.
Prior to entry, the midwifery education program cautions us that we will not be able to work for the majority of our time in this four-year program due to its intensive nature. But what about those of us who do not have a choice? I can’t help but think about how many people don’t make it through the gates because of these barriers. And for those of us who were able to claw our way through the gates, we have to fight everyday to stay here because financial planning can only get you so far when your institution is not set up to support you.
“How’s your break year going?” a well-intentioned but entirely out of touch older woman asks me. The third year of the midwifery education program is considered to be a “break” year of more regular and predictable hours, and I imagine it would be a break year for those who have the luxury of a financial safety net. As a third year student, I am lucky to even be able to entertain the thought of working, but when I make it to my fourth year, the clinical hours and on-call schedule will make it virtually impossible to work outside of the program and cover the cost of living.
As students in clinical placements, we are a part of the healthcare team. We are simultaneously learners and team members, which is a very special and valuable role to have, but it can be stressful when we do not have another source of income. Financial compensation of some sort would relieve this stress and allow us to focus on our learning and growth as budding healthcare providers. This is especially important for senior (fourth year) midwifery students, who have much more responsibility compared to midwifery students in previous levels. Senior midwifery students eventually start to take on the role of backup midwives under supervision. In simplified terms, when senior students get called up as backup midwives instead of registered midwives they are, in most circumstances, functionally taking on the role of a midwife. Similar to medical residents that relieve some of the workload of their unit, senior midwifery students lessen the workload of other midwives at the clinic. Despite the added responsibility and workload that senior midwifery students have, they do not get paid. On the other hand, first year medical residents, for example, rightfully get paid approximately $60,000 in Ontario to offset living costs, as they do not have time to work outside of school. Unlike first year medical residents, senior midwifery students do not receive income related to the work they do while on placement. This forces senior midwifery students to rely on savings, loans and family support, because the intensity of fourth year and the unpredictable hours of midwives’ on-call schedule makes it impossible to work outside of placement. This calls into question which students this institution is setting up for success — it isn’t the students who rely on inadequate funding from OSAP and it isn’t students without a financial safety net.
Midwifery students’ financial precarity was exacerbated in 2017 when the only professional line of credit offered by a major Canadian bank, the Royal Bank of Canada, no longer allowed midwifery students to apply for a line of credit, whereas students from other healthcare disciplines were offered higher lending limits without cosigners. This decision by RBC launched a student-led campaign to address the financially precarious situation midwifery students have to navigate. The Fair Financing for Midwifery Students campaign emphasizes that “this precarity disproportionately affects students who already face barriers to higher education including people of colour, Indigenous students, single parents and those from rural areas.”
Midwifery as a profession is undervalued within the healthcare system and by our provincial government. The Association of Ontario Midwives filed a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal alleging that the Ontario Ministry of Health discriminated against midwives on the basis of gender. In September 2018, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario ruled in favour of the Association of Ontario Midwives and the midwifery association is now putting pressure on the provincial government to honour that ruling and close the pay gap. It isn’t difficult, then, to understand that midwifery students are also undervalued and unsupported. The financial barriers that midwifery students experience is more than just an oversight. Rather, it is symptomatic of an unaccommodating institution and a system that doesn’t value the work of gendered helping professionals.
I am tired. And for those of us who are de-centered within dominant, white upper-middle class midwifery culture, I am exhausted. For my friends at the margins of the margins, who are undervalued and unsupported from outside and within this program and profession, I share your exhaustion.
I remember going to Guelph University to see Angela Davis speak in the winter of 2019, an evening which I will always cherish. Of the many things that stuck with me from that evening was Angela Davis’ critique of Hillary Clinton-esque feminism that is invested in “breaking the glass ceiling” which entirely neglects those under which the ground is threatening to collapse. And on that note, best of luck to those who are at the top and whose only barrier is the glass ceiling, but I am interested in those of us who have to fight to stay above ground.
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cw: mention of sexual assault
Following what the university calls “serious allegations” of policy breaching, Scott Watter, an associate professor in McMaster’s department of psychology, neuroscience and behaviour, has been suspended from his position and is no longer allowed on campus.
Maureen J. MacDonald, dean of science, was the first to communicate these decisions in an email sent on Feb. 19. According to Wade Hemsworth, the public relations manager for McMaster, MacDonald’s email was sent to “those who could potentially be impacted by the situation,” including students, faculty members and staff. The email stated that an unnamed faculty member was under investigation.
