On a fall night in 2017, shortly after dinner and before evening classes began, John Walsh, a classical studies professor at the University of Guelph, and his wife, Mary Walsh, a university administrator, joined other staff and faculty members in pre-arranged visits to students, most in their first year, in campus residences. "We knock on the door, make some small talk, ask them how they're enjoying their time at university," says Dr. Walsh. "And then we let them know that the university takes a great interest in their well-being - they're not just academic units to us, they're people. And we remind them that the university has a lot of resources available to them, hand them some information," he says. "It's not invasive, it's a quick hello."
The volunteers, who were paired with a residence staff member during the house calls, used feedback forms to track any concerns they may have had about a student they met, and to note questions they were asked but couldn't answer. Staff at the residence life office reviewed the forms after the event and, when they deemed it necessary, followed up with outreach and referrals to services available on campus.
Mostly, though, the visits took a light tone. One of the best moments, Dr. Walsh recalls, was meeting two students who were sharing a room and happened to be in his class. Both were working on assignments that were due the next day. "We did a few footnotes together," he says. "It was heaps of fun."
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