Unitea – Sip, Chat, Connect
A conversation can make all the difference in a student's life — Unitea sparks these conversations to happen. We are committed to building community one tea at a time and believe strong campuses foster communities where voices are heard, well-being is promoted, and social interactions can flourish. Take a break, pour the tea and see where the conversation takes you.
Never been to Unitea and want to know what the tea time experience is like? Check out this YouAlberta story!
What is Unitea?
Connection starts with a conversation, and what better way to connect than over a cup of tea or coffee?
The human need for social connection is universal and essential for your personal wellbeing and sense of belonging. Unitea creates space to build those connections with Peer Hosts and Alumni Hosts — volunteers with diverse interests and experiences who love a good conversation. By connecting with others, you can make the U of A feel more like home.
One-to-One Tea Times
Enjoy tea or coffee while having meaningful conversations with a peer or alum host about something you’re looking forward to, passionate about, worried about, or anything else under the sun.
Collective Tea Times
Sign up to join group tea times facilitated by Unitea volunteers with other U of A students. Connect with new friends, discuss student-related topics, and get support for life’s challenges in a group setting.
UPCOMING COLLECTIVE TEA TIMES
Creating a “Hygge” Winter: How are you looking after your well-being this December?
Dec. 5 | 2:30 p.m. MDT | 1-17 Henderson Hall, Rutherford Library South, North Campus
Join Unitea and ASSET for a group conversation on the Danish concept of "hygge" (pronounced "hoo-ga") with fellow students to help care for yourself with the oncoming cold and dark of the winter season. Hygge, a feeling of cozy contentment and well-being, is about enjoying the simple things in life and feeling interpersonally connected. Adding to the coziness and contentment vibes for our group chat, there’ll be a hot chocolate station and Hoppy Acres Rabbitry will join us with their cute bunnies, while we share and connect with each other.
SpecialTeas
Are you interested in bringing together students and discussing topics meaningful to them in a group conversation? Any student group, student faculty association, graduate program, faculty, or other student-related groups can request to have our co-hosts come to you and lead a special collective tea time!
To book a graduate, faculty, or special student group collective tea time please email unitea@ualberta.ca
Unitea Outreach Tea Times
World in a TeaCup
Nov 25, 2024, 1:00 - 3:30 pm, 1-17 Henderson Hall, Rutherford Library South
Join Unitea for our World in a Teacup event. As we wrap up our classes, destress and enjoy tasting teas and snacks from around the world. There will be lighthearted games and DIY tea-themed crafts. Be sure to RSVP using this link and bring a friend or two. There is something for everyone!
Do you want to meet other students while connecting through conversation and fun activities? Our friendly Outreach hosts invite you to join Unitea group activities during the Fall and Winter terms where you can connect with peers in a fun, relaxing, and meaningful way.
How It Works
Visit our booking page to sign up for in-person one-to-one or a group for a conversation.
Please note you can request a remote one-to-one conversation by emailing unitea@ualberta.
After booking a tea time, you receive a confirmation email outlining the date, time, and location details.
You will get a reminder notification 24 hours before your tea time.
Friendly Unitea host(s) will greet you at your one-to-one or collective tea time, where you can talk about whatever is on your mind. You will receive a complimentary tea or coffee from Daily Grind in SUB during a one-to-one tea time. Unitea hosts are also knowledgeable about services available on campus and in the community and can direct you to the right place.
Please note: We want to support sustainable efforts and have Unitea travel mugs. First-time participants of one-to-one and collective tea times will receive a free travel mug from the Unitea host(s). We encourage you to bring your travel mug every time you have a one-to-one or collective tea time.
Please note our volunteers are trained to listen to a wide variety of topics and do so in a confidential manner. However, if you express thoughts of imminent harm to yourself or others, they will bring in the Unitea supervisor or Wellness Supports Director to provide the support you may need.
For one-to-one tea times conducted through virtual platforms like Google Meet or Zoom, please be aware that no video or audio tools are ever completely secure. There is a security risk that personal information discussed during a tea time may be intercepted or disclosed to third parties using video or audio communications tools.
To help us keep your information safe and secure, please use the following:
- a private computer/device (i.e., not an employer's or third party's computer/device)
- a secure account
- a secure internet connection
For example, using a personal and encrypted email account (e.g. U of A CCID account) is more secure than an unencrypted email account, and your access to the Internet on your home network will generally be more secure than an open guest Wi-Fi connection.
We request adequate notice for cancellations to make tea times available to other students and care for our hosts' time.
If you cannot attend a tea time, please cancel at least 24 hours before your tea time.
There are two ways to cancel:
- Click the "Reply, Change, Cancel" button in the booking confirmation email sent by Sign In Scheduling; or
- Email unitea@ualberta.ca, including your name, date, and time of your tea time.
Students who participate in the Unitea program understand and agree to the following:
- Unitea is not a professional counselling service or intended to replace such services.
- Students will receive notification through text or email confirming their scheduled tea time and reminding them of the tea time 24 hours prior.
- If there is a need to cancel the scheduled tea time, students agree to provide 24-hour advance notice.
- Students will engage in respectful conversation with the Unitea host.
- Any personal information collected in the signup and scheduling process will only be used for Unitea programming purposes. No information will be given to third parties.
- Students agree to be contacted in the future for program evaluation purposes.
- Recordings of virtual one-to-one tea times or Unitea-related activities by either student(s) or Unitea Host(s) are prohibited.
- Screenshots of virtual one-to-one tea times by either student(s) or the Unitea Host(s) are prohibited.
We want to ensure that Unitea’s services are as inclusive, accessible and barrier-free as possible, providing the opportunity for all U of A students, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. For accommodations regarding accessibility, please email unitea@ualberta.ca. Please note we will do our best to support your accommodation request, and should it not be within our ability, we will contact you to explore alternative arrangements that will make our environment accessible.
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