Student Success Summit

At Humber Polytechnic, as most post-secondary institutions, we have experienced declining enrolment and declining funding. We have worked to meet those challenges by continuing to evolve our Student Life/Peer programs model. We have looked to address shortages in funding through corporate sponsorships and streamlining our service model, while at the same time expanding our offerings. This presentation will describe the services and supports we offer and show the positive effects it has on our student participants in terms of GPA and retention, across all categories of students starting at Humber.

• Understand the programs Humber offers to increase retention
• Understand how to apply the same principles in the context of your own institution
• Understand data collection process for this type of student life program

Everyone agrees that retention is essential – for student success, for institutional mission and reputation, and yes, for revenue. Yet too often, schools wait until students are already struggling before stepping in. By then, it’s frequently too late.

Even setting aside the high cost of recruiting each student, retaining them directly drives revenue through tuition payments and, in many provinces, government grants tied to enrolment. Still, most institutions continue to rely on students to seek out help themselves. But that’s not how it plays out in reality. Studies show that 60–70% of students who leave never once connect with support services.

What if you could identify your highest-risk students before classes even begin – and intervene proactively?

In this session, Kirk Kelly (CRI) and Kathleen Massey (University of Lethbridge) share how the university is making a bold, data-informed approach to retention using the HeadStart system. By combining predictive risk models with targeted outreach, the University of Lethbridge has improved student outcomes and safeguarded tuition revenue.

We know this might sound ambitious – maybe even too ambitious.

But what if we could show you clear, measurable actions that it works?

This session is ideal for enrolment managers, academic advisors, student success leaders, intervention teams, and senior administrators looking for scalable, data-backed ways to improve retention, generate revenue, and elevate the student experience.

• How HeadStart works, amalgamating 12 recent studies on outreach impact among at-risk students
• How the University of Lethbridge operationalizes early intervention both before and after Day 1
• The real-world outcomes of those interventions seen in the 12 studies
• Practical steps for building a proactive, high-ROI student success strategy at your institution

This session will demonstrate how honouring student voices by engaging them in assessment practices allows Orientation planners to evolve Undergraduate Fall Orientation Programming to best support a diverse group of incoming students with a range of lived experiences.

This session will consist of three parts: an introduction to the Queen’s Fall Orientation program, assessment and evaluation practices that centre our student voices, and breakout group discussions.

This presentation will provide participants with a general overview of the Queen’s Fall Orientation program and the goals, outcomes, and framework used to guide the program development. This session will review the evolution of the Queen’s Fall Orientation program and address how assessment and evaluation best practices continue to inform the development of the Orientation programming and structure. Emphasis on student engagement will detail the positive impact of the integration of different assessment tools and growing relationships with a variety of student groups and campus partners.

Centering student voices in assessment and evaluation practices have created space for underrepresented and marginalized groups to identify gaps in Fall Orientation programming, services and resources. This has provided the opportunity for the Student Experience Office to serve as a guide and support in the planning and execution of Fall Orientation programming for student leaders across campus. This presentation will discuss how a range of student voices is essential to the strategic planning of Orientation programming over the last four years through the implementation of the student-driven Queen’s Fall Orientation assessment and evaluation cycle.

The session will highlight some key learnings and provide participants with the opportunity to discuss evaluation practices at their respective institutions in small breakout groups within a structured setting. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions, engage in dialogue about best practices and leave with tangible tools to implement in their own contexts.

• Identify the value of strategic organization to centralize assessment tools
• Examine an evaluation process that centers diverse student voices to create a holistic assessment cycle
• Recognize and discuss opportunities to improve existing evaluation practices at-home institutions

After over 20 years of welcoming incoming students, Brock University's Smart Start summer orientation program has undergone its biggest transformation yet. In response to the changing needs of incoming students and their supporters, the 2025 Smart Start program introduced Faculty-specific days with a "choose your own adventure" format for the first time ever. Collaboration with both Academic Departments and Student Service units from across campus streamlined the summer orientation experience for new students and offered a robust day of programming to address all questions related to the transition to Brock in a single day on campus.

This session will address the catalysts for the changes, the process by which the new Smart Start format was introduced, and what we learned along the way.

