The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs would like to provide you with information on support services available to graduate students at Carleton:
Mental Health Supports
It is important that we care for ourselves and our mental health while pursuing academic goals.
We have many services and resources in place to help you understand, manage and improve your mental health and wellness while at university. The best place to start is to check out our Wellness Services Navigator. This anonymous site is designed to help find you available mental health and wellness resources.
Magda Georgescu is a counsellor with Carleton’s Health and Counselling Services who is focused on helping graduate students. To make an appointment with Magda, please call the office at 613-520-6674. Once you call, you will speak with a Patient Care Coordinator who will send you an intake and consent form that needs to be completed before speaking with an Intake Counsellor. This intake session can also take place in person at the clinic, if that is your preference, and then you will be able to meet with Magda.
Another good tool to check out is our Resource Guide. This guide is meant to be flexible and offer support and guidance in tandem with the resources mentioned above.
Members of the Carleton community who are concerned about a student can submit a Care Report to document their concern and solicit feedback and/or follow-up, if necessary. The Care and Support team in Wellness Services monitors Care Report submissions daily and will follow-up as appropriate. For more information, please visit the Wellness Website.
If you find yourself in crisis and require immediate support, the following mental health crisis lines are confidential and available 24/7:
- Crisis Line (613-722-6914)
- Good2Talk (Call 1-866-925-5454 or Text GOOD2TALKON to 686868)
- Talk Suicide Canada (Call 1-833-456-4566 or Text 45645)
It is normal to feel stress at this time of year, so if this is your experience, know that you are not alone.
Academic Support
The Centre for Student Academic Support provides educational programs and services to support your academic experiences. You can view workshops by logging into Carleton360, clicking on mySuccess and selecting Workshop/Events followed by CSAS Events. If you would like to set up one-on-one assistance or you have questions, please email csas@carleton.ca. For more information, visit their website.
MacOdrum Library Services
Looking for a quiet place to study, to complete projects or prepare for exams? There are dedicated study spaces on the fifth floor of the MacOdrum Library: https://library.carleton.ca/services/graduate-study-spaces
A number of graduate student-specific services are available to support you in your research, including citation management. For details, please visit: https://library.carleton.ca/services/services-graduate-students
Are You in Need?
The CUSA Unified Support Centre (USC) provides food and essentials for all students at Carleton, including graduate students.
To request a hamper, students must complete the electronic Hamper Request Form. Students requesting a food hamper for the first time must also complete the electronic Food Bank Intake Form, as this information is required by the Ottawa Food Bank. Students are limited to two hampers per month under the Emergency Essentials Assistance Program’s standard support. For complete details, please click here.
Graduate Student’s Association
The Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) offers services, advocacy and a community for you to find support. The GSA offers medical, dental and accident insurance plans; grant and award information; and can help you print or scan documents. Please visit the GSA site to discover their services.
Paul Menton Centre
The Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) provides individualized disability accommodations, services and resources. For details on how PMC can help you, please click here.
The Centre for Indigenous Support and Community Engagement
This centre supports students by providing culturally-safe spaces for dialogue and learning. We do this by nurturing a sense of belonging for Indigenous students, and by developing and delivering resources and training to educate the Carleton community about the experiences, histories and worldviews of Indigenous peoples.
The Ojigkwanong Indigenous Student Centre is open to students Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No swipe card access needed as the door is unlocked during these hours.
Safe Walk
Want some company or feeling unsafe heading home in the evenings? Call 613-520-4066 or drop by the Unified Support Centre to request a safe walk and two of our volunteers will be happy to walk with you anywhere on campus and up to 1 hour off campus. We can also accompany you on OC Transpo buses and light rail. The Safe Walk service is available during our operational hours from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., 7 days a week. If you are uncomfortable with being accompanied by two USC Foot Patrol volunteers in uniform, we can still help. Just ask us for a plainclothes safe walk and we’ll remove our vests and utility pack.
Professional Development Support
Graduate students have access to a wide range of professional development resources, including transferable-skills workshops, writing and career consultations, public engagement competitions, and alumni interviews. For more information, visit FGPA’s Graduate Professional Development website.
We Are Here to Support You
The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs continues to be a champion for graduate students and provide resources to support graduate education at Carleton. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us: graduate.studies@carleton.ca
