James September-October 2024 web - Flipbook - Page 59
JAMES How does Valdosta State help
to prepare its students to enter the
workforce after graduation?
CARVAJAL Creating career-ready
graduates is the number one goal in
our new strategic plan, VSU 2030.
We are three years into a 10-year
Quality Enhancement Plan focused
on experiential learning that gets
our students actively engaging in
course content and applying it in
the real world. We also recently
launched the Blazer Ready Career
Preparation Program designed to
help students develop important life
and career skills valued by employers and the community.
JAMES How does VSU assist students
with the ever-rising cost of tuition?
Do you offer any additional types of
scholarships or financial aid?
CARVAJAL We have many scholarships available for students from
incoming freshman to graduate
students. The foundation awards
more than $1million in scholarships
each year. We also launched Scholarship Universe this past year. It’s
an online one-stop-shop for all VSU
student scholarships in addition to
thousands of non-VSU scholarships
for which students may not even
know they qualify. And of course,
many of our students also qualify
for financial aid. The staff at VSU is
ready to find ways to help make a
college education affordable for all
students and their families.
JAMES Free expression and sharing
of different ideas are always healthy,
but how would Valdosta State react
to students or outsiders that engage
in illegal demonstrations, or establish illegal encampments?
CARVAJAL So far we have not experi-
enced this issue on VSU’s campus.
However, if we did, VSU would
follow the law and adhere to our
established policies on freedom of
expression.
VSU is committed to protecting
freedom of speech, and we appreciate all that our University System of
Georgia Board of Regents has done
in recent years to strengthen our
protection of that right. That said,
all have a right to be safe too, so
encampments or other disturbances
that disrupt the educational process
or make students, faculty, and staff
unsafe would not be allowed.
JAMES Valdosta State’s football
team is recognized as a national
powerhouse with multiple Division
2 NCAA national championships,
helping to dub Valdosta as “Titletown.” Can you tell us about some of
the accomplishments of your athletic
programs?
CARVAJAL Last year, Blazer Athletics
enjoyed a season that many of us
will never forget. Football made it to
the national quarterfinals, and if not
for a driving rainstorm, there’s no
telling how far we might have gone.
Then, as part of an unprecedented year for women’s athletics nationally, and where support surpassed
anything we’d ever seen, our Women’s Basketball Team took us all on
a thrilling journey to a Gulf South
Conference Championship in front
of record crowds. To cap it off, our
Men’s Tennis Team ended the year
by bringing home the 2024 Division
II National Championship, VSU’s
ninth national championship title.
This year, our Blazers again appear to be primed for another great
season, with our football team having been ranked No. 1 in the Gulf
South Conference Coach’s Preseason Poll. One thing that will change
this year, however, is the person in
charge. Troy Katen assumed the
role of VSU’s new Athletic Director
this summer after similar leadership
roles at other Division II bluebloods.
He takes over for Herb Reinhard,
who retired in June after a legendary 32-year run.
Rosser Southerland is the James content coordinator.
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