The Oregon State University College of Business Canvas Resource Guide is set to have a pilot launch this summer; the guide’s goal is to provide help for students finding information and resources.

Jennifer Villalobos, program manager at OSU, said “the goal of the Canvas Resource Guide is to curate the most relevant content for current students to help them navigate their time at OSU successfully; students can use this guide to explore majors, find financial resources, learn about upcoming events, prepare their resume and cover letter and learn best practices for finding a job.”

The guide consists of content and hyperlinks pointing students to the direction of whichever resource they are searching for. The purpose of the guide is to be a tool for finding answers to questions that would normally be a hassle for students to find.

“We also use Canvas sites to support our student ambassadors and peer mentors providing key information to them which has been effective; we used a similar model to develop this resource guide,” Villalobos said.

Director of Student Engagement at the College of Business Sandra Neubaum, who had a major role of overseeing the implementation of the guide, said it is built to lead the way for students through their journey at OSU, from day one to graduation.

“Sierra Bechdoldt, a student ambassador in our program, was instrumental in bringing the student voice into the development of this guide; she curated many resources available that students were requesting additional information on,” Neubaum said.

Bechdoldt, a program assistant and business management student at OSU, was fundamental for the guide’s creation, bringing in perspectives and knowledge about what the guide’s development would require.

“Some students don’t know that if you choose to do a direct deposit to pay your bill, you don’t get charged an extra fee,” Bechdoldt said. “It’s simple things like this, that students don’t know; and we are here to help them understand.”

Academic advising, registering for classes and other career resources are also not as easy as it seems for students to find and benefit from, and Bechdoldt said that the guide will also aim to resolve these issues.

“Student wellness is one of the biggest resources. OSU has a lot of means to help with mental health, nutrition and child care as well as diversity and equity inclusion,” Bechdoldt said. “It just shows how much we have in our university.”

As a senior-standing student, Bechdoldt is set to graduate soon, and will no longer be working on developing the guide.

“One of my hopes is that this will be just the start to get the ball rolling, that in the future, more students will feel empowered to advocate for themselves,” Bechdoldt said. “While having the resources and the guide is important, we still need the people to go-to to find help.”

Bechdoldt also hopes that this becomes implemented for every student of every major, as it is currently planned to only be available for students in the College of Business.

More information about the Canvas Resource Guide and how business students can get involved will be announced at a later date. 

“Our goal is to do a pilot launch of the site this summer with a full roll out to students in the College of Business in the fall,” Villalobos said.