Global Posts

The Longwood community had the happy task last week of showing new students and their parents the ropes during Orientation. I hope those of you who are parents of new Longwood students found the answers to your questions and felt reassured that your Lancer will be in good hands when you deliver them to campus next month.

Which brings me to move-in.

At Longwood, move-in is a staggered, multistage process for the various groups of students who will be living in Longwood-managed housing for the 2024-25 academic year. Staggering the dates and times for the groups of students moving in helps alleviate some of the congestion and long lines that are inevitable when hundreds of students and their families converge on a relatively small area such as the Longwood campus.

The process begins Aug. 1 with members of the women’s soccer team and concludes Aug. 25 with continuing students who are not in an early arrival group. New students living in Moss, Johns, Wheeler, Sharp and Register move in at specified times/dates on Aug. 21 and 22.

 If your student is planning to live in Longwood-managed housing this year—either in a residence hall or an apartment at Longwood Landings or Lancer Park—they should have received an email with a date, timeframe and other information about moving in. This email would have come from the Office of Residential and Commuter Life or from a contact person for their early arrival group (athletes, Peer Mentors, etc.).

If your student has not received an email with their move-in information, contact the Office of Residence and Commuter Life at housing@longwood.edu.

You’ve Got Questions—We’ve Got Answers

A wealth of information about move-in is available online. If you can’t find the answer you need at one of the websites below, contact the Office of Residential and Commuter Life at housing@longwood.edu.

General Information
https://www.longwood.edu/housing/move-in-information/

Full Move-in Schedule
https://www.longwood.edu/housing/move-in-information/check-in-time/ 

Where to Unload
https://www.longwood.edu/housing/move-in-information/where-to-unload/

Move-in Map
https://www.longwood.edu/media/residential-and-commuter-life/public-site/2024-Fall-Move-In-Map—Main-Campus.pdf

Volunteers Stand Ready to “Welcome Home Lancers”

A group of faculty, staff and student volunteers is ready to help make the move-in process as smooth as possible for first-time Lancers who will be living in Moss, Johns, Sharp and Register halls. Through the Welcome Home Program, volunteers will be available at these halls on Aug. 21 and 22 from about 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. They can help with unloading vehicles, staying with belongings while families take care of checking in and parking their cars, or assisting with the check-in process and distributing keys. Whatever your need, don’t hesitate to ask. A volunteer or staff member will try to help you themselves or to direct you to someone who can.

Think About Bringing a Rolling Cart or Dolly—and Water

Having a dolly or a rolling cart can make the move-in process much easier. These items will not be available on campus, so consider bringing one with you. Our experts highly recommend! Also, don’t forget the water. You can expect to experience some physical exertion—both inside and outside in the heat—so it’s important to stay hydrated.

Managing Expectations

We have tried very hard to streamline the move-in process, but you should still expect to experience some waiting in line as you move into loading zones, check in, and use the elevators (where applicable) and stairwells.

I hope this information will be helpful as you move your student into Longwood-managed housing.

We can’t wait to greet them, and we wish them all the best for the 2024-25 year!—Sabrina Brown

