Mid-sized Canadian University Research Articles

Average ages of onset and time to transition between self-injurious thoughts and behaviors: Retrospective evidence from two developmentally distinct samples

BackgroundSuicidal thoughts and behaviors often emerge in a predictable sequence, with suicidal ideation (SI) preceding planning, and planning preceding actions. Few studies, however, have considered the timing and duration of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in these transitions. Accordingly, this study examined: 1) the developmental sequencing of NSSI, SI and suicide attempts, and 2) whether age of onset or duration predict transitions from NSSI to other SITB, and from SI to NSSI. Methods704 first-year students from a mid-sized Canadian university (Sample 1) and 2095 adults from an online research volunteer panel (Sample 2) completed the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview self-report, which assessed the presence, age of onset, and recency of SITB. ResultsNSSI and SI typically onset before age 15, while suicide planning and attempt usually began at or after age 15. Transition from NSSI to SI was likeliest in the first year after NSSI onset. Transition from NSSI to suicide attempt was likeliest in the second and third year after NSSI onset in Sample 1, and up to four years after NSSI onset in Sample 2. Early (before age 13) and late (after age 16) onsets of NSSI predicted higher odds of transitioning from NSSI to SI or attempt. Transition from SI to NSSI was likeliest in the first two years after SI onset and when SI began before age 13. ConclusionsThe first year after NSSI or SI onset are critical for transitions to other SITB. Targeted prevention and monitoring should be considered for people who recently initiated NSSI.

"Change Isn't Exactly Easy": Autistic University Students' Lived Learning Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic-related isolation measures caused significant unexpected changes in learning experiences for all university students, including autistic students. So far, there has been a lack of information on autistic university students' lived learning experiences caused by the changes in the teaching delivery formats from face-to-face to online during this time. Our study addressed this gap by investigating eight autistic students' reported learning experiences during the rapid changes caused by the pandemic and discussing student-advocated learning supports. The participants in this qualitative study were eight formally or self-diagnosed, English-speaking, autistic undergraduate and graduate university students from a mid-sized Canadian university. Participants took part in semi-structured interviews that focused on their learning experiences and preferences before and during the pandemic, including what supports they found helpful. To analyze and interpret the data, autistic and nonautistic researchers used reflexive thematic analysis and a consultative participatory approach. Our findings suggest that individual (i.e., organizational skills; mental health), interactional (i.e., prior experiences interacting with instructors and teaching assistants), and environmental (i.e., sensory environments, class sizes, virtual learning environments) factors, which were interrelated, determined the nature and quality of these autistic students' learning experiences and their academic preferences during the pandemic. We also found that each autistic student reported unique learning experiences and needed individualized supports for their learning. Several interrelated factors (individual, interactional, and environmental) affected the nature and quality of autistic university students' experiences during the pandemic. Each student had unique experiences and needed individualized supports.

Disparities in the prevalence, frequency and trajectories of substance use and disordered eating across first-year university in sexual minority undergraduates

Objective. To compare the prevalence and trajectories of risky health behaviors in sexual minority (SM; lesbian/gay/bisexual/questioning/asexual) versus heterosexual undergraduates across their first year of post-secondary. Participants. First-year undergraduates (N = 704, M age=17.97 years, 24% SM) from a midsized Canadian university. Methods. Students completed monthly (September-April) online questionnaires assessing substance use (binge drinking, tobacco, cannabis, illicit drug use) and disordered eating (binge eating, fasting, purging). Results. At the outset of the academic year, SM students endorsed more frequent cannabis use, illicit drug use, fasting, and binge eating, but less frequent tobacco use, versus heterosexual students. Over the year, SM students’ binge drinking frequency declined less than that of heterosexual students, but their illicit drug use decreased while that of their heterosexual peers increased, and all students reported declining disordered eating frequency. Conclusions. Campus wellness initiatives for SM students should offer prevention and harm-reduction strategies prior to or shortly after their arrival on campus.

