Graduate Onboarding Program
Faculty of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, Brock University
The Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) is pleased to announce that the Graduate Onboarding Program at Brock University’s Faculty of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs has been selected as the winner of the 2023-24 CAGS Award for Excellence and Innovation in Enhancing the Graduate Student Experience.
Emerging from consultations with the local Graduate Students’ Association on the need for information, service, and community connection during the early stages of a student’s journey, the Graduate Onboarding Program offers a full suite of student-focussed supports designed to optimize the experience of incoming graduate students at Brock University.
“In this program…the students and the student experience was put first. This allowed the students to see the many ways they are valued and supported, but also what is at the core of Brock University which is excellence and student care.”
Pictured left to right: Mariana Garrido de Castro, Katrina Carbonara, and Sali Moieldin were Brock’s first Graduate Student Ambassadors part of the Graduate Onboarding Program.
Brock’s innovative program was conceived from the outset as a student-focussed and student-led initiative. A diverse team of paid graduate student ambassadors was hired to co-create a robust plan to welcome students and prepare them for graduate studies. A holistic approach was developed, featuring wrap-around supports including campus tours, ambassador office hours, weekly newsletters, and weekly asynchronous informational workshops on topics such as housing, funding, scholarships, campus resources, teaching assistant support, and transitioning to graduate student life. Once students arrive on campus, the Graduate Onboarding Program shifts gears to provide support through new student welcome and orientation events, academic preparation programs, and other on-campus academic and personal support activities.
The Graduate Onboarding Program is designed to constantly seek and respond to feedback from graduate students, who are regularly offered opportunities to share their experience and suggestions for improvement. As such, the program has evolved since it was launched in 2022 to meet the changing needs and expectations of students, and to secure support from faculty members and service departments on campus. The program’s emphasis on student-centred decision making, on building a collaborative community, and on enhancing student engagement has led to impressive and measurable results – the 2023 program boasted a 72% participation rate, with 515 of 715 new graduate students visiting the website to access resources.
The GSE Award is presented annually by CAGS to a member institution. Its purpose is to encourage, recognize, and reward administrative or programmatic excellence and innovation in enhancing the experience of graduate students from recruitment through degree completion. Brock University’s School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs will receive a certificate of achievement, and an invitation to showcase their onboarding program in a workshop at the 63rd Annual CAGS Conference in Ottawa, 2025. CAGS hopes that Brock University’s Graduate Onboarding Program will provide a model of inclusive excellence for other faculties of graduate studies across Canada.
Learn more about the Graduate Onboarding Program
“The level of assistance by the staff is amazing, I feel confident that I can hit the ground running as soon as I arrive at Brock.”
“It’s nice to know that there are people dedicated to improving my experience as a graduate student at Brock, and that there are so many supports (even just online) to help me through my degree.”
“Overall, the program has had a significant impact on student engagement, retention, and success. It has strengthened our partnerships with units across our campus and revolutionized the way we welcome graduate students to our campus.”
