page_title: Student affairs
section_title: Canada
hierarchical_section_title: Student affairs / History of student affairs / Canada
caption_attribution_description: English: Today, this building is a home of School of Religion and Department of Drama.
context_page_description: Student affairs, student support, or student services is the department or division of services and support for student success at institutions of higher education to enhance student growth and development in the United States and abroad. People who work in this field are known as student affairs practitioners or student affairs professionals. These student affairs practitioners work to provide services and support for students and drive student learning outside of the classroom at institutions of higher education.
  The size and organization of a student affairs division or department may vary based on the size, type, and location of an institution. The title of the head of student affairs also varies widely; traditionally in the United States, this position has been known as the "dean of students", as distinguished from the academic dean or the deans of individual schools within a university. In some institutions today, student affairs departments are led by a vice president or vice chancellor who then reports directly to the president/chancellor of the institution. In other cases the head of student affairs may report to the provost or academic dean.
context_section_description: Student affairs in Canadian higher education dates back to the vocational school established at the Collège des Jésuites in seventeenth century. Additional development of Canadian student services has many similarities with authoritarian teaching in terms of monitoring and controlling students behaviour on campus that was common in United States in nineteenth century.  The protest that occurred at Queen's University in 1875, when Principal William Snodgrass suspended several students for drinking, indicated a need for closer observation for students' conduct. After the Principal Snodgrass sent a report to the Senate, two students were suspended.  They were allowed to attend the class, but could not graduate. Their friends appealed against the suspension, and refused to go to the class. Since the Senate rejected their request, all students returned to their class in a week. In order to prevent further misbehaviour, staff representatives started to be more engaged in students life organizing social, cultural and physical activities.
  Several decades later, the Queen's Rev Principal Robert Bruce Taylor emphasized importance of students representatives role by including deans of men and women to be elected and responsible for cooperation with administration, student events and regulations.  They used to live on several campuses to supervise visitors, off-campus housing, dress code, etc. The first Dean of Women Caroline McNeil started at Queen's in 1918 and soon, the other Canadian universities appointed dean of men and women on their campuses.
  After the Second World War the professionalization of student affairs expanded by supporting soldiers who received tuition and living assistance based on Veterans Rehabilitation Act in 1945. Within the educational system, veterans received personal support and career counselling, but the other students were put on a side.  While in the last seven decades Canadian student affairs has developed to support all students in financial need, career services, housing, residence life and academic advising, it was also reorganized frequently, e.g.:
  Canadian Association of Career Educators & Employers (CACEE) in 1995; previous University Advisory Services (UAS) in 1946; University Counselling and Placement Association (UCPA) in 1952
  Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS) in 1971; previous Association of University Student Personnel Services (CAUSPS-1) in 1953; Council of Associations of University Student Personnel Services (CAUSPS-2) in 1961
  Today, CACUSS arranges conferences, develops network and discussion within postsecondary community, publish a national magazine Communiqué and remains the leader of Canadian student affairs professionals. The CACUSS has included variety of organizations that recognize the specific needs of all provinces including Indigenous students, students with disabilities, financial aid, academic integrity and judicial affairs, international students, etc.
  Student affairs are also impacted by governance and decision making efforts in the form of student associations at post-secondary educational institutions. In Ontario, these entities are formally recognized under Bill 184 2011 which acknowledges the autonomy of student associations in order to foster governance, accountability, and collaboration between student associations and post-secondary educational institutions, as well as addressing issues related to fee collection and remittance between these two parties. The impact that student associations can have on student affairs issues is exemplified by challenges to the Student Choice Initiative where the Canadian Federation of Students and the York Federation of Students challenged an initiative launched by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges & Universities. This particular initiative was aimed at providing students with the ability to opt-out of various supplementary fees during their enrolment process and also to provide them with a transparent itemization of their tuition and supplementary fees. The opposition by the Canadian
caption: Theological Hall on Queen's Campus in Kingston (Canada)
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