Hi. My name is Nicole. I’m a student affairs professional working in orientation at the University of Victoria, and an M.Ed student studying Educational Technology, also at the University of Victoria. This blog contains content related to my work in student affairs, things I’m learning and thinking about in my graduate studies, and somewhat regular reflections on my life and goals.
You can find me elsewhere on Twitter and LinkedIn.
About me
Here are a few important things you should know about me:
Student affairs professional working in orientation at the University of Victoria.
- My work focuses on helping new students make the transition into UVic successfully, finding community and building the necessary skills.
- Currently, I oversee a new online orientation program for new UVic students, as well as all pre-arrival communication.
- I’ve been working on orientation programming for over 10 years, first as a student at Dalhousie, and then as a professional at Saint Mary’s University, Queen’s University, and now UVic.
Graduate student working on my M.Ed in Educational Technology at the University of Victoria.
- My area of interest lies primarily in online learning, with secondary interests in social media and digital literacy. Really, though, it’s all interesting to me.
- Learner, input and intellection are three of my top 5 Strengthfinders strengths, so its no surprise that I’m loving grad school.
- I will graduate in May 2021.
Other projects and interests
Things that take up space in my life, but you probably won’t find on the blog:
Soccer. I play a lot of soccer. I’m typically on the field at least four times a week, with three different teams. Relatedly, I often have a lot of bruises.
Figure skating. I grew up figure skating recreationally, and continue to take lessons once a week. I’m not good, but I love being on the ice. I also love watching competitive figure skating.
Books. I read. A lot. I always have a book on the go, and always have a book to recommend. My goal every year is to read one book every week, all year long.
Competency self-assessment project. In 2016, the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS) launched their competency model for student affairs practitioners. 2016 was also the year I joined the CACUSS Professional Development Committee. Currently, we are working on developing competency self-assessment materials.
CACUSS Graduate Student Network. I currently co-chair CACUSS’s Graduate Student Network, and work to create a supportive community for student affairs practitioners who are also graduate students to share experiences, learn from each other, and grow.