ANNUAL REPORT 2023-2024
Signature Program Assessments (SPAs)
Student Life is committed to turning our values and goals into meaningful action. Through Signature Program Assessments (SPAs) we evaluate progress on unit, cluster and divisional objectives. See how this approach supported accountability and improvement in 2023–2024.
Strengthening job shadowing with inclusive practices and resources
Enhancing equity and student learning through career programming was achieved through the Career Exploration and Education Job Shadowing Signature Program Assessment.
Feedback from students and recent graduates led to changes that better support identity-informed career exploration, including:
The program also added structured networking events and asynchronous learning resources to support a broader range of learning styles and needs.
61%
of participants said a host’s identity influenced their placement choice.
46%
of participants had conversations around identity during the program.
Optimizing staff resources
In 2023-2024 the Office of the CAO assessed the Student Life Administration website to identify content gaps and usability issues. The findings revealed several key recommendations to enhance the website’s effectiveness and improve this key staff resource.
As a result, the OCAO will begin planning for a site refresh and explore the best platform for internal information sharing.
Improving student access to personalized, academic support
The Centre for Learning Strategy and Support’s 2023–2024 Signature Program Assessment focused on the On-Location Learning Strategist model, which embedded strategists within colleges and faculties. Feedback from students, partners and staff highlighted the value of this approach, particularly in:
Personalized support
Students valued the confidential, one-on-one guidance that helped them navigate academic challenges.
Increased connection
Embedding strategists in Colleges and faculties strengthened students’ sense of belonging and access to local support.
Bridged services
The OL model connected local advising with central programming, creating more holistic support.
Sustained support
Multi-year relationships with strategists helped students feel more supported and confident in their academic journey.
I cannot underscore this enough, I truly do not know or believe that I would still be enrolled and on track to complete my degree without my strategist.
87%
of students reported increased awareness of nonprofit strategies, and nearly all were able to identify and apply asset-based approaches in their community work.
89%
of community partners said students effectively supported their missions and expressed strong interest in continuing the partnership.
Assessing a long-running civic engagement program
The Centre for Community Partnerships’ 2023–2024 Signature Program Assessment reviewed Alternative Reading Week (ARW), one of the Centre’s longest-running experiential learning programs. The assessment affirmed ARW’s strong impact on student learning and community engagement, while offering insights for future improvements in the areas of:
Strengthening TCard summer service through targeted staff training and retention
The TCard office’s 2023–2024 Signature Program Assessment evaluated its summer casual staff training program, focusing on skill development, onboarding experience and staff retention.
Key highlights from the assessment survey
Survey results exceeded benchmarks and provided valuable insights to guide future improvements:
100%
of staff reported gaining strong skills in privacy handling, identity verification and U of T systems.
86%
felt clear about expectations from the start of their first shift (target benchmark: 75%).
86%
said they developed effective customer service skills through training.
71%
expressed interest in returning the following summer (target benchmark: 50%).
The survey established a diversity benchmark, with 86% of staff identifying as people of colour. It also revealed opportunities to expand outreach to underrepresented groups through channels like First Nations House, Accessibility Services and the Centre for International Experience.
Looking ahead, TCard plans to strengthen customer service training and place greater emphasis on learning that happens through on-the-job mentoring, in addition to the initial onboarding sessions.
