This text is part of the special section Higher Education
By putting us under house arrest, the pandemic has given many of us the opportunity to think differently about our lifestyles, our trajectories or our aspirations. At the Université de Montréal (UdeM), this parenthesis gave rise to the idea of a new program that helps students have off-campus experiences: the RECI course (acronym formed by the names of the sections on which it is : research and creation, community and international). The first cohort able to benefit from it has just returned.
During the pandemic, Valérie Amiraux, vice-rector for community and international partnerships at the University of Montreal, and her advisor in internationalization strategies, Alexandre Jay, are thinking about innovative projects. By looking for activities adapted to the context for which the students express an interest, they notice a form of breach in the course of the latter. “They are very stimulated to do community involvement or to participate in international programs in high school and CEGEP. Then, suddenly, at the university, we focus on their professional training”, observes the vice-rector. The idea of a new optional “experiential learning” path at UdeM was born.
Connect to the world
This fall, the RECI pathway enters a pilot phase for undergraduate students starting with four units: Music, Nursing, Political Science as well as Computing and Operations Research. Pedagogical advisers are available to help them better align their personal aspirations with their training, by choosing and planning experiences related to research and creation, in the community or internationally.
To obtain the RECI distinction, the student must choose three experiences. “Some may take the form of courses that have an experiential learning flavor, but at least one extra-curricular experience that does not contribute to graduation, in the form of a summer internship in a community organization, must be chosen”, explains Alexandre Jay.
The objective is to think of the university as a space connected to the world, and this, from the first cycle. “You do not need to have already proven yourself with three years of study to be able to accompany a researcher in his laboratory, immerse himself in a community environment or live an international experience”, rejoices the vice-rector, who has made the accessibility of the course a priority. No minimum average is required to enroll in RECI, and limited financial means should not constitute an obstacle. “It’s not just for a privileged student caste. We manage to find funding, ”says Valérie Amiraux.
A personalized program
The support offered by the RECI course to students is personalized. “It’s a project centered on the individual, and that’s what sets us apart,” emphasizes Valérie Amiraux. Offered throughout the cycle, the program can be adapted to the evolution of the student’s aspirations. Tailor-made supervision means that you don’t stick to ready-made solutions, but help everyone define their own needs.
Pedagogical advisers also offer experiences that give new substance to the professional ambitions of young people. “The nursing science unit, for example, has targeted entrepreneurship as an interesting track. This opens up new horizons for students compared to the paths and professions generally anticipated,” explains Alexandre Jay. The course can also allow them to realize that the orientation they have chosen does not fully satisfy them, or that the community experience they have had has given them the desire to go to another discipline that they could meet there.
Choosing the RECI course means seizing the opportunity to test what you have learned and test the waters. “We are not all potential researchers, we are not all committed to the same level and we do not all want to go international. The course allows you to go towards these experiences without having to fit into a mould,” says Valérie Amiraux.
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