Global Posts

This is my graduate school portfolio, where I will post updates related to my mental health counseling sequence.

Here’s some happy news!

For the first time, Longwood is a top-five regional public university in the South, according to the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings released on Sept. 12.

Over the last decade, Longwood has charted a steady climb up the annual rankings, this year marking its first-ever appearance as the No. 5 public university in the South regional category and the seventh straight year in the top 10 in the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings.

The rankings rise coincides with a continued investment in small classes taught by full-time professors, a course of action few public universities have taken. More than two-thirds of Longwood classes have 20 or fewer students, the highest percentage of any Virginia public college or university.

Longwood’s latest U.S. News ranking continues the steady upward trajectory that spans the last decade. Since 2014, the university has climbed to No. 5 from No. 14 among public institutions in the South regional category. Among public and private regional universities, Longwood has climbed to No. 16 from No. 31 in that same time period.

The university has also maintained its rising trajectory in the Best Value in the South list, up more than 10 spots from two years ago to No. 35 overall.

You can read the full story, which includes Longwood’s position in some other notable rankings, here: http://www.longwood.edu/news/2022/rankings/

Feel free to deploy any of these “bragging points” when you’re talking with friends and family about universities your children are attending.

Having issues with Emergency Alerts?

We’ve heard from a few parents that they have signed up to receive Longwood emergency alerts but have not seen any so far. We’ve checked, and in almost all cases, there’s some missing information on the account —for example, a phone number or an email.

If you’re experiencing this issue, please check to make sure your account lists your email and cell number. Here’s how to do that:

• Log into https://longwood.omnilert.net using the username and password you have already created
• Make sure your cell phone number and carrier information is correct in the “SMS Numbers” box. You can add multiple cell numbers if you’d like.
• Make sure your email information is correct in the “Email Addresses” box. You can add multiple emails if you’d like.
• If you need to add a new SMS number or email address, make sure to click the “Add New” button or your information will not save.

 If you continue to experience issues, please email questions@longwood.edu, and we’ll help resolve them.

Family Weekend Music Showcase

I hope we’ll see you this weekend for Family Weekend and the Heart of Virginia Festival. If you’re looking for a place to get out of the heat, drop by Jarman Auditorium at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, for a showcase of Longwood student musicians (and a sprinkling of faculty and staff, including me!).

The Chamber Orchestra kicks off the program, which will also include performances by the Camerata Singers, the Wind Symphony and several other musical groups and soloists. The program should conclude about 2:15.

—Sabrina Brown

My name is Anna Pyles and I’m currently enrolled in the Counselor Education graduate program, with a concentration in Mental Health Counseling, here at Longwood University. Within this site, you will find many reflections and posts designed as a comprehensive counselor identity development portfolio.

What do Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Frida Kahlo, Leonardo da Vinci and Frederick Douglass all have in common? Each of these famous figures kept a journal or diary to record their experiences, thoughts or feelings.

What do Longwood’s Greenwood Library and CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) have in common? They both care about your student’s well-being.

Now, you may be wondering, what’s the connection between journaling, the library and CAPS?

The library and CAPS have teamed up to offer a series of workshops for students aimed at enhancing their well-being and funded by a $19,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Next up is:

Writing for Well-Being: Journaling Workshop
1-2 p.m., Wednesday, September 7, Greenwood Library Children’s Literature Room

At tomorrow’s workshop, students will receive a free journal and learn about the benefits of journaling, which include reducing stress and anxiety. Here’s more from Kaiser Permanente about the benefits of journaling: https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/health-wellness/healtharticle.7-benefits-of-keeping-a-journal

Additional workshops scheduled for this semester:

Finding Meaning in Suffering: Authors’ Presentation
7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, Room 105 Radcliff Hall
Dr. Daryl Van Tongeren, a psychologist, and Sara Showalter Van Tongeren, a licensed clinical social worker, will discuss their book The Courage to Suffer: A New Clinical Framework for Life’s Greatest Crises. Their talk will touch on resilience, finding meaning in the struggle and mental health. The first 50 attendees to arrive will receive a free copy of the book.

Connections Through Crocheting
6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, Room 147 Greenwood Library

Hobbies are great ways to support mental health, and many people find crocheting a relaxing activity. In this class, participants will get started on a project with a simple pattern. All supplies will be provided. Registration is required and should be open online next month. If your student is interested, they can check the library website for the link to the registration form starting in early October. (Encourage your student to sign up even if there’s a waiting list—there will be another class soon!)

If you think your student would benefit from any or all of these programs, please encourage them to attend! And they’re also open to the community, so you are welcome as well!

—Sabrina Brown

 These programs are part of the project Well-Being in the Heart of Campus: Community Connections at Greenwood Library, a partnership between Greenwood Library and Longwood CAPS. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, ARPML-250933-OMLS-22.

Your Lancers have had a busy week and a half, but so has our university photographer, Courtney Vogel.

Take a stroll through these galleries on Facebook, and you just might see a familiar face—most likely lit up with a big smile. There’s a lot of that going around on campus these days, as you can see in these photos from move-in, New Lancer Days, The G.A.M.E. (a favorite Lancer tradition) and more.

