First-Year Students and Advisor Resources

The following are of special interest to first-year students:

Dean of First-Year Studies
The Dean of First-Year Studies coordinates all academic advising for first-year students and is the particular resource person for first-year students. Should you find that your advisee presents unusual difficulties and that her concerns suggest that she may need additional guidance beyond your meetings, do urge the student to get in touch with the dean at x2855. You may also wish to inform the Dean of your concern for the student so that she may send an outreach note. The dean's role is also to assist advisors. Should you find that there are questions pertaining to your work with an advisee, don't hesitate to call (x2855) or send an email to Leah Glasser.

Student advisors (SAs)
Student advisors are available on every major floor in every residence hall, and are trained to assist first-year students with general academic questions. SAs are happy to assist advisors in outreach efforts.

Department Liaisons
These students are selected by departments for their academic strengths. They will serve as department and program liaison. All advisors and new students will receive a list of the current Department Liaisons, their majors, and their locations on campus. Advisees often appreciate when an advisor suggests particular upperclass students with whom they may consult about a particular course, possible major, or more general questions of an academic nature.

Speaking, Arguing, and Writing Program (SAW)
Many first-year students struggle with informal and assigned writing and speaking tasks, and cannot respond effectively when their work is critiqued. The SAW Program should be stressed as a crucial resource - a place where trained student assistants can offer feedback and assess specific difficulties. Additional resources include a regular workshop series for students interested in improving their speaking and writing in a variety of contexts, and a library of support materials. SAW also offers support for students whose first language is not English, and among the staff are foreign language assistants who work with advanced students in French, German, and Spanish.

Residential Life Office
The adjustment to living in a residential hall is often the greatest challenge a first-year student faces. It is not the advisor's role to resolve a student's conflicts with her roommate or to address these concerns directly. The advisor should encourage first-year students with roommate problems to use their Residential Life resources: SAs, Hall Presidents, and Assistant Deans. Our process is to attempt mediation first (except in extreme circumstances), and then to consider a room change only if the situation does not improve. If you are concerned about an advisee, please feel free to contact the Residential Life professional staff.

Health/Counseling Center

• Medical/Nursing
  Urgent Care and phone triage services are available to students 8am-11pm during the academic sessions by calling x2242. Appointments with a nurse practitioner or physician are available Monday-Wednesday, 9am-7pm and Thursday-Friday 9am-4pm. Public Safety will provide transportation to the Health Center for urgent care, if appropriate. There is no charge to students for the nursing/medical visit, but there may be charges for lab, x-ray, medication etc...
  
• Counseling Service
  The staff of the Counseling Service consists of psychologists and a psychiatrist who provide individual and group counseling, medication managment, assessment and referral. To make a referral to the Counseling Service, please call x2037. Counseling staff provide on-call support to the nursing staff to respond to mental health crises 8am-11pm daily. There is no charge for visits to the counseling service.
  
•  Alcohol and Drug Awareness Project
  Counseling services are available for students who are dealing with substance use/abuse of their own or that of family or friends. Students amy self-refer or share concerns about others. The project provides individual counseling, facilities support groups for students in recovery and supports student connection with the recovery community. To schedule an appointment, please call ext 2616. There is no charge for any of the services of ADAP.
  
• Confidentiality
  All of our interactions with students are bound by the regulations of confidentiality. We can acknowledge neither interaction with a student nor the content of our work without a written release from the student in question. We can, however, always take in information from members of the community who have concerns for Mount Holyoke students. In many situations, we are able to give guidance regarding approaches for effectively supporting students.
  
•  Additional information can be found on our Health Services site.

Learning Skills
The Associate Dean for Learning Skills is both a resource and an advocate for students who have a documented learning disability or Attention Deficit Disorder. This office works with the student and the faculty to negotiate reasonable accommodations related to the Americans with Disabilities Act, and provides one-on-one counseling on learning skills and time-management.

The Office also oversees an Adaptive Technologies Lab which provides support in the form of speech recognition software, reading software, and paper/ organizational software. Also, assessment for a learning disability is available through the Office, for a fee. Part of the cost for ADHD testing is covered through the Student Medical Insurance Plan in which most students are enrolled. ADHD testing is done by off-campus professionals and a referral from this office is required. If you believe a student needs this type of testing or support, or if you have questions please contact the Office of Learning Skills.

Career Development Center
Visit the Career Development Center to begin planning past your first year. All aspects of this office are specifically organized to increase a student's sense of personal clarity (capacity to articulate one's own values, interests, personal definition of success), confidence (capacity to engage what knowledge and skills they have gained through their aggregate MHC experience, in and out of class, on and off campus), and connections (to numerous opportunities, organizations, knowledge, key individuals).

The Career Development Center helps students engage in reflection and integration of your experiences in the context of a comprehensive career development program that includes internships, fellowship and graduate school advising, community service opportunities, student on-campus employment, career counseling, and employment service.