New undergraduate students on a tour of the University of Windsor campus

Why attend Head Start?

The goal of the Head Start Program is to orient and transition incoming first-year undergraduate students to campus life and their studies at the University of Windsor in the summer prior to the start of their fall semester.

Our Student Success and Leadership Centre’s orientation team is comprised of professional staff and upper-year undergraduate student staff and volunteers who will accomplish this goal by administering support programs that are in keeping with UWindsor’s Values, policies, and best practices.

Head Start will offer incoming undergraduate students opportunities to develop networks and communities with each other and with upper-year students within their faculty and become familiar with campus supports and services.

Participation in Head Start will contribute to and help to develop their sense of belonging inside of their new learning community at the University of Windsor, which will translate into better retention and long-term student success and well-being outcomes.

Various success measures will be employed such as pre and post-assessments and interviews completed by both incoming undergraduate students who have participated in Head Start and its first-year connection programs as well as upper-year students who have supported these programs as student staff or volunteers.

  • Academic Excellence: Connection and Diversity
  • Community Impact: Engagement and Partnerships
  • Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Enhancing Safety and Belonging
  • Indigenization and Decolonization: Continuing the Journey
  • People: Care, Compassion, and Respect
  • Student Experience: Transformation and Inclusion
  • Sustainability: Climate and Environment
  • Transformation: Adaptability, Creativity, and Innovation
  • Trust: Accountability and Transparency

 


Students asking the director of SOCA questions at Head Start

Learning Outcomes

After attending Head Start, a student should be able to ...

  • Describe the significance of independent learning and individual advocacy at the university level.
  • Explain the differences and opportunities for connection between their own personal perspectives and experiences and campus culture.
  • Identify the need to formulate a financial plan that will address their needs as a post-secondary student.
  • Describe the marketability of their degree within the context of the current job market.
  • Identify the importance of getting involved in the campus community.
  • Able to navigate the physical layout of campus, identify campus buildings that house first-year classes and become familiar with the location of supports and resources.
  • Identify their own weaknesses and review strategies and skills that address those personal weaknesses.

Head Start programming operates in line with the University of Windsor policies and procedures as listed on the Office of Student Experience Student Event Planning website.