Adult Learners Playbook

Check out the Adult Learners Playbook page (link) for more information and to view previous sessions!

Life can be overwhelming. We all encounter challenges that leave lasting marks on our well-being—moments that disrupt our sense of safety, connection, and control. Often, we don’t realize how deeply these experiences shape the way we show up in the world. In education, these hidden struggles surface as disconnection, misunderstanding, and behaviors that seem out of place. But when we understand the brain’s response to adversity and the ways lived experiences shape our behavior, we unlock new possibilities for compassion and support. This work is about more than understanding, it’s about creating spaces where people are supported and empowered. Together, we can shift our campuses and communities toward healing, connection, and growth.

Check the calendar to see upcoming opportunities (expected Summer 2027). For more information, email StudentSuccessPD@vccs.edu

These annual academies are designed for VCCS employees to build on professional and leadership experiences. All academies incorporate discussion, presentations, and networking, though theme and scope vary by year. Participation is by presidential and senior leadership nomination only and may include faculty, staff, and administration depending on the academy focus.

The Coaching & Advising Team offers monthly collaboration meetings with Coaches, Advisors, and Navigators for added support, sharing best practices, technical assistance needs, and timely professional development.

The VCCS Student Success Center team now has a Coordinator of Access and Advising who will offer support with a specific focus on faculty advisors, professional advisors and G3 advisors. Stay tuned for upcoming programming, training, and networking opportunities to collaborate, strategize and develop advising initiatives that will improve student access, success and retention.

Check the calendar to see upcoming opportunities. For more information about monthly meetings and faculty advising, contact StudentSuccessCoaching@vccs.edu

Funded by Virginia 529, the FastForward program provides career coaches at fourteen Virginia community colleges with crucial support for students enrolled in short-term credential programs. 

The Coaching & Advising Team strengthens this initiative by hosting monthly meetings where these coaches can collaborate, share best practices, and access resources to better assist students throughout their academic journey and into their chosen careers.

For FastForward coaches, a dedicated website with resources is available. Please make sure you are logged into your VCCS Google Account to access the site.

For further information or questions, email StudentSuccessCoaching@vccs.edu

This Functional Technology, aka, "Funky Tech" webinar series is designed to bridge the gap between technology and various departments, providing a platform for student facing front-line staff to enhance your technological skills navigating the platforms you use in support of students. Through interactive workshops and expert-led sessions, you’ll discover innovative ways to streamline processes, improve communication, and foster a cohesive environment. Join us to unlock the full potential of technology in your role and drive success for both students and staff. Let’s learn, connect, and transform together!

For more information and to view available Funky Tech webinars, visit the Funky Tech website

The VCCS Student Success Center is excited to host a series of webinars featuring some of the most talked-about sessions from the 2026 New Horizons conference. With topics ranging from fostering resilience and belonging across campus to creating real-world opportunities for students to apply learning, we’ll explore how to translate these ambitions into impactful actions within our classrooms and offices. 

Virginia’s Community Colleges are lighting the path to a bold new era of teaching and learning. New Horizons 2026: IGNITE Conference brought together faculty, staff, and leaders from across the system to explore innovative ideas, practical strategies, and shared purpose in shaping the future of higher education. And now, we are bringing content crafted by VCCS colleagues right to you!

For more information and to register for upcoming sessions, visit the IGNITE page

The Junior Faculty Academy invites faculty members who have three years of experience or less to participate in eight sessions over four weeks. The Academy, delivered live via Zoom, is designed to help faculty members to think critically about their students, their courses, and their careers. The sessions touch on topics such as adult learners, neurodiverse students, student assessments, Generative AI, self-care, faculty engagement,  the faculty-dean relationship, and career development. Delivered by 16 presenters from 11 colleges and the System Office, the presenters will share their insights and experience to benefit those who are early in their faculty careers. 

**Those who attend the courses and complete forms will be eligible to receive an acknowledgment of participation**

For more information and to register, visit the Junior Faculty Academy page

Research shows that nearly half of all college students experience clinically significant symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. To help our faculty and staff learn how to help their students with these challenges, the Student Success Center team hosts regular Mental Health First Aid trainings. Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based, early-intervention course that teaches participants about mental health and substance use challenges.

Check the calendar to see upcoming opportunities. For more information, email StudentSuccessCoaching@vccs.edu

Led by Dr. Donna M. Beegle, This professional learning experience is offered as  fully asynchronous training course in Canvas. Stay tuned for launch details.

Rooted in the principles of Trust & Inspire, this experience equips leaders to create environments where accountability, innovation, and genuine connection can thrive. It invites participants to move beyond command-and-control leadership and discover how trust, purpose, and inspiration unlock the potential in others—and in themselves. 

Check out the Trust & Inspire Website for Dates and Registration