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Attention students returning to campus for the Fall of 2000: You may want to review that Student Handbook you thought was only for freshman. And freshman, you may want to pay attention too. Many new campus policies have been added this year, most involving resident students. Director of Residence Life Keith Moore met with many people and departments on campus including: Dean of Students David Buckingham, security, staff, and students, to refine or add to already existing campus policies. The revisions involve issues such as alcohol, courtesy hours, and dorm gatherings.

"This was literally a year in the works," said Moore. "Last year was my assessment year. I sat back and watched and some issues on campus that raised a few eyebrows. My duty as an administrator is to keep the campus a safe and respectful environment for everyone in the community. That is the reason any policy exists. Most of these new policies have been here in some form already." The Security Regulations Policy says, among other things, that students are responsible for the "maximum room capacity of ten individuals." "

This was simply for safety concerns, namely, a fire hazard," said Moore. The Large Volume Alcohol Policy states that each residence hall room is limited to 24 cans of beer or two liters or hard alcohol. "No one’s running a bar out of their room," said Moore. "Twenty-four beers is not unreasonable. This was to cut down on incidents caused by alcohol consumption, such as fighting, vandalism, and other safety concerns. Alcohol is not the problem, the behavior itself is."

"They are creating too many rules that are driving people off campus to drink with their friends, which may lead to people driving home drunk," said senior Raye Jean McMichael. "People don’t stick with one type of alcohol all night." "I think they created the new alcohol policy just to cover the policies they already had," said sophomore resident student John Tomasheski. "They need to feel they are doing something to control binge drinking." Tomasheski thinks those who enforce campus policies will be lenient with the policy concerning a certain number of people in each room. Other refined policies deal with providing to a minor, noise, failure to comply with a college official, and community living standards. A Residence Hall Policy Quick Reference Guide is provided on pages 113 and 114 in the Student Handbook. "The number one reason students are here is school work," says Moore. "There is nothing that should interfere with that reason."

Rising juniors at Virginia Wesleyan are to declare a major this fall. Choosing a major is something every student has to face even if you put it off until the last semester. A choice of major plays an important part in a student’s years at Virginia Wesleyan, and should be taken seriously. All first year students should be aware of the four-year graduation guarantee at Wesleyan. Freshmen are advised to complete this guarantee when they arrive. This guarantee confirms that Virginia Wesleyan will do what it takes to graduate a student in four years. If a student is unable to complete their courses within this span of time, Virginia Wesleyan will pay for the rest of the student’s classes until they do graduate. Students that sign this guarantee should be aware that they must first satisfy certain conditions in order for the plan to take affect.

The four-year graduation guarantee and the process of declaring a major can be found in the 2000-01 student academic bulletin. To be considered a junior, you must file a declaration of major with the Registrar, and majors must be declared at least three semesters before your anticipated graduation. One is then recommended to select a faculty adviser in the area of your major. Students who come to college with an idea of what their major will be may say this process isn’t too strenuous. Some students know what interests them even before they enter college. "I’ve known my major ever since I was twelve," states Jarret Wells, who is now a senior. However, the rest of the student body who don’t have a well-developed plan are forced to come up with an answer.

Are you a student at Virginia Wesleyan, who has painstakingly taken class after class in hope that something will strike your attention? You have just about finished your general studies requirements, but still don’t have a clue on what major best suits your interest. Don’t be discouraged; rather seek information that will help your decision. "I took it upon myself to research what I wanted out of my major," states Stephen Adair, a senior. Adair had doubts about his major, but decided humanities after completing his general studies requirements. He suggests for students to always think one semester ahead of themselves before they graduate. Some students argue a major wasn’t their first decision when it came to choosing a college. Certain reasons such as athletics, the campus, and social aspects can influence students to choose a college before they look at what majors are offered. Senior James Abadi originally came to Wesleyan because of the men’s soccer program. Since then, he has found interest in business, and is majoring in the Liberal Arts Management Program (LAMP) offered at Wesleyan. Major and career guidance is available to any Virginia Wesleyan student having questions about their major through the Career Services office. Services provided include individual counseling, workshops and programs, interest tests, externships, and internships.

Assistant Director of Career Services, Karen Halman says the department would like to be able to help more students. "This is part of what a student’s tuition pays for, so they should take advantage of these services," states Halman. Senior Erin Heishober, a communications major, didn’t know about Career Services until after she declared. However, since then, she has applied for a summer internship through the department. An internship can help one gain experience and open the door for future employment. Freshman and sophomores thinking about a major, but unsure what the job market has to offer, can participate in an externship through the Career Services department. Externships give students a way to study professional in their field of interest before they make a final decision to declare a major.

For students not sure about their skills and interests with jobs Career Services offers the Campbell Interest and Skills Survey (CISS). This is used as a way to identify students’ vocational interests and skills. Such a survey can help students determine what personal characteristics they inhabit, and how they apply to a career after graduation. A career resource room is also available to every student, which contains information on career choices. Some of the information available include books on different careers, graduate schools, registration booklets for the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, and Praxis exams, company profiles and annual reports, and videos concerning job placement techniques. The quest for the right major doesn’t have to end with Career Services. "I got on the Internet, talked with staff, and looked at different jobs available before declaring a psychology major," said Cindy Dixon, a senior. She also advises students to talk with other people about their potential majors.

SGA President Josh Snow, also a senior, has switched back and forth between communications and history since he has been at Wesleyan. He has decided to major in communications and minor in history. Snow warns students about making a decision too early. "It comes down to what you enjoy. All the advice will not help when you don’t enjoy your job ten years down the line."