We’re so happy to have our students back! This place just isn’t the same without them.

The G.A.M.E. (Greatest athletics march ever)

http://go.longwood.edu/2022thegame

First Day of Classes

http://go.longwood.edu/2022firstdayofclasses

Honor and Integrity Ceremony

http://go.longwood.edu/2022honorceremony

New Lancer Days

http://go.longwood.edu/2022newlancerdays

Move-in

http://go.longwood.edu/2022movein

—Sabrina Brown

I am Alice Flanagan. I am a Senior at Longwood University with a major in social work and minor in sociology, and graduate in May of 2023. I am involved in multiple organizations on campus that are: Lancer Productions, Alpha Kappa Delta, National Society of Leadership and Success, Phi Alpha, and Federation of Student Social Workers. In terms of my goals, is that once I finish with my bachelor’s I would hope to continue with getting my master’s in social work and focus my studies on children and families, especially with adoption and foster care.

I view myself as someone who is patient, hardworking, charismatic, highly motivated, organized, passionate, honest, persistent, communicative, open-minded, transparent, and outspoken. I want to make a difference in the world, even if it is just making a difference with one client, to me that is still changing the world.

If there are any questions about my projects, then feel free to reach out via email, which is Alice.Flanagan@live.longwood.edu .

Thank you.

The Dynamic Learning Dialogue (DLD) is an early to mid-semester evaluation technique that provides instructors with rich qualitative feedback from their students regarding the learning environment in a course. Feedback obtained from a DLD can be used for focused reflections on one’s teaching to enhance classroom interactions, student learning, and teaching strategies. For more information: http://blogs.longwood.edu/longwoodcafe/teaching-consultations/

CAFE will conduct DLDs between September 19-October 5. There are a limited number of slots available. Registration deadline is September 15.

If you would like to register for a DLD, go to https://forms.gle/GiUuPAyN9bD8NaBU6.

work orders and housekeeping issues

We just sent the following information to students about some unexpected issues that you have let us know about. If you or your student are experiencing an issue, please encourage them to submit a work order so we can resolve it quickly.

***

We’ve heard from a few more students and families than normal that they encountered housekeeping and facilities issues when they arrived at their residences, particularly in our apartment communities. These experiences are not what we want for any of our students, and we’re sorry to those who have had to deal with this. We are working with all students and families individually to resolve issues and will continue to do that until everything is correct.

We are also in contact at the leadership level with Budd Group, our housekeeping service provider, to ensure that not only are these issues remedied as quickly as possible but also that they do not happen again. 

If you encounter an issue with your housing – if something is not working properly or needs to be addressed – the fastest and most effective way to get it resolved is to go to http://www.longwood.edu/housing/ and click on the “Submit a Work Order” button. That will get you into our system and we will be able to send out the appropriate staff to resolve it.

You can also email Residential and Commuter Life at housing@longwood.edu and we will work with you directly.

Sign Up for Email and Text Alerts

Longwood has an emergency notification system whose goal is to provide as many avenues for information sharing as possible in the event of an emergency. Included in this system are text and email alerts, which anyone, including parents and other family members, can sign up to receive. If you’d like to sign up, just go to https://longwood.omnilert.net/

You can read more about other aspects of the notification system here: http://alerts.longwood.edu/notification/

there’s Still time to sign up for Family Weekend, Sept. 16-17

Longwood’s Family Weekend is teaming up with Farmville’s Heart of Virginia Festival on Sept. 16-17 for a weekend of delicious food, live music and a variety of other events. It will be the perfect time to check in with your student and give them a hug. Bring the whole family—there will be something for everyone!

Save $15 by registering for Family Weekend by Sept. 8. Cost is $10 per person if you register by Sept. 8; $25 starting on Sept. 9. Guests under age 5 and over 65 are FREE. Register for Family Weekend here.

For the most up-to-date Family Weekend schedule, download the Guidebook App free from the Apple or Android store.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email upchurch@longwood.edu or call 434-395-2103.

Please click on the “Active Research Surveys” tab to see a list of surveys being conducted by Longwood University students for class and independent research projects.

Longwood University students who would like to take a survey–

If you are a current Longwood University student, you may complete any of the surveys posted on the “Active Student Research Surveys” tab as long as you are in the target population for the survey. Participation in these surveys is voluntary.

Successful completion of a survey will enter you into a drawing for prizes, including water bottles, travel blankets, t-shirts, and more. Award winners will be notified at the end of the semester. The more surveys you do, the more entries you have!  Your entry will not be connected in any way to your survey responses.

Longwood University students who are creating surveys-

If you are a current Longwood University student and you would like to post a survey on this site, please submit your survey here: Student Research Survey Submission Link

Please remember that you will likely need to obtain approval from Longwood’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) before you administer your survey. Please visit the Longwood IRB Committee webpage for more information.

Please see the Student Research Survey Submission Link for important information about required survey items.

Questions? Contact Dr. Amorette Barber, Director, Office of Student Research osr@longwood.edu