Welcome Centre exterior at dusk

Aboriginal Education Centre (Turtle Island)

The Aboriginal Education Centre (also referred to as Turtle Island) facilitates Aboriginal student success by providing support (academic, social, personal, and cultural), guidance, and an enriched student experience to University of Windsor students who self-identify with Aboriginal identity and background.

The Aboriginal Education Centre was founded as Turtle Island House in 1992. As part of Student Affairs, it provides support and encouragement to the University of Windsor Aboriginal student population. Particularly, the Aboriginal Education Centre strives to increase the participation and completion rates of Aboriginal students; to increase sensitivity toward and awareness of Aboriginal cultures, issues, and realities; and to increase participation in decisions affecting Aboriginal people and post-secondary education.

Specific services include:

  • Facilitating communication between Aboriginal students, their funding agencies, and home communities.
  • Providing advice to students on how to effectively navigate the university system.
  • Communicating information to increase Aboriginal student awareness of services and support on campus and making appropriate referrals to services and organizations both on and off campus.
  • Organizing and supporting social gatherings and activities, orientation activities, student gatherings, and study groups.
  • Coordinating special projects and services.
  • Developing and delivering Aboriginal outreach programs and partnerships with local school boards, First Nation schools, University departments, and faculty-assisted projects.

All students are welcome to visit and participate in the activities and events. Turtle Island resources include:

  • An accessible, welcoming, culturally safe, positive, and comfortable atmosphere that welcomes students, visitors, and guests, and enables them to interact with the wider University community.
  • Referrals to various student services on campus and off-campus including cultural supports and information. Administrative staff and workstations for students.
  • A large meeting area to allow several distinct Aboriginal populations to connect with the campus community and to the wider larger Aboriginal community, including the University of Windsor Aboriginal Education Council.

The Aboriginal Education Centre is located in the CAW Student Centre, Room 179 (directly across from the Information Desk, next to Tim Hortons).

To contact the Aboriginal Education Centre, phone Extension 3465 or 3481.

For further information, consult the Turtle Island website.

Note: This site is a living document, the goal of which is to improve, in some small way, the working lives of University of Windsor faculty. We are eager to collaborate with the campus community to better this service over time. If you can identify any knowledge gaps, missing resources, or outdated or erroneous information on this site, please contact Iva Gentcheva, Director, Office of the Provost and Faculty Recruitment, without hesitation.