Student success advising

Academic advising within the School of Social Work is provided by the Office of Student Success. Advising is an important element in the academic and professional education of all students. Student success advisors are dedicated to helping students navigate their academic journey.

Student success advisors can:

• Assist in planning a program of study
• Discuss academic progress based on feedback from instructors
• Refer students to appropriate school and university resources
• Interpret academic policies, rules and regulations
• Assist with students’ integration of learning experiences
• Advocate on behalf of students

Advising is currently delivered through different models across our programs, but we're actively working toward a more unified advising experience. Because advising is structured differently across programs, please refer to your program's advising section below for advisor contact information and how to connect with them.

B.S.W advising

B.S.W. students are assigned a dedicated student success advisor who provides individualized support throughout their academic journey. Students can schedule one-on-one appointments and access advising support through Navigate.

Note: University Academic Advising serves as the advising team for first-time freshman B.S.W. students. 

M.S.W. advising

M.S.W. students are currently supported through a team advising model. This approach was adopted in Fall 2025 to increase advisor availability and ensure continuity of support during a time of transition. Throughout the last year, our team has continued to grow, and we are now preparing to transition back to students having an assigned advisor. Additional details will be shared during Fall 2026. 

In the meantime, students should continue to utilize M.S.W. advising drop-in hours (available on the student calendar) or email sswadvising@vcu.edu for support.

Full-time advisors

Part-time advisors

Online M.S.W. student support coaches

Support coaches check in with students in the online M.S.W. format at various points each semester to promote persistence, academic success and community. They are a go-to for general questions and are skilled at connecting students with school and university resources. Our coaches are: