Find your academic match this Valentine’s season!
We are excited to offer this virtual opportunity on Thursday, February 23 from 7:00-8:00 pm ET for students to explore the many academic offerings in CPS! This event will provide helpful information to any student during their academic careers as presentations will cover majors, minors, combined bachelor/master’s programs, and master’s degree programs.
You will have the chance to speak with representatives from the academic programs available and learn how to enhance and augment your academic and professional experience through various disciplines.
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Honors, Awards, and Acknowledgements |
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Fall 2022 Graduates - Congratulations! |
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Dechanel Bailey-Castillo
Information Systems and Technology, BIS
Cum Laude
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Taylor Bounds
Public Service and Administration, BA
Summa Cum Laude
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Terrence Dwyer Cullin
Organizational Development & Management, BIS
Minor in Leadership
Cum Laude
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Denise Doyle
General Studies, BIS
Minor in Political Science
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Nicole Doyle
Associate of Arts
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Stephanie Galindo
Organizational Development & Management, BIS
Minor in Leadership
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Bradley Lawrence
Leadership, BIS
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David L. Peters
History, BA
Cum Laude
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Cherry Potente
Information Systems and Technology, BIS
Minors in Communication and Computer Science
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John Purcell
Organizational Development & Management, BIS
Minors in Entrepreneurship, Leadership, and Political Science
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Erin Smith
General Studies, BIS
Minor in Leadership
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Devin Reid
Associate of Arts
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Elen Spinnraker
Information Systems, BIS
Magna Cum Laude
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Student Spotlight: Aunja Richards '23 CPS |
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Aunja Richards was born in Philadelphia and moved to Delaware County to live with her aunt after her mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and dementia and was unable to care for her. Aunja was only an adolescent when she lost her mother to these diseases.
Aunja attended Upper Darby High School and became active in many organizations, which included student government, dance committee, student library advisory board, and the tennis team. Her involvement in extracurricular activities sparked a passion for community service which persists in Aunja today. Aunja graduated in the top 20% of the 980 students in her 2013 graduating class.
After attending Robert Morris University for a short time, Aunja quickly realized that she needed to come up with a more affordable post-secondary plan. She went on to pursue an associate of applied science degree at the Community College of Philadelphia, majoring in accounting. While attending CCP, Aunja acquired a position at The Inn at Villanova. It wasn’t long before Aunja applied and was accepted into the College of Professional Studies in the Fall of 2021. She is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in public service and administration with a minor in leadership.
As a student and a staff member, Aunja continually demonstrates Villanova’s virtues of truth, unity & love. She is actively involved in Rays of Sunshine, Villanova Finance Group, and the CLAS Sustainability Committee. Last summer Aunja participated in a 3-credit internship which sparked her interest in cultivating a nonprofit as she began initiatives to better her community. Aunja has a bright future ahead of her and is already using her time at Villanova to ignite change!
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Leader Spotlight: Ann Miller,
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Why did you choose to double major in computer science and religious studies? Do you use these disciplines in your everyday life now?
I decided to pursue computer science because I really enjoyed my AP Computer Science class in high school and found myself to be very good at programming. The double major in religious studies happened by accident. My alma mater had an incredible religious studies department with classes like “Religion and Social Justice Movements” or the “Many Faces of Jesus” so I found myself taking their courses for almost every elective. Before I knew it, I was 1 class away from another major. While I don’t have a career that directly relates to either of my majors, I still use the skills I learned in them every day. I think the CS major made me just more capable with technology all around and I still think like a coder. The religion major helps me to relate to folks of all religious backgrounds as I have studied a little of all the major religions.
Tell us about your undergraduate experience.
Initially college was really difficult for me. I am a first-generation college student and lived abroad for most of my life. I attended a fairly affluent, predominantly white institution and felt very out of place being a half-Korean girl from a solidly middle-class background who literally flew in from my high school in South Korea on a US military base. I was homesick, like you wouldn’t believe. Luckily, I found my core group of friends at a concert during orientation week. I think we bonded over a shared sense of humor. Those friends kept me grounded when I was unsure of myself and remain my closest friends and support system to this day. I started gaining confidence and a larger community of friends when I studied abroad in Manchester, England during my junior year. When I came back in the spring, I joined a co-ed acapella group.
What inspired you go to the Institute of Culinary Education after undergrad?
I graduated from college in 2001. Meaning, September 11th happened four short months after I was supposed to enter the workforce and open jobs were few and far between. I didn’t fully know what to do with my life, but I knew I loved food and cooking. And I had thought about culinary school for years, so I took a leap of faith and entered a work study program which allowed me to go to culinary school for free. And by free, I mean 1,800 hours of my labor.
Entering higher education also happened by accident. After toiling away in kitchens for too long, I found myself no longer happy with my life. I gave notice at the restaurant where I was sous chef and got a temp job work at a research center at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. I was hired full-time by that team and eventually found my way to different departments at Wharton that I loved working for like the Wharton Innovation Group and Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship. I used my tuition benefit from working at Penn to complete my master's in education entrepreneurship at the Penn Graduate School of Education which cemented my career in higher ed entrepreneurship programs.
Tell us about IIE – how did it get started, what is your role, how does your team help students, etc.?
IIE was started by Provost Maggitti when he was still a business school professor at VSB. The idea was to create experiential educational opportunities for students interested in innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship. We believe that the entrepreneurial mindset, a set of skills critical to the work of entrepreneurship, is beneficial to all students regardless of major or future job goals. I am the director of IIE and guide the institutes mission and program development.
What do you love most about your job?
