Cultivating an awareness of mature graduate students’ individual circumstances can positively contribute to the quality of the supervisory relationship and to learners’ success. Mature graduate students come with a wealth of transferrable work- and life-skills and are typically highly motivated to succeed. An effective supervisory approach will be one that helps mature graduate students to translate skills developed through their lived experiences to the academic environment. Supervisors who take a strengths-based approach to supervision with mature and part-time graduate students build trust and confidence between the supervisor and the student and help to establish and maintain a context that supports well-being and maximizes students’ abilities to contribute to campus life and to the academic discipline.
Visit the Atkinson Centre for Mature and Part-time Students (ACMAPS) at YorkU for information related to student resources, peer mentorship, transition support, events and more.
- Read the Supporting Mature and Part-Time Graduate Students Companion Guide (pdf). This is a companion to the Strong Start to Supervision Checklist (pdf) and aims to help supervisors create flexible, inclusive supervision relationships that honour the lives and strengths of students balancing graduate school with work, caregiving, and community commitments.
- Visit the Mature Student Guide that includes information on:
- Transition - how can students transition or prepare for university after being away from school for years?
- Advising - when students have academic questions, skilled advisors within each faculty can provide guidance.
- Success - the skills, tips and strategies for becoming a successful mature or part-time student.
- Future - resources for career planning and future studies.
- Admissions - information about requirements, deadlines, transfer credits and more.
- View the Transfer Student Resource Guide with information to support students throughout the process at YorkU.
- Share the Career Centre website designed to support students in the development of career self-management skills. They have a Resource Library Toolkit that supports academic and professional development and includes detailed guides, practical tools and resources for extracurricular involvement.
- Visit the Graduate Student Wellness Services at the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Services include wellness consultation and counselling, workshop series, support groups and resource hub.
- Share the Learning Skills Resources website where your students can find information and support for time management, study skills, keeping up with readings and course work, academic honesty and group work.
- Visit Student Advising at York to share information around academic, student records and financial aid, immigration, career and athletic advising.
- Share Student Counselling, Health and Well-being with your students for a range of health and well-being services that foster academic success, student development and community.
- Share the Student Financial Services website when your student needs information around accounts and fees, financial aid or work/study programs.
- Share Student Resources for a compiled a list of resources for future and current mature and part-time students such as information about admission, deadlines, calendars.