Student Support Services
Office of Student Success
The Office of Student Success is structured to help students maximize progress and reach their educational goals. Student Success Specialists work with students individually and in groups to provide intensive guidance, ongoing support, and intrusive advising to promote engagement, retention, persistence and completion.
New Student Orientation (New Chaparral Orientation)
Each new Vernon College student must complete a mandatory New Student Orientation program prior to enrollment. Students are unable to register for courses until they complete New Student Orientation. Students will learn valuable information to help them throughout their Vernon College tenure including but not limited to: student success pathways, explanation of steps needed to complete enrollment, resources such as catalog, registration guide, website, and student portal (MyVC). Upon completion of New Student Orientation, students will schedule an appointment with their designated Student Success Advisor.
Student Success Advising
The individual student is ultimately responsible for course and program selections. At Vernon College, all students are assigned a Student Success Advisor in accidence with major and TSI status. The Student Success Advisor is a student’s primary point of contact for all student success needs beginning with the first semester and continuing through the completion of educational goals.
Career Services
Services available through the office of Career Services includes: interest inventories, aptitude testing, career exploration, job search techniques, resume’ writing, cover letter creation, job application completion, mock interviews, electronic job placement board, and fall and spring semester job fairs. The Coordinator of Career Services helps students with regard to clarifying and evaluating their career and educational goals, Students interested in utilizing this service should contact the Career Services office at the appropriate instructional location.
Student Wellness/Counseling Emotional Support Services and Intervention
Student Success Specialists are available to provide consultation on personal or social matters including resources available and developing a support system to help each student achieve their goals. Specific areas of assistance focus on stress management, study skills, time management, personality assessment, crisis intervention, and coping with test anxiety. In situations where more intensive counseling is required, a Student Success Specialist will refer the student to an outside mental health professional.
Academic Coaching
Academic Coaching is a collaborative and interactive process intended to assist students in making an individualized plan for achieving academic success. It provides students with the opportunity to work individually with a Student Success Specialist to enhance their academic skills, increase awareness of educational resources, gain confidence and discover motivation. Academic Coaching is available year round. Sessions may vary based on student need.
Peer Mentor Program
The purpose of the Peer Mentor Program is to promote the improvement of academic success, persistence and successful completion of students. Vernon College Peer Mentors are selected through an application process based on criteria including proven success as a student and interest in helping others. The Peer Mentor Program is designed to provide support and guidance to students as they adjust to college life. Vernon College’s Peer Mentors are committed to sharing their experiences to provide motivation and promote self-efficacy. Peer Mentors help students connect to college services and resources, find information on policies and dates, develop time management strategies, and take action regarding academic and career goals.
Striving to End Probation Status
Striving to End Probation Status (STEPS) is a targeted academic coaching opportunity with a Student Success Specialist. Individual participant sessions include but are not limited to goal setting and detailed discussion of tools and resources available to increase student success. STEPS is designed to include periodic progress checks throughout the semester with a Student Success Specialist.
Student Success Series
The Student Success Series provided by the Office of Student Success are workshops comprised of a variety of student success related topics (e.g. time management, note-taking, test anxiety, study skills). Workshop requests are initiated by faculty, staff or student organizations.
Testing
Vernon College adheres to the Texas Success Initiative Law adopted by the Texas Legislature. Vernon College requires placement testing and subsequent developmental course work as needed. Vernon College Testing Centers offer TSI approved computerized placement testing. Please contact the Student Services office for information on placement testing and possible exemptions.
Vernon College operates Testing Centers at the Vernon Campus and the Century City Center. Vernon College Testing Centers offer the Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2, Accuplacer, HESI A2, VCT, CLEP, and GED tests. Vernon College Testing Centers also offer proctor services for cnly courses taken through the Acadeum Digitex agreement. For more information, contact a Testing Center by phone or view specific information on the Vernon College webpage.
Employment
The Coordinator of Career Services helps students with regard to clarifying and evaluating career and educations goals. Specific services offered include: interest inventories, aptitude testing, career exploration, job searching techniques, resume writing, cover letter creation, job application completion, mock interviewing, electronic job board, and fall and spring semester job fairs. Students interested in utilizing these services should contact the Career Services office at the respective location.
GradCast
GradCast is a career placement service utilized by Vernon College for graduates of Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. This service is free to qualifying students and provides for 100 free resumes sent anywhere in the United States among over 600,000 employers in over 30 career and technical education programs of study. Student directory information (permissible under FERPA law) released to GradCast upon graduation includes name, address, graduation date, type of award, phone number, email address, and program of study. GradCast will contact the graduates through a series of automated emails, text messages, and/or phone calls to initiate this career placement service.
Career Coach
Career Coach is a free tool on the Vernon College website that can give you information about local jobs; such as entry, median and high-end wages, number currently employed in that field, number of annual job openings, and number approaching retirement age, as well as the degree related to that job. Career Coach also has a free career assessment, current job postings and a free resume builder.
College Safety and Security
Vernon College strives to maintain a safe and secure atmosphere for members of the student body, faculty, staff, and the general public so they are not unreasonably concerned for their personal safety. The College, as with any other public or private entity, cannot guarantee a crime-free living or working environment. Accordingly, it is the responsibility of members of the college community to act in a security-conscious manner, and to avoid actions that jeopardize their security as well as the security of others.
Student Services provides information to students on crime prevention, a mass notification system, and safety awareness during orientation. This information as well as literature provided by the College, encourages the campus community to adopt safe behaviors. All Vernon College locations may be subject to electronic surveillance. In case of emergency, a Vernon College Vice President or Dean should be contacted as well as the campus switchboard operator.
Campus security policy and procedures are available via the Vernon College website at www.vernoncollege.edu or by contacting Student Services at (940) 552-6291 ext 2272.