Happy Fall! Thank you to all who ventured to campus from near and far to celebrate Family Weekend with their Wildcats. Amid the stormy weather, campus was aglow with friendship and community as students reunited with loved ones and shared their lives and experiences at Villanova with their families.

As students prepare for midterms and Fall break, we've included some helpful items to consider with your Villanovan. As always, please let us know where we can help answer questions or provide suggestions.

Sincerely,

Carita Geib '98, P'26 | Director, Office of Parent and Family Relations
parents@villanova.edu | 610.519.6212

As we approach the cold and flu season, a reminder to families that our Student Health Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To help prevent the spread of germs this time of year, Villanovans are reminded to:

Additionally, Villanova has partnered with Rite Aid to provide seasonal flu vaccines to students, faculty and staff this fall. Walk-in flu vaccine clinics were held this past week, and the last opportunity will be held in the East Lounge of Dougherty Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 27 from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The cost of the vaccine is $32 for students, but most insurance plans will cover this cost. For students paying out of pocket, ONLY Wildcard payment will be accepted. Students MUST bring their Wildcard and insurance card (if they have one) to the clinic. Students also must fill out a Screening Questionnaire and Consent Form prior to attending and bring the completed form with them.
If your Villanovan wasn't able to attend the clinics while on campus, perhaps they'll consider scheduling some time over Fall break to get the vaccine.

Fall Break is just a few weeks away! Break begins after your Villanovan's last class on Friday, Oct. 6 and continues through Sunday, Oct. 15. If a student needs to stay beyond Saturday, Oct. 7 at noon or return prior to Sunday, Oct. 15 at noon, remind your Villanovan to complete the Fall Break Stay Request form on the Housing Portal under Housing and Dining Forms.

Please keep in mind that meal plans close after brunch on Saturday, Oct. 7 and will re-open on Sunday, Oct. 15. St. Mary's Dining Hall will remain open over Fall break and will accept guest meals, food points, Nova Bucks and credit cards to access the all-you-care-to-eat options. For further details, please review Dining Service's Fall break information.

Prior to leaving for Fall Break, we ask that students remove all trash from their rooms and dispose of it in the outside dumpster, close and lock windows and doors and unplug all electrical appliances (except refrigerators and freezers). Students can find full details regarding Fall Break, along with links to forms, in an email they received from Residence Life on Monday, Sept. 18.

Families often ask about transportation to the Philadelphia Airport at the time of breaks. As a fundraiser, Special Olympics will provide shuttle service to the airport from campus on Thursday, Oct. 5 from 3-6 p.m. and on Friday, Oct 6 from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Villanovans are encouraged to learn more and register for a time slot here.

St. Thomas of Villanova was known for his great charity to the poor and marginalized. The Villanova community celebrates its patron saint and his legacy of Caritas–Love–with an annual Day of Service in his name. Each year, the St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service brings together nearly 5,000 students, faculty, staff, alumni and their families working in partnership with neighborhood agencies to perform service throughout Greater Philadelphia.

This year's event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 30. The event builds upon the great service performed throughout the year by the Villanova community and exists as a unique way to put our Augustinian ideals into action. We thank all of our volunteers, in advance, for their hard work and contributions they are making to the community.

Homecoming Weekend will be held Oct. 27-29. This festive weekend is full of activity, fun and cheering on the football team (Villanova vs. Stony Brook tickets are on sale now). As a reminder, your Villanova student receives free admission to the game when they show their Wildcard at the gate!

Is your first-year student looking to "escape" off campus for a couple of days prior to finals? The First-Year Escape Retreat invites first-year undergraduates to step away from campus for a weekend of discovering friendships, exploring faith and values and energizing themselves to make the most of their years at Villanova. Escape activities are designed for and open to students of any or no faith tradition.

Encourage your first-year to register by Wednesday, Nov. 1. Spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis for this restorative retreat. The $25 fee covers transportation, meals and lodging for the weekend (learn more about scholarship assistance by emailing Kiva Nice-Webb).

Please describe the Office of Learning Support Services (LSS) and outline the array of services and benefits it provides to Villanova University students.

Learning Support Services has a dual mission on campus. First, we provide academic support to any student who seeks it out. Anything that falls under the umbrella of “study skills” is in our wheelhouse—that includes one-on-one or small group sessions on time management, test prep, test taking, reading strategies and note taking. Additionally, through our academic coaching program, we meet with students weekly or biweekly to help them identify and achieve their goals. The consistency of regular meetings can be extremely helpful for students who need support with their time management.

The other part of our mission is to approve and assist in the implementation of reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.

If a student has a documented need, what steps should they take?

Students with documented disabilities should start by taking a look at the documentation guidelines section of the LSS website. Once they gather the necessary information about their needs, they should fill out our online intake form in ClockWork and upload the documentation. Then, we will contact them to set up a meeting to talk about support options and accommodations.

What should a family do if they notice their child is struggling academically?

Sometimes it is tempting to take a “wait and see” approach, but the semester moves fast, so my best piece of advice is to address academic issues as they arise. Don’t wait. If your child indicates that they are struggling, encourage them to sign up for tutoring, go to office hours, talk to their advisor or make an appointment with LSS. Then, help your child stay accountable by asking directly what steps they are taking to improve their academic performance. Remind them that Villanova has a lot of resources available and that smart, savvy students take advance of these resources.

Can you tell us more about what draws you to Villanova? What excites you about our students?

I have been at Villanova for over 13 years. The students are dedicated and interesting, and it brings me immense joy to play even a small part in their academic journeys. The whole LSS staff feels this way. We love our jobs and our students.

Villanova University Office of Parent and Family Relations

Phone: 610-519-6212

Email: parents@villanova.edu