McMaster Housing and Conference Services is excited to announce a new pilot program for first year off-campus students.  Starting this fall, off campus students can elect to join a new community which will strategically connect them with student life opportunities existing in the residence system.

This pilot program grew out of the recognition that first year off-campus students have unique needs, and commonly struggle to make the same connections to the campus as their residence counterparts. This new program will strive to close that gap, by tapping into the existing structure, opportunities and expertise that are provided to residence students. The service is optional for off campus students and will operate on a cost-recovery basis with pricing to be released in the Spring/Summer.

To advance this service, the Off Campus Resource Centre (OCRC) is currently recruiting 12 new student opportunities for the coming school year.  These new paid positions will be called “Off-Campus Community Advisors” (OCCA’s). Each OCCA will be responsible for community development amongst a group of 20 to 30 first year off-campus students. Each of the 12 communities will be intentionally integrated into one of the residence buildings on-campus.  The OCCA will build dual relationships with both their fellow OCCA’s and the Residence Community Advisors from their partnered residence buildings.

Residence Life Coordinator, Simon Wilmot describes the proposal as “a unique program that will make the campus a home for more students.” Adding, “we know that a student’s connection to the campus community positively impacts their academic and student experience. This program will provide off-campus students with a great opportunity to build meaningful connections to the campus.”

A consultation meeting was recently held with members of the current SOCS executive who provided great feedback and were supportive of the program outcomes. As the pilot planning continues, consultation and communication will continue amongst all invested campus stakeholders.

Anna Kulesza, current SOCS President says of the proposal, “It is understood that the OCCA integration strategy intends to augment the off-campus experience and provide avenues for continuous consultation with appropriate community partners.  This is an initiative that SOCS supports and will continue to support through the initial stages and beyond.  SOCS hopes that with collaborative efforts, partnerships, mutual understanding and dedication, the off-campus experience can be further enhanced through the services provided by SOCS and the OCRC. ”

Sean Van Koughnett, Associate Vice-President (Students and Learning) and Dean of Students concludes; “the New Off-Campus Student Integration Strategy demonstrates another example of the University and students coming together to enhance the McMaster experience”.

Housing and Conference Services wishes to recognize and acknowledge this pilot program has been developed with assistance from the Office of the President.

The job posting for the 12 OCCA positions is currently open on the Residence Life web page (https://housing.mcmaster.ca/residence-life/).  All qualified students who will be attending McMaster as a full-time student in the fall are encouraged to apply.