Implementing responsibility centre management in a higher educational institution

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the design, development and implementation of responsibility centre management at a mid-sized Canadian university, within the context of decentralized decision-making. More specifically our study focused on the design, development and implementation of a revenue and cost allocation process known as transparent activity–based budgeting system (TABBS).Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted this study using a qualitative case study methodology, rooted in grounded theory, as the primary approach to collect and analyse data, and report the findings. Primary data were collected from ten participants using semi-structured interviews.FindingsThe main takeaways from our research are that (1) such systems take time to design, develop and implement, (2) consultation, communication and information sharing and model adjustment and refinement are important enabling mechanisms, (3) internal and external events posed significant challenges, (4) although such systems are often designed keeping in mind several intended outcomes, there exists the possibility of experiencing some unintended consequences and (5) the juxtaposition of the above has the potential to negatively or positively impact organizational performance.Originality/valueThe research demonstrates that the design, development and implementation of a complex resource allocation model is an important element of a responsibility-centred approach to planning and decision-making. It highlights the importance and contribution of enabling mechanisms as well as the challenges that large, complex organizations may confront when introducing change.

Exploring Children’s Perceptions of an After-School Canine-Assisted Social and Emotional Learning Program: A Case Study

ABSTRACT This study explored children’s perceptions of a canine-assisted social-emotional learning program developed within the framework of a canine therapy program at a mid-sized Canadian university. Data collection made use of interviews, field notes, and observations. Children (N = 8, 5 – 11 years) from an after-school program participated in a six-week intervention after which participants were interviewed about their experiences in the program, their learning of social and emotional competencies, and the role of the therapy dogs in facilitating their socioemotional development. Using conventional content analysis, salient themes reflecting participants’ experiences were identified. A within-case analysis was conducted followed by a cross-case analysis to identify what participants collectively saw as important. Salient themes to emerge through cross-case analysis were: 1) the dogs were meaningful and essential to the program, 2) it was an enjoyable and positive experience, and 3) participants reported evidence of social-emotional learnings. Evidence from this study suggests that the therapy dogs might have provided behavioral and emotional support. Findings suggest that integrating therapy dogs into social and emotional learning initiatives can provide unique advantages and improve children’s engagement and learning of social and emotional skills. Findings are discussed within the context of human-animal interactions and social and emotional education.

How are Professional Programs from Diverse Disciplines Approaching the Development and Assessment of Competence at a Mid-Sized Canadian University?

Time-honoured university policies, such as the credit-hour and academic freedom, present challenges for professional education programs tasked with operationalizing entry-to-practice competence frameworks for professional accreditation. A single embedded case study was used to explore how professional programs from one mid-sized Canadian university are approaching and perhaps problematizing the development and assessment of competence. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with educational leaders (faculty and staff, n=21) from a sample of nine programs. Following a grounded theory approach to qualitative analysis, the constant comparative method was used to inductively discern similarities and differences across programs, and to begin building theory about approaches to operationalization. While limited in scope given the use of a single university, our findings highlight: (a) diversity in approaches to operationalization across programs, (b) common attributes which can be used to classify the manner in which these programs operationalize competence, and (c) challenges with supporting faculty to buy in to competency-informed pedagogy and assessment. Given these findings, it is recommended that professional accrediting bodies and education programs spend time to consider the role university-based programs play in determining competence for entry-to-practice, as well their intents for implementing a competence framework, to ensure sufficiency in the approaches being used.

The UWorkItOut UWin Program: Improving University Students’ Psychological Distress through Physical Activity

Background: The predominance of mental health concerns among post-secondary students has amplified the demand for campus counselling services. Although exercise is positively linked to mental health, campus interventions that integrate supervised exercise and exercise counselling are limited. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of the UWorkItOut UWin program on students’ psychological distress. Methods: The UWorkItOut UWin program is a 6-week exercise training and counselling intervention offered to low risk, sedentary students seeking counselling services at a mid-sized Canadian University. The participants included 49 (male, n = 16; female, n = 32; gender invariant, n = 1) university students (71% undergraduate) with a mean age of 23.08 years (SD = 4.97). Students completed one unsupervised (60 minutes) and two supervised (45 mins each) exercise training sessions per week. Students also attended weekly individual exercise counselling sessions (30 minutes each). The Mental Health Inventory-38 (MHI-38) was used to measure changes in the three subscales of psychological distress: 1) anxiety, 2) depression, and 3) loss of emotional control. Results: Paired samples t tests demonstrated significant decreases in anxiety and depression scores from pre-to post-intervention (ps < .05). No significant change was found for loss of emotional control from pre-to post-intervention (p > .05). Conclusion: The findings provide evidence for the effect of exercise in reducing university students’ psychological distress. Consequently, exercise is an additional mental health service for this population, alleviating strain on campus counselling services.

