VWCC :: Student Development Courses (SDV)

Academic Advising

Student Development Courses (SDV)

Purpose

Student Development courses (SDV) assist students in the transition to Virginia Western Community College. These courses provide overviews of college policies, procedures, and curricular offerings. SDV helps students toward college success through information regarding effective study habits, career and academic planning, and other college resources available to students. Student development courses also promote contact between students, staff, and faculty at Virginia Western and provide strategies for academic and lifelong success.

Requirements

You are required to take a Student Development course:

within the first 15 credit hours of enrollment if you are seeking a degree or certificate, except for those in career studies certificate programs

Only SDV 100, 101, or 108 may be used to satisfy graduation requirements.
The student development requirement may be waived for students who hold an Associate’s degree or a Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.

For the Virginia Western Student Development Policy, click here.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Student Development courses cover the following topic areas:

Career Exploration & Development
College Resources
College Policies
Academic Planning
Academic Skills
Life Management
Social/Interpersonal Skills
Wellness

Course Options

Your academic advisor will assist in choosing the most appropriate SDV course for you. The courses are:

(Clicking the links above will take you to the course outlines.)

Required Assignments

SDV instructors will assign a variety of assignments and assessments to meet course outcome goals.

Two assignments are mandatory for all SDV students:

Haven-Understanding Sexual Assault Course: Virginia Western Community College has partnered with EverFi, whose mission is to help students address critical life skills. As part of our comprehensive prevention program for students, Virginia Western expects you to complete the Haven-Understanding Sexual Assault course. This online course will empower you to make well-informed decisions about issues that can affect you, your children, spouse and others close to you.

Virginia Education Wizard Project: The goal of this project is to allow you to complete assessments regarding your skills, interests, and values through the Virginia Education Wizard. The purpose of completing these assessments is to determine if your long-term goals match your skills, interests, and values. It will also help you in figuring out your strengths, as well as assist with career and academic planning, while at Virginia Western and beyond.

All parts of the Virginia Education Wizard project can be found below:

(All documents are in PDF format unless otherwise indicated.)