Honors Wednesday Memo
Opportunities and Information for Honors Students
edited by Brad Rentz
Volume 3, Issue 27
April 1, 2020
Message from Dean Jeff Vahlbusch
Honors College International Education Requirement
Dear Honors College students,
We in the Honors College exist to help connect you with extraordinary opportunities—inside and outside the classroom. One such opportunity is created by our wonderful international education IE) requirement. No surprise: COVID-19 is making it difficult or impossible for Honors College students, especially those intending to graduate in May or December 2020, to complete this requirement, or to figure out how they might do so.
We in the Honors College also exist to solve problems when they arise. Therefore:
1. We will count the Honors College IE requirement as met for any student who was signed up to go on a trip or take a course fulfilling our IE requirement that was completed, partially completed, attempted, or documentably intended to be completed, in this spring 2020 or summer 2020 semester.
2. We will work with and support Honors College students dealing with the negative or problematic consequences of COVID-19 for their study-abroad plans, their plans to earn Honors College academic credit through such experiences, their progress toward graduating with University and departmental Honors.
3. We will be creative, flexible, understanding, encouraging, and unconditionally supportive. We will find equivalencies where possible and practical, we will grant exceptions where not possible or practical, and we will continue to create and support terrific opportunities for Honors education.
Please get in touch with your Honors College academic mentor and/or with me if you need help with these or any other matters. We are here for you.
Yours,
Jeff
The image above shows the first virtual Honors College Staff Meeting on March 25, 2020. Would you like your remote workspace featured in the memo? Email photos to Honors@appstate.edu for consideration!
Upcoming Opportunities:
Career Meet-Ups
Beginning on March 30, the Career Development Center will host at least 2 virtual “Career Meetups” each day through the rest of the semester. Topics covered will range from Resumes, Cover Letters, LinkedIn, Handshake, and even salary negotiation. To learn more and to find the Zoom link, click here.
Career Studio is Going Virtual
Career Studio is going virtual and will now be conducted through Zoom during regular Career Studio hours, Monday - Thursday between 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm. Students can get assistance with their job searches, resumes, interview tips, LinkedIn accounts, and graduate school applications. To learn more and how to access the Zoom meetings, visit our website.
Accounting Students Provide Free Tax Help
Through April 15, The Department of Accounting in the Walker College of Business will once again host a free tax help lab for Appalachian State University students, faculty and staff. Assistance is available from 2 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. For more information, click here.
Business Career Services
The Business Career Services Office is still here to support you remotely. Services, including resume and LinkedIn reviews, resume drops, and special Handshake access to would-be Spring Connect employers will be available to students online. To learn more, visit our website.
Career Guide Application
Are you a high achieving student looking to help others while developing stronger career readiness skills? If yes, then you should apple to be a career guide with the Career Development Center. Students must apply by April 3, 2020, to be considered for the 2020-2021 academic year. For more information, visit our website.
Stay in the Know:
DJ Savarese Zoom Visit
On Wednesday, April 8, from 5 to 6 p.m. DJ Savarese will participate in a dialogue on Neurodiversity/Disability in Creative Practice. DJ Savarese is a public speaker, writer, and activist who works to make literacy-based education, communication, and inclusive lives a reality for all nontraditionally speaking people through artful advocacy, teaching, and community organizing. For more information, click here.
Virtual Trivia Night
Wellness and Prevention Services is hosting virtual Trivia Night via Zoom Monday nights at 8 p.m. All are welcome to attend, including students, faculty, staff and the people they are sharing their homes with. No registration required. To learn more and to find the rules, visit our website.
Message from the Vice Provost of Research
Appalachian State’s Vice Provost of Research, Ece Karatan, Ph.D., released a message with updates and guidance on how students who require access to labs or other facilities should proceed with the move to online-only classes. To read the full update in detail, click here.
Disability Resources
Members of Autistic Student and Allies of the High Country (ASAHC) and Able-achian wish to further continue to act based on conversations of accessibility and education. They have created a shared document with information on resources that can aid both students and faculty dealing with new quarantine-related stress, particularly in relation to disability. For additional helpful links, click here.
University Writing Center Updates
Since March 23, the University Writing Center has reopened, completely online. They are offering appointments via Zoom. To learn the various ways to schedule an appointment, visit our website.
In the Honors (Appalachian) Spotlight
App State launches fund to assist students with emergency needs
Image above from the Mountaineer Emergency Fund promotional video.
Appalachian State University announced the creation of a new fund to help Mountaineers who are facing financial challenges that are significant barriers to academic success. The Mountaineer Emergency Fund is designed to assist students through unforeseen financial emergencies or urgent situations that would prevent them from continuing their education at Appalachian. The fund provides short-term grants to students to help cover expenses such as childcare, food, prescriptions, housing, books and other needs.
To read the full story, click here.
Ms. Marianne Adams is featured expert on Pilates
Ms. Marianne Adams, professor in Appalachian's Department of Theatre and Dance, co-founder of The Pilates Teacher Training Program, and the honors program coordinator for dance, is the featured expert in, 5 Ways Pilates Changes Your Brain & Body, published on February 5, 2020, from Bustle. In this article, Ms. Adams explains the benefits of this core-strengthening practice.
For more information, click here.
To Stay in the Know and Learn About All Opportunities in Honors, please visit https://honors.appstate.edu/announcements
Appalachian State Honors College on Social Media!
Check us out on Instagram also! Find us by searching “Appalachian Honors College”
Don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook at Appalachian Honors: https://www.facebook.com/Appalachian-Honors-482157301971520/
Have news to share? Submissions to the Honors Wednesday Memo can be made by emailing honors@appstate.edu. Any content received by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday will be considered for the following week’s issue.