The email noted that there were “serious allegations that could involve a number of policies, including McMaster’s Sexual Violence Policy” but did not disclose any specific details pertaining to the allegations in order to “safeguard the privacy of those involved”.
The recipients of MacDonald’s email were also informed that undergraduate courses would be reassigned to another instructor. However, the email did not detail which courses this reorganization would impact.
On Feb. 21, students enrolled in History of Psychology, or PNB 3HP3, received an email from Ali Hashemi, a sessional instructor at the university, informing them that Hashemi would be the instructor for the remainder of the semester.
History of Psychology was one of the two courses Watter was assigned to teach this year. The other course, Human Perception & Cognition, or PNB 2XA3, was delivered during the fall semester and is a mandatory requirement for the honours PNB program.
When undergraduate students returned to class after reading week, they began to piece together who the email and allegations were referring to. There are 69 students taking History of Psychology this year, while the PNB program and faculty of science consist of an estimated 800 and 7000 undergraduate students, respectively — meaning that the majority of students were not informed of the situation.
“Us students only recognized that [the email] was in regard to Dr. Watter as his project students and his classes were reassigned . . . I think only sending his [current] students the email was worrisome as these allegations are of serious concern and not even the whole PNB student population was told,” explained Alex, a fourth year PNB student who asked that only their first name be used.
“It makes us think about how many other things may be happening at the university that we are not being told about — which is scary.”
On March 19, The Hamilton Spectator publically reported that Watter was the professor under investigation. Watter is one of two professors who ran the Cognitive Science Lab at McMaster, which was established in 2003. Students have described him as a core professor in the faculty, having taught several mandatory courses over the years.
In a statement published in the The Spec, Watter’s lawyer, Brent Foreman of SimpsonWigle Law, confirmed that Watter had been placed on “non-disciplinary leave of absence without loss of pay”.
“To date, Dr. Watter has not been provided with particulars of the allegations and he does not know whether an investigation by the university actually has commenced,” said Foreman in the statement obtained by The Spec.
On March 20, Hemsworth confirmed to the Silhouette that an investigation of a PNB faculty member was launched and Hamilton police were made aware of the allegations. The details of the investigation are confidential. Hamilton police spokesperson, constable Lorraine Edwards, confirmed to The Spec that they have commenced an investigation.
“Once Dr. Watter receives the particulars of the complaint, he intends to provide a full and complete response and to vigorously defend himself against the allegations made against him,” Foreman stated to The Spec.
As news of the allegations came to light, some students were disappointed in the way communication pertaining to the matter was handled.
“I’ve seen a very slow trickle through the department, a lot of word of mouth. For example, there are a couple of second year [students] in my lab who had [Watter] for their second year cognition course in the fall term. They had no idea what had actually happened,” explained a fourth year PNB student who wishes to remain anonymous.
“I think it’s [been] very hard [on students], especially having it be through word of mouth, because it’s not very sensitive to survivors. We don’t know who they are. They may be listening in on conversations and I think it’s sad that it played out this way,” added the student.
When asked to comment on why the Faculty decided to communicate solely with Watter’s current students, Hemsworth stated in an email that “the Dean’s email [from Feb. 19] was sent to those who could potentially be impacted by the situation, including graduate and undergraduate students, faculty members and staff.”
“I think the key thing is that it has changed how the department feels quite a lot even if you haven’t been directly affected. PNB is a very close knit department and it’s not unusual to be friendly with professors . . . so it’s really upsetting to have someone take advantage of that and the department is really feeling it right now,” explained a fourth year PNB student who wishes to remain anonymous.
Those in need of support can access resources through the university’s Sexual Violence Response Protocol, and can contact Hagar Akua Prah, the sexual violence response coordinator, at [email protected].
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Please note: This is a developing story and this article will be updated as more information arises.
McMaster is requiring students to move out of residence by this Saturday at 4 p.m., as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads and calls for social distancing increase across the province.
In a release sent out the morning of March 17, McMaster announced immediate changes to support social distancing within residences. Until the move-out deadline, guests will not be permitted in residences, and common rooms and game rooms will be closed.
In order to appropriately check-out, students must complete a mandatory online residence status update form through the McMaster Housing Portal. The form asks students to select a move-out time between Tuesday, March 17 and Saturday March 21 at 4 p.m.
Before this release, the university suspended all in-person classes and exams on Friday, March 13. Many classes are being moved online, and professors are required to contact students by Wednesday to let them know how their courses will proceed for the remainder of the term.
McMaster’s 12 on-campus residences house almost 3,600 students. It remains to be seen how the university will support students in their transition from residence.
