The meaning of the Okanagan Charter for Victoria College students

The University of Toronto has a poor track record for mental health. According to the most recent National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) results published by UofT, the university scores lower than many of its Canadian peers in creating a “supportive environment” for students. Under this broad measurement, the NSSE survey assesses whether students feel like they have access to social opportunities and receive support for their mental well-being, academics, and non-academic responsibilities. Receiving a score of 27.5/60 among first-years and 22.4/60 among students in their final year in 2020—a respective 2.6 and 2.5 point decrease from 2017—the University of Toronto’s ability to create a supportive environment leaves much to be desired. 

Unlike those published by other universities, the NSSE results are not disaggregated by question. Indeed, college-specific scores also aren’t provided, meaning administrators are prevented from receiving crucial information to help guide their priorities. Nevertheless, on October 26 2023, at the 11th annual Minding Our Minds Conference hosted by the Office of the Dean of Students, Victoria University made a commitment to improving the climate of mental health on campus by signing the Okanagan Charter. 

Developed at the 2015 International Conference on Health Promoting Universities and Colleges held at the University of British Columbia on the territory of the Okanagan First Nation, the Charter contains two overarching calls to action: “embed health into all aspects of campus culture, across the administration, operations and academic mandates,” and “lead health promotion action and collaboration locally and globally.” 

After signing the Charter, signatory institutions must submit their specific commitments to the Canadian Health Promoting Campus Network Chair. When asked what specific actions Victoria University will be taking, President Rhonda McEwen noted in an email interview that “the implementation plan for our five-year Strategic Framework outlines quite a number of health initiatives that are either complete or in progress. These include additional mental health resources for students, trauma-informed teaching training, and staff and faculty wellness tools. We’ve also recently added a ‘re-orientation’ for neurodiverse students, and in the fall, we will have dedicated sessions in Vic Ready for entering students with ASD and ADHD. The Registrar’s Office is [also] now beginning all one-on-one advising sessions with a wellness check.” Additionally, Dean Kelley Castle stated that her office “has added new mental health and wellness services…so Vic U now has one embedded general counsellor, one dedicated counsellor for BIPOC students, two wellness interns (from the psychotherapy program at Emmanuel) and the new Assistant Dean of Student Wellness position to provide non-clinical coordination of support and referral for students struggling with mental health issues.”

By allowing the presidents of VUSAC and Emmanuel College Student Society to sign the Charter as witnesses, Victoria University administrators made a symbolic commitment to be held accountable by students for its implementation. However, it is important that this is followed up with proactive, consistent efforts to listen to students’ concerns. In an email interview, Teresa Kristina Wijaya, the VUSAC Mental Wellness Co-Chair, said “aside from program execution, the [Mental Wellness Commission] can hopefully be the gateway through which students’ voices can be considered! As a student-run commission, we hope that we can represent the students’ voices in every step of the way…” Further, Charlie Sun, the VUSAC Mental Wellness Commissioner, suggested that “facilitating an open and transparent communication channel between students and administrators is fundamental to the success of this process. Such a channel not only provides students with a platform to express their opinions but also enables administrators to gauge the effectiveness of the charter from the perspective of those directly affected by it.”

Victoria University administrators responded to The Strand with a number of ways in which they intend to engage students after the Charter’s implementation. Recognising that “students play an integral role in providing feedback on existing resources and have offered many great ideas that we have been able to implement,” Dean Castle said that her office “will continue to listen to and engage with students through our established structures such as [C]aucus” and that “updates on the Okanagan Charter will now be standing agenda items on the Dean’s Advisory Committee…” Further, President McEwen noted that Victoria University administrators “have also committed to working with VUSAC and other student groups to increase the number of student peer supports [they] offer…” The continued engagement of diverse student voices will be central to ensuring that the Charter’s implementation is inclusive of all backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences. 

To demonstrate that they have taken meaningful action on the Charter’s commitments, administrators must make their progress known to students. When asked, President McEwen stated that “our community can track our progress on initiatives through our newly launched website” for the Strategic Framework’s implementation plan, on which students “will see additional initiatives when we add years [three], [four] and five.” However, administrators must also work to establish metrics that allow the community to track their improvements. Through the regular issuance of surveys, hosting focus groups, and conducting interviews with students, administrators can collect, interpret, and share the crucial information UofT deprives them of. Without addressing the ongoing challenge of measurement and data-sharing, Victoria University will not be able to effectively communicate its progress. 

Victoria University’s adoption of the Okanagan Charter is a momentous development for mental health on campus. By being the first federated college to sign the Charter, even signing before UofT itself, it continues to demonstrate its distinctiveness to past, present, and future students. However, listening to and centring students’ concerns, collaborating with the broad array of leaders in the community, and communicating the progress on its commitments along with the data to back it up is crucial to ensure the signing is not the beginning and end of the journey.

Shane Joy is the President of VUSAC and a signatory of the Okanagan Charter for Victoria University.