Registration Link: https://forms.gle/QuyuoQM8gQeQfsSb9

Register here: https://forms.gle/gsBiVVet6XxTBQKP8

For my internship, I was able to find an organization that aligned perfectly with what I wanted for my future. With that being said, I have completed 120 total hours at StepStone Family and Youth Services. My major is Sociology with a double minor in Psychology and Criminal Justice. I have a concentration in family studies. After graduating from Longwood University, I plan to work as a case manager for foster care and eventually become a forensic interviewer. This organization is a great way for me to get my foot in the door. Many of the people I work with come from all different backgrounds with different work experiences. The knowledge I receive from their experiences is something I will always remember. StepStone has two programs: independent living program and foster care program. I am working in the Harriosnburg, Va and Richmond, Va offices to collect the most amount of experiences possible with my short amount of time here. 
In the independent living program this is for 18-21 year olds who have aged out of foster care but are still in need of guidance. In this program there is a unique approach to teaching independent living skills including traditional classroom instruction and hands-on, skill-based training such as; budgeting, social skills, cooking, job applications, etc. The client in the independent living program must be enrolled in a high school or equivalency program or enrolled in college or a post-secondary education vocational program or participating in a program actively designed to promote or remove barriers to employment or working at least 80 hours a month or medically incapable if engaging in these activities There are strict requirement when it comes to what qualifies the youth to be able to be in the program. The client is provided with an apartment, grocery shopping budget, and required to have a steady job with at least 20 hours a week. Clients are advised to pursue their GED, drivers license, and independence before being released on their own or with family at 21 years of age. In the foster care program, things are much different. This program is for newborns to 18 years of age. Before a child can be placed into a home a background check is conducted on foster families including pictures of their houses, certification, compliance, people, home file, family web, and general information about the foster parent/parents. Home visits, social history, annual report, service plan, biological family sheet, magellan, therapy/counseling sessions are all documented and every small detail is important. An updated picture is captured at every annual visit to keep up to date on how the child is growing and developing. The main goal is to return the child to their biological parents if the biological parents are fit for parenting, financially stable, pass alcohol and drug screenings,etc.
The main difference that I have noticed while interning with both programs is with the independent living due to their age it is difficult to enforce the rules while maintaining their goals. Most clients will stop taking their medications or cleaning themselves or areas due to the sense of freedom to make their own choices. I would say the hardest part of the independent living program is that since they are over the age of eighteen advice can only be given. To see someone struggle with past traumas, or diagnosis they need to be medicated for, or their ability to be able to excel in school but not want to do it for themselves can be frustrating. My supervisor kept using the quote, “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink”. This resonated with me because even though you have the possible solutions at hand for these clients they have the choice on what they want to do at the end of the day. . The hardest part of the foster care program was my first day at this facility. I was able to read through case files and read each individual child’s story and social history. This was not easy to read due to the amount of shocking things I had ever heard people do in movies or in the news. It is a different feeling when you are actually seeing a photograph of these children and reading what has happened to them in their short amount of time here on earth. The work here is tidenous and needs close attention to detail to ensure the success and safety of the children. 
I was able to get hands-on experience through StepStone in both programs. In the independent living program I was able to connect with clients by helping them organize, study, and do everyday tasks appropriate for their own success. During my time sitting in on the DSS 90-Day review I collected a lot of information about what could be beneficial or harmful to this client. I created a food inventory list to cut down on hoarding of products, looked into Casey Life Skills activities to promote studying and passing GED tests. The client was able to achieve some of their goals during my time in the office. In the foster care program, I was able to attend court cases and listen to hearings that did not always have the outcome most were hoping for.. I was also able to attend home visits and check-ins. This was a very interesting experience because the foster parent had five children they were looking over. This was different compared to a home that only has one or two children placed due to the mixing of personalities and ages of the children. These were both eye opening experiences because although looking at the case files and reading the children’s stories was great, meeting and seeing them in person was a very different experience. My roles during my time spent at StepStone vary but what does not change is how attention to minor details are important. I was able to look into the online system at different clients to learn more about their experiences, goals, and personalities. I learned many skills while interning but some important ones I would like to mention are: writing a home visit case report, writing a court hearing case report, developing activities to achieve clients goals, learning an online system with little guidance, and time management while traveling longer distances I needed to prepare in advance for my travels. I was able to create flyers to educate and spread awareness about the independent living program that is provided for those aging out of foster care. 
My time spent at StepStone Family and Youth Services taught me a lot about myself and the world around me. I am now able to understand fully the amount of time, dedication, and hardship that goes into this field of work. It takes a certain kind of individual to succeed and I believe through my experiences at StepStone I can confidently say I have what it takes for my future career. This can be a difficult field to work in so having the ability to separate work and home is essential. Many children within the system struggle emotionally, physically, and struggle with issues of trust. This can be a hardship within this field of work due to the nature of mental stability that is needed. I would highly recommend before entering this field that you obtain a supportive boss, co workers, and healthy environment to work in. Patience and understanding is key to succeeding.  I loved my internship because I was able to watch young adults and children set goals and reach to achieve them. Children were able to be reunited with their biological parents, some were able to be adopted by great and loving families. Young adults were able to make big decisions to prepare for life after the independent living program. It was an amazing experience to see them all grow and change over the almost two months. I learned that this job can be challenging but rewarding. It is important not to carry emotions home or let them reflect onto the clients because this could impact their life significantly. I now understand the importance of picking up every small detail to put into their case file because one sentence or one word could make a huge difference in someone’s life. Sitting in a classroom and learning about these things is amazing but being able to experience what you are interested in through real experience is very different. Throughout my time here, I learned that life can be difficult but someone else is struggling way more than I am. Again, this was eye opening and this internship was an amazing experience for me and made me excited for my future and all the possibilities to come after graduation. 

Welcome to my internship journey!

Rain notwithstanding, 2024 Commencement and the other events surrounding it were full of celebration, pride and more than a few happy tears.

For those of you whose students will graduate in the next few years, here’s a preview of what you have to look forward to.

For those of you whose students received their Longwood degrees this past weekend, congratulations on your Lancers’ accomplishments! As the parent of a college graduate myself, I know that you played no small part in getting them to that culminating moment. Even though it’s only been a week, it’s never too soon to relive such a happy occasion!

