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Academic Affairs

College of Engineering

212 Hancock Hall (0275) Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 540/231-3244 Fax: 540/231-1831 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.eng.vt.edu/overview/acad_affairs.php

To: From:

Parents of New Engineering Students Dr. Bevlee A. Watford Associate Dean for Academic Affairs July 2012

Date:

Welcome to orientation and to your new role as parent of a Virginia Tech engineering student. The next several years will be an exciting and challenging time for you and your son or daughter. I want to offer you all the services of the Academic Affairs Office during these years in the hope that we can help them to be a rewarding time for all of us. This office exists to work with our students in all academic matters, to help all students find their way through the many steps to graduation, and to provide help, advice, and admonition to those who aren’t keeping up. My staff and I are also here to help you as parents when you want advice or want to know how your student is progressing at Virginia Tech. As a parent, it can sometimes be frustrating to have a son or daughter far from home and to have little or no control or even knowledge of the events in his or her life. A big part of the college experience lies in parents and young people learning how to live separate lives. There are times, nonetheless, when you may need to know what is going on academically, and I need your help now if we are to be able to help you then. The federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) forbids us to give any information about a student, except name, address, and dates of enrollment to anyone, even parents, without authorization from the student. Completion of the online form through Hokie SPA allows a student to approve disclosure of their academic record information to parent(s) and/or guardian(s). The disclosure will remain valid until the student removes the authorization. Please work with your son or daughter to address this issue. Your young person comes to us with excellent prospects for success, and we will do our best to help him or her succeed. Both you and your student need to be aware that life at Virginia Tech will be quite a change from his or her high school experience. While most entering students will flourish at Virginia Tech, many will unfortunately find that the academics here are a lot tougher than they had ever imagined. Some will find it difficult without mom or dad here to tell them to turn off the Xbox or to stay in and study instead of going out. Some will find that it is awfully hard to get up for an 8:00 a.m. class and easy to sleep all morning instead of studying when their first class isn’t until noon. Many will not know how to handle getting the first grade below a B in their lives and will have an even harder time telling their parents about it. A few will find that they can’t stand their roommate. Many will feel far from home and lonely. Some will discover that engineering isn’t really what they want to do with their lives.

Invent the Future
V I R G I N I A P O L Y T E C H N I C I N S T I T U T E A N D S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y An equal opportunity, affirmative action institution

We are prepared to help your son or daughter in any of the situations above, and we can assist in finding any tutoring or counseling that will help. Students who seek help early generally succeed, so we encourage your son or daughter to establish a relationship with his or her academic advisor and to ask for help if it is needed. Unfortunately, a few will avoid help from you or us and may have trouble making it on their own. Career, study skills, and psychological counseling are available at the Cook Counseling Center in McComas Hall. Schiffert Student Health Center (also in McComas Hall) provides full medical care. Both of these centers work with us when needed. Tutoring services are available from many sources, including the Center for Academic Enrichment and Excellence (in Femoyer Hall). Students can also arrange one-on-one assistance in their courses. Lastly, the Dean of Students office (located in East Eggleston Hall) is also available to assist students with any “out of the ordinary” situations that may arise during their stay at Virginia Tech. Based on my experience, I need to provide a few comments about academics. Engineering is a demanding field of study, and some students require more than four years to complete their degrees. However, it is designed to be a four-year curriculum, and most students can complete their degrees in that time. If your student tells you that he or she plans to take a lighter-thannormal load and take a five-year program, you need to be aware that we really don’t have a fiveyear program and that a lighter load does not always lead to higher grades. A student who hasn’t learned to budget time or study properly may do no better taking 12 credits a semester than taking 17. A decision to take a lighter-than-normal load should be carefully discussed with the student’s advisor. I urge you as parent to be aware of these and other policies at Virginia Tech. Should you ever have questions about such policies, please do not hesitate to call my office. Together we can help your young person succeed at this university, and I look forward to that day a few years from now when you watch proudly at commencement as your son’s or daughter’s name is called.

V I R G I N I A

P O L Y T E C H N I C I N S T I T U T E A N D S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y An equal opportunity, affirmative action institution

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