Centre for Student Engagement hosts annual Student Program Planning Interactive Exhibition
Academic departments and UTM alumni take the stage to offer advice and resources to students looking to choose their program of study.
On March 6, the University of Toronto Mississauga’s (UTM) Center for Student Engagement, in collaboration with the Office of the Registrar and the UTM Career Centre, hosted the Student Program Planning Interactive Exhibition (SPPIE), held in the Grand Hall of the Maanjiwe nendamowinan building.
The exhibition, which featured upper-year students, alumni, and faculty, provided a great way for new students to learn more about the process of choosing a program of study (POSt). It was featured as part of a wider group of Academic Program Planning events aimed at assisting students in their transition to university.
Upon entering the exhibition, students were given a handbook that listed key information about the event, including the SPPIE’s stations; the event’s objectives; floor plans; a survey aimed to nurture students’ personal discovery; and a space for students to jot down important information regarding their programs of interest.
According to an Instagram post by the Centre for Student Engagement, the handbook and exhibition was designed for students to understand the program enrollment process and how to best plan their undergraduate studies.
The exhibition itself was designed as a walkthrough through five stations to aid students’ understanding of the POSt enrolment process.
The personal discovery station was dedicated to helping students “identify personal and academic abilities, interests, and goals” through reflection activities and discussions, according to the UTM website.
Program exploration offered students the chance to meet with academic advisors, faculty, and upper-year students to learn more about programs. Sixteen departments were present, from philosophy to anthropology to commerce to the chemical and physical sciences. Also present were the Experiential Education Unit and representatives of the Language Studies and Global Leadership minor.
Enrolment fundamentals focused on highlighting the finer details of program and degree selection and advising and applying featured group advising concentrating on program selection and financial aid.
Finally, the Alumni Café gave students the chance to meet UTM alumni and discuss their experiences and lives after graduation. Alumni were present from various fields, including healthcare, academia and research, law, accounting, and biotechnology.
The exhibition counted towards participants’ co-curricular record (CCR), serving as a way to let students reflect on what they learned and consider the next steps to take after the event. To receive CCR credit, students had to fill out a form within the handbook with reflections on the stations they visited and the skills they gained during SPPIE.
According to Hamna Riaz, a UTM alumna who graduated in 2023 and who currently works as a sustainability and client relations manager, it is all about paying it forward to the next slate of students at UTM. “It was a good chance to give back to the community who helped me when I was here,” she stated.
Riaz highlighted the challenges of understanding certain programs, like health sciences, emphasizing the need for SPPIE to support students who feel confused or uncertain—particularly when navigating POSts which complex prerequisites.
Uzma Riddiqui, a fifth-year student majoring in health science and psychology and one of SPPIE’s student staff, concurs. “[SPPIE] helps you navigate going into POSt. It’s not something [students] know off the bat,” she said. She pointed to SPPIE’s role in informing students about the many university resources designed to help them better understand the program selection process.
According to Felicia Mercier, a SPPIE arrival engagement supervisor, the exhibition allows all the academic departments of the university, as well as upper-year students and alumni with experience in navigating POSt, to help guide incoming students through the process.
The goal, Mercier explained, is for “students to feel more confident in making that POSt decision, as well as having some ideas of some careers that they want to do and how it aligns with their academic goals.” That way, students can deal with POSt without feeling as much stress about what they want to do in university.
For students who missed SPPIE or are looking for further POST support, UTM offers various forms of assistance, including academic advising, career counselling, and future events organized by the Center for Student Engagement. Students can also consult the UTM website for a list of program areas to choose from to further aid in their program selection.
