NSCAD’s Peer Support Program

We have a peer support program that offers one-on-one peer support in the evenings.

Peer Support is one of the most effective strategies for individuals living with mental illness who are trying to maintain their mental health in a stressful academic environment, and even for students without a diagnosis of mental illness who are encountering less than functional mental health due to the stresses of school, relationships, being away from home, etc.

Director of Opportunity and Belonging

In late 2020, NSCAD University created its first director of opportunity and belonging position. The new role is reflected in the goals articulated in the NSCAD’s Academic Plan 2020-2025: Opportunity & Belonging.

NSCAD is currently recruiting to fill the vacancy, and the successful applicant will work closely with NSCAD’s students, senior leadership team, and Senate. They will play an institutional leadership role in advancing the academic priorities of the university by building and strengthening a culture of opportunity and belonging across all aspects of the community. They will also be responsible for designing and leading consultative processes to create and influence a culture of engagement across the University, and for leading NSCAD’s engagement and partnership strategies, particularly with Mi’kmaq, Indigenous and African Nova Scotian communities.

Accessibility Services

To set up an appointment, please call Bill Travis at 902-494-8313. Services and accommodations will vary, depending on the individual needs of each student, but can include note-taking and tutoring services, the provision of texts and readings in digital format (for persons experiencing print disabilities), accommodations for writing exams, assistance with applications for the Canada Student Grant for Equipment and Services for Students with Disabilities, and learning disability pre-screening interviews.  Also, if required, referrals are provided to local psychologists who specialize in Psycho-Educational Assessments for University students. NSCAD Students with mental health concerns can arrange for personal counselling appointments with NSCAD’s on-site counsellor through the Office of Student Experience, or ask for a referral outside of NSCAD to a psychologist who will bill directly to the Student Health Plan (which covers $1000 of psychological services per year).

For more information on resources for students experiencing disabilities, contact Bill Travis, Accessibility Resource Coordinator at 902-494-8313 or by Email.

DID YOU KNOW?

Students with medically documented disabilities (including mental illness) can be considered full-time with a 40% course load.  Let SUNSCAD know if this applies to you, so they can confirm with the Registrar’s office, give you a bus pass, and put you on the student health plan.

Registering your disability with Student Loans can gain you eligibility to thousands of dollars in grants every year! If you have any questions about the student loan process and eligibility, NSCAD’s Manager of Financial Aid and Student Counselling may have answers for you. If you change your course load, talk to her, as this may affect your loan!

To accommodate your needs in class (i.e. with access to class notes, extensions, more time for tests, etc…), your instructor does not need to know what your diagnosis is.  All they need is a letter from the Accessibility Resource Coordinator indicating the appropriate accommodations and confirming that your documentation is on file. To ensure the necessary supports can be put in place, see the Accessibility Resource Coordinator for accommodation letters in the first two weeks of each semester. If you do not experience barriers until after the second week of classes, see the Accessibility Resource Coordinator anyway; we will do what we can to accommodate your needs.

The SUNSCAD has a confidential student advocate (i.e. the VP Academic) who would be happy to support/accompany you to a meeting with a teacher.

Counselling & Psychological Services

During their enrollment at the university, students may need assistance to work through problems or issues that relate to their personal growth and development and to their participation in the university community. The Office of Student Experience is available to book you an appointment with an academic advisor or accessibility resources coordinator, if the issue is academic in nature or related to a disability, or an an on-site counselor for mental health concerns. NSCAD’s new on-site mental health counsellor is available Tuesdays through Thursdays, and appointments can be made through the Office of Student Experience (902-494-8260).  If a student has an ongoing mental health problem for which they will need the services of a registered psychologist, the Office of Student Experience can make referrals out to a psychologist for longer term or more intensive care.

Students can refer themselves to outside psychologists for counseling directly. NSCAD’s Student Health Insurance providers cover $1000 per year in psychological services.