While You're Away Program
Spring 2008
To: The Virginia Tech Community
From: Zenobia Lawrence Hikes
Vice President for Student Affairs
As vice president for student affairs, I am pleased to pledge my division's continued support to the academic mission of this great university. The Division of Student Affairs is proud of its wide range of programs and services that contribute to the holistic development of Virginia Tech students. One of the many ways that the division supports the academic mission is through the While You're Away program. This unique program offers the university community and faculty, in particular, a series of class presentations that can be scheduled when faculty members are away for conferences or other professional responsibilities. Also, we invite you to take advantage of this program as a supplement to your course syllabus, even if you are not away.
I encourage you to look through the wide array of programs and presentations that are available. You will note that the offerings are grouped under the general topics of academic issues, alcohol, career issues, leadership skills and teamwork, physical and psychological health, and student life issues. Should you find a presentation that interests you, please don't hesitate to contact the individual or office listed to receive additional information and to schedule a class presentation.
In addition to offering presentations to your classes, the professional staff in the Division of Student Affairs is available to you for consultation. During the course of the year, you may find their services invaluable in assisting with students experiencing crises and other challenges in their personal lives. Further, the Dean of Students can support you in managing difficult student classroom behavior, if the need arises. For your reference, the handbook on managing disruptive students can be found on the web at http://www.dsa.vt.edu/facultyandstaff/.
As vested members of the Virginia Tech community, we genuinely appreciate your continuous commitment to the academic preparation of our students. And we look forward to serving as partners in their achievement, persistence, and holistic development.
Class Presentations Available:
- Academic Issues
- Alcohol
- Career Issues
- Leadership Skills / Teamwork
- Physical and Psychological Health
- Student Life Issues
While You're Away Spring 2008 Word version for printing