Student Success Centre: 2023-2024 in Review
Our vision is for all students to thrive and succeed.
As part of Student Affairs, the Student Success Centre champions a holistic support model that respects the positionality and intersectionality of our students, that leverages their unique strengths, and that strives to customize the type of support offered to best enable their growth, development and learning.
We are committed to centering the student voice in all that we do. This year, we learned that students wanted to feel more connected to their McMaster community and one another. In response, we made strategic decisions to foster student engagement, achieving record-breaking attendance at our events, workshops, and one-on-one sessions with our professional staff.
We seek to create vibrant and inclusive opportunities for all students. Our integrated approach with campus and community partners, including our elected student leaders in the McMaster Students Union and Graduate Students Association, ensures shared responsibility in fostering a learning environment and foundation for all students to belong, become and contribute.
We thank our campus and community partners for your continued support and collaboration, and to McMaster students, we thank you, for trusting us and allowing us to be part of your university journey.
Moving forward, we are excited to continue this important work together!
Arlene Fajutrao Dosen ’94
B.Arts Sc., B.A., M.A.
Our Student Success Centre Model
- McMaster Access Program
- Student Transition, Retention and Success
- Career Counselling and Employment Services
- International and Exchange Student Experience
- Experiential Learning, Leadership and Global Experience
- Writing and Academic Skills
- Financial Literacy (Mac’s Money Centre)
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation Skills at The Forge
- Spiritual Care and Learning Centre
- Marketing, Communications and Events
The Student Success Centre (SSC) model relies on strong collaboration with our Student Affairs, McMaster Students Union and Graduate Students Association partners. We also value partnerships with our Office of the Vice-Provost (Teaching and Learning), Office of the Registrar, School of Graduate Studies, Office of International Affairs, Equity and Inclusion Office colleagues and Faculty, School and Program partners. In addition, the SSC proudly partners with the Office of Alumni Engagement to support the delivery of Alumni Career Services.
Information Box Group
62K+ event and session attendance
8,399 appointments
5,701 opportunities posted on OSCARplus
Among the top 3 most-followed McMaster Instagram accounts
Putting into practice our pillars of inclusion, impact and integration.
Our approach involves serving the whole student, understanding their needs at every level and respecting their intersectionality—all factors contributing to their current experiences at McMaster and their hopes and dreams for the future. Through inclusivity, integration and impact, we continue to creatively target the most pressing needs of our student population.
Here are four key examples of how our wraparound approach fosters student success.
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Pathways to Success: Access, Transition and Retention Watch this video with Access Award recipients
- Record-breaking number of applications to the Access Award.
- Connected with 3,194 unique students through outreach activities across 40 elementary and high schools.
International Student Engagement and Success View International Student Engagement and Success
- 80% of first-year undergraduate students engaged on the iCent app, supporting the transition to university and embedding Faculty-specific support.
- Includes the Airport Welcome and Ignite programs, delivered in collaboration with Faculties, Housing & Conference Services and community partners.
Financial Education and Empowerment View Financial Education and Empowerment
- Fostering financial wellness through workshops, one-on-one coaching, and access to resources.
- $4M+ tax returns processed by student volunteers, helping other students and low-income community members in Hamilton.
Graduate Supports: Career and Writing View Graduate Supports: Career and Writing
- Tailored writing and career development supports for graduate students in partnership with the Graduate Students Association and School of Graduate Studies.
- 1,738 graduate student appointments delivered through this pilot project.
Student Affairs Funding
Working together to provide transformational student experiences.
We work alongside Student Affairs partners and campus colleagues to help students reach their full potential, positioning them to make an impact on the world around them. Through creative collaboration and partnerships, we deliver high-value experiences for students to develop skills, gain confidence, build their network and establish a sense of belonging.
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Increasing opportunities and funded experiences for students through government grants and donor contributions.
Initiatives include the Access Award, Career Treks, Experience Ventures, Global Experience Award, McCall MacBain, Ontario Postsecondary Access and Inclusion Program (OPAIP), SEED funding (Digital Skills Program) and donor contributions.
Facilitating programs and training that foster leadership and innovation.
Initiatives include 33K+ hours of coordinated Welcome Week student leader training, 7K+ hours of student engagement through The Forge and opportunities through the Wilson Leadership Scholar Award (WLSA).
Providing experiential and intersession opportunities for flexible and inclusive learning.
Initiatives include INSPIRE courses, Experiential Learning Opportunities Resource (EXPLORE) and the Student Staff Professional Development Certificate.
Addressing barriers to employment and professional development.
Initiatives include the award-winning (TalentEgg, 2023) Career Access Professional Services (CAPS), International Student Work Opportunity (ISWO) program and partnerships, such as with McMaster’s Children’s Hospitality, CanChild and Aspectrum to support autistic youth.
Building a pathway for students to become future McMaster staff and leaders.
Initiatives include a partnership with Human Resources and the Registrar’s Office to provide tailored professional development opportunities for student staff.
Fostering belonging, community and spiritual care on campus.
