StFX Friends & Family Guide 2021 by Stfx University

2021

FRIENDS & FAMILY GUIDE

Congratulations! Your student’s decision to attend university marks a major accomplishment, both for them and for you. We are honoured that your student has chosen to make StFX their home away from home for these next few formative years. Attending university is a major life milestone for students and members of their support network. As students transition into adulthood, it is common to wonder how you can best show your support while still giving them room to grow and thrive. This booklet – as well as the separate First Year Information (FYI) guide that your student has received – contains helpful information on how to navigate the adjustment to university life. I encourage you to familiarize yourself with both booklets. The demands of COVID-19 require new supports and measures to ensure the health and safety of your student. Last year, we successfully offered a safe, in-person living and learning environment and are fully prepared to do the same thing again beginning this September. To this point, I strongly encourage you to register for email updates at www.StFX.ca/Parents so we can keep you informed of our health, safety, and wellness plans and share important updates for this next year. Please stay tuned for more information over the coming months. We look forward to welcoming your family to the StFX family!

Elizabeth Yeo Vice-President, Students St. Francis Xavier University

FIRST YEAR INFORMATION BOOKLET

A RESOURCE FOR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. Along with the Family and Friends’ guide, your student also received a First Year Information booklet. The booklet contains important information as students prepare for StFX, including how to register for courses, get set up with a student ID, and pack for residence. We encourage you to read through this booklet if you have questions about what your student needs to do before arriving at StFX.

X STARTS HERE

Transitioning to university is exciting! But, we know it can come with its share of challenges, too. Encourage your student to take advantage of X Starts Here web modules so they can thrive at StFX. X Starts Here is accessible via student Moodle accounts, and includes modules on the following: • Course Registration and Academic Advising • Live Your Best Life @ X • Build Your Academic Skills • Money Matters • Connect Your Tech and IT devices • Going Global and Studying Abroad • Adjusting to University as an International Student

OUR RESPONSE TO COVID-19 STAY IN TOUCH, STAY INFORMED! As we have seen this past year, the situation with COVID-19 evolves quickly and sometimes disrupts even the best plans. With this in mind, it is critical that you stay in touch with StFX so we can update you should key dates and details for your students’ arrival on campus need to change. Here’s how to stay informed: 1. Sign up for regular email updates from StFX University at www.StFX.ca/Parents 2. Ensure your student checks their StFX email on a regular basis. Any important updates from the university will be sent to this email account. 3. Check our COVID-19 web-portal, including answers to your frequently asked questions, on a regular basis: www.StFX.ca/Coronavirus. 4. Check the Nova Scotia government COVID-19 web-portal for up-to-date information on travel restrictions and quarantine requirements: www.novascotia.ca/coronavirus. 5. Over the summer months, tune in to our virtual information session on COVID-19 protocols: VIRTUAL INFORMATION SESSION: COVID-19 PROTOCOLS Join members of the StFX University senior leadership team to discuss the university’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols for the upcoming year. Sessions will be held via Zoom Webinar. More information, including information on how to join the sessions, will be sent to StFX student email accounts and the StFX parent email list over the coming months. For now, mark your calendars and plan to attend one of the following sessions: • Session 1: Wednesday, July 21 at 7PM or Friday, July 23 at 3PM. • Session 2: Monday, August 9 at 7PM or Wednesday, August 11 at 3PM. *Dates and times are subject to change. All times Atlantic Standard Time.

SIGN UP FOR REGULAR EMAIL UPDATES AT www.StFX.ca/Parents 14-DAY QUARANTINE: The Nova Scotia government currently requires most travellers coming from outside the province to complete a mandatory 14-day quarantine period upon their arrival. If these requirements are still in place over the summer months, it may be necessary for students from outside of Nova Scotia to quarantine upon their arrival at StFX. See pages 2-3 of your student’s FYI booklet for more information. You can also stay up-to-date on government travel and quarantine restrictions by visiting www.novascotia.ca/ coronavirus.

PREPARING FOR A SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION Your student is transitioning into adulthood, which means their relationship to parents, guardians and other close support systems will change. These changes can be stressful for everyone involved, as young people are learning what it means to be independent while their families learn how to transition into a supporting role. This year, COVID-19 will continue to introduce new complexities and responsibilities for your student. We will be providing more information through the summer on how to prepare for the specific transitions of the coming year. For many families, it’s natural to want to play the same role for your student now as you did in high school. However, as your student adjusts to adulthood and university life, it will be critical for them to learn to operate without immediate supervision. At times, this might mean stepping back and allowing them to make their own decisions, and ultimately be responsible for them. They may make mistakes along the way, but in time they will find their own path and thrive while doing so! THE TWO BEST WAYS TO SUPPORT YOUR STUDENT: • Let them know you are always there to listen when they need. • Encourage them to take advantage of the support services available to them at StFX.