On being reviewed: from ghosts that haunt in isolation toward connection and unexpected agency

ABSTRACT Our group of early- and mid-career women faculty members in a mid-sized Canadian university examined the peer review process and our experiences of being reviewed. Using post-structural feminist literature, we theorised how subjectivities are shaped by the pressures of neoliberal incursions into university work. The impact of peer review can be severe and feel highly personal. The peer review system contains assumptions that create conditions for misuse: that reviewers have expertise and that notions of quality scholarly work are shared; that they will be supportive and intellectually ethical; and that they will encourage innovation. We engaged with what it feels like to be reviewed through using collaborative autoethnography as a methodology, and narrative and poetic inquiry as data as well as methods of analysis. We found that how a writer received a review depended on the amount of respect and collegiality in the reviewer’s language. Uninformed critical review comments appeared to be particularly damaging. We also found the obscure nature of the process meant that misunderstandings characterised our experiences. Many of us suffered feelings of powerlessness, a homogenisation of writing style, and a decrease in creativity. However, we also found solace and agency in sharing our stories. We shared our experiences within a relational holding space drawing on an ethic of care where well-being flourished, and in which there was an equality of respect, dignity, and mutual concern. We argue this perspective has potential to be applied more broadly to review processes.

Comorbid pain experiences in young women with dysmenorrhea

ABSTRACT The association among dysmenorrhea, chronic pain, and conditions classified as central sensitivity syndromes (CSS) is largely unknown. We investigated the co-occurrence of dysmenorrhea with chronic pain and other CSS (e.g., fibromyalgia, migraines); and, whether severity of menstrual symptoms was associated with severity of chronic pain and of somatic symptoms. Women from a mid-sized Canadian university women (N = 248, Mage = 21.52) completed measures of menstrual pain severity, chronic pain severity, somatic symptoms severity, and the presence of comorbid CSS. Pearson’s correlations assessed the relationship between severity of dysmenorrhea, chronic pain, and somatic symptoms. MANOVA procedures assessed the interaction between dysmenorrhea and chronic pain and χ2 analyses were used to test the frequency of CSS among women with dysmenorrhea. Higher ratings of menstrual symptom severity were associated with increased chronic pain severity (r =.66, p <.001), and somatic symptom severity (r =.66, p <.001). Women with dysmenorrhea were not more likely to experience chronic pain, but were more likely to report a CSS, χ2 (1) = 5.12, p <.05. Dysmenorrhea symptoms may extend beyond the menstrual phase and be associated with more severe symptoms among women with comorbid pain and somatic concerns.

Student Evaluations and the Performance of University Teaching: Teaching to the Test

What do course evaluation questionnaires (CEQs) do to our teaching and to our perceptions of ourselves as teachers? We are all early- to mid-career academics at a midsized Canadian university who explore how course evaluation questionnaires have affected our academic identities. By using autoethnography and critical reflection, we examine how CEQs shape and restrict our teaching identities as well as the identities of our students. Alternative ways of assessing teaching excellence and promoting communities of inquiry are explored.

Flipping Online Learning in Public Health Graduate Education

The flipped classroom approach, used for many years in the humanities and the basic sciences, is becoming increasingly popular in public health education. This article describes the implementation and evaluation of a master’s-level Environmental and Occupational Health course, a required course in a Master of Public Health program at a mid-sized Canadian university. The course was designed using a flipped classroom approach and delivered online using a learning management system and interactive web-conferencing technology. Using a pre- and postsurvey design, we assessed improvements in student’s self-reported knowledge and skills, student learning experiences in the course, and the impact of specific course components on critical thinking and student engagement. Our results suggest that this approach enabled the achievement of course learning outcomes and provided positive learning experiences overall. Additionally, we find that the course promoted critical thinking and enabled student engagement in the context of online education for this small group of graduate-level public health students. We conclude by discussing key lessons learned for providing optimal learning experiences and outcomes in online graduate-level public health education.

