Welcome to the Carleton University community!
While your student is at Carleton, they are going to go through a wide range of emotions and experiences. As parents, you can be prepared to assist them along the way by providing emotional support and helping to keep them on track and direct them to the proper resources around campus. In this section you will learn about the general way in which students progress through their first year as well as information about different services across campus and how to stay connected with your student.
To learn about the transition your student will be going through, check out Helping Your Student Transition and learn how to go through our Pathways website with your student. To see a detailed, month-by-month look at what your student will be doing and how you can help them along the way, the Student Clock is here to help.
Finding Support
One of the best ways for your student to find support is the Current Students website. This website focuses on connecting students with the many support services we offer on our campus. We encourage students to explore our success pillars to see how we can support their academic success, fund their experience, define their career goals, and help them to get involved and/or explore the many health and wellness resources available to them. The website also offers a service search tool that students can use to browse through our many support services.
Connect with a Mentor
Connecting with a Peer Mentor through the First Year Connections (FYC) Program is a great way for your student to learn about campus resources, their program and how to get involved! The Student Experience Office (SEO) offers this free program to provide your student with direct support in their transition to Carleton.
Get Social
Encourage your student to get connected and stay connected with Carleton Mobile, Carleton’s official mobile app for current students. This app allows students to view their class schedule, search support services, access grades and stay up-to-date with student news and events. Carleton Mobile is also used to share Emergency Notification System (ENS) messages with the Carleton community.
Carleton Mobile is available for iPhone and Android devices.
Along with the mobile app, you can stay up-to-date with the latest news, services and events from Carleton by following @MyCarletonU on Twitter, Threads and Instagram.
Helping your student stay healthy
Health and Counselling
Health and Counselling Services is your student’s health and wellness centre on campus. They do much more than treat illnesses; they provide counselling, a resource centre, and a health promotion program for students.
Hours and Appointments
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
An appointment is necessary for most visits and mandatory for the following:
- Complete Physical Examinations
- Counselling
- STI Testing and Results
- Birth Control
- Prescription Renewals
- Referrals to Specialists
Walk-in services are available for those in need of more immediate medical assistance.
Medical Services
Health and Counselling Services has a team of medical professionals including family physicians and registered nurses. They provide outpatient medical services and serve as primary care providers to our students while attending university.
Counselling Services
Confidential personal counselling services are available for current Carleton University students. Health and Counselling Services’ primary responsibility is to alleviate distress and promote healthy functioning by providing short-term counselling services. Students can self-refer to counselling. Some examples of the issues students may discuss with a counsellor include:
- coping with stress/homesickness
- improving moods
- handling a crisis
- improving communication
- increasing self-esteem
- gender identity
- understanding one’s sexuality
- dealing with alcohol and drug concerns
In addition to these services, Carleton also has an on-campus pharmacy and dental clinic!
Health Insurance
Carleton University Students Association (CUSA) operates the student Health and Dental Plan. All students are automatically registered for the Health and Dental Plan as part of their tuition fees. For more information about the plan including coverage, group name and number, and the opt-out process, please visit CUSA’s website.
Athletics
Staying active is an important component of your student’s university life. Their physical health has a direct impact on their academic life as well as their personal life. Carleton Athletics has a variety of facilities which can help them maintain their physical health during their time at Carleton. They have access to state of the art facilities and extensive recreational programming from the moment they arrive on campus in September, including our Fitness Centre, swimming pool, Campus Rec, and intramurals.
Stay Connected
We know that sending your student off to university can be a challenging time for you as a parent, that’s why we want you to be able to stay up to date with the important events occurring on campus, upcoming dates and deadlines, and opportunities for your student.
The Parents Newsletter
The Parents Newsletter is delivered monthly and gives you the opportunity to stay informed about the questions and concerns important to parents. Look to the newsletter for information about upcoming dates and deadlines, featured student services on campus, and events on campus! We are here not only to make sure that your student has an excellent experience, but we also wish the same for you!
Visiting Ottawa
Take advantage of your student studying at Carleton by coming and spending some time in Canada’s capital city! There are many fantastic sights to see in Ottawa as well as tons of museums, galleries, festivals, and of course parliament! Winterlude takes place in February and is a great excuse to come visit during winter, strap on your skates and try out the Rideau Canal!
While you’re in Ottawa there are lots of hotels to stay at, we’ve compiled a list for you on our Admissions website. Check out Ottawa’s official tourism site to find out what fantastic events are going on in this great city!