For WashU Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS) students balancing classes with careers, families and other responsibilities, knowing where to turn when they need support can be especially important.
New and returning students and their guests had an opportunity to build those connections face-to-face before classes started during the annual WashU CAPS New Student Orientation & Fall Welcome. Opportunities to meet with Student Success Navigators, academic directors and representatives from across WashU helped attendees expand their support system before the start of the semester.
“The purpose for the event is to network with support services throughout WashU and to meet personal CAPS navigators face to face,” Dean Sean Armstrong said. “In many cases they have [met], but it’s been virtual or through a phone conversation. Providing a casual space to connect is an ideal option for developing a trusted partnership to ensure a successful student experience.”
Preparing for Classes to Begin
Throughout the event, students and their guests moved among resource tables, asking questions and connecting directly with the people who can support them throughout their student experience.
In addition to CAPS academic directors and Student Success Navigators, students had a chance to meet with representatives from the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Gender Equity and Title IX Office, University Libraries, The Writing Center, Financial Aid and career services.
Attendees also had an opportunity to meet one another through an icebreaker game designed to promote networking with classmates.
Kallie Reyes, Director of Student Engagement & Success, said those personal connections are particularly important for students who may not regularly spend time on campus.
“We don’t do a lot of in-person events, so this is, I think, a key component for our students to build connection with each other, our staff and our instructors,” Reyes said.
Rather than focusing on formal presentations, the event gave students the opportunity to spend their time asking questions about the resources most relevant to them.
“It’s a good chance for students to come in with what they already know and to expand upon that knowledge by talking with their support team or to just ask questions before the start of classes,” Reyes said.
Asking for Assistance
For Armstrong, making connections at the beginning of the year serves an important purpose beyond helping students prepare for their first day of class. He wants students to know where to turn when they encounter a challenge — and to feel comfortable reaching out.
“We want to remove any sense of fear or uncertainty,” Armstrong said, “and show that we’re all here to support them.”
Those connections can become even more important as the semester progresses.
“The trouble might not happen immediately. It can happen at any point in the semester,” Armstrong said. “But students should feel comfortable reaching out to let us know what their challenges are so we can help address them.”
For WashU CAPS students balancing education with the rest of life, those connections mean that when challenges arise, they already know where — and who — to turn to.