Personal Values and Value Priorities of Undergraduate Business Students

The Schwartz Values Survey (SVS), developed by Shalom Schwartz, was used to explore the values and value priorities of undergraduate business students in a mid-sized Canadian university. These business students considered family security as their top individual value and ranked successful, healthy, and enjoying life among their top ten individual values. On the other hand, detachment, accepting my portion in life and social power were least valued. They regarded Benevolence and Achievement as their top two value types (cluster of related values), and ranked the higher order meta-value Self-Transcendence first followed by Openness to Change. The accounting and finance majors considered Hedonism as their top priority while the other business majors valued Benevolence most highly; however, overall, there were more similarities than differences between these two groups. When compared with the males, females valued the meta-value Self-Transcendence significantly more and exhibited values and value systems that have more of a social focus and less of a personal focus. First-year and fourth-year business students ranked the meta-values in the same order; however, Self-Transcendence was rated as significantly more important to the students in their first year compared to those in their fourth year.

The Pertinence of a Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Internationalized Higher Education

The burgeoning process of internationalization of higher education has greatly transformed university classrooms with the presence of innumerous nationalities. Thus it is imperative that professors are well equipped to teach in such culturally diverse context while sustaining the goals of internationalization. Although a culturally relevant pedagogy has been widely used in many educational settings, including higher education, there is a paucity of studies looking for its pertinence in an internationalized context. Then, based on Gloria Ladson-Billings&amp;rsquo; (1995) theoretical framework, this critical phenomenological study depicts the extent to which that approach is also pertinent for informing post-secondary teachers&amp;rsquo; work with international students in modern days. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten experienced professors across different faculties at a mid-sized Canadian university. Findings reveal that this pedagogy is highly appropriate to illuminate professors&amp;rsquo; practices, but this relevance also points to fundamental and urgent aspects that must be taken into consideration when aiming at a democratic and true internationalized education.

A Study of the Information Literacy Needs of Social Work Graduate Students at a mid-sized Canadian university

This study consists of an analysis of the information literacy (IL) needs and levels of 44 social work graduate students at a mid-sized Canadian university using the Technology Acceptance Model. Students completed a quantitative questionnaire that included supplementary open-ended questions. Results showed that students who received a library tour and/or in-class library instruction were more knowledgeable and confident about library resources and services. The study clearly demonstrates that information literacy sessions should be essential components of graduate education. A comprehensive literature review of information literacy studies focusing on social work students is also provided, along with the current graduate social work modified Beile Test of Information Literacy for Education (B-TILED) assessment tool (Beile O’Neil, 2005). The authors recommend that information literacy surveys in Canada include the relevant required elements for the Institutional Quality Assurance Process (IQAP) and program learning outcomes. Given the lack of a Canadian national document for information literacy standards, such surveys should also reflect the components of ACRL’s new Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. This study can serve as a model for replication at other universities, particularly those that are part of the Ontario Council of University Libraries and that have graduate social work programs.

A longitudinal study investigating bidirectionality among nonsuicidal self-injury, self-criticism, and parental criticism

Previous research has indicated that both self-criticism and parental criticism may be associated with engagement in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, much less is known about the temporal sequencing of these relationships (i.e., do self-criticism and parental criticism predict NSSI across time, or does NSSI predict self-criticism and parental criticism across time?). Undergraduate students (N = 1132; 70.5% female; Mage = 19.06) from a midsized Canadian university completed measures of NSSI, self-criticism, maternal criticism, and paternal criticism at two time points (one year apart). An autoregressive cross-lagged path analysis revealed that there was a significant unidirectional relationship between NSSI and self-criticism, such that greater NSSI frequency predicted greater self-criticism across time, but self-criticism did not predict greater NSSI frequency across time. In addition, both maternal and paternal criticism were not significantly associated with NSSI frequency when examining either direction of effects. Overall, our results challenge the notion that self-criticism is a risk factor for NSSI engagement, and instead, suggest that it may be a consequence of NSSI engagement. Intervention programs may benefit from recognizing that individuals who engage in NSSI may subsequently criticize themselves.

