51社区黑料

During January, staff working in SFU鈥檚 admissions department are typically busy processing an influx of applications for the fall semester. This year, however, was extra busy鈥攁nd rewarding鈥攆or several staff in Student Services who are working to make SFU鈥檚 admissions process more equitable. 

鈥�51社区黑料has a competitive admissions system that favours academic achievement,鈥� says Wafaa Zaqout, a coordinator for the Refugee and Newcomers program in SFU鈥檚 International Services for Students.

鈥淗owever, studies show that a student鈥檚 ability to achieve academically is impacted by factors outside their control, like learning environment and socioeconomic status. We want to make admission to 51社区黑料more accessible for people from equity-deserving groups, such as refugees.鈥�

Zaqout has a long history of working with refugee communities in B.C., both during and outside of work hours. She explains that students from refugee backgrounds are often driven and passionate, but need to focus their energy in places outside of school. For example, along with the stress that comes with moving to a new country, some students work multiple jobs to support their families and some are caretakers of young children. 

To address this, Zaqout began searching for a way to look at admissions more holistically. Through conversations with staff in SFU鈥檚 student recruitment and admissions department, she learned about SFU鈥檚 . Students who meet SFU鈥檚 minimum admission requirements and demonstrate excellence in endeavors outside academia, or have succeeded in their studies despite difficult circumstances, are considered for admission through the program, one of the few of its kind in Canada.

In January, Zaqout began working with Kelly Dohei, student recruitment coordinator, and Ken Wong, manager, admissions evaluations, to introduce SFU鈥檚 admissions policies鈥攊ncluding Diverse Qualifications鈥攖o principals, settlement workers and counsellors who work with refugee students on a regular basis. 

However, making post-secondary education more accessible for students from equity-deserving groups is about much more than promoting admission to SFU. It also means taking the time to build relationships and showing prospective students that they can find community here.

鈥淏ecause of the way our admissions process works, there鈥檚 this perception among newcomers to Canada that they might not qualify to study at SFU,鈥� says Lyndsay Sprado, associate director of student recruitment.

鈥淢any students don鈥檛 apply because they just don鈥檛 see themselves here. And that鈥檚 why relationship building within these communities鈥攇etting to know people and supporting them through the application process鈥攊s so important.鈥�

Moving forward, Zaqout will continue her community work and relationship-building efforts, while Dohei and Wong will work directly with applicants who are navigating the admissions process. With Sprado鈥檚 guidance and support, they hope to discover additional ways of making post-secondary education more accessible for students from refugee backgrounds. 

Says Zaqout, 鈥淚鈥檝e spoken with wonderful students who see 51社区黑料as a school out of their reach. We need more equitable processes to change that perception.

鈥淭hese students bring so much to the university. They鈥檙e full of resilience and power; they demonstrate new perspectives and ways of thinking. Making 51社区黑料inclusive means looking beyond academics, breaking down barriers and showing them that they belong here. Because they do.鈥