Students involved in approved activities and students groups on campus will now be given recognition through the co-curricular record (CCR), a formalized record of a student’s involvement.
A student’s CCR will be received alongside their transcript. Any U of M facilitated contributions, which are not for academic credit, will be recognized on the CCR.
Students must apply to have co-curricular programs added to their record; activities will not automatically appear on the CCR.
However, the university is working to ensure the application process will not be a burden to students either. Program supervisors will need to apply for recognition on the CCR and then submit lists of students who are involved in the program. Program applications are reviewed by the co-curricular review committee to ensure that the programs meet the criteria necessary for acceptance.
All programs that are under the direction of a U of M faculty, departments or administrative units, UMSU or GSA are eligible for acceptance. Participation in the program cannot be for academic credit, and the program cannot be already recognized on a student’s transcript, said Brendan Hughes, director of the Office of Student Life.
The first intake of submissions was August 15 of this year, said Hughes. The summer application deadline may have been the reason only few groups applied, he added. A second deadline of submissions for Dec. 1 has been added.
“In consultation with UMSU, it was agreed that Dec. 1 seems like the best time of the year for this deadline to be an annual deadline, so if there [are] any new groups that they can have their programs organized by that time and then be able to [apply].”
Programs must apply under one of five categories: awards, governance, leadership, service learning, or volunteerism and participation. Currently, volunteerism and participation is the category most applied under.
Included in the leadership category is the World W.I.S.E. Ambassadors Program, run out of the International Centre for Students (ICS).
Rewarding students for their hard work and dedication was one of the main reasons to apply for recognition on the co-curricular record, said Breanne Guiboche, the acting student mobility and exchange coordinator at the ICS and supervisor of the World W.I.S.E. Resource Centre.
“[The co-curricular record] formally recognizes the student’s participation in something that is part of their university experience,” Guiboche said.
“The valuable experiences gained by being an ambassador will be brought to the forefront when applying for grad school, internships, jobs or any other program where the student’s transcript is reviewed.”
Tyler Phill, a second-year criminology student and frequent volunteer for programs such as U1 Orientation, stated that the co-curricular record might be useful in certain job interviews, among other things.
“If I’m applying for scholarships, I’m sure it’ll be easier to attain certain ones,” he added.
As well as giving recognition for student involvement, the CCR might also serve to increase student participation in extra-curricular activities. For groups who are recognized on the co-curricular record, it could act as “another way to encourage students” and serve as an incentive for students to participate, said Hughes.
A student looking for volunteer experience “is more likely to choose one for which they will receive recognition,” Guiboche added.
“On that basis, I think it will increase involvement and retention.”
Despite the intended benefits for students, none of the 110 UMSU student groups have put in an application to the review committee yet, added Hughes.
“It’s an interesting thing for me,” he said. “As long as they meet the criteria, it’s possible that they could be considered and probably [ … ] would be considered. I’m really trying to get the word out.
Further information about the co-curricular record and the application process can be found on the website for the Office of Student Life at umanitoba.ca/student/studentlife/ccr.html.
