The supporting panels will conduct focused analysis on key topics that the PAC-SMH has determined to be relevant to student mental health. The panels will consider a variety of information gathering and engagement strategies to answer a series of questions on behalf of the PAC-SMH. 

The panels have the opportunity to plan engagement events, such as town halls or focus groups and their response to the mandate questions may be elaborated by examining relevant literature. Supporting panel groups will meet regularly and discuss their impressions and conclusions related to information gathering efforts. Each panel will submit a summary document that directly addresses the mandate questions.

For more information on the structure and process for the panels, see the Supporting Panel Guidelines.

Academic panel

The Academic panel will examine questions surrounding the demands of the academic workload and scheduling.

Members

The Academic panel is comprised of the following members:

Name Status on campus
Wendi Adair Faculty, Psychology
Bilal Akhtar Undergraduate Student, Math/Engineering
Dr. Clark Baldwin Staff, Medical Director, Health Services
Janice Cooke Staff, Centre for Extended Learning
Katie Damphouse Staff, Faculty Association
Maureen Drysdale Faculty, St. Jerome's University
Heidi Engelhardt Faculty, Biology
Allegra Friesen Graduate Student, Masters, Architecture
Jasmin Habib Faculty, Political Science
Craig Hardiman Faculty, Classical Studies
Patrick Lam Faculty, Electrical and Comuter Engineering
Jerrica Little Graduate Student, PhD, AHS
Denise Marigold Faculty, Renison University College
Kristine Meier Staff, Counselling Services
Francis Poulin Faculty, Math
Stephen Prentice Faculty, Kinesiology
Franco Solimano Staff, Co-op Education & Career Action
Zhongchao Tan Faculty, Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering
Hamid Reza Tizhoosh Faculty, Systems Design Engineering
Maya Venters Undergraduate Student, Arts, Political Science
Alexander Wray Undergraduate Student, Environment, Planning

Sample mandate questions

  • How do we understand the relationship between academic stress and mental health?
  • What is a reasonable level of demand in terms of academic load, scheduling, and other planning required by students (i.e., co-op)?
  • What is the utility of comparing students against students? How do we balance a culture of wellness and a culture of competition?
  • How do we support instructors and their efforts to embed wellness into their pedagogy and the curriculum?
  • Are there exemplars of programs, instructors that represent a good balance between academic rigour and mental wellness? Can we learn from these?
  • How do we eliminate barriers to academic accommodations for students who need mental health supports and/or are experiencing symptoms of mental illness, but have not been diagnosed?

Community Partners panel

The Community Partners panel will examine the relationships between the University and community agencies.

Members

The Community Partners panel is comprised of the following members:

Name Status on campus
Alison Burnet Community Partner
Director, Student Wellness, University of Guelph
Hsiao d'Ailly Faculty, Renison University College
Sidong Fu Undergraduate Student, Psychology
Alison Kernoghan Staff, School of Public Health & Health Systems
Kimberly Kuntz Staff, Institute of Quantum Computing
Laura Libralto Community Partner and Parent
Erm Lombardi Parent
Ann Mailain Community Partner, Homewood Health
Tana Nash Community Partner
Executive Director, Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council
Karen Ostrander Community Partner
Director, Student Wellness Centre, Wilfrid Laurier University
Alicia Raimundo Alumni
Tom Ruttan Staff, Director, Counselling Services
Prabhjot Sangha Undergraduate Student, AHS, Public Health
Bonnie Taylor Staff, AccessAbility Services
Rachel Thorburn Undergraduate Student, Arts and Business
Wanda Wagler-Martin Community Partner
Executive Director, Shalom Counselling Services
Carla Waites Community Partner
Breana Walker Staff, School of Accounting & Finance

Sample mandate questions

  • How do we currently characterize the relationship of University Counselling Services with community agencies? How do we communicate this network of services?
  • What services and supports can the University reasonably expect from community agencies and vice versa?
  • How can the University assist the community in advocating for an appropriate level of resources for specialty services (i.e. first episode psychosis, eating disorders, substance abuse)?
  • How can off-campus housing providers/landlords address the needs of student tenants that contribute positively to their mental health?

Mental Health Experts panel

The Mental Health Experts panel will investigate the current services on campus and determine if the current approaches are appropriate.