A room in residence costs between $5,800 and $9,000 for a year. The residence contract requires students to move out of residence the day after their last exam, which can be anywhere from April 13 to April 29.
In the March 17 release, McMaster committed to providing “financial consideration for your shortened stay in residence” to students who check out of residence on or before the designated move-out deadline. It is not yet clear what financial consideration entails. According to the frequently asked questions column on the Residence COVID-19 Updates page, the University does not currently have any information regarding refunds for meal, residence, and parking fees. Food plan budgets will, however, carry over into next year. Information is expected to be updated soon.
The university may make exceptions for students who are unable to return home due to travel restrictions, however, students need to submit an application through the McMaster Housing Portal in order to be eligible to remain in residence. According to the release, the only students eligible to remain in residence are international students and out-of-province students who need extra time to move out.
The statement did not make note of students who face additional barriers, which may prevent them from being able to complete the remainder of their academic terms, should they be forced to move out from residence.
Hi Calvin -- students in those circumstances would need to speak with Housing about their specific situation.
— McMaster University (@McMasterU) March 17, 2020
Students may be unable to return to their family homes due to unsafe living situations or unsupportive families. Additionally, students may not have access to wifi and other resources necessary to complete their course work. As the provincial government requires all public libraries in Ontario close under a declaration of emergency, it remains to be seen how the university will support students without access to the resources necessary to engage in online courses.
Update: March 20, 2020: While international students and out-of-province students are pre-approved to stay in residence, students with extenuating circumstances, such as those in unsafe living situations, can apply to extend their stay.
"Students who have extenuating circumstances may request special consideration from the Residence Admissions office to extend their stay. These are approved on a case-by-case basis," wrote Holly Gibson, manager of marketing and communications for housing and conference services, in an emailed statement.
Gibson also confirmed that all food services except for Centro are now closed.
It is yet to be determined whether students who stay in residence will remain in their current rooms.
"Once we determine the number of students who will need to stay on campus, we will make plans with a focus on student safety, social distancing and in alignment with Public Health recommendations," stated Gibson.
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By Esra Rakab, Contributor
“University is a learning experience, it’s okay to fail.”
These words that are intended to comfort me echo through my mind at every instance of academic hardship. University is often advertised as a place for learning and self-discovery, but this narrative often only applies to privileged, higher-income students. As an immigrant student from a low-income background and challenges with mental health, I’ve always been perplexed as to how this wasn’t just a privileged oversimplification of the emotional, physical, and financial burdens that often accompany enrollment in university for students of lower income. After all, when students who are well-off fail courses or decide to pursue additional years of education, their families can often support that decision financially. On the contrary, a student struggling similarly with their education would not have that support to fall back on. With little support, low-income students must navigate an education system designed for students without such pressures and financial difficulties, and are thrown into a cycle where there is seemingly no escape.
Even with the Ontario Student Assistance Plan, numerous low-income families struggle to meet the yearly cost of university to invest in their future. OSAP is unforgiving of students who, often for valid reason, fall below their academic standing requirements. OSAP-assisted students often face familial, personal or financial challenges, which can manifest as academic hardship, since students lose the capacity or time to devote to their studies. Rather than supporting students in such extenuating circumstances, the institution punishes them through academic probation and OSAP reductions or cuts. What implication does this have on the well-being of low-income students, who are pressured to excel in university and graduate as soon as possible, only to be thrown into an increasingly competitive job market? While their debt accumulates and while finding employment post-undergraduate becomes increasingly difficult, the pressure to graduate quickly heightens.
As much as I desperately want to advocate that it’s okay to fail and learn from our mistakes, I have experienced whirlwinds of anxiety in thinking that my mental health might set me back a year to prolong my education or increase my loans and costs.
As a result, any effort to keep my grades sufficiently “competitive” came at the cost of my well-being. Despite this, I could not succumb to the exhaustion and anxiety because the consequences of performing poorly in school would be too great to bear. Institutionally, we are thrown into a cycle where we fall thousands of dollars in debt in hopes of finding a job, yet our education may become jeopardized while we try to stay afloat. Low-income students often also work part-time to help pay fees, but the time commitment comes at the cost of their education; students are locked into positions where their ability to meet standards of academic performance is hindered. Paradoxically, we may come out of university even more financially burdened than when we started, and must find a way out. This is a challenge that higher income students usually do not have to consider seriously, often allowing many of them to enjoy and excel in their education with little financial burden.