• Consider evolving expectations of incoming students and the importance of supporter involvement in transition planning.
• Discuss strategies for effective cross-campus collaboration between academic and student service units.
• Identify first-year orientation initiatives aimed at improving recruitment-to-retention transitions and holistic student support.

Many students with academic records below traditional admission thresholds possess significant untapped potential that conventional metrics such as grade point averages do not capture. Facing increasing enrolment pressure and the need to maintain budget health, it is imperative to explore innovative strategies that expand access without compromising academic standards. This session introduces a data-informed enrolment framework aimed at identifying, admitting, and supporting students who might otherwise be deemed inadmissible, with the goal of fostering both access and success.

This framework leans on predictive analytics, which use real-time data to forecast student performance and persistence, allowing institutions to move beyond rigid academic cut-offs and instead make informed decisions that consider the potential of each student.

Drawing from a University of Toronto pilot study, the session highlights the transformative impact of integrated supports, which include targeted outreach, academic advising, and early academic skill-building workshops. The findings reveal notable improvements in course completion rates, student engagement, and semester-to-semester retention—critical indicators of academic success.

Central to this model is the belief in a comprehensive approach that values diverse forms of achievement, resilience, and potential. While traditional admissions models often filter out non-traditional learners, the data-driven approach ensures that admission decisions are fair, evidence-based, and aligned with institutional missions of equity, diversity, and inclusion. The model embraces the complexity of the modern learner, recognizing that prior academic struggles do not preclude future success, especially when coupled with the right support and interventions.

The session underscores the role of actionable data insights in shaping effective student support. By continuously analyzing student performance metrics, institutions can design early warning systems and personalized learning pathways that address academic challenges before they become barriers. This adaptive framework ensures ongoing alignment between student needs and institutional resources.

Attendees will leave the session with practical tools to replicate or adapt the model within their own contexts. Key takeaways include strategies for leveraging predictive models, designing developmental programming, fostering student engagement, and improving retention outcomes. The session also addresses challenges such as balancing academic standards with inclusivity, securing institutional buy-in, and scaling the model to serve larger populations without diluting impact.

Ultimately, this scalable approach offers a blueprint for those seeking to enhance both enrollment management and student success initiatives. By embracing a data-informed, and equity-centered lens, institutions can ensure that more students are not only admitted but are also set up to thrive.

• Leverage predictive models
• Design developmental programming
• Improve retention

This session explores the implementation of in-class "Advisor Touchpoint" interventions during weeks 4–6 of the term, a critical period in the student cycle and student success. These "just in time" sessions were piloted as more than just class visits; they were built intentionally as part of scaffolded supports for a selection of high attrition programs. We will share key lessons learned, including common challenges, key partnerships, and the impact of early advising connections. Attendees will gain insights into the barriers students face, strategies for improving outreach, and practical takeaways for strengthening advising interventions in collaboration with Faculty partners.

• Identify key barriers students face during the critical mid-term period (Weeks 4–6) and how early advising interventions can address these challenges.
• Analyze the role of cross-functional collaboration, particularly with Faculty in implementing effective, in-class advising touchpoints.
• Apply practical strategies and lessons learned from the pilot to strengthen proactive advising interventions in high-attrition or at-risk academic programs.

In this session, Leads from three different programs at Concordia University (Montreal) that have a focus on student leadership, professional skill development and experiential learning will discuss the ins and outs of each program, as well as elaborate on how each team collaborates with the others to accomplish more with less, and to counter the often siloed nature of post-secondary institutional units.

• Participants will learn about the core components and goals of three co-curricular student-development programs at Concordia University, and the unique contributions of each program with the institution’s landscape of student leadership and skill development.
• Participants will learn about strategies used by the program Leads to foster collaboration between units and programs, in order to leverage internal resources to do more with less.
• Participants will reflect on at least one idea or practice from the session that they can use in their own institutional setting to enhance student engagement or skill development.

STEP Forward, now in its second year, is a leadership development program for undergraduate Concordia student employees, supported by the McCall MacBain Foundation. As part of a cohort of 25–30 students, participants complete about 40 hours of leadership training activities over 7 months. Workshops cover topics such as collaborative leadership, conflict mitigation, and community building. Students engage in small, peer-led group activities focused on team building and reflection, and also receive individual coaching from the program lead, including additional training assignments and an informational interview with a community mentor as part of a personalized development plan.

