Hello, All!
Hoping all are well on today of all days. I need to convey some important program information, but also wish to acknowledge some very important realities. I recognize that there is nothing usual about the state of our worlds today, and whether it is an election, a pandemic, a wave of social unrest due to injustice, each of us has new stressors in our lives that make everything just that much more challenging. While each of us may not be having the exact same experience, each of us is going through this at the same time, and all of our students should know there are resources available to every individual in our VLS Community. Please feel as though you can contact me if you need additional guidance, but a great place to start is the Resources page.
I also have to remind everyone that due to the accelerated time-table of the online classes – 7 weeks is very fast – there are participation and engagement expectations that are clearly laid out in your class syllabi. If there is a point where students are no longer participating or engaging, it is my responsibility to remove them from the class, resulting in a Withdrawal record and forfeiture of tuition. The best way to avoid any issues is to be in communication with the professors: they are here not only to provide you with the framework of learning for your classes, but are the best, first place to look for assistance.
Lastly, we are looking to make our Power Hour more interactive as we move deeper into the fall. All of you should be getting the regular reminders from our Registrar’s Office regarding Power Hours on Friday, but if not, let us know. These are basically open office hours for students to use to connect with individuals in those programs. This week, come in on Friday, from 2-3 Eastern (on Microsoft Teams) and join me! In the future, we will be recruiting our professors and other staff to join us! The link here is going to be the meeting on Friday: Power Hour Online Learning Office
During this period of VLS’s physical campus being closed, I will be working from home. My number listed below is my cell phone, but I may have spotty service at home. Please contact me there and if I am unavailable to answer: leave a message.
Genevieve Nichols
She/Her/Hers
Online Admissions Counselor and Student Services Advisor
164 Chelsea Street, P.O. Box 96, South Royalton, VT 05068
T: 802-355-7718