Blue Jay Q&A with Dr. Liana Mentor, Director of Success Coaching Program in Academic Advising
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How does SCAA differ from standard Academic Advising?
Every student at Hopkins has an academic advisor. Our Academic Advisor/Success Coaches play a dual role: they are the student’s assigned academic advisor on record, helping them with academic planning, course selection, and working with professors; but they also partner with students to identify and develop their interests and connect them with campus resources outside of the classroom.
We actually work within the same space as our colleagues in traditional Academic Advising, and we do everything along the same advising cycle. But we are able to meet more frequently with our students—twice a month with our first-year students and once a month with those in their second year and beyond—have longer meetings, and we stay with our students for all four years. We are also able to connect with our students very early on before they get to campus, as early as June. This helps us understand what interests and obstacles a student might be coming into the school with, what opportunities our first-gen students may not know to look for, and what ways our limited-income students might support their financial well-being, whether financial aid, grants, paid internship opportunities, or budgeting help.
Our colleagues in Advising have much larger caseloads; every year, my team takes on about 25-30 advisees, while some of our traditional advisors have about 100-150 incoming first-years. So, that provides our Academic Advisor/Success Coaches the space and time to have more than one meeting a month and really build trust with a student by being a reoccurring and consistent face throughout their time. I believe success coaching is academic advising, we just get to do a bit more of it.
How many students does the program serve?
We have over 650 students currently in the program. The SCAA team is set in the two Homewood schools; nearly half my team is in the Whiting School of Engineering and a larger portion resides in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences where there are more majors and more students.
What are the benefits of working within both Advising and Student Affairs?
The SCAA program is directly under the Student Affairs umbrella; Dr. Kelly Barry of the Center for Student Success is my executive director. But I also work with the assistant deans of the Krieger and Whiting schools, Jessie Martin and Kimberley Bassett, as a leadership team to craft the program. So, we really get a clear understanding of what the students’ needs are in both facets of college experience.
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What’s New in the Office of Integrative Learning and Life Design
The Imagine Center: Opening in Spring 2022
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The Imagine Center for Integrative Learning and Life Design opens this spring in the former U.S. Lacrosse building located on the northern end of the Homewood campus, near Homewood Field. This building has been renovated to create a modern, collaborative space that will house and bring together all of the offices that comprise the Integrative Learning and Life Design (ILLD) Homewood team.
This will be a space where students can interact with each other, as well as with alumni, employers, faculty, staff, and life design educators to find those moments of inspiration and opportunities for in-depth experiential learning so that equitable access to immersive experiences and mentoring becomes a standard feature of the JHU student journey.
Celebrate National Engineers Week
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JHU will be celebrating National Engineers Week from February 20 - 26, 2022. Student engineers are invited to join the Life Design Lab for a variety of virtual events throughout the week, where they will have the chance to meet with industry professionals, learn more about the world of engineering, and connect with JHU alumni who can answer career questions.
The events are also open to students who are considering the engineering field. Students can register to attend in Handshake.
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Hopkins Ice Rink Opens to Skaters
A pop-up ice rink opened to skaters and observers on the university's Homewood campus on January 18. The 6,000-square-foot rink, built atop the university's tennis courts, will operate through Feb. 27.
Students and other JHU affiliates can make skating reservations online. Read coverage and see photos from the ice rink’s opening day in the Hub.
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February 4 — Last day to add courses
March 4 — Last Day to add independent academic work via SIS
March 6 — Last Day to drop courses via SIS
March 21–25 — Spring Break
May 22 — University Commencement
October 14–16 — Family Weekend
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Spring Involvement Fair
The Spring Involvement Fair is scheduled to be held in person in the newly remodeled O’Connor Recreation Center on Friday, February 4 from 2 - 6 p.m. Students can register to attend online via HopkinsGroups.
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Foreign Affairs Symposium Kicks Off Spring Season
The Foreign Affairs Symposium is a student-run lecture series that discusses and debates global affairs and international issues. The organization will launch their spring season with Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein on February 17 at Shriver Hall. They are in the process of confirming additional speakers for the spring semester.
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HOPArt: Barber of Seville with the Baltimore Concert Opera
The HopArt program takes a small group of students to a local arts performance, followed by dinner with a Hopkins faculty member. The program, which is generously funded by the Hopkins Parents Fund, allows students and faculty to interact in a social setting, while also showcasing the best of Baltimore’s vibrant arts scene. This February, students will attend a performance of The Barber of Seville at the Baltimore Concert Opera. Students can learn more and enter the ticket lottery on the HopArt website.
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Free Performance by the Hopkins Concert Orchestra
Hopkins Concert Orchestra is back this February with Bologne, Fauré, Beethoven, a performance that will take listeners on a journey from pre- to post-Romanticism. Hear Beethoven’s very first symphony along with works from multi-talented composers Joseph Bologne and Gabriel Fauré, featuring conductor Naima Burrs and cellist Stephanie Barrett. The concert is free and open to the public. Register online to attend.
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Upcoming Webinars
The latest webinar in our FLI Compass series, “FLI Compass #4: What is success for my student?” has been rescheduled to Wednesday, February 16 at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Register online to attend.
On Wednesday, February 23 at 7:00 p.m. EDT, join us for “Intro to Life Design: Designing an Intentional Journey at Hopkins and Beyond,” a webinar that explores how the LIfe Design Lab sets students up for success in their careers, graduate programs, and other pursuits. Registration is now open online.
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2022-2023 FAFSA and CSS Profile
The 2022-2023 FAFSA and CSS Profile are now available. The priority deadline for completing financial aid documents was January 15, but it’s not too late! Contact Student Financial Services with any questions.
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Join Student Financial Services for the 2nd Annual Financial Education Series
The 2nd Annual Financial Education Series has returned! These sessions are designed to accelerate students’ understanding of financial literacy and help them make more informed and effective decisions with their finances. More information can be found online.
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