OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR

Department Website: https://www.vanguard.edu/academics/registrar

Mission: The Office of the Registrar provides quality service to the Vanguard community and supports the university mission through implementing academic policy, providing precise reporting, and maintaining accurate academic and institutional records.

The Office of the Registrar assists students by managing the course registration process, assisting with student withdraws and leaves of absence, transcript and degree verification services for both current students and alumni, evaluating and processing transfer credit, and evaluating students for graduation in their respective programs. 

ACADEMIC RESOURCE CENTER

Department Website: https://www.vanguard.edu/resources/academic-resource-center

Mission: The Academic Resource Center (ARC) recognizes the unique characteristics of each student and seeks to provide an atmosphere of inclusion and understanding that support your academic growth and personal development. We help empower students to meet three goals: remain enrolled and progress in a program of study, flourish academically, and persist to graduation. We do this by collaborating with and supporting academic departments and university offices to provide programs that fulfill our university commitment to student success and retention. 

The Academic Resource Center houses the following departments/programs aimed at increasing student success and retention at Vanguard University. 

ACADEMIC SUCCESS COACHING

The Academic Success Coaching program offers a holistic view of student success and academic intervention. The Academic Success Coach is a model for effective organization, time-management, study skills, and executive functioning. ASC’s are also responsible for imparting a feeling of ownership and a sense of agency over one’s academic journey, so that the client is better equipped to navigate their university experience. The Academic Success Coaching program is positioned in a way that can brings all of the components of the Academic Resource Center together in a comprehensive way.

CAREER CLOSET

Samson’s Career Pop-Up Closet provides you with professional attire and resources such as headshots for your interviews, career fairs, and/or networking events. In collaboration with Career Services, they have joined forces to ensure students make a great and competitive first impression. If you are you in need of professional clothing, schedule your Career Closet appointment and get free business attire by logging into Vanguard Handshake and completing a Career Services appointment request for the Career Closet.

DISABILITY SERVICES

The Office of Disability Services seeks to cultivate an inclusive and accessible university campus through the removal of environmental barriers. Students with a temporary or permanent disability (which may include but are not limited to attention-related, learning, mental health, vision, hearing, physical, or other health impairments) who are in need of accommodations are encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Services.

LIVING WELL COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER

The Living Well Community Resource Center intends to provide students with adequate support and supplies in all areas that may hinder their academic success and or well-being. We aim to ensure each student is equipped with the proper resources in order to succeed academically, by eliminating all forms of insecurities and instilling hope to those in need. Our goal is to lend a helping hand to VU community members who need food and hygiene products, clothing, books, and laptops. We want to ensure a worry-free school year by coming together as a community to eliminate food and housing insecurity by accommodating each other’s needs.

SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION

Supplemental instruction is a time set aside for students to get together outside of class and discuss the ideas and concepts that faculty present in class. It is facilitated by a student who has previously taken the class and achieved success. During the SI session, the SI leader encourages interaction among students about the topics and concepts that faculty have discussed during class. Using a variety of innovative group study techniques, the SI Leader facilitates conversations about the course subject matter. Attendance is voluntary and anonymous (faculty are not notified about who attends so as not to affect grading).

TUTORIAL CENTER

Tutorial Center services are provided by Vanguard students who have mastered their material and have shown exemplary ability to facilitate learning for their peers. Center operation embraces the positive aspects of tutorial assistance. Rather than students feeling the stigma of needing academic assistance, they are encouraged to use the tutorial services in order to foster success in a class from the onset. Two hours of tutoring per week is provided at no cost to the student.

WRITING CENTER

The Vanguard Writing Center is committed to helping undergraduate and graduate student writers across the curriculum. Students from any major may bring writing projects (from shorter expository essays to longer research papers) to a Writing Center appointment and receive informed, thorough feedback from a peer consultant, with special attention given to the author’s concerns and the parameters of the specific assignment. The Writing Center is committed to assisting students from all disciplines in a collaborative, Christ-centered environment, and we value students’ learning differences and diverse voices. We can help students at any stage of the writing process, including: organizing notes, developing outlines, revising thesis statements, improving organization, or assisting with final editing.

THE O. COPE BUDGE LIBRARY

Department Website: https://www.vanguard.edu/academics/library

Mission: The O. Cope Budge Library acquires, manages, and promotes the use of information resources in a user-centered environment. The library links students, faculty, and staff to an increasingly global body of knowledge. The library faculty teach critical thinking skills in the research process and promote the ethical use and evaluation of information resources. The library faculty and staff promote personal enrichment, foster multicultural appreciation, and encourage lifelong learning. Through its personnel, resources, and services, the library supports the student learning outcomes, goals, and curriculum of Vanguard University.

Although the school opened in 1920, the Vanguard University library did not have a professional librarian until Keith Lee was hired in 1960. Prior to Lee’s appointment, Willyla Bushnell served as the librarian. Three years later in 1963, the library moved from a military barracks to its current location. During Dr. O Cope Budge’s tenure from 1959-1976, the school experienced growth with the addition of four new buildings—science, gymnasium, men’s residence tower and the library. This expansion program was part of the “Decade of Progress”. The library was eventually named O. Cope Budge Library in honor of everything Dr. Budge had done for Vanguard. In 1985 the library was expanded and doubled in size. In 2012, the library experienced a partial remodel adding three additional study rooms and a periodical room.

The library subscribes to approximately 100 databases, which provide full-text access to peer reviewed and scholarly journals, electronic books, newspapers, dissertations, other periodical resources, as well as audio and video content. The library web page above serves as the portal for these resources, which are accessible to all students, faculty and staff from on and off campus.