Indigenous Student Coordinator (SSC) Program
What is the SSC Program?
The SSC program works collaboratively with students, campus supports, community resources, faculty, and staff to provide non-clinical support coordination. The Student Support Coordinator team (SSCs) can assist students to explore options and develop support plans.
Our team includes two Indigenous Student Support Coordinators and a Varsity Athlete Student Support Coordinator.
- The program is accessible by appointment, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Scheduled drop-in hours are available for Indigenous Students:
- Virtual drop-in Hours: Mondays 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- In-Person Drop-in Hours: Thursdays 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. at the First People’s House
- We are unable to accommodate after-hours appointments and drop-in appointments outside of the hours above
- For 24-hour or immediate support, resource information is included here: .
Indigenous students are able to connect directly with the program by contacting or attending the drop-in hours. Students can also be referred by university staff and faculty who identify that it may be a helpful resource.
Information is available here for non-indigenous students.
What Types of Supports Does the SSC Program Offer?
SSCs work with students to identify resources and support options that help with academic and personal impacts of a challenging experience or circumstance. SSCs also assist students involved in complex university processes (e.g., investigations, complex appeals).
Examples of Support
Support can look different for everyone; every support plan is unique. Student Support Coordinators can have supportive, confidential conversations with students about:
- Developing a plan to manage the personal and academic impacts of a challenging experience (e.g. hospitalization or a critical incident).
- Connecting students to on and off campus resources (e.g. Student Wellness Center, International Center for Students, Equity and Human Rights)
- Working on plans to communicate with instructors, university offices or coaches when students are experiencing extenuating circumstances or barriers
- Accessing academic concession requests (e.g. requests for deferrals or withdrawal with extenuating circumstances etc)
- Navigating university processes (e.g. attending meetings in a support role, debriefing experiences with investigation or appeal processes)
In some circumstances (e.g. when a student is in hospital), Student Support Coordinators can assist with making requests or contacting instructors/university offices on a student’s behalf - always with the student’s permission. Wherever possible, we encourage students to engage directly with the process they are navigating.
If you’ve been reached out to the SSC program, or have been referred by a university staff person, information is provided below about what you can typically expect.
Invitation for an Initial Support Meeting & Scheduling
As a first step, you will typically receive an email/message from a Student Support Coordination team member. This email will include:
- An invitation to book your Initial Support Meeting via our online booking link
- Details about the program and privacy information
- A listing of support resources available for all students, including 24 hour support
- In some cases where the university is aware that a student is in hospital or may be navigating an extenuating circumstance, initial options for assistance with these needs may be offered
Please note that this initial invitation email will not include any private information about your circumstance.
Initial Support Meeting
Your first meeting will typically focus on:
- Listening to what you hope to have support with
- Identifying your support goals
- Developing a personalized support plan with you
After this initial meeting, you and your SSC will decide together how many meetings may be helpful to work on your plan and goals. Some students may only need one meeting, while others benefit from multiple check-ins.
In some cases, where students may be in hospital or have specific needs, options for support and assistance will be provided directly, in place of an initial meeting.
Booking meetings with the Student Support Coordinator Program
Your Student Support Coordinator will send you a meeting link to schedule follow-up appointments as needed or you plan these times together in your meetings. There are options to reschedule your meeting in the Booking links provided.
If you’ve worked with a Student Support Coordinator in the past and would like to access support again, you can email isscreferrals@uvic.ca to receive assistance.
If you feel that the Student Support Coordinator you are paired to work with isn’t the right match for you, you can request a re-pairing or you can bring forward any questions and concerns by emailing oslreferrals@uvic.ca.
The Student Support Coordination Program is responsible for protecting your privacy and will not divulge, release, or otherwise make known your personal and confidential information. However, exceptions to confidentiality may be made if we have reasonable grounds to believe that:
- A child or vulnerable person is in need of protection
- A person is deemed to be at imminent risk of seriously harming themselves or others (for example, high suicide risk or driving under the influence)
- A judge issues a court order requesting your file
If students who are accessing Student Support Coordinator services are also concurrently engaged in the Non-Academic Misconduct Process, student information will not be shared across both processes. This means that any information related to the support provided by a Student Support Coordinator will be kept private and confidential and will not be shared with university staff who are managing the investigation process.
Your personal information is confidential and only shared with outside parties (parents, instructors, healthcare providers) with your written permission — except in the situations outlined above.
The SSC program focuses on support coordination but does not provide:
- 24 hour or weekend support
- Drop-in services or support without an appointment
- Clinical or therapeutic counselling
- Emergency, crisis intervention or urgent safety responses
- Legal advice or representation
- Searching for or securing housing
- Personal administration (e.g., finances, income tax, PWD applications or loan applications)
- Representing you or speaking for you in an investigation or appeal processes
- Employment search or placement
- Medical advice or treatment
For urgent support or services outside this scope, students are encouraged to access appropriate campus or community resources: .
The Office of Student Life is located in Suite B202 of the
Jamie Cassels Centre, just upstairs from the Mystic Market space.
Elevator access is available from the ground floor of the Jamie Cassels Center A Wing, near the entrance of the Office of the Registrar and Enrollment Management. If you have any accessibility needs that you would like to discuss before accessing our office space or services, please connect with your Student Support Coordinator or
studentlife@uvic.ca /
250 472 5617.
