2022 Friends & Family Guide (StFX University)

Friends and Family Guide

2022

University as it is meant to be

St. Francis Xavier University is located on Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaw people.

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.

Two important ways that we support students to become a Xaverian are through the Xaverian Community Foundations Modules/X Starts Here and the Incoming Student Success Survey. Please encourage your student to complete the mandatory modules and the survey before they arrive in September. A valuable resource for parents (and students) is Transitions: Making the most of your campus experience: mentalhealthliteracy.org/product/transitions/

I also strongly encourage you to register for email updates, etc. at 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 community.

Elizabeth Yeo Vice-President, Students

FYI2022 Along with the Friends and Family 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. It is accessible via student Moodle accounts, and includes modules on the following:

• Course Registration and Academic Advising

• Live Your Best Life @ X

• Navigating Transitions

• Build Your Academic Skills

• Money Matters

• Connect Your Tech and IT Devices

• Going Global and Studying Abroad

• Adjusting to University as an International Student

Being Xaverian

Being Xaverian is an action. It’s a commitment to caring about the community we are part of, working every day to make it and ourselves better. It’s an understanding that, as a community, we embrace and live by the standards we set below. It’s just one part of what being Xaverian means.

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.

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 Best Ways to Support your Student

1. Let them know you are always there to listen when they need.

2. 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

• Learn how to manage their time

• Make friends in each class

• 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 and ask for help

If your student needs help:

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.

• 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 after hours, 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. The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) may be reached during or after hours 24/7 by calling 1.877.880.7263.

- 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.

- If your student lives in residence, they can talk to their Residence Community Advisor or Residence Life Coordinator by calling or texting the Connect phone for their residence. Additionally, a Residence Life Coordinator is available 24/7 on call for any resident seeking support.

- If you are concerned and want us to check on your student, contact Student Life studentlife@stfx.ca or 902.867.3934. If your student is off campus, contact information may be needed. We are required by law to maintain student confidentiality, which means what we can share with parents about the student is limited without the student’s consent. We follow through with a check-in when a concern is brought to us.

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, 2022: 65% of all tuition, residence and meal plan fees

2. Due January 15, 2023: 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 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 mystfx.ca/financial-services/student-account

Health & 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, 2022. 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 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: stfx.ca/parents-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 & milestones

Welcome Days Friday/Saturday, Sept. 2-3

First Day of Classes Tuesday, Sept. 6

Last Day to Change First-Term or Full-Year Courses Tuesday, Sept. 13

December Exam Schedule Posted Thursday, Sept. 29

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (no classes) Friday, Sept. 30

Thanksgiving Day (no classes) Monday, Oct. 10

Last Day to Drop First-Term Three Credit Courses Wednesday, Nov. 2

Fall Study Break Monday, Nov. 7 to Friday, Nov. 11

Remembrance Day Friday, Nov. 11 X-Ring Day Saturday, Dec. 3

Fall Convocation Sunday, Dec. 4

Last Day of Classes for Winter Term Tuesday, Dec. 6

Examinations Begin Thursday, Dec. 8

Last day of exams Saturday, Dec. 17

Fall Term 2022 Winter Term 2023

University Reopens

Tuesday, Jan. 3

First Day of Classes Second Term Wednesday, Jan. 4

Last Day to Drop Full-Year or Change Second-Term Courses Wednesday, Jan. 11

April Exam Schedule Posted Friday, Jan 27

Nova Scotia Heritage Day Monday, Feb. 20

Winter Study Break Monday, Feb. 20 to Friday, Feb. 24

Classes Resume After Break Monday, Feb. 27

Winter Midterm Grades Due Friday, Mar. 3

Last Day to Drop Second-Term Three-Credit Courses Friday, Mar. 10

Last Day of Classes Wednesday, Apr 5

Good Friday Friday, April 7

Examinations Begin Monday, April 10

Examinations End Saturday, April 22

Spring Convocation Sunday, May 7