Welcome to Child and Youth Studies Advising!
Welcome to CHYS Advising!
CHYS Department Location
The CHYS Department Faculty and Staff are located on the 3rd Floor of Cairns Family Health and Bioscience Complex (CRN).
The CHYS main office is at CRN 319.
Please read the following information. It is very important for all to read, whether you are in 1st year or your final year at Brock.
ACADEMIC ADVISING
To book a CHYS advising appointment to see me, please go to the following link at http://brocku.ca/childandyouthstudies/advising/index.php
BEFORE you arrive at your advising appointment, it is helpful to bring a list of questions that you wish to ask. It is easy to forget certain questions when you are in the advising appointment if you have not written them down.
You are welcome to either make an in person appointment OR phone appointment. We encourage students to come in for an academic advising appointment at least once per term to make sure you are on track.
Please note, if you need to cancel your appointment, I will require 24 hours notice in order to allow other students to take your spot and not be disadvantaged. Please be courteous and cancel as soon as you realize there is a conflict.
Some helpful Brock resources
WALK-IN CHYS advising
I also offer walk-in advising every Friday from 1 pm to 3 pm (unless otherwise indicated). Walk-in advising is reserved for students who have more general questions. Students who have more specific questions are asked to book either an in-person or phone appointment through the CHYS advising link
Helpful Resources for Students
Here are some additional resources you may find useful while you are here at Brock:
• Brock Undergraduate calendar:
http://www.brocku.ca/webcal/
• CHYS website
http://www.brocku.ca/social-sciences/undergraduate-programs/child-and-youth-studies
• CHYS Society
http://www.brocku.ca/social-sciences/undergraduate-programs/child-and-youth-studies/chys-society
• Brock Current Student Services at
http://www.brocku.ca/services/current-students
• Personal Counselling Services
http://www.brocku.ca/personal-counselling
• Services for students with disabilities http://www.brocku.ca/services-students-disabilities
• CHYS Tube - information videos available on the CHYS website which provide tips from our senior CHYS students on how to be successful here at Brock
• CHYS Careers Night (check the CHYS website and Brock portal for updates) - Our CHYS Careers Night is an event held in the fall and spring term. We have past graduates from the CHYS program come and discuss what they are doing with their degree. This event is usually held in early November and early March.
Continuation in CHYS
Please remember to continue in the CHYS program you must a CHYS major of 60 percent. If you do not maintain an average of 60% in your CHYS major average you will be removed for the program.
Feeling overwhelmed?
I often hear from students who are feeling overwhelmed…. One piece of advice is to please remember to ask questions… ask for help…. Many students are reluctant to admit they don't know something or fear that by asking too many questions they may look or sound “stupid”. You will NOT look “stupid”. I am a firm believer that there are NO stupid questions. By taking the initiative to ask questions or seek advice is a sign of maturity and demonstrates a willingness to learn. Remember we are all human. No one is perfect.
When I mention asking for help, I am not just referring to academics. If you are having any personal struggles as well, it is important to ask for help? If you are feeling overwhelmed and feel you cannot cope, I would strongly encourage you to seek help through Personal Counseling Services here at Brock University. If you are feeling overwhelmed it is easy to just shut the door and not let anyone in. So, instead ... reach out…. talk to your family and friends. Talk to someone. To find out more about Personal Counselling Services here on campus please go to the following link at http://www.brocku.ca/personal-counselling
There are also resources in the Niagara Region that may be helpful.
Here is a list that may be helpful:
Distress Centres of Niagara
For immediate help in the Niagara region please call the following 24 hour help line(s).
• St. Catharines, Niagara Falls And Area - 905-688-3711
• Port Colborne, Wainfleet and Area - 905-734-1212
• Fort Erie and Area - 905-382-0689
• Grimsby, West Lincoln - 905-563-6674
Drug and Alcohol Registry of Treatment (DART) – 1 800 565 8603
Mental Health Service Information Ontario – 1 866 531 2600
Ontario Problem Gambling Helpline - 1 888 230 3505
Some additional information from the Distress Centre of Niagara website at http://www.distresscentreniagara.com/index.html - "If you are depressed, in distress or in crisis, call the Distress Centre. If you are in danger, call 911 immediately. If you need urgent medical or psychiatric attention, please go to the nearest hospital".
