VCOM Academic Advisor Handbook

meet each student’s specific academic needs. CIFSS assists students by helping to determine academic strengths, weaknesses, and challenges and then aiding them in designing a study plan, choosing study strategies, and providing referrals to other resources. All students, whether struggling academically or just wanting to improve their GPA are welcome. In addition to referral or self-referral, CIFSS is proactive in its approach to academic success by constantly monitoring the student body’s progress and reaching out to students early in their academic careers that are experiencing difficulty. CIFSS reaches out to students who score less than 70% on any exam with an offer to meet to discuss the student’s progress. Students are required to participate in academic assistance services once they fail any exam, their GPA falls below 3.3, or they have to remediate a course. Students may also be required to participate in academic support services for other reasons in which lack of academic progress is determined. An additional function of CIFSS in assisting students to be academically successful includes providing academic assistance directly focused on COMSAE and COMLEX exams. CIFSS is a great resource for information related to board exam preparation. CIFSS offers assistance for the whole study body and provides all students with advice regarding a COMSAE/COMLEX study plan, board preparation materials, and insight from former VCOM graduates on their board preparation. Students may also request individual board support which will be tailored to meet each student’s unique needs.

OMS 1 and OMS 2 Academic Support

Kenna Colley, EdD Director, Student and Institutional Academic Success Virginia Campus Office: 241 kcolley@vcom.edu 540-231-3725

Kathy Friedenreich, MEd, CPAC Director, Student and Institutional Academic Success Auburn Campus Office: 144 kfriedenreich@auburn.vcom.edu 334-442-4061

Eron Bethard, MS Director, Student and Institutional Academic Success Louisiana Campus Office: 210 ebethard@ulm.vcom.edu 318-342-7183

Kylee Ousley, MEd Director, Student and Institutional Academic Success Carolinas Campus Office: 124 kousley@carolinas.vcom.edu 864-327-9996

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