Initiatives include the Spiritual Care and Learning Centre (SCLC), orientation and transition activities, and McMaster-wide events.
Supporting the transition into the workplace for students and alumni.
Initiatives include Alumni Career Services, a 20-year partnership with Alumni Association, as well as career counselling and job search services. Events such as Fall Career Fair and Connect to Careers Job Fair provide students and alumni with access to employment. Partnerships with City of Hamilton (Economic Development), Mohawk College, Redeemer University, the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, Workforce Planning Hamilton and many others help us continue to create future employment opportunities for students and recent alumni.
McMaster Access Program
McMaster’s Access Program focuses on engaging students from historically underrepresented groups in the Greater Hamilton and Golden Horseshoe Regions through educating, informing and familiarizing students and families with the benefits and possibilities of a post-secondary education at McMaster University.
McMaster Access Program : Read "I Made It"
Student Transition, Retention and Success
As part of our commitment to supporting students from the moment they accept their offer of admission, the Student Transition, Retention and Success Transition team helps new students navigate university life through offering personalized transition programming, including Mac101, Welcome Week and programming for off-campus students to support student success and retention.
Student Transition, Retention and Success: Read "Highlights from Welcome Week"
Career Counselling and Employment Services
Recognizing that all career journeys are different, the Student Success Centre provides personalized career counselling, further education support and job search coaching for students (undergraduate and graduate) and alumni (up to five years after graduation), as well as Career Access Professional Services (CAPS) for students and alumni with barriers to employment, to support career decision-making and planning.
Career Counselling and Employment Services : Read "Summer job search advice from McMaster students"
International and Exchange Student Experience
The International and Exchange Student Experience team provides holistic, wraparound services including immigration advising, transition coaching, health insurance (UHIP) administration and community-building events that foster well-being and belonging for our international and exchange students.
International and Exchange Student Experience : Read "Ignite programs helps first-year international students feel at home"
Experiential Learning: Co-Curricular
The Student Success Centre offers experiential learning programming and support to connect students with transformative learning opportunities beyond the classroom, including work-integrated learning, volunteering, mentorship and career conversations, job shadowing and more, to equip them with the transferable skills, competencies and experiences needed to make an impact in the world.
Experiential Learning: Co-Curricular: Read "Students tackle complex non-profit challenge in 24-hour case competition"
Wilson Leadership Scholar Award (WLSA)
The Student Success Centre’s leadership programming, including the flagship Wilson Leadership Scholar Award (WLSA), contributes to McMaster’s priorities in teaching and learning by creating more opportunities for students to make transformative impacts on challenging issues, reducing barriers to learning and connecting students with diverse expertise.
Wilson Leadership Scholar Award (WLSA) : Read “Update on the Wilson Leadership Scholar Award (WLSA) for 2024–2025”
Global Experience: Study, Work and Volunteer Abroad
The Student Success Centre connects students with diverse opportunities to gain global experience and develop intercultural skills through the McMaster Exchange Program (study and research), Global Experience Program (work and volunteer abroad), scholarships and awards, and additional programming to make a global impact at home.
Global Experience: Study, Work and Volunteer Abroad: Read "McMaster student Fei Mu named a McCall MacBain Scholar"
Writing and Academic Skills
The Writing and Academic Skills team supports student success at all levels (undergraduate and graduate) by developing and facilitating a range of skills-based programming and services that complement course-specific knowledge, helping students develop transferable skills and leverage existing strengths to achieve their academic goals.
Writing and Academic Skills: Watch "Building Resilience in University Learning"
Financial Literacy Skills (Mac’s Money Centre)
The Mac’s Money Centre portfolio within the Student Success Centre provides essential financial literacy education through tools, resources, and information to help students develop financial knowledge, planning, and skills in areas such as budgeting, saving, investing, and building good credit.
Entrepreneurship and Innovation Skills at The Forge
The Forge is dedicated to driving economic prosperity and social impact through supporting students and startups with programming and resources that foster entrepreneurial thinking and resiliency to accelerate a startup’s growth.
Entrepreneurship and Innovation Skills at The Forge: Read "The Spark Starts Here: McMaster Entrepreneurship Week"
Spiritual Care and Learning Centre (SCLC)
The Spiritual Care and Learning Centre (SCLC) is a multicultural network of community leaders and groups working in collaboration to provide programming and support for religious, spiritual and secular (RSS) identities across campus, launched in consultation with the Interfaith Working Group (IFWG), part of the McMaster President’s Advisory Committee for Building an Inclusive Community (PACBIC).
Spiritual Care and Learning Centre (SCLC): Read “Annual Fall Harvest Dinner for international, exchange students marks tradition of seasonal gratitude”
Marketing, Communications and Events
The Marketing, Communications and Events team collaborates with subject-matter experts across Student Affairs and within the Student Success Centre to foster a sense of belonging for every McMaster student. This occurs through raising awareness of services and programs through inclusive storytelling, digital engagement strategies, visual content development and in-person experiences that promote student engagement and community-building.
Marketing, Communications and Events : Read "Student art reflects stages and possibilities of university journeys"