CHYS MAJORS:
Students in Year 2, 3, and 4 level students please book with me (Alison Lahn). If you are having any difficulty booking an appointment to see me OR you find that all the spots are full, please contact me at alahn@brocku.ca
YEAR ONE CHILD AND YOUTH STUDIES MAJORS OR STUDENTS WISHING TO DECLARE CHILD AND YOUTH STUDIES AS THEIR MAJOR. Please book your advising with Carol Penner, Administrative Coordinator in CHYS at http://www.brocku.ca/social-sciences/undergraduate-programs/child-and-youth-studies/academic-advising-2
PLEASE NOTE: CHYS students wishing to continue to year 2 and 3 of the CHYS program need to maintain a CHYS major average of 60 percent.
CHYS Minors: Students who are in a different discipline (other than PSYC) and wish to declare a minor in CHYS, please come and see me as well, so we can discuss this in further detail.
FOURTH YEAR in CHYS: Students wishing to pursue a 4th year in CHYS have two options – CHYS 4th year Honours OR CHYS 4th year with major.
CHYS 4th Year Honours
If you are planning on doing a 4th year Honours, you will need to apply after you have complete all your third year CHYS BA requirements. To apply to the CHYS 4th year Honours program, applications are due by May 1st. Applications are available on the CHYS website at www.brocku.ca/social-sciences/undergraduate-programs/child-and-youth-studies .
Admittance to the Honours year 4 is conditional on approval by the Department and it will be based primarily on grades, and availability of faculty. Applications will be accepted from students who achieve a minimum 70 percent required CHYS average and 60 percent in non-major courses.
Acceptance into the individual thesis stream may depend on the availability of an approved supervisor. In addition, students who apply to complete an individual thesis must have a minimum combined average of 75% in CHYS 3P10 and CHYS 3P15. The Child and Youth Studies Department recommends the individual thesis stream for students interested in pursuing post-graduate studies.
CHYS 4th year with Major
CHYS students can choose to declare a CHYS 4th year with Major .
How does the CHYS 4 year with Major option differ from the CHYS 4 year Honours option?
The CHYS 4 year with Major option differs from the CHYS Honours options in 4 ways:
• CHYS majors need to have a 60 percent major average and 60 percent overall average, whereas with the CHYS 4th year Honours students need to have a 70 percent major average and 60 percent non-major average.
• Course requirements for the CHYS BA with Major will be shared among courses 3(alpha)00 to 3(alpha)89, and 3(alpha)90 to 3(alpha)99.
• Access to courses in the 4(alpha)00 and above range will require a 70% CHYS major average.
• There is no thesis option for students who decide to do the CHYS BA 4 year with Major.
Students wishing to change their program will be upgraded to the 2012 Calendar for program requirements. If you would like to discuss your 4th year options, please make an appointment to see me at http://brocku.ca/childandyouthstudies/advising/index.php
TRANSFER CREDITS - for students who are applying from another College or University
First, thank you for your interest in the CHYS program. Second, you need to apply to Brock if you wish to be admitted into the CHYS program. Please see the following link at http://brocku.ca/registrar/admissions . I would also encourage you to contact the Admissions Department here at Brock to discuss what you need in order to apply to Brock at admissns@brocku.ca
APPLYING TO GRADUATE:
For students who are planning on graduating at June Convocation 2013, the deadline to apply to graduate was February 1st, 2013
To all our CHYS Majors -
It is very important that you come in for advising at least once per term to make sure you are on track with your program and to discuss any questions or concerns you may have.
I look forward to meeting with you soon.
Take care,
Alison Lahn, MEd
Department Coordinator/Academic Advisor
Child and Youth Studies
Cairns Complex Room 321
Need to cancel an appointment? Enter your student number below and you will be given the option to cancel.