Tag Archives: leadership

Ethnography of the University / Ethnography of the University: Focus on Student Life 2024 / final papers / Undergraduate Ethnography

Student Engagement: Concretized Student Leadership

Posted on by • Leave a comment

A Final Report By Yunshan Li My research question is generated from my interviews with Student Engagement (below refers to SE) employees on the topic of their work related to student clubs. One interviewee said, “Could they do these things without us? Probably.” Then he explained the difficulty students could meet without their support, but I … Continue reading →

Ethnography of the University / Ethnography of the University: Focus on Student Life 2024 / final papers / Undergraduate Ethnography

Power through Professionalization: Power Dynamics in Student Peer Mentorship

Posted on by • Leave a comment

A Final Rport By Richard Wu First-year students of a course required for entry into the Statistics Major/Specialist degree programs trickle into a conference room to learn about academic writing, in a workshop organized by upper-year student mentors hired by the Statistics Department at the University of Toronto (U of T). Tony, a peer mentor, … Continue reading →

Get Trained to be a Good Mentee
Ethnography of the University / Ethnography of the University: Focus on Student Life 2024 / Undergraduate Ethnography / Updates

Get Trained to be a Good Mentee

Posted on by • Leave a comment

By Richard Wu How great would it be if someone, perhaps a more senior student, can show you the ropes about how to succeed at U of T? Someone with the right personality, background, and interests who can click with you and provide support and guidance? This might sound great. But how do you get … Continue reading →

The Peer Mentorship Contract
Ethnography of the University / Ethnography of the University: Focus on Student Life 2024 / Undergraduate Ethnography / Updates

The Peer Mentorship Contract

Posted on by • Leave a comment

By Richard Wu Let me tell a story of how “contract” comes to be used in student peer mentorship.  In theory, university students could form stable, mutually beneficial relations to help each other succeed. In such peer mentoring relations, more junior students are mentees who could benefit from the guidance and support of more senior … Continue reading →

The Complementary Roles of Mentors and Strategists
Ethnography of the University / Ethnography of the University: Focus on Student Life 2024 / Undergraduate Ethnography / Updates

The Complementary Roles of Mentors and Strategists

Posted on by • Leave a comment

By Hanisha Mistry There is a need for Student Life’s resources, and there is a reason why we have both peer mentors and Learning Strategists. A poignant quote from a conversation I had with a Learning Strategist captures this need: “Students are saying, ‘I need to talk about my learning in not an evaluated space.’” … Continue reading →

Too Many Students, Too Few Strategists
Ethnography of the University / Ethnography of the University: Focus on Student Life 2024 / Undergraduate Ethnography / Updates

Too Many Students, Too Few Strategists

Posted on by • Leave a comment

By Hanisha Mistry Learning Strategist’s days cannot accommodate all of U of T St. George. The University of Toronto’s St. George campus serves approximately 68,454 students, while the Centre for Learning Strategy Support (CLSS) operates with only 22 professional staff and 12 peer mentors. This stark disparity reflects a systemic imbalance between the student population … Continue reading →

Student Life’s Strategic Plan: an Ethnography of Organizational Culture in Higher Education
Ethnography of the University / Ethnography of the University: Focus on Student Life 2024 / final papers / Undergraduate Ethnography

Student Life’s Strategic Plan: an Ethnography of Organizational Culture in Higher Education

Posted on by • Leave a comment

Final Report By Daisy Sanchez Villavicencio We have become familiar with the idea that large organizations like Universities are guided by Strategic Plans and produce annual reports. My research in the University of Toronto’s division of Student Life permitted me to examine the practices involved in this production and the rationality or mode of reasoning … Continue reading →

Ethnography of the University / Ethnography of the University: Focus on Student Life 2024 / final papers / Undergraduate Ethnography

“Constructing” Community and Leadership: An Ethnography of Student Clubs and ‘Third Space Professionals’ at UofT

Posted on by • Leave a comment

Final Report By Amani Hassan “Student Life”: A New Profession for a New Institutional Priority  International university ranking systems have increasingly shaped how institutions like the University of Toronto structure their priorities. Following an observed influence of student input on universities’ global ranking, a new profession emerged in many academic institutions that specifically intends to … Continue reading →

Ethnography of the University / Ethnography of the University: Focus on Student Life 2024 / Undergraduate Ethnography / Updates

Are Leaders Found or Created?: The Myth of the “Ideal” Student Leader

Posted on by • Leave a comment

By Amani Hassan The concept of the ‘ideal’ student is prevalent in universities, often shaped by expectations that reflect the institution’s prestige and effectiveness. The ideal student is typically understood as diligent, respectful, and engaged—traits that align with a ‘professional’ image. Universities further reinforce these qualities as desirable through scholarships, awards, and recognition. The University … Continue reading →

The Art of Engaging Students: The Impact of Incentives on Student Engagement
Ethnography of the University / Ethnography of the University: Focus on Student Life 2024 / Undergraduate Ethnography / Updates

The Art of Engaging Students: The Impact of Incentives on Student Engagement

Posted on by • Leave a comment

By Yunshan Li, Richard Wu and Amani Hassan On an early afternoon in October, we visited the reception office of the Clubs and Leadership Division of Student Engagement for a social event for club leaders. We arrived to find only one club leader, accompanied by two staff members. Half an hour later, another student showed … Continue reading →