THE FIRST FEW WEEKS YOUR STUDENT MAY FIND THE FOLLOWING USEFUL: Favourite snacks for their room Bank account details Personal information: Social insurance number, insurance details Reassurance. Starting university is exciting, but it is also a time of major change PARENTS CAN ALSO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO: Attend all classes and get to know professors Make friends in each class Learn how to manage their time Get involved in at least one club or society Take advantage of support services Keep finances in check Respect their fellow residents Manage stress and anxiety Get enough sleep Ask for help IF YOUR STUDENT IS STRUGGLING It’s normal for students to find the transition to university life challenging. If you suspect your student is not adapting as they expected, there are several ways you can support: • Listen, honestly and openly. Let your student speak freely and express themselves. Don’t rush to judgement, or immediately push solutions. Sometimes, your student may just need to vent. • Ask how you can support them. Your student may have suggestions, or they may not want active support. Whatever their decision, respect it. • Remind them of StFX support services (see pages 12-13 of the FYI booklet) and encourage them to reach out if they need. – If the issue is urgent, your student can call 911 (Emergency) or go to the Emergency Department at St. Martha’s Hospital in Antigonish. There is also a toll-free 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Line in Nova Scotia (1-888-429-8167) for urgent access to a mental health professional. – For non-emergency issues, they can also call the Good2Talk Post-Secondary Helpline (1.833.292.3698), which is free and available 24/7 from any phone in Nova Scotia. – X Starts Here includes information on how to deal with academic and personal challenges. These self-directed modules are available via your student’s Moodle account. • Affirm that you are always there to listen and support them as they wish. Remind them that transitions are hard, and it’s normal to feel anxious or unsure in a new environment. 5

OTHER HELPFUL INFORMATION A full breakdown of tuition, residence and meal plan fees is found on page 16 of the First Year Information guide. Tuition and fees are divided into two payments: 1. September 15, 2021: 65% of all tuition, residence and meal plan fees 2. Due January 15, 2022: The balance of remaining fees You are encouraged to pay first-term fees before arriving (or while at) Welcome Day. Please note that credit card payments are not accepted. We accept payment via: – Online banking. Register StFX as a payee using your student ID as the account number. – Wire transfer – In person (cash, cheque, debit) – Directly from Canadian and American government student loan programs – Online at: www.stfx.ca/international-payment (international students only) Have questions about paying your fees? Contact our Student Accounts Office at studentaccounts @stfx.ca or 902.867.2123. Visit their website at www.mystfx.ca/financial-services/student-accounts

HEALTH AND DENTAL PLAN The StFX Students’ Union Health and Dental Plan will cover select medical costs that are not included under most provincial health care plans, including dental work and pharmaceutical drug costs. If unexpected medical issues arise, you will want to have coverage! Canadian students with alternative coverage may opt-out if they do so before September 30, 2021. You may only opt-out if you can provide proof of coverage from another provider. We encourage you to investigate the benefits offered by the Students’ Union plan before deciding to opt-out. Some students with alternate coverage choose to stay enrolled in the plan because it covers student-specific needs that some other plans do not. To learn more about your benefits and how to coordinate coverage between two plans, visit www.mystudentplan.ca/stfxsu. TENANT INSURANCE It’s a good idea to think about extending your household insurance coverage for your student’s personal belongings while they are living in residence or off-campus. Students are responsible for insuring the personal contents of their room. Insurance is not a requirement for residence living, however the university strongly recommends seeking coverage. STUDENT MAILBOXES All students are offered a locked post office box where they can receive mail, including parcels. This is a great option should you wish to send your student cards, parcels or gifts throughout the year. Your student can set up their post office box by visiting the campus post office in Bloomfield Centre. Please contact your student for their particular mailbox number. CARE PACKAGES A special care package is a wonderful way to let your loved one know you are thinking about them. Sodexo, StFX’s campus food provider, offers a number of ‘Gifts and More’ care packages for every occasion: www.stfx.ca/why-stfx/parents/send-just-because-package CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY Ensuring your student’s health and wellbeing is a top priority for St. Francis Xavier University. This extends to their right to privacy. StFX will not release the following personal information without a student’s consent: • Registration status • Grades/marks • Use of StFX support services • Disciplinary information • Financial information • Health and Counselling Centre records, including confirmation of visits. Note that access to personal medical information is strictly governed by the Nova Scotia’s Personal Health Information Act. The only exceptions involve cases where there is a serious and imminent safety risk, and where a medical professional deems it necessary to contact next of kin.

IMPORTANT DATES AND MILESTONES SPRING AND SUMMER 2021 MAY • • • • • •

JUN

JULY

AUG

Accept your residence offer. Apply for student loans (most jurisdictions open their programs in the spring.) Register for courses (see page 4 of FYI booklet.) Sign and virtually submit your COVID-19 legal waiver and commitment to student community protocols (visit www.stfx.ca/waiver to learn more.) First-year students: complete your mandatory online modules (see page 10 of FYI booklet.) Check your StFX student email and attend our information sessions for important updates.

FALL TERM 2021* SEPT

OCT

NOV

DEC

03/04

Welcome Days (see page 9 for more information.)

Fall classes begin.

Dec. exam schedule available. Don’t make holiday travel plans before this date!

Thanksgiving. No classes.

Last day to change fall term or full year courses.

Last day to drop first-term three-credit courses.

Fall study break begins.

Remembrance Day. Offices closed.

Feast Day of St. Francis Xavier; X-Ring Ceremony.

Last day of fall classes.

Exams begin.

Holiday break begins after last exam.

Classes resume after fall study break.

First tuition/fee payment due.

WINTER TERM 2022* JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

Winter study break begins.

Winter classes begin. Last day to drop full-year or change second-term courses.

Balance of tuition/fees due

April exam schedule available. Don’t make spring travel plans before this date!

Classes resume after winter study break.

Last day to drop second-term three-credit courses.

Last day of winter classes.

Exams begin.

Good Friday. No exams; offices closed

Last day of exams.

*Specific dates may be subject to change in accordance with Public Health directives regarding COVID-19