- by Kylee Ego -
As we kick off a new school year, the resources available for students to reach their full potential at Nazareth are endless. With several departments, facilities, and organizations across campus, they work to ensure you feel comfortable! As someone who has struggled with mental health themselves, knowing these resources are available to me makes me feel cared for and secure at Naz.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what Naz prioritizes for us and how these tools can benefit you.
For Your Success
Academic Advisement is in Smyth for all of your course-related needs. Staff in this department are eager to support and educate you on how to change or add majors and minors. They look at transfer credits and evaluate them. They are also known for advising Open Path/Undeclared students. All of my experiences with Advisement were incredibly pleasant. They are always happy to see new faces no matter the question. Don’t be afraid to use this resource even if you aren’t sure about needing it yet! They take appointments but would be happy if you decided to drop in. Always remember, 15 credits a semester to finish on time! I still smile and say hello to the counselor who helped me during my first year.
Career Coaches are great to help you get motivated about the future and help you come up with a plan. If thinking about an internship is daunting, or you can’t find the right person to check your resume, this is a great resource. It’s super easy to set up a meeting. You can use the Handshake app, which is also great for helping you find on-campus jobs. There’s a never-ending list of things you could talk about and advice you can get from your Career Coach. They’ll introduce you to the SPARK grant and give you the tools to feel confident in your journey for the next four years.
The Office for Student Success is a great resource responsible for the tutoring available on campus, the academic and college success course we all take (ACS), and one-on-one coaching to help with time management and studying. My favorite thing about working with the Office for Student Success is that they encourage you to play an active role in your education here. The resources offered will help you learn and grow to reach your goals.
Student Accessibility Services is a great resource and has been incredibly helpful to everyone I know who has used their guidance. If you have physical, learning/cognitive, emotional/mental difficulties or disabilities that grant you assistance, this is the place to go. I used the office during my struggles with the pandemic and my resulting mental health issues, and they were incredibly understanding. It made me feel valued here at Naz that my needs weren’t too much.
For Your Safety & Wellbeing
Campus Safety is available 24/7, all year round! I always feel safe at Naz as a young woman who often walks alone to class and stays late on campus because there are always campus safety cars patrolling. During my time as a resident assistant (RA), when officers would respond to situations, they were timely, prioritized the students’ safety, and handled each matter with care, no matter the circumstance.
Title IX: Sexual Assault & Misconduct: The Title IX Office works with students, faculty, and staff to implement ongoing educational outreach programming to foster a campus free from all forms of sexual misconduct. Consent education is a top priority here at Naz, and Title IX works diligently to inform students that there are campus staff to speak to regarding any matter. Every new incoming student must take a NYS online required course about sexual and interpersonal violence prevention and response, which must be completed within the first few weeks of new students being on campus. The Title IX office takes all concerns seriously and will support you.
Health and Counseling is conveniently near the center of campus. This building has a variety of services like primary care services, including treatment of illness and injury, prescriptions, PPD clinics, HPV vaccine, referrals to specialists, and more. Everyone in the office is so friendly and helpful. It’s where I choose to go even though I live off campus, rather than visiting urgent care, especially if it is minor or can clear up in a few days. They also offer mental health services like counseling, support groups, and wellness workshops. My favorite events are the one’s Health and Counseling coordinates. I always feel cared for and calm after. The events promote both physical and emotional wellness.
To Support You
Residential Life: Everyone living on campus should be familiar with the advantages of knowing and working with this team. They are helpful with solving roommate conflicts or requests to change roommates as they want to ensure everyone has a good experience here at Naz. Like many college students, I had a roommate issue that was scary at first. I was terrified my college experience was ruined. Res Life assured me that it was going to be okay. We walked through the protocol, and there was a mediation that was not intimidating but more of a safe space to work out our differences, and then there was a plan of action made to move forward. Now three years later, I can barely remember all the details because Res Life helped resolve the situation. I even became an RA, learned the process myself, and became close to the wonderful staff. This office works closely with accessibility needs as well.
On Campus Positions Through Handshake: Working on campus is a fantastic opportunity because it shows the cyclical relationship that the University has with its students. Most departments on campus offer positions for student workers in various areas. The best place to find these jobs and their requirements is through the app Handshake, which is very easy to use. As someone who wanted to work part-time while doing school full-time, working on campus was the best option. Supervisors understand school comes first, they work with your schedule, you often have days off that the University does, and you get to know more people in the Naz community. There is no limit to what type of job you can have on campus, and you can use your federal work-study. This opportunity helps to take some financial weight off of students’ shoulders.
The Center for Spirituality serves students, faculty, and staff on campus by working to create an environment at Naz where everyone is encouraged to practice their own religion and spiritual belief systems. They are another group that organizes several events on campus to ensure students can feel supported in their choices and beliefs. All staff and students in this department support each other and every student in their spiritual journeys.
The Office for Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Education (ODIEE) is an office on campus that prioritizes creating and sustaining an inclusive campus community. They constantly provide outreach, advice, and resources to campus leaders on diversity and inclusion practices. ODIEE is just one of several offices for students to become involved in to work together and support each other and everyone on campus.
The Atlas Center is our gender and sexuality resource center at Naz and falls under ODIEE. The center runs programs and offers a safe space for students and staff across the gender and sexuality spectrum. Through Atlas, clubs and organizations like the Lambda Association celebrate diversity and aim to provide resource information about and support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. The Queer Interfaith Network (QUIN) is a student group dedicated to learning about and exploring the intersection of spiritual and LGBTQ+ identities. This campus resource is here to make you feel more supported and connected as a member or ally of the LGBTQIA+ community. Check out a Tour Tuesday TikTok I filmed about the Atlas Center here.
These are only a fraction of the departments and services here at Naz that are readily available to help students. Nazareth looks at students holistically and knows that more goes into a student than grades, numbers, athletic performance, attendance, etc. Everyone goes through rough times, and everyone deserves support, no matter what. You will be valued here at Naz.
