Advising
Advising is an important element in the professional education of all students. Each student has an advisor who can:
- Assist in planning a program of study
- Discuss academic progress based on information from instructors
- Refer students to school and university resources
- Interpret academic policies, rules and regulations
- Assist with students’ integration of learning experiences
- Advocate on behalf of students
Student success advising team
Current students, need help figuring out how to connect with your advisor? Find their contact information and weekly drop-in hours below. If you aren’t certain of who your advisor is or are having trouble reaching them, you may contact sswadvising@vcu.edu for assistance.
If you would prefer to schedule an appointment, you may do so on Navigate.
Check out the SSW’s student calendar for updates to drop-in scheduling and all upcoming events!
Lower-level B.S.W. advisor
Kristal Parada
paradak2@vcu.edu
(804) 827-8648
Summer 2024 drop-in hours
Lower-level B.S.W. students
- Fridays, 2-3 p.m. ET on Zoom
![](/media/school-of-social-work-2021/images/Parada200.jpg)
![Headshot of Kristal Parada](/media/school-of-social-work-2021/images/Parada200.jpg)
Upper-level B.S.W. advisor
Robert Anderson
andersonrl5@vcu.edu
(804) 828-0567
Summer 2024 drop-in hours
Upper-level B.S.W. students
Social welfare minor students
- Tuesdays, 1-2 p.m. ET on Zoom
- Thursdays, 3-4 p.m. ET on-campus
![](/media/school-of-social-work-2021/images/directory/Anderson_Robert_Low_Res_Dec2021.jpg)
![Robert Anderson headshot](/media/school-of-social-work-2021/images/directory/Anderson_Robert_Low_Res_Dec2021.jpg)
M.S.W. advisor
Lakeita Clarkson
clarksonlf@vcu.edu
(804) 828-1407
Summer 2024 drop-in hours
M.S.W. students with last names A-D
- Tuesdays, 3-5 p.m. ET on Zoom
![](/media/school-of-social-work-2021/images/directory/LakeitaClarkson_Low_Res_Dec2021.jpg)
![Lakeita Clarkson headshot](/media/school-of-social-work-2021/images/directory/LakeitaClarkson_Low_Res_Dec2021.jpg)
M.S.W. advisor
Julie Pence
pencejm@vcu.edu
(804) 828-2836
Summer 2024 drop-in hours
M.S.W. students with last names E-J
- Tuesdays & Fridays, 11 a.m.-noon ET on-campus or on Zoom
![](/media/school-of-social-work-2021/images/directory/JuliePence200.jpg)
![Julie Pence headshot](/media/school-of-social-work-2021/images/directory/JuliePence200.jpg)
M.S.W. advisor
Mary Simpson
simpsonmn3@vcu.edu
(804) 828-2777
Summer 2024 drop-in hours
M.S.W. students with last names K-Q
- Tuesdays & Thursdays, 11 a.m.-noon ET on campus or on Zoom
![](/media/school-of-social-work-2021/images/directory/MarySimpson-200px-1.jpg)
![Headshot of Mary Simpson](/media/school-of-social-work-2021/images/directory/MarySimpson-200px-1.jpg)
M.S.W. advisor
Summer 2024 drop-in hours
M.S.W. students with last names R-Z
- Mondays, 10-11 a.m. ET on Zoom
- Thursdays, 11 a.m.-noon ET on-campus
![](/media/school-of-social-work-2021/images/directory/CarolineLacy-200px-1.png)
![Headshot of Caroline Lacy](/media/school-of-social-work-2021/images/directory/CarolineLacy-200px-1.png)
Director of advising and retention
Sarah Burton-Everette
severette2@vcu.edu
(804) 828-1043
Summer 2024 drop-in hours
![](/media/school-of-social-work-2021/images/directory/Sarah_Burton-Everette_directory.jpg)
![Sarah Burton-Everette headshot](/media/school-of-social-work-2021/images/directory/Sarah_Burton-Everette_directory.jpg)
![](/media/school-of-social-work-2021/images/directory/RebeccaJohnson-200.jpg)
![Headshot of Rebecca Johnson](/media/school-of-social-work-2021/images/directory/RebeccaJohnson-200.jpg)
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 four coaches are:
Brittney Spence
![](/media/school-of-social-work-2021/images/BrittneySpence-200.jpg)
![Brittney Spence headshot](/media/school-of-social-work-2021/images/BrittneySpence-200.jpg)
Alisha Tysor
![](/media/school-of-social-work-2021/images/AlishaTysor-200.jpg)
![Headshot of Alisha Tysor](/media/school-of-social-work-2021/images/AlishaTysor-200.jpg)
Contact us
Have questions for an advisor? If you're not sure which advisor to contact directly, please reach out to sswadvising@vcu.edu.