A New Path Forward for Suspended Students

^{Victoria College Academic Advisor Jade Hazell, left, and University College Academic Advisor Dimitri Thompson. (Photos by Neil Gaikwad)}

By Samantha Chater

For many students, an academic suspension can feel like the end of the road. But a new pilot program by Victoria College at Victoria University in the University of Toronto and University College is showing it can instead be a turning point. 

The Skills Towards Academic Recovery (STAR) program launched in summer 2025 at Victoria College and University College designed specifically for suspended students. The nine-week program offers workshops on study strategies, wellness, financial planning and career exploration. Students also meet one-on-one with advisers to design personalized recovery plans. A follow-up online module keeps resources available after students return to their studies. For Annie, a student in the first STAR cohort, the program offered more than workshops and resources—it offered support and understanding. 

“Being suspended was overwhelming and confronting my failures was terrifying, but STAR gave me a clear path forward when I felt completely lost,” said Annie. 

Suspension can also be isolating. STAR addresses that by combining skill-building with peer connection.  

^{Hazell said the STAR program helps suspended students see that Victoria College remains invested in their success.}

“Before STAR, I felt like I was the only one who had ever failed this badly,” Annie said. “Hearing other students’ stories erased that shame and we became a support network for each other.” 

Annie’s experience shows how STAR helps students rebuild confidence and rediscover their potential. 

“STAR shows students that suspension isn’t the end of their academic journey—it’s a chance to pause, reflect and re-engage in a more intentional way,” said Jade Hazell, academic advisor at Victoria College.

“Even when they aren’t in classes, we believe in their potential and are invested in their success.” 

The pilot’s early success has already drawn interest beyond the two colleges. Other divisions in the Faculty of Arts & Science are looking at adapting the model for their own students.  

“With STAR, Victoria and University colleges are breaking new ground,” said Yvette Ali, registrar of Victoria University in the University of Toronto. “This is the first program of its kind in Arts & Science and it reflects our shared belief that every student deserves structured support to recover and thrive academically.” 

For advisors, STAR is as much about reframing failure as it is about academics. 

“We don’t view suspension as failure, but students often do,” said Dimitri Thompson, academic advisor at University College. “That’s why we reframe it right from the start: it’s a bump in the road, not the end. Through STAR, students also realized they were not alone. By the midpoint, many reflected on the positive impact that their newfound sense of community had.” 

For Annie, STAR was more than a program—it was a transformation. She began to see her suspension not as the end, but as a pause that let her reset, rediscover her strengths and chart a new path forward. 

“Before the program, my story was, ‘I’m the student who failed and got kicked out,’” she said. “Now it’s, ‘I’m the student who faced a setback, learned from it and came back stronger and wiser.’ Failure is just one chapter, not the whole story.”