The Lighthouse: Center for Exploration and Discovery The Lighthouse is an academic center that assists students with experiential learning opportunities. The Lighthouse offers a variety of services and programs to help students to undertake experiential learning projects. It assists students with internships, study away, undergraduate research, careers, and graduate school. It also helps students to develop individualized road maps to academic, professional, and personal achievement. The Lighthouse houses four academic support programs: the Career Development Program, the Office of Global Engagement, the Undergraduate Research Program, and Wesleyan Engaged: Civic Engagement and Service Learning. It also sponsors the Summer High Impact Practice Program (SHIPP).
Career Development Program
Career Development is dedicated to helping students explore their academic and professional pathways and create plans to achieve their professional goals. A Virginia Wesleyan education emphasizes the critical skills sought by employers, including oral and written communication, complex reasoning, problem-solving, and collaboration. To support students with their career development pathways, Career Development offers professional resources, one-onone career counseling sessions, customized programming, and internship and career support. Career Development offers career readiness workshops that cover topics such as career exploration, resumes, LinkedIn, and interviewing. Career Development also annually hosts a graduate school fair and a career and internship fair. Staff work closely with employers to help students develop professional skills, undertake internships, and secure professional employment upon graduation. These resources and services are critical to students as they make the successful transition from the university to professional careers. Career Development is dedicated to helping students translate their liberal arts degrees into fulfilling and enduring careers.
Office of Global Engagement
The Office of Global Engagement helps students to participate in domestic and international study away experiences. These include both study away courses, which are taught by Virginia Wesleyan faculty, and semester study abroad. The Office of Global Engagement offers a variety of programs that support students as they prepare for and undertake a study away experience, including Study Away Course Grants, individual counseling, and workshops on preparing for study away experiences.
Undergraduate Research Program
The Undergraduate Research Program supports students as they undertake faculty-mentored research. Virginia Wesleyan University offers an array of research opportunities for students in most majors. The Undergraduate Research Program provides financial and instructional support to student researchers through research grants, research conference grants, and a workshop series that guides students through all aspects of the research process.
Wesleyan Engaged: Civic Engagement and Service Learning
Wesleyan Engaged nurtures partnerships with civic organizations in order to facilitate meaningful student volunteer activities, to promote the growth of faculty-led service learning courses, and to improve the Hampton Roads community and beyond. Wesleyan Engaged works with faculty, staff, and students to provide high-impact opportunities for engagement both on and off-campus. The Office sponsors signature programs such as Marlins Read and Marlins Count, which aid local elementary students develop a passion and understanding of reading and mathematics. In addition to signature programs, The Office also sponsors faculty development programs throughout the year to aid faculty to understand how important civic engagement is for students. The Office works with faculty to incorporate civic engagement into course curriculum in order to aid students to understand the connection between information presented in class and how that Virginia Wesleyan University 2021 - 2022 Academic Catalog
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