Launched in 2021, Humanities+ is a career readiness and internship program for undergrad students studying in the Humanities at Concordia. The two main goals of the program are to help students develop their ability to identify, articulate, and translate their strengths and skills, as well as their overall “career readiness.” Students engage in a series of workshops over 12-14 weeks, culminating in a summer internship. Reflection is a key component of the program and serves as a thread which connects all their learning and experiences throughout their time in Humanities+.

Part of Concordia's Student Success Centre’s, FutureBound is a skill development program for undergraduate students. Offering more than 100 workshops a year, FutureBound helps students develop the skills they need to be successful in university today and thrive in the workplace of tomorrow. Workshops cover many topics relevant to students’ futures, so they can be confident, adaptable, and forward-thinking in their academic and professional endeavors.

In the ever changing post-secondary landscape, institutions must continue to create, innovate and iterate to strengthen student success. In 2022, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), launched the Student Success sub-unit and merged it with existing career and co-op functions to create the Career, Co-op & Student Success Centre (CC&SS). This presentation will zoom in on the Student Success sub-unit as a new team implementing a new strategy: a first-year transition program centered around holistic student support and resource navigation.

• Participants will learn about TMU’s student success strategies
• Participants will be able to identify steps to implement new student success strategies at their institution
• Participants will be able to outline considerations for implementing new student success strategies at their institution.

A great enrolment strategy does not begin with numbers and data. It does not begin with a written plan. It does not begin with goals, objectives, and metrics. Before any of that it begins with people (staff, faculty, leadership), the community of an institution, and their ability and willingness to work hard and believe that together they can do anything. It needs to be a community where people are connected. Where they experience belonging, inclusivity, and appreciation for their contributions. A strong, savvy culture built from authentic leadership where each person's talents are valued as integral to the whole. An environment where those talents are fostered for sustained success. Because when politics and global issues and economics deliver tough impacts as we are witnessing right now, it remains for those who serve students to be the core of enrolment continuity.

If you want to explore how intentionally crafting culture helps shape the enrolment journey, from future students' first point of contact to alumni, then this session is for you.

Join Mary Ross, a renowned leader in higher education whose career has spanned across the country including institutions from Newfoundland to British Columbia and within the United States. Currently consulting and serving as Interim Head of Enrolment at Adler University, Mary brings a wealth of experience from her former role as Registrar and her unwavering commitment to innovation and student success. Embark on a journey with her as she delves into:

• The essentials of a strong culture and why they matter.
• The people first mentality and how to know if you have it.
• How to sustain a positive culture during times of economic hardships.

Every cycle, institutions lose committed students to “summer melt”, but what if Admitted Student Receptions could be the game-changer?

In this session, discover how these events can serve as powerful tools that not only excite admitted students but also solidify their decision to enroll.

We’ll explore key reasons behind melt and discuss event strategies that foster a sense of belonging and commitment. Whether you're looking to revamp your current approach or build an Admitted Student Reception from the ground up, this session will equip you with actionable insights to turn “Will Attend” into “Registered.”

Join us to explore the power of Admitted Student Receptions, because the journey from admission to enrollment is too important to leave to chance.

• Identify Key Drivers of Melt and How Admitted Student Receptions Can Address Them
• Design High-Impact Events That Foster Commitment and Belonging
• Measure Event Effectiveness and Optimize for Enrollment Outcomes

Early and intentional support can change the trajectory of a student’s university experience. This session will highlight the University of Northern British Columbia's (UNBC) collaborative approach to strengthening student success through two early support systems: the First-Year RISE program, developed with faculty and student success services to foster connection, confidence, and foundational skills, and the Academic Resiliency and Success Plans, co-created by Student Advisors to guide students on probation toward reflection, action, and renewed momentum. Together, these initiatives showcase how proactive and remedial, student-centered supports can normalize challenges, build resilience, and help students thrive throughout their academic journey.

• Learn how cross-campus collaboration (faculty, advisors, and student services) strengthens student success initiatives.
• Identify practical strategies that could be adapted or scaled to enhance early supports at their own institutions.
• Reflect on opportunities to strengthen collaboration and early intervention practices in their current context.

