Advising + Counseling
Advising
The Virginia Tech Career Services for Students page contains an extensive amount of information concerning major or career direction; externships and internships; getting career-related experience during college; starting a job search; planning for grad or professional school; and much more…
Counseling
The Thomas E. Cook Counseling Center provides individual counseling and group counseling for enrolled undergraduate and graduate students at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Consultation and outreach services are provided for Virginia Tech faculty, staff, and student organizations.
School of Architecture + Design Undergraduate Advising
Advising for students enrolled in the School of Architecture + Design follows a dual model for each of its four undergraduate majors in conjunction with a check-sheet of credits required for each semester. The discipline-specific check-sheet clearly lists the courses within the designated major that are required for a specific semester plus CLE credits [Curriculum for Liberal Education] and elective credits needed for graduation.
Freshmen in each of these four disciplines work with two undergraduate staff specialists and the Foundation Program Chair as the primary resource for advising. The staff specialists assist the students with issues involving university policies on curriculum and requirements for graduation. On an ‘as-needed basis’, they frequently meet with students to review their DARS report [Degree Audit Report Status]. The Foundation Chair addresses issues about recommended courses and minors, drop/add and force/add, and change of major. Also on an ‘as-needed basis’ the Chair meets with students to address a range of situations that include inability to satisfy course requirements, personal difficulties that interfere with a student’s performance, and anything the students wishes to discuss pertaining to their studies.
However, each student’s design lab professors advise them as well because these faculty have 12 contact hours with the students each week of each semester, and thereby the opportunity for addressing questions about the curriculum, courses and making students’ aware of learning opportunities.
From the 2nd year until graduation students seek advice from their discipline-specific program chairs and the same two staff specialists they began with as freshmen. The staff specialists frequently meet with students in person and are in frequent contact via email to ensure successful and timely completion of their degree requirements. And again, their design lab professors advise them as their studies increasingly focus on their specific degree major and the contact hours increase to 20 hours per week for each semester.