Entering precarious job markets in the era of austerity measures: the perceptions of Master of Social Work students

Despite the positive outlook for social work job prospects reported by governmental and professional associations, the reality on the front line looks bleak. There are growing concerns that social work jobs have become increasingly precarious under the dominance of neoliberal policies, through which governments cut back on social services in the name of austerity. Surprisingly, we were unable to locate research exploring the perceptions of social work students about to enter these precarious job markets. To address this gap, we conducted a qualitative study with Master of Social Work students at a mid-sized Canadian university. Students were asked what they thought about their employment prospects after graduation and what they were doing to prepare themselves. The thematic analysis of students’ narratives suggested that Master of Social Work students rode a creative tension between the fear of precarious jobs and the hope of non-precarious employment. Implications for social work education, policy and practice are discussed.

Association between Collegiate Recreational Sports Involvement and Undergraduate Student Retention

This study examined the association between collegiate recreational sports (CRS) involvement and undergraduate retention rates after 1, 2, and 3 years of study at a midsized Canadian university. Astin's theory of involvement and Tinto's inter-actionist theory of student departure provided the conceptual underpinnings for the study. The results of the study indicated a significant association between CRS employment, or participation in intramural sports, with retention when compared to the broader student population that were not participating in intramural sports nor employed by the CRS department. These findings will assist recreation directors and program staff to ensure that the value of recreational activities for all students and the leadership opportunities provided through staffing programs and recreational facilities with students continues to be seen as important to university administrators.

Student Time Usage During Fall Reading Week

The present study investigated the time usage and relative levels of perceived stress, academic workload, and recreation time for 177 students at a mid-sized Canadian university before, during, and after Fall Reading Week. Across three weeks, and at various times of the day, students received a message to their smartphone to complete a 20-second survey that assessed present activity, and levels of stress, academic workload, and recreation. Results showed that student stress following the break was higher with more stress but less workload prior to reading week, more stress experienced during reading week, more workload following reading week; and more time spent recreating during reading week. Implications for student counselling are outlined, which encourage students to seek a balance in time usage and management. Future directions are discussed.

Adapting Bangert’s online teaching effectiveness evaluation tool to a Canadian context

Prior research has shown that classroom-based evaluation tools are unable to adequately capture the unique aspects of online courses. To address such challenges, a mid-sized Canadian university with a broad and diverse programme of online offerings adapted a questionnaire designed to assess constructivist-compatible online teaching practices. This paper presents the results of a two-phase pilot project to evaluate the appropriateness of the modified tool. The methods section describes the questionnaire, Bangert’s Student Evaluation of Online Teaching Effectiveness, the participants in the project, and the techniques used to analyse the data. The results are presented in terms of a validity framework used to guide the evaluation process. Finally, the paper offers critical insights into the key findings from the pilot project and the future of teaching effectiveness evaluation at the institution.

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury and Suicidal Risk Among Emerging Adults

PurposeAlthough nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) has been differentiated from suicidal behavior on the basis of nonlethal intent in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, NSSI often is associated with increased suicidal risk. However, there is a paucity of large-scale longitudinal examinations on the associations among NSSI, suicidal ideation, and suicidal attempts, particularly among community-based samples. In the present study, we examined whether NSSI in first-year university was associated with increased risk for later suicidal ideation and attempts over time among students. MethodsParticipants included 940 emerging adults (70.8% female, mean age = 19.05 years) from a mid-sized Canadian university who volunteered to participate in a longitudinal research project starting in first-year university (participants were surveyed annually over five waves). ResultsBinary logistic regression analyses revealed that the odds of experiencing suicidal ideation across times 2–5 were 2.04 times as high for emerging adults who engaged in NSSI at baseline (even after controlling for suicidal ideation and attempts at baseline) as for individuals who did not engage in NSSI. Furthermore, the odds of attempting suicide across times 2–5 were 3.46 times as high for emerging adults who engaged in NSSI at baseline (even after controlling for suicidal ideation and attempts at baseline) as for individuals who did not engage in NSSI. ConclusionsFindings suggest that the presence of NSSI in first-year university may be an important marker of later suicidal risk, reflecting increased risk for both suicidal ideation and attempts across the university years among emerging adults.