Situated on Treaty 4 and Treaty 6 territories, and Homeland of the Métis, Saskatchewan Polytechnic is committed to enhancing the student experience and removing barriers to success through the renewal of relationships — miyo wahkohtowin — with our Indigenous communities. Sask Polytech’s overarching goal is to continue to increase recruitment, retention and success of Indigenous students across all our programs.
Last spring Sask Polytech launched its newly updated Indigenous Student Success Strategy with the support of employees, students and community leaders. The strategy has four goals – welcome, inspire, empower and belong. These all contribute to achieving the overarching goal of improving the Indigenous student experience.
This month we want to share more information about nebah ho?á, which in Denesuline means: welcome, there is room for you, there is room for everyone.
Many Indigenous students leave their families and communities to study with Sask Polytech and this transition can be difficult. The more Sask Polytech can help Indigenous students understand what campus life is like and provide a friendly face to help students navigate unfamiliar processes and systems, the easier this move will be.
Actions Sask Polytech is taking over the next five years to welcome students include:
- Helping prepare Indigenous students for post-secondary, so they can actively participate and succeed in their chosen program of study.
- Supporting Indigenous students applying to Sask Polytech, so they have the knowledge they need to be comfortable taking the first step on their post-secondary journey.
- Providing personalized support, through transition coaches, for Indigenous students as they start out, move through and leave Sask Polytech, so students feel part of a supportive community that is invested in their success from day one.
Indigenous students make up 19 per cent of Sask Polytech’s student population and this proportion is growing steadily each year. Sask Polytech supports Indigenous students through offering tutoring and counselling, assistance with scholarships and funding, summer transition programming, and access to Indigenous students’ centres to meet other students and Elders.
For more information visit saskpolytech.ca/indigenous.
Published September 2018.