This presentation explores the critical connection between work-integrated learning (WIL) and the long-term success of adult learners. We will examine how intentional work placements and meaningful mentorship contribute to the development of foundational skills, deeper learning, and improved employability outcomes via a Centralized WIL Model.

Our session will highlight the pivotal role of WIL in building a resilient, capable workforce—one equipped to lead and inspire future generations. By aligning with the conference theme, “Improving the Student Journey” we will emphasize the essential responsibility of post-secondary WIL professionals and leaders in championing and creating purposeful, high-impact learning opportunities. We will discuss how our centralized WIL Model has built a path to resilience by aligning WIL best practices and strengthening cross-department collaboration for holistic student support. Additionally, we will explore strategies for advancing career readiness by embedding career development into the curriculum and empowering students with the skills and tools they need for career success.

Participants will gain practical insights into the transformative power of WIL. This session will leave attendees with a deep understanding of how intentionally designed experiential learning can shape brighter futures for adult learners.

• Describe the benefits of centralized work-integrated learning for adult learners experiences
• Explain effective strategies for cross-departmental collaboration in student support
• Demonstrate methods to enhance career readiness and empower student success

Research has indicated that there is an increased risk of sexual violence in post-secondary athletics and, at the same time, an absence of educational interventions that aim to prevent violence and support student-athletes in understanding and developing values related to healthy relationships and gender equity (Ravalbaba et al., 2022; Stotzer & MacCartney, 2016; Tashkandi et al., 2022; Weiersma-Mosely et al., 2017).

To respond to this need, the Saint Mary's University Sexual Violence Support Centre partnered with the Huskies Athletics Department, coaches, and varsity athletes themselves to develop a peer-based outreach program that engages student-athletes in becoming "ambassadors for change”.

Through engaging gender-based violence prevention education, policy collaboration, and broad cultural awareness initiatives - all led by student-athletes themselves - SMU is leading the way in co-creating a safe, respectful, and empowering campus environment for all. The development of this innovative program has resulted in lessons about enhancing student experience and collaborating across differences, which is now more important than ever as post-secondary institutions navigate a challenging and unknown educational ecosystem.

• Learn about the Saint Mary's Athletics Ambassador program, the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada.
• Understand how peer education supports student wellbeing and positively contributes to student experience.
• Identify skills and strategies for collaborating across differences to increase student well-being.

As post-secondary institutions strive for inclusive excellence, the rising number of students receiving accommodations should be seen as a sign of progress and a call for systemic change—not merely a metric of success or challenge to manage. Yet, many Strategic Enrolment Management (SEM) practices remain grounded in ableist models that often privilege neurotypical ways of learning and being, which may create barriers to access and not fully support neurodivergent learners. This session will explore how institutions can reshape their recruitment, transition and retention strategies to foster belonging, persistence, and success for this growing student population.

Drawing on Canadian data and best practices from peers, this interactive session will guide participants in developing an action checklist to inform institution-specific approaches. Through scenario-based discussions and student voice profiles, attendees will rethink recruitment messaging, proactive transition planning, and retention strategies that emphasize student strengths.

• Discover the impact of neurodivergence on recruitment, transition, and retention in post-secondary institutions.
• Explore innovative Canadian approaches which support enrolment management that move beyond accommodations toward structural redesign and foster belonging and retention for neurodivergent students; and
• Refine and apply a checklist co-developed with Canadian SEM professionals that embeds accountability measures to enhance recruitment, transition, and retention strategies for neurodivergent learners to develop a campus action plan.

This session will explore how Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Indigenous Student Success Strategy supports Indigenous student success through a relationship-first approach that spans recruitment, transition and student support. Rooted in indigenous values and community connection, the strategy focuses on building trust, culturally relevant support systems, and long-term partnerships with Indigenous communities and organizations. We will highlight key components of the strategy, including the Wicihitowin Transition Program, Indigenous community liaison roles, and student retention initiatives. We will also share how our team responds to the unique barriers Indigenous learners face, both inside and outside the institution.

• Developing the Strategy
• Strategy Goals
• Outcomes and Student Success

Today's students navigate a complex landscape of academic demands, evolving identities, and the pressures of a comparison-driven world. This interactive workshop offers a transformative mentorship model that moves beyond traditional achievement metrics, centring on storytelling, identity exploration, and trauma-informed practices to cultivate student confidence, clarity, and genuine connection.

