Student support coordinator

The Division of Continuing Studies (DCS) has a Student Support Coordinator who provides non-academic support and resources related to being a student at Continuing Studies at UVic.

Emily Arvay (PhD) can provide mental health and wellness supports (for stress, culture-shock, anxiety, depression, grief and loss) and assistance with being a student in Victoria. Emily can also provide resources for childcare and housing, support students with documented accommodations (academic and physical), as well as assist with medical insurance questions and academic integrity concerns. 

Emily recently joined the DCS team in 2025 and has previous experience working with English-as-an-additional-language learners at UVic as an TESOL-certified EAL Specialist for the Academic Skills Centre (2019–2025). Emily also has extensive experience working with UVic students with documented disabilities requiring adaptive accommodations through her work with the Centre for Accessible Learning (2017–2022).  In addition to booking an in-person, phone, or Zoom appointment, keep an eye out for the wellness workshops that Emily will be facilitating throughout the year.

Emily Arvay
Emily Arvay,
Student Support Coordinator

Appointments

To make an in-person, online, or phone Student Support appointment:

  • Visit this booking portal: uvictoria.mywconline.net
  • Click on the blue 'Log in' button to create an account.
  • Select from the 'Schedules' drop-down menu the 'Student Support Coordinator' option.
  • Click on any white square to book a 30-minute appointment with Emily. 
  • You can also stop by the Continuing Studies Building, Registration Office, room 245, to see if Emily is available for a drop-in appointment.

By email 

Emailing sscoord@uvic.ca is another great way to connect with Emily. You can email Emily any questions or concerns that you might have without needing to make an appointment first. She can provide resources and feedback to your questions. 

Wellness Wednesdays

Wellness Wednesday is a free, drop-in space for Continuing Studies’ students to meet, enjoy snacks, trade tips, share strategies, and make new friends! Everyone is welcome to join our conversation circle.

Dates: Jan. 21; Feb. 4; Feb. 18; March 4; March 18; April 1, 2026
Time: Noon – 1 pm
Location: In-person in the Continuing Studies Building room 277 (Oak Room) or join on Zoom
Registration: No registration required.

Check out our conversation circle topics:

Jan. 21 - Time Management as Stress Management
Trade strategies for managing time, reducing distractions, increasing focus, sustaining motivation, boosting productivity, and reducing academic stress. 

February 4 - Setting Up for a Successful Winter Term
Explore the range of supports available to Continuing Studies students to enhance your chances of academic success this term. 

February 18 - Self-Compassion for Academic Resilience
Share self-compassion strategies for managing perfectionism, reducing self-criticism, and preventing procrastination to improve academic performance. 

March 4 - Never Too Late to Get Caught Up!
Acquire strategies to increase motivation, set realistic goals, manage stress, as well as strategically prioritize and backwards plan overdue course assignments. 

March 18 - Self-Care for Finishing the Final Stretch
Discover self-care strategies for improving academic endurance and preventing end-of term burnout to ensure the timely completion of your academic courses.   

April 1 - Study Skills for Managing Exam Anxiety
Learn effective study strategies and stress-reduction tips for multiple choice, short-answer, and long-answer exam questions.

Student support resources

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Most students seek rental housing, which can be found using UVic’s off-campus housing resource page, or on local Victoria websites such as:

You can also find Housing Groups on Facebook (Victoria Community Housing Network/Victoria, BC Affordable Housing Network//Victoria Rentals (BC, Canada).

If you need temporary housing in a Hostel when you arrive Ocean Island is a popular one.

If your program includes Homestay or dormitories, more information can been seen on our page on accommodations. 

Learn more about Guard.me@UVCS medical insurance for Continuing Studies students. 

Mobile Doctor is a mobile app available through your guard.me insurance plan and is the best way to connect with a doctor for non-emergency medical issues. Learn more about Mobile Doctor. 

If you need to see a doctor in person, you can find the clinics and wait times available at https://medimap.ca

Emily is available to assist with the mental health and wellness needs for all Continuing Studies students.

You can book an appointment with Emily, the Student Support Coordinator at uvictoria.mywconline.net.

Students with Guard.me insurance also has coverage for psychotherapy and psychiatric hospitalization. 

For students in need of immediate mental health support, please use SupportConnect to speak with a certified counsellor on the phone or online (*available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week).  

Here are some resources that may be helpful in finding daycare in Victoria.   

Students in non-credit programs are welcome to join for workshops and cafes. The workshops are offered in Zoom and the cafes in-person.

Visit the Academic Skills Centre for more details. 

At Continuing Studies at UVic, we want to support all of our students towards achieving success. Sometimes this means providing academic accommodations to reduce barriers and provide different ways of meeting essential course or program requirements. Of course, fulfilling these requirements remains the responsibility of learners, but there are things that we can do to help.

Learners with long-term or chronic medical issues and learners with disabilities are encouraged to contact our student support coordinator at sscoord@uvic.ca or uvictoria.mywconline.net as early as possible to see how we can best support their learning. 

Barrier examples: Accommodations examples:
Mobility challenges Classes in accessible locations; classroom set up to accommodate walkers, wheelchairs, etc. 
Visual impairment (low vision/blind) Larger print format; text-to-speech software; handouts in braille; international students may need to bring their own guide.
Learning disability, ADHD Writing time extensions; alternate assessments; distraction reduced exam environments
Deaf or hard of hearing Instructors use a microphone; enable caption settings in video materials
Chronic pain  Extension for assignments; permission to take regular breaks in class or stand up when needed
Anxiety Permission to take breaks when needed; alternate assessments or activities; extension on deadlines