I cannot advocate that our grades don’t define us without acknowledging my hypocrisy when I criticize myself for falling short. We’re given little guidance on what to do with failure and how to succeed despite it; The only students who share their marks are “straight A” students; the only students who share their work experience share what positions accepted them, rather than what rejected them. The perspective skews towards one of communal success, while students who are struggling are left on the sidelines.
While individuals can seek support services, like by taking loans or seeking therapy (which is also paradoxically expensive), the solution needs to target the system. Changes in the university structure, financial aid, student support and a greater focus on permitting work-life balance may provide us with stepping stones, but these inherent inequities that lead to disparities in students’ well-being and success need to be addressed by institutions, the Ontario Student Assistance Plan and students benefiting from this systemic privilege.
I’m sick of falling prey to this system. For once, I want to be able to say, “It’s okay if we fail, we can learn from this,” and truly, genuinely mean it.
On Jan. 12, 2020, McMaster University’s Student Representative Assembly met for the first time in the new year to ratify 15 new clubs and to complete their initial review of non-MSU groups on campus.
Incite Magazine was the final non-MSU group to present their organization’s activities and budget to the SRA. According to Associate Vice-President (Finance) Jess Anderson’s report on Jan. 8, the McMaster Student Union’s Finance Committee has completed their review of all non-MSU groups on campus. These non-MSU groups receive funding from McMaster students but do not fall under the purview of the MSU Club Department.
According to the report, there are currently five non-MSU groups on campus: McMaster Marching Band, Engineering without Borders, McMaster Solar Car, Incite Magazine and the Ontario Public Interest Research Group McMaster.
“While there were a few hiccups regarding communication throughout the reviewing processes, the committee was very pleased with McMaster Marching Band, [and] have provided recommendations to Engineers without Borders, McMaster Solar Car, and Incite Magazine,” states Anderson in the report.
The Finance Committee has yet to come to a decision or provide recommendations for OPIRG McMaster. While a delegation from OPIRG attended the Dec. 8 SRA meeting, the group is still currently discussing salary and administration logistics with their union, Canadian Union of Public Employees 1281.
[pjc_slideshow slide_type="sra-jan-16-2020"]
During the meeting, 15 new clubs were ratified by the SRA after recommendation from Clubs Administrator Aditi Sharma. A list of newly ratified clubs and their mission statements was also provided on Jan. 7. These include cultural clubs such as the Indonesian McMaster Student Association and McMaster Bengali Student Union; social issues clubs such as Blackspace and Glamour Girls; and recreational clubs such as the McMaster Real Estate Society and McMaster Filmmaking Club.
Each semester, potential clubs submit their applications to the Clubs Administrator and Clubs Executive Council. Successful applicants are then interviewed by the Clubs Administrator. Potential clubs are evaluated for their uniqueness, ability to maintain significant student interest and ability to positively impact the McMaster community. Finally, recognition as an official MSU club requires ratification by the SRA.
Last semester, there were two instances that raised concerns about the process of vetting proposed clubs. On Jul. 21, SRA ratified the Dominion Society, triggering an intervention three days later by MSU President Josh Marando due to the club’s alleged connections to people and organizations with white supremacist ties. Similarly, the SRA passed a motion on Sept. 22 to de-ratify The McMaster Chinese Students and Scholars Association for violating section 5.1.3 of the Clubs Operating Policy by endangering student safety.
Discussion regarding club ratification lasted under four minutes. The question of the club recognition appeal process for unsuccessful applicants was also brought up at the meeting.
“One of my constituents wanted to start a club with the purpose of, if I’m remembering correctly, creating a space where the ideas of various faculties (science, humanities, etc.) could be discussed and shared openly together [...] The clubs department did not approve the club for reasons the constituent did not agree with and the constituent claims not [to] have been informed of a formal appeals process in their rejection,” wrote one SRA member wishing to remain anonymous.
According to the SRA member, the applicant was told that the proposed club fit a niche already occupied by the Controversial Texts Discussion Club, which aims to encourage discussion of academic texts and potentially controversial topics in Science, Philosophy and Religion. However, after reaching out to CON-TEXT several times and receiving no response, the applicant told the SRA member that they believe the club to no longer be active.
Section 4.13 of the MSU Clubs Operating Policy states that club applicants can first appeal to the Clubs Administrator. If still unsuccessful, applicants can make a second and final appeal to the CEC.
“In the email that [an unsuccessful club] got, they have an appeal period. They can send their appeal to the clubs administrator and CEC to be reviewed,” added MSU President Josh Marando at the meeting.
Lasting just over 42 minutes, this was the shortest SRA meeting so far in the 2019-2020 school year.
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