Student Services

Prospective Students Get to Experience our Welcoming Campus Being on campus and experiencing St. Mary’s University community atmosphere is the best way to showcase what we can offer students. Whether it is meeting with a recruitment officer, hanging out with a student ambassador for lunch in our Café, getting a campus tour, or sitting in on a class, prospective students quickly learn what makes St. Mary’s unique. Our ‘Student for a Day’ program allows students to attend a class or two delivered by St. Mary’s professors that will give them a snapshot of our areas of academic study and what it’s like to be a university student at StMU. More importantly, it is a chance for prospective students to meet faculty, staff and current students. People are the greatest selling feature in our small and welcoming community. Students who visit our campus “get it.”

St. Mary’s Career Services provides students the opportunity to discover, discuss and plan for life after graduation. Whether students are wanting to enter the workforce after graduation, or they want to continue their studies by applying to Master’s or professional programs, our Career Advisor can help you navigate the requirements or next steps. Career Services also hosts workshops such as resume and cover letter writing, utilizing LinkedIn, job search strategies and more. Our annual Employment & Volunteer Fair gives students the opportunity to connect with local organizations who are looking to offer students valuable jobs or volunteer positions that will help them gain skills and boost their resume. We want you to feel prepared and confident leaving St. Mary’s!

Spiritual Counselling
The Director of Campus Ministry is available for spiritual counselling to assist students, faculty and staff in spiritual growth as well as personal and relational issues. Campus Ministry provides a safe, supportive and healing environment for all. Conversations can be on a drop-in basis or by appointment at the Campus Ministry Office.

Counselling Services at St Mary’s University offers a client-centered, strength-based approach to mental health and wellness. Students have the opportunity to build skills and capacity in managing matters that may get in the way of everyday life and coping. The counselling staff offer therapy in the areas of personal and academic wellness. Stress induced anxiousness and depression are the top two mental health conditions that students experience in educational environments and one in five individuals have or will have experienced a mental health condition. There are times when we feel overwhelmed, lost, or simply experience difficulty coping with issues. Without someone to talk to, life’s issues can go from bad to worse. Counselling Services offers a variety of supports that are confidential and free of charge.

To set up an appointment please follow this link: https://stmu.janeapp.com/

If you have any questions and would like to contact a counsellor please email counselling@stmu.ca

Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices towards a healthy and fulfilling life. Wellness is more than being free from illness; it is a dynamic process of change and growth. “A state of complete physical, mental, and social well being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. “

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What is an Academic Accommodation?

Academic accommodations are educational practises, systems and support mechanisms designed to accommodate persons with disabilities, and are an alteration in the usual way students perform academic tasks. For example, writing examinations in a course would typically be a course requirement; however, writing the answers to essay examinations by hand would typically not be essential. Therefore, a student who has difficulty writing by hand because of a disability may be permitted the use of a computer to complete the examinations. In this case, the use of a computer would be the accommodation.

I have a physical/learning disability. What documentation do I need to receive accommodations?
St. Mary’s students seeking disability and/or medically-related accommodations and services and/or funding for assistive services and technology are required to provide documentation from a qualified professional such as a physician, psychologist, psychiatrist, audiologist, ophthalmologist, or other licensed specialist. The documentation should be current (usually no more than 3 years must have elapsed between the time of assessment and the date of initial request for documentation), and the documentation should:

• Clearly outline the impact the disability or condition has on the student in an academic setting and;
• Identify or recommend specific accommodations and supports that would reduce the barriers encountered in an academic setting.

The Accommodations Coordinator will use this documentation as well as interviews with the student to determine appropriate disability-related accommodations and supports. Some conditions are subject to change (e.g., relapses, remissions). Therefore, to ensure the identification of impacts and functional limitations can be properly addressed, updated medical documentation may be requested, periodically, throughout the duration of the program. A diagnosis of a disability, medical condition, or disorder alone is not sufficient to be eligible for accommodations and supports. The learning environment must be sufficiently inaccessible or barred such that the student’s ability to perform tasks required to achieve his or her educational goals to his or her potential is negatively impacted.

When should I meet to discuss my academic accommodations?

New students are encouraged to contact the Accommodations Coordinator in Spring/Early Summer to discuss their disability, and to ensure that they have the necessary documentation. This timeframe also gives the student time to apply for the Student Aid Alberta Student with Disabilities Grants should they wish to secure Student Loan funding. The Accommodations Coordinator can assist with the following: determine eligibility for accommodations, facilitate appropriate accommodations, provide adaptive technology supports and training, arrange for assistive services, facilitate accommodated exams, and provide information about funding for students with disabilities.