Dean of Students Office expands to include off-campus student support
Students moving and living off campus can find the help they need with new resources through the Dean of Students Office.
Assistant Dean of Students for Off Campus Student Support Deena Hines explains to a student what the Frame Your First Day event is about. Photo by Brian Muncy for Virginia Tech.
Moving off campus can prove to be more of a challenge than many students expect, not only because of the change in environment but also because of the change in day-to-day life. This sudden transition often leaves students wondering how, when, and where to seek assistance.
Recently, the Dean of Students Office expanded to include off-campus student support. Now, off-campus students can visit the Dean of Students Office webpage to find well-rounded care and resources in one place.
To announce the expansion and welcome students back to campus, the Dean of Students Office held the Frame Your First Day event on Aug. 24 and 25 during the first week of classes. This event was curated and led by Deena Hines '20, M.S. '22, and Ashley Costello-Walker M.P.A. '18, M.A.Ed. '22, assistant deans of students for Off-Campus Student Support.
Blacksburg Chief of Police John Clair and Ringo the Patrol Pony greet and answer questions from passing students. Photo by Brian Muncy for Virginia Tech.
The event took place in the Orange Loop at 7:30 a.m. and featured special guests like the Blacksburg Chief of Police, dean of students, and mayor of Blacksburg. Hines shared how, despite the early wake-up call, she kept an energetic attitude as motivation for the commuting students.
“As people were coming off their bus, I started yelling at them — upbeat things, of course,” Hines said. “Students were still waking up, drinking a little coffee, and when they came over to us, they were always pleasantly surprised about the resources that the Dean of Students Office can provide them.”
Hines, a Hokie herself, knows what it’s like to suddenly uproot from campus living.
“I went to school here. I lived off campus. And when you move off campus, finding your space can be difficult,” Hines said. “With the Frame Your First Day event, our hope was, through seeing us out in the community taking action, off-campus students would feel more comfortable and connected to the space they visit every day — to Virginia Tech.”
On the Off-Campus Life at Virginia Tech page, students can navigate resources based on their area of need. Specific areas of need include emergency funds, food access, temporary housing assistance, medical transportation, and many more.
The goal is clear: every student in Hokie Nation deserves to be seen. And it’s this very idea that Deputy Dean of Students and Director Ro Settle, M.A. '01, identifies this as the purpose for the expansion.
“Ultimately, we want every student living off campus to feel supported, informed, and connected to both the university and the community they call home,” Settle said. “By reducing barriers to success and enhancing access to support, we hope students will feel confident and empowered throughout their off-campus experience.”
The Hokie Bird with Ringo. Photo by Brian Muncy for Virginia Tech.
Many of these resources were available prior to the expansion, but without a defined location, students often navigated university life without knowing where to find them. Graduating senior Lindsey Kester expressed this exact sentiment when asked about the Dean of Students Office offerings.
“I used the Off-Campus Housing Portal in my sophomore year to find housing, but that’s as far as I thought ‘off-campus support’ extended,” Kester said. “Had I known all of this was available, I probably would’ve spent a bit more time surveying my options; if not for me, then for my friends too.”
Students fill out first day of school blackboards. Photo by Brian Muncy for Virginia Tech.
A student fills out a first day of school blackboard at a Dean of Students Office pop-up table. Photo by Brian Muncy for Virginia Tech.
A student poses with the Hokie Bird at the Frame Your First Day event. Photo by Brian Muncy for Virginia Tech.
By streamlining support to one place, resources are more accessible for students and for faculty, parents, and even the apartment complexes housing off-campus students. Including the larger Blacksburg community as essential parts of off-campus support will allow for even more connectivity between off-campus students and on-campus life.
“Our hope is to eventually put on programs and hang posters in apartment complexes so that students know what things are happening on campus,” Hines said. “This way, they stay in the know, and the Dean of Students Office doesn’t just exist on their phones — we are actively engaging with them.”
A student pets Derek and Epcot, two of Virginia Tech's therapy dogs, on the way to class. Photo by Brian Muncy for Virginia Tech.
No area of need is unimportant or lesser than another. From lending a laptop to giving support after a significant life event, the Dean of Students Office is ready to help. If you don’t know where to start, start with Dean of Students Office.
You can find all Dean of Students Office events like the Frame Your First Day Event or Be A Good Neighbor Week as they appear on the Gobblerconnect Events page.
For more information about related support, visit the pages linked below:
- Basic Needs and Services
- CARES Program
- Cook Counseling Center
- First-Generation Student Success
- Student Engagement and Campus Life
Written by Ava Nelson, English literature, professional & technical writing, and creative writing major and Student Affairs Marketing and Communications intern.
