Student Wellness Services Opens Thursday Evening Clinic in Response to AMS Lobbying

KINGSTON, ON – On Wednesday, January 6, Student Wellness Services (SWS) announced the extension of the hours of urgent care walk-in clinic service on Thursdays to 7:30pm.

This extension, made on a trial basis, is a result of AMS representatives lobbying the University for better hours of clinic service for students. In October, the AMS issued a survey to gage student experiences on the quality of service at SWS – formerly Health, Counseling, and Disability services, which received over 600 responses.

A majority of students identified the provision of after-hours care, specifically on weekdays, as a priority. The AMS then represented this position to the University, which resulted in the announcement made Wednesday.

The survey and the advocacy stance it directly fueled is part of the Executive’s broader initiative to meaningfully involve direct student input on issues that will affect the Queen’s student experience.

Quick Facts:

• 53% of students surveyed indicated that the hours of operation of the SWS walk-in clinic did not meet their needs at the time of the survey.
• 80% of the suggestions for improved hours of operation were for later hours on weekdays.
• Kyle Beaudry, Vice President (Operations), and Alex Chung, Social Issues Commissioner, communicated the results of the survey to the University and lobbied for after care hours.
• After presenting the data, SWS agreed to extend urgent care walk-in clinic hours on Thursday evenings on a trial basis.

Quotes:

“When we were looking at ways to improve Student Wellness Services, we knew student input would be crucial. The data we gathered determined our conversations with the University and we are encouraged that student concerns were not only heard but acted upon.” – Kyle Beaudry, Vice President (Operations)

“Maintaining good health is often the aspect of student life that gets the least attention in comparison to school and extracurriculars. Healthcare must be easily accessible for a population that leads such dynamic lifestyles to allow students to prioritize their health.” – Alex Chung, Social Issues Commissioner

Please direct all media inquiries to Jessamine Luck, AMS Marketing & Communications Officer, at or (613) 533-6000 x 75850

Backgrounder

The central undergraduate student government at Queen’s University, the Alma Mater Society (AMS) represents over 16 000 students and is the oldest student government in Canada. The constituency is represented through 10 faculty societies. The AMS Council, which is made up of a three-person executive, six commissioners, and three directors, oversee all day-to-day activities within the Society, including 10 corporate services and over 50 government committees that address virtually all matters of student life at Queen’s.