ON-CAMPUS HOUSING Winter Term - University Of Western

Office of the OmbudspersonAdvocating for Fairness on CampusThey’ve made it through first term. Four months of essays, labs, tests, exams androommate negotiations are behind your student – and you!You may have spent hours on the Western website reading policiesand procedures, hoping to help your student. If only you, and they, hadknown about the Office of the Ombudsperson.We are a safe, confidential, impartial and independent service opento all Western students. We are co-funded by the students andthe University so we don’t advocate for students or for Western,we advocate for fairness. We don’t make decisions and ourrecommendations are not binding, but we can help guide studentsthrough an academic or non-academic appeal, advise them on how toaddress conflicts with an instructor or a coach, and what to do whenthey have missed class or an assignment because of illness. In short,we are a first stop when your student doesn’t know where to turn, anda last resort when they think they have exhausted all their options.The coming months might introduce new challenges to your student.When they return in January, students will receive their first termgrades. Perhaps they will receive a grade they don’t understand oragree with. The first step in that situation is for the student to meetwith their professor or TA to discuss the final assignment or overallgrade and determine where they went wrong. If, after that meeting, thestudent still disagrees with the grade, they may write a formal appealletter to the Undergraduate Chair in the department or program. Thestudent should state the purpose of the letter, the facts surroundingwhy they believe the grade is not accurate, and what they arerequesting. For example, the student might request that an assignmentbe re-graded by another instructor. The letter should also includeany documentation that supports their request. Students have untilJanuary 31 to appeal a first term grade. If the student disagrees withthe Undergrad Chair’s decision, they may appeal to the Associate Deanof the Faculty offering the course.If your student is having trouble adjusting academically to universityand didn’t do as well in first term as they had hoped, be sure theyvisit their faculty Academic Counsellor. Academic Counsellors canhelp guide your student to on-campus resources that will helpthem, including the Writing Support Centre and Learning SkillsServices, which are both located on the 4th floor of the WesternStudent Services Building. Additionally, staff in the Office of theOmbudsperson are always happy to guide students if they don’t knowwhere to turn for help.Although we appreciate how concerned you can be, we encouragestudents to contact us themselves. They can e-mail us atombuds@uwo.ca, phone us at 519-661-3573, or drop in to Room3135 of the Western Student Services Building. We are open Mondayto Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ourweb site – uwo.ca/ombuds –includes some great information on appeals, academic integrity, andother University policies. Best wishes for term two!Steps from Western!Parkdale Place - 1201 Richmond Street North519.439.0941A Trusted Place To Call Home Since 1954homestead.caCALL US TODAY OR VISIT OURWEBSITE TO VIEW PHOTOS,FLOORPLANS AND 3D VIRTUAL TOURS.Main Office: 21 King Street519.433.1560

Turning an Internship into aOnce in a Lifetime ExperienceThird year Geophysics student, Eric Rops,knew he wanted career-related work whenhe applied to be in the Science Internshipprogram. What he didn't expect was the lifechanging experience that would follow.“It was actually my parents who encouragedme to do an internship,” said Eric. And aftersome hard work, he successfully secureda 10-month paid position with SanderGeophysics Limited (SGL).SGL is a relatively large, family-run companybased in Ottawa that provides worldwideairborne geophysical surveys for petroleumand mineral exploration, and geological andenvironmental mapping.Eric knew right away that this was going tobe a great opportunity, but the real surprisecame when his employer told him he would betravelling half way around the world to conductgeophysical surveying for the government ofTanzania. Eric left for Tanzania in August andreturned in October.Being from the small town of Mitchell, Ontario,which has a population of about 4,500 people,Eric's biggest adventures to date had includeda trip to Disney World and a summer workexperience in Baffin Island with an IronMining Company.He admits the culture shock inAfrica was real. “There is just such astaggering contrast to their way of livingas compared to here in Canada.It’s difficult to describe, but after about a week,I began adjusting to it.” The work days werelong and the weather was hot, but he is veryexcited to be returning right after New Year’sfor another two months. “I am hoping I willeven get to go back a third time to see the endof the project.”Contrary to popular belief, interns do not fetchcoffee all day. In the field, Eric tests equipment,monitors the aircraft and processes airbornegeophysical data to determine prospectiveareas for petroleum and mineraldevelopment for the project’s client.In addition he is compensated verywell and given extra vacation timefor the weeks he is away. “After thissecond trip, I plan to stay abroad forcontinued Eric stands in front of the3 airplanes which measurethe magnetic field strength,the force of gravity, andthe radioactivity comingfrom the ground. Location:Dodoma, TanzaniaWelcome to your London Homethe convenience of Apartment Living!Blossom Gate offers you varied floorplans in either our existing lowrise andhighrise buildings OR one of our newerhighrise buildings.(at Adelaide St. N) 24 hr fitness centre Secured undergroundparking Ground floor laundry Study Lounge/library Secured bike storage On-site Super & Games RoomManagement Office Party Room Guest Suite Screening Room Medallion’s SOS (Superior On-Call Service)blossomgate.com700 King Street London rentrevo.com 519-601-7386Direct bus to campus & downtownRental inquires103-625 Kipps Lane519.432.1777THE SYMBOL OF QUALITYREVEL IN BRAND NEW RENTAL LIVING CLOSE TO EVERYTHING

