A Bachelor program specialist at the University of Calgary's School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (SAPL) recently an international honor of preserving The leading global association for the further development of the success of the student through excellence in academic advice in university formation.
Sarah Ha received the Region 8 Excellence when advising the award from the National Academic Consulting Association (Nacada). Region 8 covers Alaska, Alberta, BC, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and The Yukon. The award is awarded to people who support students outstanding academic advice and demonstrate practices that make significant contributions to improving the subject area.
“I love to work with people and above all with students because I find it very worthwhile, especially when I see that they experience this 'aha' moments of learning and realization,” says Ha. “I see them grow as a person and they teach me again.”
Ha came to Ucalgarys Residence Services in 2012 and has also worked with that since then Student Success Center and the Science faculty. When SAPL started Bachelor of City Innovation (BDCI) Program in 2022 (with his first cohort in autumn 2023) she saw the opportunity to develop innovative advisory processes for the new student program and to work with his management team on a consulting model, integrated design thinking, design practices and the design examines schools await schools .
“We are aware of the different types of support that we want to give our students,” says Ha. “But how do we take what has been established elsewhere and develop support that is more tailored to a design school and go beyond advice on how to largely design advice in university education?”
Ha is dedicated to proactive advice; A student-centered approach that focuses on early interventions to support the success of the students. It is a holistic approach for traditional advice that prioritizes the establishment of trust and teaching of the students without habits. Authorization of the pupils to develop self -representation and skills to solve problems.
“A healthy consulting student relationships, the proactive sharing of information and the proactive for pupils there -both through informal discussions as well as by structured commitments such as committed workshops and information meetings -encourages and to recognize the importance of these relationships and resources Understand to encourage them further, to encourage them further and to further encourage them, to encourage them further and to share them with their colleagues, ”says Ha.
Proactive advice describes as a “collaborative effort” and tries to include students and faculties if possible.
“In the first semester of BDCI, I started weekly check-in, in which I would go to your studio harmerroom once a week for an hour, just to say that things were going and whether they had any questions.” she says. “That really helped me build a lot of report with the students.
“There were many students who talked about being stressed out because they had many overlapping deadlines in all their design courses. I was able to take these feelings and experiences and show them to the Associate Dean and BDCI trainers. “
As a result, the Associate Dean (student) worked with trainers in the second BDCI semester to coordinate the deadlines between all courses and prevent overlaps. This is just an example of a successful effort that included inputs from a variety of perspectives and has now become a standard practice in the program.
“Sarah is an integral part of the experiences of the BDCI students,” says Julia Law in the second year, part of the first BDCI cohort of the BDCI and the representative of the SAPL faculty 2024-2025 for the Ucalgary Students' Union.
“It develops connections with every student very early to feel welcome and understood,” says Law. “This connection enables one of the best connections to the consultants to studies that I have ever seen. The students are open and are ready to talk to her about their goals, their training and even their daily life. ”
Sarah Ha speaks to students during her weekly check-ins.
Maximillian Krewiak
HA approach has also made constructive and collaborative discussions between students, faculties and employees easier.
“In close cooperation with Sarah in the BDCI program, there was a privilege,” says SAPL ASST. Prof. Chad Connery. in the student body.
“There is no question for me that Sarah is both a leader and an important support structure in our school.”
Has work was invaluable, says Alberto de Salvatierra, SAPL Associate Dean (student) and Associate Professor.
“Sarah is an excessive competent and exemplary member of the BDCI team that affects the advisory structure within the program for organization, listing and management of the advisory structure,” he says. “It is organized, motivated and very committed to implement considerate and effective consulting processes at SAPL, which is of crucial importance for the success of our students. It is a triumph for our program to be able to offer award -winning advice. “
Nacada recognition is not the only recent honor of HA. You and de Salvatierra was recently a three-year UU awardedCalgary teaching and learning subsidies from the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning For their joint research project “” “Advice, teaching and programmatic approaches for improved results of the students. “
“It is very exciting that a faculty member and support employee work together in research,” says Ha. “This grant recognizes and confirms the commitment of the BDCI to offer our students an innovatively stimulating and productive college experience.”