September 1, 2006

Source: :
http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/060901-2532.asp

Program is student passport to involvement

Linked to higher participation rates among off-campus students
Sep 1/06
by Brendan Dellandrea

First-year students who grab a passport will find themselves travelling paths leading to involvement in the campus community.

Staff from Student Affairs presented findings from their passport program at a best-practice session during this summer’s 19th annual International Conference of the First-Year Experience, in which they linked the program to higher participation rates among off-campus students. They found that students -- particularly off-campus students -- benefit from structured programs designed to involve them in campus life.

Under the program, which runs on all three campuses, first-year students are provided with a "passport" when they get their student cards. The first page of the small booklet directs them to a website with a listing of events, clubs and activities participating in the program. The rest of the pages provide space for stamps, which students collect by getting involved with campus activities. Students who earn all 16 stamps by the end of their first year are rewarded with a letter of recognition from President David Naylor and a modest but attractive prize pack. They are also invited to attend receptions to mingle with their peers and some faculty.

"It is a structured way to get students involved" in all aspects of campus life, said student life co-ordinator Aisling Burke.

To complete the program, first-year students are required to take part in orientation activities and to attend skill-building or information sessions. Furthermore, they must attend four cultural events such as plays or art exhibits and must join two clubs or teams. Finally, they must have at least one community service experience under their belt and are required to take on a leadership role at U of T by being part of a council or organizing an event.

This last requirement is the most difficult for students, Burke conceded. Nonetheless, roughly 200 students completed the program last year; 75 per cent lived off campus.

When asked about the extent to which the prizes play a part in getting students involved, Burke said, "The incentives may help students commit to the passport program at the beginning. However, I think the value of the incentives is decreased throughout the year. As they start to do things in the passport program, they just start to enjoy what they’re doing anyway. By the end, the incentives are just an added bonus."

The program continues this year with the addition of a full-time staff member overseeing the program and more receptions for participants throughout the year. Visit www.passport.utoronto.ca for more information.