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?