Drawing on my experience as both a professor and a mentor, I'll share immediately actionable, reflective strategies that redefine mentorship as a vital space for both belonging and professional growth. Inspired by "We're Not Really Strangers," one powerful activity invites students to identify and affirm skills they admire in their peers—effectively dismantling networking anxieties, grounding relationships in shared humanity, and elevating strengths students often overlook in themselves. These "micro-affirmations" create profound "macro impacts" on self-worth and career readiness.

This session directly addresses findings from the 2024 Brainstorm Student Career Interests Report and responds to the ongoing impact of the pandemic on student social development and emotional expression. Attendees will leave with:

1. A practical toolkit of adaptable mentorship activities.
2. Strategies for modeling appropriate vulnerability while maintaining professional boundaries.
3. Concrete ideas for integrating emotional intelligence into daily teaching and advising.

• Describe an innovative mentorship model that actively fosters student confidence and self-awareness.
• Apply practical tools designed to build emotional intelligence and strengthen peer connections.
• Integrate impactful reflective practices into both academic curricula and co-curricular programming.

This session explores the transformation of QSuccess, a first-year mentorship program at Queen’s University, through a renewed focus on peer mentor development and engagement.

By shifting to a “mentor experience” model, the program reimagined how upper-year mentors are supported, equipped, and recognized—resulting in increased satisfaction, stronger relationships, and deeper commitment from peer leaders. In turn, this investment has strengthened first-year student outcomes, fostering belonging, resilience, and smoother transitions.

Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data, the session will highlight the dual impact of peer mentorship—on mentees' success and mentors' growth as leaders. Attendees will leave with adaptable tools, program design ideas, and engagement strategies to implement or enhance peer mentorship on their own campuses.

• Apply diverse strategies to enhance peer mentor engagement in ways that foster connection, belonging, and leadership development among both mentors and mentees.
• Integrate reflection-based tools to support student learning, transferable skill development, and intentional growth throughout the mentorship journey.
• Leverage digital platforms, tools and technology to improve access, communication, and support within peer mentorship programs.

In this session, we will investigate senior administrators’ (Vice-Presidents Academic and Services) awareness, engagement, and perception of their institution’s efforts to retain undergraduate students to graduation and credential completion. The relationships between institutional organizational structures and cultures are considered for supporting student success and students’ year-to-year persistence and graduation. There is limited literature in Canadian post-secondary education exploring the roles and responsibilities of senior administrators, especially across academic and student services divides. This research advances our understanding of senior administrators’ intentions, rationales, decisions, and partnerships and collaborations.

• Deliberate Vincent Tinto’s post-COVID reflection in response to his foundational Student Integration Model (1975)
• Review case studies based on senior administrators’ survey responses
• Consider and reflect on the research themes presented from a personal and professional institutional perspective

Research shows that academic advising plays a vital role in supporting student persistence and retention. However, demonstrating its impact on campus requires a coordinated approach and a clear understanding of which metrics matter. This session will explore the outcomes of strong and integrated advising services, drawing on current research to highlight the connection between academic advising and student success.

We will examine a range of advising models including proactive and reactive approaches, and discuss their respective strengths and challenges. To ground these insights in practice, we’ll present a case study from Humber College’s proactive pre-advising model, including the effects of a key policy change that contributed to improved student retention.

Participants will be invited to reflect on how they are currently measuring advising impact, how they’re leveraging institutional data, and how ongoing resource constraints are shaping team structures and advising strategies. We’ll close with a discussion on building cross-campus support for assessing advising effectiveness, including collaboration with institutional research, understanding IR mandates, and identifying key partners and champions.

This session is designed for administrators overseeing academic advising, members of SEM committees focused on retention and student success, institutional research professionals, and others involved in assessing student outcomes.

• Understand the connection between academic advising and key student outcomes, including persistence and retention.
• Compare the strengths and limitations of different academic advising models, including proactive and reactive approaches.
• Identify actionable strategies to enhance collaboration and assess the impact of advising within your institutional context.

In this session, we will give an overview of the research agenda and outputs that have been produced by faculty and staff at Saint Mary's University (SMU). This work has included research in the following areas: the development of SMU's First Year Experience (FYE) program, student engagement, student retention, and faculty participation in student success-related activities. This research has been pivotal in driving student-focused changes to the university experience at SMU.

