CREDIT: AMY SCOTT
The Student Collaboration Board encourages collaboration and skill sharing.

Starting Oct. 21, students will have access to the Student Collaboration Board, a new resource being offered by Library and Media Services.

The board is for current students who are either seeking or offering a skill set in hopes of collaboration on either academic or personal projects.

Monika Sammut, Library Technician at Library and Media Services, is heading the project.

“The idea behind the board is students helping students by exchanging skills and knowledge that they gain through their programs here at the college for work experience that they can use for portfolios or resumes,” said Sammut.

She said that by this time of year, students have a better understanding of the skills they possess, and what they might need assistance with.

Sammut emphasized that the board is meant for collaboration purposes and not for having other students complete your homework.

“It’s not a place where someone will do the work for you. It’s a place where you can collaborate on furthering your projects,” said Sammut.

She gave the examples of a graphic design student offering their skills of website-building to other students, or a photography student that is seeking models.

The idea was born when Sammut was approached by music industry arts students looking for videography help creating a music video. Sammut claims that Library and Media Services are often asked for assistance in setting up connections due to the scope of their work.

While the library does not guarantee the collaboration will follow through, it does connect the students, ensuring that safety is the topmost priority.

Before the ads can get posted, they have to go through a vetting process to ensure its legitimacy, and that the poster is a current Fanshawe student. The ads, both seeking and offering will not include the name or gender of the poster.

The service is free on both sides: those seeking skills cannot offer to pay, and those offering skills cannot ask for payment.

Sammut says the board places an emphasis on learning soft skills before graduation.

“When you get out into the real world, you will have to find resources to help you move your projects along. You won’t always have the skills required to complete it,” Sammut said. “Part of the board is also learning how to work in teams, how to do your research, how to communicate effectively, and how to organize yourself.”

While the board officially launches on Oct. 21, students are free to start posting ads now.

At the current time, the board is only being offered to current students, but Sammut says it is a possibility that the board could be opened up to alumni later on.