Student Life Newsletter - Sept 27

Published on Sep 27, 2021

Hello NIC Students. Welcome to the last week of September! This Thursday, September 30th marks the first National Day for Truth & Reconciliation & Orange Shirt Day.  While the college will be closed on this day, we encourage all our students and community members to wear orange in support and take time to learn about your local First Nations history. As always, Counsellors and our Elders are available to support you if you would like to connect with someone.

IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES

  • Thurs, Sept 30th: Last day to opt-out of NISU Health & Dental Benefits.
  • Thurs, Sept 30th: College Closed – National Truth & Reconciliation Day / Orange Shirt Day.
  • Mon, Oct 11th: College Closed – Thanksgiving Day.
  • Fri, Oct 15th: Fall exam schedule posted & last day to register for flexible distance courses.
  • Fri, Oct 29th: Last day to withdraw without academic penalty.

UPCOMING EVENTS

  • Orange Hearts and Hands Activity. Learn more about Orange Shirt Day & the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. Join North Island Students’ Union, Indigenous Education and Student Life at tabling events with an activity and information about Orange Shirt Day, acknowledging the impacts of Canada’s residential school system and why it’s important to recognize that every child matters.  These tabling events are held ahead of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation to bring awareness of why this day has become a national holiday and how the Calls to Action apply to education and beyond. Learn more https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html
    • K’omoks Valley Campus: in Tyee Hall on Tuesday, September 28 from 11:30am – 2:00pm
    • Campbell River Campus: in Student Commons on Wednesday, September 29 from 11:30am – 1:30pm
    • Port Alberni Campus: At Roger Street and Tebo on Wednesday, September 29 
  • The Library & Learning Commons is offering APA & MLA Style Citation Workshops this week as well as a Writing Workshop: Paraphrasing & Summarizing. These workshops are great to attend if you are new to citation and at the start of term before you start tackling course essays. Learn more here.
  • October Thrive Month. Thrive is an initiative to celebrate community, encourage self-care and promote mental health literacy. Through the month of October, we’ll be holding a series of events and highlighting supports and services available at NIC to support your success. More details on events will be released soon here.
  • Royal Roads University Info Session. Join Royal Roads University on September 29th from 4:00 – 5:00 pm PDT to learn about the RRU student experience, our campus, the application requirements, and how students from other institutions can seamlessly transition to RRU to complete their degrees. Whether you’re looking at studying from a distance, on campus, or a mix of both, this info session will cover all undergraduate programs offered at RRU. Register here. Can’t make it? Register and you will receive a link to a recording of the webinar.

STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES

  • Student Readiness Survey. We would love to find out more about your experience leading up to the start of term and your first few weeks of fall classes so we can improve our services and orientation at NIC. Students who complete the anonymous survey will have the opportunity to enter for a chance to win a $100 NIC gift card or a pair of Skullcandy ear buds. Share your thoughts with the Student Readiness Survey from Sept 20 – Oct 5 here.
  • How Was Orientation? Student Life is looking for students who would be willing to participate in a 15 min virtual chat to provide feedback on Fall 2021 Orientation. Participants will receive a $10 Tim Hortons Gift Card. To sign up, please email renae.roles@nic.bc.ca.
  • Become a Peer Tutor. Are you a returning NIC Student? Would you like to support other students and learn new tutoring skills as a paid tutor? Check out the job positing and details on how to apply Questions can be emailed to Caitlin Hartnett at caitlin.hartnett@nic.bc.ca 
  • Radio Broadcasting Internships. The AUPE Cultural Enhancement Society and CKCC The Raven FM 100.7 radio are looking for committed individuals interested in training for language revitalization work and career opportunities in broadcasting. Successful candidates will learn language preservation skills, how to engage with Knowledge Keepers, record the language and broadcast it to the community. Application deadline is Thurs, Sept 30th. For more information and to apply, email JP Obbagy at gm@theraven.fm. 
  • Ch’nook 2021/2022 Scholars Program. The Ch’nook Scholars Program gives Indigenous post-secondary business students the tools and connections they need to succeed in their studies and careers, as well as a range of other benefits. It is open to status and non-status First Nation, Inuit, and Metis student studying full-time in a business program. Learn more here.

IN OUR COMMUNITIES

  • COVID-19 Vaccination. The BC Government is encouraging all who are eligible to register for their COVID vaccine as soon as possible, this includes both domestic and international students. Visit the government website for information on eligibility and the registration process.
  • COVID-19 Restrictions. You can view the latest public health orders here. Masks in public indoor settings are now mandatory – this includes NIC campus buildings.

NIC SUPPORTS & SERVICES UPDATES

  • Available Study Spaces. Some students may be scheduled for an in-person class followed directly by a digital class or vice versa. To support these students, NIC will provide drop-in spaces on each campus where they can access a computer or plug-in their laptop to attend their digital class (please note that we encourage students to bring their own headsets, but we have some available to borrow through the Library & Learning Commons along with laptops if needed). Details on how to book can be found here. 
  • Student Technical Services Drop-In. Drop-In sessions are available to get help with Blackboard Learn or any technology-based questions Mon-Fri from 10:00 – 11:00 am and again from 3:00 – 4:00 pm. To learn more and to join drop-in sessions, visit the Student Technical Services calendar here

WEEKLY WELLNESS

  • Healthy Snacks. As the semester moves along, it tends to get busier – and often we find our selves wanting to grab quick (and sometimes unhealthy) snacks. Take time tonight to prepare some healthy snacks for the week!
    • Carrots & Hummus
    • Smoothies
    • Apple & Peanut Putter
    • Bell Pepper & Guacamole
    • Greek Yogurt & Mixed Berries
    • Kale Chips or Nori

“Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying I will try again tomorrow”

 – Anonymous

If there is information you'd like to see included in upcoming communications, or would like to share, please let us know at studentlife@nic.bc.ca.

Enjoy your week and stay well!

Student Life Team

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