Undergraduate Advising

Administration

Kathryn Albright Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Phone: 231-0795 Email: kclarke@vt.edu Rob Jacks Director of Academic Advising Phone: 231-6415 Email: rjacks@vt.edu Robin Cooley Academic Affairs Coordinator Phone: 231-5724 Email:

Undergraduate Majors & Program Links

Architecture Art History and Visual Culture Cinema Creative Technologies Explore AAD Graphic Design Industrial Design Interior Design Landscape Architecture Music Studio Art Theatre Arts

Undergraduate Minors

Art History Cinema Design+Technology+Creative Expression Industrial Design Landscape Architecture Music Music - Jazz Studies Music - Technology Theatre Arts Technology, Humans, & Environment Visual Arts & Society (a pathways minor)

Undergraduate Check Sheets

Degree requirements at Virginia Tech are referred to as check sheets. They are published and pushed through governance two years prior to the year of graduation that they take effect. Check sheets for majors and minors are posted on the registrar's website, here.

Academic Advisors

Architecture + Industrial Design

Tamela Gallimore (Years 1 & 2) - 201 Cowgill Hall - 540-231-0018 - tamccoy@vt.edu
Vern Ferguson (Years 3, 4, & 5) - 201 Cowgill Hall - 540-231-2763 - vernf@vt.edu

Interior Design + Landscape Architecture

Michelle Flinchum - 201 Cowgill Hall - 540-231-4473 - michellevf@vt.edu

Music

Tammy Henderson - 246 Henderson Hall - 540-231-4277 - tammyh@vt.edu

Cinema & Theatre Arts

Dee Hopkins - Henderson Hall - 540-231-6456 - deidra61@vt.edu

Art History, Creative Technologies, Studio Art, Graphic Design

Susan Rosebrough - 110 Armory Building - 540-231-1714 - slough@vt.edu

Explore AAD

Rob Jacks - 202 Cowgill Hall - 540-231-6415 - rjacks@vt.edu

Additional Advising Information

International Students

International students offer an aspect of diversity that contributes to the enrichment of our University. The main support for international students on complex federal and state regulations concerning immigration, travel, and employment regulations is Cranwell International Center. Cranwell is located on West Clay Street and overlooks the tennis court on Washington Street. Before international students make any changes in their academic standing, courses in which they are enrolled or changes of major, minor or options they should discuss the implications of those changes with Cranwell International Center to be sure they are not jeopardizing their immigration status in the United States. Strategies for Effective Communication with International Students

Set individual at ease; try to make personal contact.
Determine who the person is and where they are coming from, i.e. how they see the situation.
In interactions, try to determine common goals.
Give an overview of the system, and explain how that system operates.
Determine an individual’s position in that system, and try to find where he/she wants to go.
Be aware of the importance of friendly questioning. Try not to ask questions that only require a yes/no answer. Instead, ask questions that require the individual to try to communicate and let the person find their own words.
Try to find out their status and what their actual goals are.
Explain the scope of your abilities and powers, if relevant.
Direct them on the next step.
If what they want is an impossibility, explain and clarify why.
Closure is important. If you do not expect to see them again, end with a note of finality.

Identifying and Referring Distressed Students

The college years can be very stressful for many. In the contemporary climate of competition and pressure, some students adequately cope with these stresses, but others find that stress becomes unmanageable and interferes with learning. In some cases, these students may even disrupt the learning of others. Your Role Many students initially seek assistance from faculty or staff members. Please know that faculty are encouraged to submit a VT EARS report for academic concerns through HokieSpa (Early Academic Referral System) and for other concerns (personal well-being) to the Dean of Students Office (Dean of Students Referral). These can be accessed Hokiespa -\> Faculty Access by any faculty or staff. Below are guidelines for identifying students in distress.

Excessive procrastination and very poorly prepared work, especially if inconsistent with previous work.
Infrequent class attendance with little or no work completed.
Dependency (e.g., the student who hangs around or makes excessive appointments during office hours).
Listlessness, lack of energy, or frequently falling asleep in class.
Marked changes in personal hygiene.
Impaired speech and disjointed thoughts.
Repeated requests for special consideration (e.g. deadline extensions).
Threats to others.
Expressed suicidal thoughts (e.g., referring to suicide as a current option).
Excessive weight gain or loss.
Behavior that regularly interferes with effective management of class.
Frequent high levels of irritability, unruly, abrasive, or aggressive behavior.
Unable to make decisions despite your repeated efforts to clarify or encourage.
Bizarre behavior which is obviously inappropriate for the situation (e.g., talking to something/someone that is not present).
Students who appear overly nervous, tense, or tearful.

Guidelines for Interaction:

Talk to the student in private.
Express concern. Be as specific as possible in stating your observations and reasons for concern.
Listen carefully to everything the student says.
Repeat the essence of what the student has told you so your attempts to understand are communicated.
Avoid criticizing or sounding judgmental.
Consider the Thomas E. Cook Counseling Center (CCC) as a resource and discuss referral with the student.
If the student resists referral and you remain uncomfortable with the situation, contact the CCC to discuss your concern.

Students with Disabilities

The Services for Students with Disabilities office exists to assist the university with its mission of creating an inclusive and welcoming community for all students. The SSD office works to ensure that students with disabilities receive equal access to education and opportunities at Virginia Tech. If a student you are advising discloses to you that he/she has a disability, ask the student if he/she has contacted the SSD office. It is the student’s responsibility to provide documentation to the SSD office in order to obtain an accommodations letter from the SSD office. Although every disability is unique and requires specific accommodations and services, listed below are some general strategies for advising students with disabilities or for students you feel may have an undiagnosed disability.

If a student you are advising discloses that he/she has a disability, you may want to ask the student to tell you how the disability affects him/her academically. This information will assist you in advising the student on the number of credit hours to take each semester, how to balance his/her schedule, and how to plan a schedule.
While you may not counsel a student with a disability out of a particular major, you can discuss the requirements of a major and how the disability may affect the student’s success in the major.
If a student you are advising has disclosed a disability, you will want to ask the student if they have contacted the SSD office in order to discuss academic accommodations and other services.
If a student with a disability tries to give you the documentation for the disability, ask the student to take the documents to the SSD office. Please do not keep a copy of the documentation.
If a student you are advising is having academic difficulties and he/she has not disclosed a disability, you may want to suggest they come to the SSD office for an intake to see if an undiagnosed disability may be present and professional testing may need to be recommended.
If a student requests a course substitution for foreign language, ask the student to come to the SSD office with the request. There is a process in place that the student will need to complete.