• Research design for student-focused research
• Understanding factors driving student success
• First Year Experience in Canadian Context

Program Co-Authors
Steven Smith (SMU), Tom Brophy (SMU), Katelynn Carter-Rogers (SMU, St Francis Xavier), & Amy McAvoy (SMU).

This presentation will introduce the audience to a bold, innovative and transformative pedagogical experiment that empowers first year undergraduate students with experiential learning. Experiential learning projects are designed to allow students to apply theoretical knowledge in practical settings, enhance student learning and engagement, embrace critical thinking, immerse learners in real-world experiences and provide innovative solutions to contemporary hot-button issues.

Incorporating experiential learning in my first-year undergraduate course created an enjoyable and intellectually rewarding personal space for my students. It required designing a new learning formula and pedagogical template. It enabled individualized, intellectually rewarding, personally fulfilling, student-centered, hands-on learning. In short, my students became the co-drivers of their learning process.

More precisely, experiential learning contributes an authentic intellectual experience, promotes engaged academic learning, permits thinking outside the box, triggers reflective observation and embraces critical analysis. In effect, experiential learning promotes an inquiry-based pedagogy, where students apply their knowledge of theoretical constructs to real-world and contemporary challenges. Enhancing their work-place skills such as creative and analytical thinking, lifelong learning, self-awareness, systems thinking, resilience and flexibility.

This pedagogical experiment forced me to create a unique learning safety net that ensured its success. It required building the architecture and placing the appropriate scaffolding in place. It took the form of quick responses to questions, providing supportive academic resources, guest speakers, content prompters and a student-centered instruction and support. I created touch points, diagnostic assessments, periodic updates on content, and assessed benchmarks to ensure that my students were on a pathway towards achieving the desired learning outcomes.

End of course student evaluations indicated the experiential learning aspect was their favourite part of the course. They enjoyed the challenge and had fun on their learning journey. Their marks were higher than those for conventional teaching courses. They underlined the observation that this exercise was significantly more intellectually stimulating than memorizing from a textbook and writing an exam. They observed it was an amazing way of involving real life scenarios to course content that required critical thinking and helped them apply academic concepts into everyday life.

At the end of the day, experiential learning is the academic gift that keeps on giving. Initially it opens the door for a more engaged and purposeful introduction to a student’s academic journey. It also extends the opportunities for a hands-on learning environment in addressing contemporary hot button issues. In effect, it redefines our academic mission to empower our students with the intellectual and personal skills that contribute to their success in their professional careers and their personal lives for the duration of their lifetime.

• Integrate experiential learning into the first-year undergraduate curriculum.
• Understand the academic benefits that experiential learning empowers students.
• Identify the touch points for a learning safety net for experiential learning to thrive.

This session will explore Kenjgewin Teg’s journey in creating a dynamic Alumni Platform and Perks Program, a key initiative born from the institution’s 2021–2026 Strategic Plan and expanded through its 2022–2027 Strategic Marketing Plan. What began as a vision for a simple alumni database evolved into a robust virtual hub designed to foster lifelong relationships, professional growth, and ongoing engagement with Kenjgewin Teg graduates

Participants will learn how the Alumni and Post-Graduate Navigator role, established in 2023, guided the research, selection, and development of the platform; how a comprehensive Alumni Communication & Engagement Plan was created; and the strategies used to launch and promote the platform. This session will share best practices for building alumni networks that not only celebrate graduates but also empower them to remain active contributors to the Kenjgewin Teg community.

Attendees will leave with practical insights into designing alumni programs that are sustainable, culturally reflective, and deeply connected to institutional values.

• Understand the process of evolving a strategic goal into a fully realized alumni engagement platform, including research, platform selection, and the creation of a communication and engagement plan.
• Identify key strategies for building and sustaining a thriving alumni community, including storytelling, incentives, mentorship, events, and the integration of culturally reflective engagement practices.
• Apply lessons learned from Kenjgewin Teg’s implementation process to their own institutions, including methods for platform promotion, alumni outreach, and measuring success through engagement analytics.

