How to Connect with Campus Resources
Wake has a wealth of support offices here to assist our students, but sometimes our students aren’t totally sure how to connect with campus resources. Today I want to offer some thoughts and tips.
We have a Who to Contact for… page that lists many of the commonly-used offices on campus, and that’s a great place to start if your Deac is looking for resources, support, or to understand which offices do which functions on campus.
It’s typically a safe bet for your Deac to begin with the office website as they try to see how to tap into particular resources. Some offices like the Student Health Service or the University Counseling Center require appointments, and those appointments may have to be scheduled in particular ways. For example, Student Health’s website says appointments can be booked online or via email or they can call (and I always tell students if it looks booked, don’t give up – call the office and see if they have anything else available – often they do!). For the University Counseling Center, they ask you to call to make an appointment – but their website also has information about TimelyCare, which is an online option available to them. You get the idea.
So students should begin with office or department websites, look for key data like how to make an appointment (if required), if that office prefers phone calls vs email etc. But students can also physically go to many offices on campus to ask about how to get connected to their office. Most offices have a front desk or a staff member near the entrance where students can ask questions or get initial assistance. Being physically present in an office, particularly if that office is one with which they might have an ongoing relationship, can help a student feel comfortable with the staff and the setting.
For faculty help, each professor should have published their office hours – times when they will be available in their office for questions and student visits. Those office hours might be listed on the class syllabus, or on the faculty member’s door, and/or on their website. When a student is having issues in class, the best first step is always to work with their faculty in office hours (or another time that both agree to).
Sometimes, taking the first step towards accessing campus resources can feel scary or intimidating for students (I know it was for me when I was a first-year). It may take your Deac longer than you want it to before they seek out resources. But know that your students will do it on their timeline. It’s also important to remember that if your Deac is needing some help, it is important that they do the work of finding those resources. That helps them grow skills in researching websites, making cold calls to offices, forging relationships with staff on campus, etc. – all skills they need for the rest of their lives.
Finally, I wanted to put a plug in for an upcoming career resource: we have our WFU Fall Career Fair coming up on Wednesday, September 14 at 12:00pm to 4:00 pm in the Sutton Center. This is an opportunity for students of all class years, majors/potential majors, and programs to meet employers seeking to hire for jobs and internships.
— by Betsy Chapman, Ph.D. (’92, MA ’94)
September 8, 2022