Members

The Mental Health Experts panel is comprised of the following members:

Name Status on campus
Marissa Amoroso Alumni
MSW, RSW former Senior Manager, Health & Counselling Services at Sheridan College
Rachel Cooper Undergraduate Student, Arts, Social Development Studies
Weizhen Dong Faculty, Arts, Sociology and Legal Studies
Sue Fraser Staff, Counselling Services
Kalpita Gaitonde Staff, School of Public Health and Health Systems
Daksha Jadhav Undergraduate Student, AHS, Kinesiology
Margaret McBeath Graduate Student, PhD, AHS, Public Health
Raquel Miller Staff, AccessAbility Services
Tracy Morgan Staff, Counselling Services
Ian Nicholson Staff, Psychology
Jonathan Oakman Faculty, Psychology
Angela Pereira Alumni
Chris Perlman Faculty, School of Public Health and Health Systems
Danielle Rice Alumni
Nasim Shojayi Staff, SSO - Learning Services
Alaaddin Sidahmed Undergraduate Student, AHS
Ryan Yeung Graduate Student, Masters, Psychology
Jennifer Yuen Staff, Counselling Services

Sample mandate questions

  • What are the conditions needed to promote mental health on campus?
  • What should we be doing or emphasizing proactively to enhance mental wellness?
  • Are the clinical approaches we are using the most appropriate?
  • How far can/should an organization like the University go in providing treatment for mental illness?
  • What are other institutions doing to deal with demands on front-line services? To address the need for wellness space and programming?
  • Why are students not reaching out to access mental health supports?

Student Experience panel

The Student Experience panel will examine student perspectives on the culture of the University and available resources.

Members

The Student Experience panel is comprised of the following members:

Name  Status on campus
Hannah Beckett Undergraduate Student, Arts, Political Science
Danielle Brandow Graduate Student, Masters, AHS, Public Health and Health Systems
Yao Chen Graudate Student, PhD, Engineering, Electrical & Computing
Adele Chui Undergraduate Student, Engineering, Systems Design
Oriana Coburn Undergraduate Student, Engineering, Management
Arun Eswaran Undergraduate Student, Arts, Psychology
Josh King Undergraduate Student, Math, Accounting
Kaitlyn Kraatz Staff, Co-op Education & Career Action
Megan Lambe Staff, Housing & Residences
Emma McKay Graduate Student, Masters, Math, Applied Math
Diana Moreno Ojeda Graduate Student, Masters, Arts, English
Craig Nickel Staff, Athletics & Recreation
Jessica Siew Undergraduate Student, Accounting
Stephie-Lee Tabujara Undergraduate Student, Arts, Legal Studies
Madison Van Dyk Undergraduate Student, Math, Applied Math
Bailee Walls-Guertin Undergraduate Student, AHS, Health Studies,
Mark Welshman Staff, Custodial Services
Jada Wong Undergraduate Student, Arts, Legal Studies
Shaowei Xu Staff and Alumni, ITC Project Research Scientist, Department of Psychology
Matthew Yao Undergraduate Student, Engineering, Mechanical

Sample mandate questions

  • What do students wish to say about:
    • The culture of the University?
    • Their expectations and reasons for expectations of services?
    • What does it take to stay motivated?
  • What ideas do students have about communication and adaptation of services to meet their needs?
  • What unique experiences of international students do we need to address in our mental health promotion efforts?
  • How do we address the unique needs of the university’s diverse population? (i.e. international students and marginalized groups)
  • How do we communicate with students about mental health and wellness and the services offered to address them?

Student Services panel

The Student Services panel will examine how student support services work together and whether more cross campus training is needed.

Members

The Student Services panel is comprised of the following members:

Name Status on campus
Saad Ahmad Undergraduate Student, AHS, Health Studies
Yuna Chen Alumni
Emma Collington Undergraduate Student, Science, Biomedical
Rev. Megan Collings-Moore Staff, Renison University College, Anglican Chaplain
Randy Dauphin Staff, UW Bookstore
Awn Duqoum Undergraduate Student, Engineering, Mechatronics
Jeanette Gascho Staff, Campus Wellness Administration
Jenna Hampshire Staff, Student Success Office
Rev. Ed Janzen Staff, Mennonite Chaplain
Madeline Keltie Undergraduate Student, Arts, Psychology
Joyce Lu Undergraduate Student, Arts, Accounting and Finance
Kate McCrae Bristol Staff, Student Success Office
Annette McNicol Staff, Health Services
Melinda Meng Staff, Dean of Science Office
Alice Raynard Staff, Secretariat Office
Donna Rheams Staff, Athletics & Recreation
Krista Soble Staff, Student Awards
Sam Vandekerckhove Staff, Office of the Registrar
Seneca Jackson Velling Undergraduate Student, Science, Materials & Nanoscience
Mark Womack Staff, Mathematics

Sample mandate questions

  • How well are student services working together to provide a comprehensive mental health response?  (Housing, Campus Wellness, SSO, AccessAbility, Athletics, Academic Advising)
  • How integrated are peer-to-peer services? (e.g. MATES and CRT)
  • What additional supports are needed to ensure an adequate level of mental health awareness across student services?
  • How do we encourage investments in wellness/recreational space and programming?
  • What additional training can be beneficial?
  • How can student services empower students to be more resilient and overcome failure?