This session introduces McGill's Micro-ExP, a work-integrated learning (WIL) program from McGill University that helps students—especially those in their early years—gain work experience through short, 1-week placements that are:

• Designed to build confidence and career skills
• Focused on tangible project deliverables to give students relevant and marketable experience
• Delivered in partnership with alumni and industry partners

The session will highlight how the program works, what it has achieved, and share actionable advice for institutions wanting to implement similar models.

• Understand how short-term WIL experiences are helping university students develop their career skills.
• Understand how preparatory cohort-based training programs can build student confidence and improve WIL program outcomes.
• Gain insight into how Micro-ExP broadens access to WIL for equity-deserving students with limited experience.

In today’s dynamic job market, career readiness goes beyond technical knowledge. It requires intentional preparation, industry insight, and meaningful connections. This session explores how a comprehensive career preparation strategy can elevate student success by integrating peer mentorship, employer engagement, and work-integrated learning opportunities.

Through targeted programming—such as a mini data analytics course, peer-to-peer coaching, real-world interview simulations, and alumni networking events—students are equipped with the practical tools, confidence, and insights needed to thrive in competitive co-op placements.

Participants will gain an in-depth understanding of how structured, experience-driven programming and alumni-industry collaboration contribute to enhanced career outcomes and student confidence. Whether you are designing a new career readiness program or seeking to strengthen existing initiatives, this session will provide actionable strategies for supporting students from classroom to career.

• Discover how to embed practical skill-building components (e.g., data analytics, job search assignment, professional interview simulations, speaker series) into career readiness programming
• Understand how industry partners, peer support from senior students, alumni events and in-person interactive class facilitation can be leveraged to provide relatable, experience-based guidance that enhances student engagement and preparedness
• Learn strategies to integrate work-integrated learning and industry-informed programming to foster stronger career exploration and employer connections for students

The session will provide two specific examples of initiatives that contribute to student success.

From each example, you will learn why the initiative is important, how it contributes to student success in the form of work-integrated learning and career development, and at the same time develops students' research skills.

In addition, you will learn how this type of initiative contributes to the college's or university's goals regarding enrollment, retention, community engagement and partnerships.

• Able to name innovative examples that contribute to student success
• Understand the impact these types of initiatives have on enrolment and retention
• Explain how these types of initiatives contribute to enrolment, retention and community engagement

Career development is more than job preparation and in a world shaped by AI, automation, and shifting workforce demands, equipping students with durable skills is more critical than ever. They need future-ready skills, self-awareness, and the tools to define success on their own terms.

This interactive workshop explores how career development can be embedded into curriculum and co-curricular experiences to support student persistence, equity, and post-graduate success. Drawing on a university-level career development course, the session shares real-world assignments and activities, including a unit on work as a source of meaning and identity, which prompts students to critically examine the narratives they’ve inherited about work and purpose.

Participants will engage in hands-on exercises to identify where career development can live in their own contexts and leave with practical strategies to help students build career agency, resilience, and a more expansive view of what success looks like.

• Identify future-ready skills students need to thrive in a rapidly changing world of work, including those impacted by AI and automation.
• Apply practical strategies and course-based examples to embed career development into their own curricular or co-curricular context.
• Critically examine how career development programming can help students explore the role of work in their lives and support diverse, student-defined visions of success.

When NorQuest College’s Career Centre trained students to review their peers’ resumes in 10-minute sessions, they expected modest results. What they got was a momentous shift: a cohort of students who discovered their own professional voice while lifting up others.

Unlike traditional top-down career prep, the Peer Resume Reviewer Program (PRR) operates on a radical premise – students learn best by teaching. Learn more about a program that transformed learners into leaders and explore how a simple idea became a powerful tool for student empowerment and experiential learning.

Featuring student voices, this session is ideal for educators who believe in learning by doing, peer-to-peer empowerment, and real-world skill-building that bridges academics and careers. Discover how 10-minute resume reviews can create big wins – transforming blank spots on resumes into compelling narratives.

• Explore strategies to engage learners in meaningful leadership roles through peer-based support programs that enhance their own career readiness.
• Examine how peer-to-peer learning fosters belonging, builds career confidence, and bridges equity gaps through accessible, relatable feedback.
• Discuss how to capitalize on students’ existing talents while equipping them with tangible career-development experience through volunteer roles.