October 31, 2014
Enhancing career services, helping students’ transition from first year and understanding bell curve grading were some of the discussions at this year’s first Dean’s Town Hall held on October 9. The semi-annual event is hosted in partnership with the Engineering Society (EngSoc).
“It means a lot, as a student, to know that the Faculty cares so much about our experience,” said Teresa Nguyen (CivE 1T5), president of EngSoc.
The Town Hall provides an open forum for students to share their experiences and opinions with the Dean. Students gather around themed tables to discuss pre-defined theme areas, or they may choose to address various aspects of the student experience more broadly. Each table then reports a summary of its discussion back to the larger group.
“It is vitally important to hear from the students,” said Dean Cristina Amon. “While it is always reassuring to hear about what we are doing well, I truly value their feedback on the things we could be doing better. This is how we continuously evolve and improve the student experience.”
Participants included first-year undergraduates through to fourth-year PhD candidates. Some of the ideas raised included enhanced mentorship and networking programs, improved communication on grading and techniques for better integrating first-year students.
“The Dean’s Town Hall is a great platform for students to voice their opinions,” said undergraduate student Chris Zhu (IndE 1T7). “I attended last year and found it really valuable.”
The next Dean’s Town Hall will take place in February, 2015.