Undergraduate Commencement, Joan Perry Brock Center
https://www.facebook.com/LongwoodUniversity/posts/pfbid02UuxrjdmnpUBRs7rGd9ZBWYAboCqy2hhXmNGHkLQZio5PUsi4TQqemqYY3G2K9f5Zl

Undergraduate Commencement Video
https://www.facebook.com/LongwoodUniversity/videos/788644320028419/

Graduate Commencement, Joan Perry Brock Center
https://www.facebook.com/LongwoodUniversity/posts/pfbid0uWaPnJmuYbbtYTFLvKv919GQcsqa8wEHTBpx1cgbkgx82Ywbg6kyL47LWZkSa4YFl 

Princeps Secret Society Reveal
https://www.facebook.com/LongwoodUniversity/posts/pfbid033TYw8YcSmCB4xExVKzcbdVCw5kBi98aERehGajGtdLFpoVdJ4FZ6Z7dRdthQCZedl
(Find out more about Princeps at www.go.longwood.edu/princeps )

Nursing Pinning Ceremony
https://www.facebook.com/LongwoodUniversity/posts/pfbid02yGXMjaF1srZ6KrL4rgdfjKYJUNU7eA5QM8rKopn56LajqWADnb7c9DA5qrvG1wul

Diploma Signing Ceremony
President Reveley and the rector of the Board of Visitors personally sign the diplomas of selected student leaders each year.
https://www.facebook.com/LongwoodUniversity/posts/pfbid02BKwZLiYmrEJdU15yWvDWbzcpEkHCdRMKK84hHkk1WEyBfj6e1RjYG6j1WYa6iSqWl

—Sabrina Brown

SAVE THE DATE – AUGUST 15, 2024

CAFE, Civitae, Cormier Honors College, DEC, and the Preparing for Post Graduate Success Initiative invite you to Longwood’s second annual day of undergraduate faculty professional development–a day filled with several options and opportunities to collaborate with and learn from your faculty colleagues.

Civitae           
Engage with other Civitae faculty and find out what’s happening in your category and hear the Civitae faculty leaders share some assessment results. 

Preparing for Post Graduate Success Initiative
Design an advising syllabus.

DEC
Eat lunch and learn how your colleagues are using and navigating AI in the learning environment

The Cormier Honors College
Transform your existing courses into Honors courses.

CAFE
Participate in course and assignment design work sessions with consultants.

CLOSING RECEPTION
Kick off the semester and reconnect with colleagues at the faculty reception. 

Registration and program information are coming soon!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this post is worth nearly 100,000 words! (Maybe I should have been a photographer instead of a writer.)

Of course, there was a whole lot of studying going on this semester—but also a whole lot of fun. Take a stroll through this album of nearly 100 photos, and you’ll get a sense of what the lighter side of spring semester is like here at Longwood.

And, if you’re lucky, you’ll catch a glimpse of your Lancer living their best life.

—Sabrina Brown

Late-Night Breakfast

Faculty and staff serve up bacon, eggs and much more to help students fuel up for finals week.

Mosaic Multicultural Gala

This event celebrates Longwood’s diversity and culture.

CHI Burning

CHI is Longwood’s oldest service organization. At the CHI Burning, special commendations are given to students, organizations, faculty and staff who have made outstanding contributions of their time and talent.

Study Paws

A welcome break during the last week of classes comes in the form of four-legged critters, including a miniature horse.

Spring Weekend

Beautiful spring weather was the backdrop for an epic day of booths, bands and Oozeball.

Greek Sync

From the hits of the ’70s to house music of the 2010s, our Greeks know how to put on a show. Check out some of their moves at Greek Sync.

Solar Eclipse

The whole campus turned out to marvel at this rare event.

Ring Ceremony

Students and their families participate in a special ceremony where students receive their class rings.

The purpose of the project is to inform people on ways to deal with and help individuals who are dealing with elder and disabled persons self neglect. Self neglect is common in this demographic of individuals and we used this to show how to look at potential risk factors and other things which may effect these individuals. The target audience is the families of these individuals as well as the nurses taking care of them. I could have better improved some of the ways I explained the issues at hand but we did well on explaining risk factors which are felt with in these situations. 

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1OjbHV-Sb9942c36XqAIhANB7JfTCMw3fagWTXQk68q0/edit?usp=sharing 

The key competencies which enhanced my learning were career and self development, critical thinking, equity and inclusion, professionalism, teamwork, and technology. I used this project to look at what I want my career to be and how I can deal with these issues in the future. This project as well helped me with thinking about things deeper than I normally would as well as looking at how to treat other individuals in these situations and including everyone. Professionalism, teamwork, and technology all work together in how I am going to use them in the future. Working with a team showed me how to properly do this as well as how to better use technology in these situations.

Welcome to my E-Portfolio! My name is Skylar Therres. I am currently a junior at Longwood University, majoring in Sociology with a concentration on Family Studies and minoring in Psychology and Criminal Justice. What do I plan on doing with my degree? I plan to go into Counseling for my future career.

In my E-Portfolio, you will find work and research I’ve conducted thus far in my college career. Showcased is my Evaluation Research for my Sociology 345 Social Research and Program evaluation class, followed by continued work of this same Evaluation Research in my Sociology 346 Statistics for the Social Sciences class and a Family Life Education Workshop done in my Sociology 351 Family Violence class.