The Student Assistance Center in the Office of the Dean of Students is excited for the spring semester. We are writing to inform you of some changes we have made in order to better serve our students.
Over the past several years our office has seen increases in the volume, seriousness, and complexity of the situations we are managing. In order to best serve students and be better prepared for the issues they may bring, we are moving to a model in which we strongly recommend that students make an appointment. This is beneficial to students in the following ways:
- Students can have concentrated time with a Dean to address their questions or concerns
- The student’s issue may require research prior to the meeting, allowing the Dean time to do some preparation in advance
- A Dean may not be readily available at all times during peak drop-in hours
Students can schedule appointments by calling (217) 333-0050.
Although we recommend appointments, our walk-in hours will remain available on a revised schedule: Mondays-Friday, 10:00am-3:00pm. During this time, students can meet with a Dean for 10-15 minutes to address quick questions or concerns. Should a student’s situation require more time, the Dean will work with them to arrange a follow-up appointment. Additional information is available on our website: https://odos.illinois.edu/community-of-care/student-assistance-center/
We are hopeful that this new model will allow us to be as efficient and responsive to students as possible. We know it will take some time to transition to this new approach, and we thank you in advance for your flexibility and support. We welcome any questions you may have. Please feel free to contact us at (217) 333-0050 or helpdean@illinois.edu.