Hannah Liu was working on coursework for her PhD in Business Economics when she realized she needed help. Having moved to Kingston from China, she was confident in the quality of her research project but felt she needed to develop her academic communication skills in English. To get the help she needed, she turned to Student Academic Success Services (SASS). 

“Two of the things I had the most trouble with were the pronunciation of certain sounds and presentation skills,” says Ms. Liu (PhD ’17). “Within a few minutes of meeting with an advisor from SASS, I identified my issues and ways I could improve them.”

Comprised of the Writing Centre and Learning Strategies units, SASS offers support to students looking to improve their skills in critical thinking, writing, and learning.

Ms. Liu initially began working on her writing skills with Donna Katinas, the Writing Centre’s ESL program coordinator. The two began meeting regularly and expanded the focus of the sessions to address presentation skills. “She’s helped me get used to Canadian culture as well,” Ms. Liu says. “Donna’s been a really great support to me and I’m really thankful I get to work with her.”

Ms. Katinas offers many services in addition to the one-on-one appointments Ms. Liu accessed including workshops and learning tutorials. While the majority of the students she works with are international, Ms. Katinas welcomes any student whose first language is not English. Appointments can focus on assignment-specific challenges, like writing a strong conclusion for an essay, or cover more general topics, like grammar or punctuation.

“I’ve found that the best way to help students improve is to have them practice a concept and give them direct feedback on it right away,” Ms. Katinas says. “Many of the students who see me want help with their pronunciation and presentation skills too, which I’m always happy to do.”

A new Writing and Learning Lab scheduled to launch in Stauffer Library in the winter term will enhance Ms. Katinas’ ability to help all students. The lab, a joint effort between SASS and the Queen’s Learning Commons, will be equipped with audio and presentation equipment and will be used as a space for students to work on their writing and learning skills.

“Students we work with have indicated they need a space where they can write together, or check in with someone while working. Many of them find it useful to ask a quick question while they write,” Ms. Katinas says. “It’s great that we are expanding to better serve students.”

More information about Student Academic Success Services can be found on their website.