Issue link: http://howardcc.uberflip.com/i/969762
therapist looking for new career options needed to chat from home due to family obligations. Virtual advisor Diana Brown seeks to make the experience comfortable for students. The online platform includes her photo and a short bio. She meets in a space resembling an office on campus to provide an environment that is both comfortable and professional. Brown understands that the busy students she advises limit their time on campus. "With virtual advising, students have an appointment and a time slot that is good for their schedules," explains Brown. "The platform also gives students a personal contact with the college." In the future, information sessions that are currently held on campus will soon be delivered through the virtual advising model. In fact, HCC recently hosted its first virtual nursing information session, speaking to nearly 20 prospective nursing students online. HCC is the only Maryland community college to offer virtual advising. The program is also garnering national attention, having received a 2017 Innovation of the Year Award through the League for Innovation in the Community College and the National Council on Student Development Gold 2017 Terry O'Banion Shared Journey Exemplary Practice Award. " With virtual advising, students have an appointment and a time slot that is good for their schedules. The platform also gives students a personal contact with the college. " — Diana Brown, virtual advisor in the office of admissions and advising Students use smart phones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers to utilize the video conferencing tool. What happens during the online session is no different than in-person advising: the advisor assists students with developing academic and career goals. Together they review academic programs and courses, develop an academic plan, review registration processes, and discuss resources. Started as a pilot program in 2016, virtual advising has now served over 365 students. Most participants are adults who are taking general education classes or pursuing nursing and allied health programs. Prospective students in the military moving to Howard County from locations such as Florida, California, and even Germany have used the service. Some Maryland residents find it easier to participate in virtual advising than to get to campus. For example, a local respiratory Spring 2018 | Pathways 9 p Howard P.R.I.D.E. student Darius Carroll Jr. p HCC advisor Diana Brown assists students through virtual advising. A Program That Elevates: P.R.I.D.E. When Darius Carroll Jr. first enrolled at HCC, his goal was "to get in and get out." That plan completely changed after he learned about the Howard P.R.I.D.E. program, which stands for purpose, respect, initiative, determination, and excellence. Through the program, Carroll has attended a leadership conference in Florida and participated in an alternative spring break, where he and other Howard P.R.I.D.E. students visited four-year universities and colleges. "When I first heard about P.R.I.D.E., I thought it sounded almost too good to be true," said Carroll. In fact, it exceeded his expectations. At the heart of Howard P.R.I.D.E. is case management and one-on-one tutoring, an effort to turn around the low achievement rates of Black male students in developmental mathematics. The tutoring encourages not just subject mastery—complex mathematics concepts are broken down into understandable parts—but also wide-ranging conversations about academics and student goals. Howard P.R.I.D.E. began in with just 25 students, an hourly mathematics tutor, and a part-time director to guide