Supports for Diversity across the Conestoga Community

At Conestoga, we have several Accessibility programs, services, and facilities to facilitate more choice and independence for students, employees, or visitors with disabilities. Accessible Learning supports students with permanent, temporary, visible, or invisible disabilities to fully participate in our Conestoga community. Moreover, Conestoga has a Student Service Animal Policy and Student Service Animal Procedure for bringing service animals on campus.

Below are key resources for faculty about accessible teaching and learning at Conestoga:

Accessible Board Work

Accommodating and Supporting Students with Disabilities: Conestoga Faculty Stories

A Foundational Understanding of Accessible Teaching and Learning at Conestoga College

Building Accessible PowerPoint Slides

Supporting Privacy Rights of People with Disabilities

Ways To Make Your Teaching More Accessible

Short-term private accommodation is available for students, employees, and visitors of Conestoga College. Rooms are first come, first serve. Accommodation can be booked for the following locations: Brantford, Cambridge – Fountain Street, Doon, Downtown Kitchener, Guelph, and Waterloo.

All students and employees have a right to study and work in a safe environment free of discrimination and harassment. To address concerns for students, contact Student Rights and Responsibilities. To address concerns for employees, contact Human Resources.

Additionally, below are some resources to create safe and effective learning spaces:  

Creating Class Guidelines with Students

Managing Group Work

Student Expectations for Online Engagement

Students Talking in Class

We have a curated list of College resources for Indigenous students, as well as African, Caribbean, and Black-identifying students. For students, employees, as well as the wider community, we have Anti-Racism & Racial Justice Resources as well as Indigenous Resources.

Additionally, below is a list of resources to support the teaching and learning of BIPOC students. For resources specific to teaching Indigenous students, please see the Indigenous accordion.

10 (+1) Tips for Supporting International Students (and Everyone Else) While Teaching Remotely

Creating a Sense of Belonging for International Students

Language Use in the Conestoga Classroom

Students from India: Help Them to be Successful

Supporting Muslim Students during the Month of Ramadan

Tips for Teaching Out-of-Country International Students

Understanding Equity, Inclusion, and Teaching During a Pandemic

Students at Conestoga are encouraged to build community through Student Engagement resources and get involved to make a difference.

Read the below resource on building community in our courses:

Getting Started with Breakout Rooms

Start Your Class with Content-based Icebreakers

Teaching for Social Good and Community Building

What is Effective Fully Online Teaching 

We have curated lists of College resources for 2SLGBTQ+ students, as well as Community 2SLGBTQ+ Resources available to students, employees, and the general public. Conestoga also has services for students to change their personal information or change their preferred name/gender.

We have Child Care Centres at Conestoga, available to students, employees, and the general public.

Be-Dah-Bin Gamik (A Place for New Beginnings) offers services for Indigenous students, including those who identify as First Nations (status and non-status), Metis, and Inuit. We also have resources for Indigenous students as well as Community Indigenous Resources (for students, employees, and the wider community).

Check out our Teaching and Learning resources for supporting Indigenous students:

First Annual Indigenous Faculty Learning Symposium (June 16, 17 and 18, 2022)

Building Truth and Reconciliation for Indigenous Peoples into Teaching

Delivering Indigenous Land Acknowledgements

Terms for First Peoples in Canada

Free period products are available to students, employees, and visitors in various washrooms across Conestoga campuses. For more information, please check out Conestoga’s Free Period Products page. 

Learn more about Parking and Transportation at Conestoga for students, employees, and visitors.

A variety of professional development opportunities are available to Conestoga employees. These include workshops, micro-credentials, the Faculty Learning Hub (24/7 teaching & learning resources for faculty), and teaching videos for ongoing learning and development.

A variety Conestoga has several resources for sexual & gender-based violence prevention and support available to students as well as employees supporting students. Check out these supports if you are supporting survivors of sexual or gender-based violence or if you are interested in learning more about Conestoga’s Consent Culture.

Conestoga offers students Spiritual Rooms, which are non-denominational, gender-neutral spaces for prayer, meditation, or silent reflection. To enhance safety, Conestoga also offers students, employees, and visitors access to an escort anywhere on College property or accommodation within campus vicinity through the Walksafe Program.

Students have supports and resources for medical care, mental health counselling, as well as physical and sexual health. Check out Student Health & Wellness Services for more information.

Faculty also can check out the below teaching and learning resources to support student well-being:

Best Practices for Faculty to Support Students in Distress or in Crisis

Content Warnings in Teaching

Managing Unexpected and/or Emotional Incidents in Post-Secondary Teaching

Reacting and Responding to Student E-mails, Especially During End-of-Semester Stress

A summary of Conestoga’s Equity Resources is also available in pdf.

At Conestoga, we have a number of universal/gender-inclusive washrooms available to students, employees, and the general public. For a list of these washroom locations, please see this page, and scroll down to the Universal/Gender-Inclusive Washrooms sub-heading.