Personalized support from day one
Building a connection early on — discussing your goals, listening to your questions, troubleshooting your challenges — sets up a productive relationship with your Student Success advisor. As soon as you enroll in your Public Health program, you’re invited to make an appointment to get up to speed on the many resources that are available to you. Meeting with a Student Success advisor is a required step in your new student orientation.
Afterwards, Student Success meetings take place on your schedule. Choose to meet online or by phone as often or infrequently as you wish. There’s no question or occasion that’s too big or too small. Sometimes, a 15-minute phone call is all you need. If you need 60, we can do that, too.
Student Success meetings may cover:
- Identifying a course plan: Plan ahead semester-by-semester to ensure you’re taking the right courses in the right sequence.
- Connecting with essential services: Need help finding student health services, academic tutoring, or the designated Public Health librarian? We’ll point you in the right direction.
- Collaborating with faculty: We’re here to help you work effectively with faculty on diverse issues related to your studies.
- Utilizing online tools: Review strategies for staying connected to your classmates and professors on Blackboard, finding a subject matter tutor through Wyzant, or learning online.
Meet Vika: The face of one-on-one Student Success
Victoria (Vika) Pleshakova, M.Ed., Senior Enrollment and Retention Adviser, is your Student Success point of contact. With more than a decade of academic advising experience, Vika possesses deep expertise in helping students put success plans into action.
“I look forward to supporting you as you work through the Master’s degree or Certificate of Graduate Study in Public Health. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Teaching English as a Foreign Language, and Master of Education from UVM. I am passionate about education, humanities, and life-long learning. As an Advisor, I am here to provide one-on-one support and look forward to getting to know you and helping you through the program in the way that works for you!”