Turning an Internshipinto a Once in aLifetime ExperienceAdding and Dropping Courses continuedtwo weeks and maybe even go on Safari.”Western’s Earth Sciences departmentoffers professional programs that fulfillall course requirements for professionalregistration as a Geoscientist, as set by theAssociation of Professional Geoscientistsof Ontario (APGO) and the CanadianCouncil of Professional Geoscientists(CCPG). Internships can be countedtowards the work experience that isrequired for registration.Science internships are available toany student who is completing at leastone major in Science or the Bachelorof Medical Sciences program. This year72 Science and BMSc students areworking in a variety of government andindustry positions, including productquality control, pharmaceutical research,laboratory testing, software development,manufacturing, and much more.While some students are concernedabout the idea of taking a year away fromschool to work, Eric describes it as “sucha positive long-term investment in yourfuture. Plus, you will return to school withthe confidence to go to professional schoolor better compete in the job market aftergraduation.”Students are able to adjust their courses andtimetable for 2nd term up until January 15thIt is important that students understand the consequences of adding and droppingcourses, and they should ensure they’ve reviewed the program requirements for degrees/modules they wish to pursue. Program information can be found in the AcademicCalendar: westerncalendar.uwo.caIf a student wishes to discuss their program requirements or progression, they areencouraged to meet with a Faculty Academic Counsellor.January 7 - April 11 - Second Term CoursesJanuary 15 - Last day to add/drop/swap online (11:59pm EST)March 7 - Last day to drop a second-term half course (paper form only)Unsure of whether you should drop a course? See our Things to Considerpage here.Note: You are responsible for ensuring that your registration is accurate and complete. Makesure that you have satisfied the academic requirements for your program/module after you havecompleted any adds or drops. There are financial and transcript implications to dropping courses,which can be found in the Academic Calendar.Keep Learning courses and programs designed withyour career and life aspirations in mind.wcs.uwo.ca

