The Psychology Department & the Vice President's Office will host a talk by Dr. Mike Boyes, University of Calgary on Thursday, November 17 at 4pm in Memorial Hall 215 entitled "Student Engagement and Student Identity: A Relationship We Must Understand".  Refreshments and conversation will follow in the Psychology Lounge. Faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students are encouraged to attend!

 

Abstract

Dr. Mike Boyes has conducted research at the University of Calgary over the last five years with the students in his first year introductory courses (N = 3000 and counting). Specifically he has looked at the relationship between student identity development and identity style and student adjustment to the University environment. In addition he has examined the extent to which students are open to or reticent about accessing any of the wide array of services that are available to them at university. The key differentiator seems to be whether or not the students have successfully begun the process of forming sense of personal identity or, in effect, become engaged in themselves. Mike is particularly interested in discussing his findings with folks who work directly with students as he is trying to develop intervention tactics and strategies for assisting those students who are most in need of assistance on the same time least likely to seek out that assistance.