By Farnia Fekri
The new science student lounge in KHE-223 is also being used for FA-ST sessions – and some science students aren’t happy about it.
Frustration has been building due to the Learning Success’ Facilitated Study (FA-ST) sessions in lounge, which provide students with additional support for tough courses but require students who are not a part of the sessions to leave the room.
“It’s inconsiderate to the students because there are only a few people in FA-ST [groups], but science is a huge program,” said second-year medical physics student Hazra Sokoli. “In the library it’s hard to study for exams but you’re guaranteed a spot here [in the lounge], unless FA-ST is here.”
Darrick Heyd, the associate dean of undergraduate programs and student affairs in the Faculty of Science, defends the use of the lounge for FA-ST sessions.
The advantage to having FA-ST meetings in KHE-223 is the relaxed atmosphere of a room created for students, by students, he said.
He also pointed out that holding study sessions in the lounge was in the original proposal.
Heyd, whose office funds FAST, was one of the main supporters of a lounge being created for science students.
“It is a relatively new situation so there are going to be some growing-pains,” said Heyd.
Aleksandra Kulesza, the coordinator of the FA-ST program, said she is open to hearing students’ feedback.
“KHE-223 was selected as a room [for FA-ST] in order to centralize services around the science students, to make first-year students aware of the space and to fulfill the mandate for formal study within the room,” Kulesza said in an email. “We are open to hearing the concerns of students and responding to concerns to best suit needs.”
Decisions about meeting locations for the program are a collaboration between FA-ST leaders and university faculty facilitators.
Currently, the Ryerson Science Society (RSS) is holding meetings with FA-ST coordinators to find a balance that will work for both sides.
Some science students still feel it’s unfair that they do not have access to the lounge, especially when the FA-ST sessions are small.
“It doesn’t make sense to make people who are trying to succeed at learning themselves leave so others can succeed,” said fourth-year chemistry undergraduate student Brad Jacobs.
Leave a Reply