TOP 5CAREER PREPIs your son or daughter undecided about their next steps relatedto their career? It’s very common for students to be concernedabout where their degree will take them. It’s never too early togather information and to plan ahead for the future.Student Experience offers a variety of career-related workshopsthat can assist students in their career wellness. We also have awebsite focusing on career-related wellness:careerwellness.uwo.ca.January 154:30 – 5:30 pmEffective Resumes and Cover LettersJanuary 162:30 – 3:20 pmYour Elevator Pitch: How to Talk toEmployersJanuary 171:30 – 2:30 pmInformational Interview: Your Way Toa JobJanuary 224:30 – 5:30 pmNew to Networking? Learn The Basics!January 234:30 – 5:30 pmGet a Job After Graduation: Employersare Hiring Now!January 241:30 – 3:30 pmInterview SkillsJanuary 284:30 – 6:30 pmInternational Students: What You Needto Know to Get a JobJanuary 291:30- 3:00 pmLinkedIn: I've Signed Up - Now What?SUMMER JOB STRATEGIES1.Attend the hirewesternu Job Fair on February 5, 10am - 3pm atthe Western Student Recreation Centre.2.Attend Career Workshops (see "Career Prep")3.Get their resume reviewed at WERC – Western’s EmploymentResource Centre (werc.uwo.ca)4.Meet with a Career Counsellor for individualized job search help5.Begin the job search process early in the winter term. Seesuccess.uwo.ca for more details on these programs and services.For information and to register, go to the event calendar atwesterncareercentral.ca.Stop Throwing Away Your Money On RentConnecting Employers with Top TalentWestern Students put thousands of dollars each yearIf your company or someone in your network is interested ininto the pockets of landlords. Jason Sims can helphiring extraordinary talent, look no further than Western students.youwesternuand yourparentssave on these expenses byMission:impactfulmarketingthat promotes hiringtalentto Employers.Thereis a widecreaterange anof WorkIntegratedLearningcampaignopportunitiesgetting you access to exclusive student homes aroundGoals: co-ops and practicum) available and you can recruit(internships,Western. Email or call me now to find out how.studentsfor summerand/or postgraduateTalentemployment positions.» Promotethe pedigreeof Western» increase work integrated learning opportunities forTo» learnhow aEmployersWestern studentcanvalue firstto yourstudentsInspireto ltypro.comand discoverthe suiteof recruiting and hiring services available »at Tell a compelling story that is broad, proactive andrecruitmentneedsDirect 519-640-1900Western, visit hirewesternu.ca, email hirewesternu@uwo.ca or simpleAgent Realty Pro Inc. Brokeragecall 519-661-6319.Broad Key Messagesabout Talent &Value Proposition toEmployers:Jason Sims, Owner/Broker of RecordGlobal ReadyCommunity EngagedEntrepreneurialResearch OrientedHigh AchievingLeaders of Tomorrow

INTENT TO REGISTERThe transition between first and second year can be slightly confusing forstudents. Soon it will be time for them to indicate which path they wish to takein the coming year. This process is called Intent to Register (ITR) and must becompleted by the end of March. The ITR process itself is very straightforward,but getting there can be tricky. We have compiled a list of questions that arecommonly asked by first year students during this time of year. The mostimportant thing for students to know is that their ITR selections are not set instone – they can always change their mind. Be open to having conversations andexploring alternative options. The vast majority of students will change their majorat some point during their years of study. In fact, the average Western student willchange their program 2.25 times during their undergraduate career!TOP 5FINANCIAL LITERACYBEST PRACTICESto pass on to your student!1.Build a budget a stick to it. It makes you awareof your spending and will save money for thethings you really want.2.Avoid "Buy Now, Pay Later" - save for yourpurchases and you will save money in thelong-run.What is Intent to Register?3.Intent to Register is the time of year during which undergraduate studentsdeclare which module or program they intend to be enrolled in for the followingacademic year.Pre-paid credit card are a great starter cardfor young Canadians.4.Pay yourself first - make saving a priority, forrainy days, for wants and for your retirement.5.If all else fails, go to see an Academic Counsellor in your faculty to discuss youroptions.Credit Card use: Only use credit cardson items that endure past payment date(education, car repairs, etc) and avoid usingon purchases that are gone before you pay(movies, gas, etc).Do I have to fill out the Intent to Register form?Source: ABC Life Literacy abclifeliteracy.caFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSWhat if I am not 100% sure which program/module I want to register in?Yes! If you fail to indicate your Intent to Register by the dates specified eithervia the online service or a paper form with authorizing signatures, you will forfeitpriority registration and may also miss being reviewed for Limited EnrollmentPrograms. (registrar.uwo.ca/course enrollment/intent to register)When will I know which program/module I amregistered in?Each student is adjudicated at the end of the academic year. The adjudicationprocess happens in May, and usually students are able to login to StudentCenter by mid-June to check their grades and to see what program they areeligible for.What if I change my mind?Students who change their mind about their requested program should contacttheir academic counselling office to discuss the change and to complete aprogram change form. Academic Counsellors will inform students of academicimplications of changing programs.

can support a graduate’s academic transcript and resume, and help create a complete picture of their achievements at Western. Visit myexperience.uwo.ca to get started, or contact wccr@uwo.ca with any questions. Involvement is captured under 6 core areas: Activities can only be added in t