Working with students. I love seeing their brains explode when they learn a new thing or their pride when they accomplish a difficult goal. I also love seeing where they go after they graduate.
Did you always have the mindset of an entrepreneur? If so, tell us about your earliest businesses. If not, how did you cultivate the motivation to pursue these goals?
Always. My mother and father were always entrepreneurial and gave me the itch to follow suit. I had several businesses before I finished high school. I taught Japanese and Korean kids English starting at age 12. I started teaching local kids swimming lessons at age 14. And in high school, my friends and I sold homemade sandwiches to the offices on our military base to make money to buy our own pagers. (Yes, I’m that old.)
What is the best advice you’ve been given?
Life is not a race. You don’t need to compare yourself with others or feel pressured to be on some arbitrary timeline. If it was a race, what are you racing to?
What books, podcasts, and/or TV shows are you into right now?
Any books or podcasts by Adam Grant are top notch. I’ve learned so much about life, work, human behavior, and entrepreneurship from him.
Anything else you're willing to share?
Come visit me at the Idea Lab in the basement of Falvey Library. We host dinner here every Tuesday evening, if you want to meet the creative entrepreneurial community on campus.
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Advising Resources
24/7 Advising
Please be sure to check out the CPS Information Hub located on the right-hand side of your Blackboard homepage! This portal contains a plethora of academic, career, and intrapersonal information that will assist you at each stage of your academic journey. You can find registration questions, orientation videos, helpful links, campus resources, and modules designed to help you explore your goals. The best part, you can access this portal 24/7 throughout your entire academic experience at Villanova!
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CPS Textbook Lending Library
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Scarpa Center's Spring Entrepreneur in Residence
Villanova Law alum Peter Groverman, Esq. ’10 will serve as the second-ever entrepreneur in residence. In addition to being a co-founder and vice chairman of Grovara, the leading B2B global marketplace for wellness brands, Groverman is also co-CEO of Product Search Live, executive director of BFY Media, owner of Stretch Gallery and founder of the R.E.L.I.E.F. Foundation. During his semester-long residency, Groverman will hold regular office hours to mentor Villanova students, advise and coach for student competitions, and offer guest lectures in courses aligned with his expertise. Check out Villanova Law’s John F. Scarpa Center for Entrepreneurship and Law for more information.
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Program Spotlight: New Courses |
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Check out these new courses running in Spring and Summer!
Fast Forward 4 (March 13 – May 4)
COM 3406 - DL1 Gender & Communication
CRN: 35005, Thursdays 6:00-7:30 pm ET
This course will examine gender from a communication perspective. We start by defining gender and communication before moving into a closer examination of gender and communication in institutions including the family, work, education and the media.
Where will it count?
- Diversity Requirement 2 (BA, BS)
- Cultural Appreciation (BIS)
- Core Elective (BIS)
- Major Elective (GST, BIS)
- Free Elective (all)
CPS 5940 - DL1 TOP: Race and Justice Dialogue
CRN: 34634, Mondays 6:00-8:30 pm ET
This course is the pilot of the Race, Justice & Dialogue Course (RJDC), which will soon be required of all Villanova students. It is anchored in the social justice teachings of antiracism, which shapes both the course content and all requirements and expectations.
Where will it count?
- American Perspective (BIS)
- Cultural Appreciation (BIS)
- Core Elective (BIS)
- Major Elective (GST, BIS)
- Free Elective (all)
Coming this summer…
LDR 5950 - 010 TOP: Athletics Summit
CRN: 12015, June 13 & 14 - Summer Session I
- Major Elective (LDR, BIS)
- Minor Elective (LDR, BIS)
- Free Elective (all)
ODM 3010 - 015 Sports Management & Administration
CRN: 12052, Tuesdays 6:00-7:30 pm ET | Summer Session III
This course is designed to provide a full overview of the historical development and a comprehensive analysis of the multiple and varied disciplines that encompass the field of Sports Management.
- Core Elective (BIS)
- Major Elective (ODM, BIS)
- Minor Elective (ODM, BIS)
- Free Elective (all)
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Career Resources for CPS Students
A note from Meredith Okenquist ‘96 CLAS, Career Transitions Coach
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Trusted External Job Search Engine
Looking for jobs in a few different locations? Want to find contact information for people who work at employers of interest? Through Villanova, you have access to search internship and job listings as well as company and people profiles from all around the web in one place with CareerShift.
- Search, select and store job listings from all job boards and all company job postings.
- Receive up-to-date contact information, including e-mail addresses, for millions of companies.
- Create personal marketing campaigns, including unlimited resumes and cover letters easily, and save them to access, print or e-mail.
To create your account and begin using the site, visit Villanova's portal on CareerShift and use your Villanova email address to register (accounts must have email addresses with the "@villanova.edu" domain in order to be activated by CareerShift). Once you are registered, you can always return to the portal to log in.
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My Textbook Costs WHAT!?
In time for the CPS Textbook Lending Library’s official launch, let’s talk about course materials! How do you decide whether to buy or rent? New, used, or digital? Which website? Different due dates! So expensive! Will you ever use this book again? How will you KNOW?
What books do you need?
Some professors enter their required books through the Villanova Bookstore, where you can view your personalized list of books with different purchasing options. If you do not see a list on the Bookstore’s website, the best place to find out what materials you need will be your course syllabus on Blackboard. Some professors may not require any books, or they may already provide PDF files of all your readings.
Once you know what books you need, pay attention to the ISBNs – these are 13-digit identifiers you can use to find the exact versions/editions of books on different websites. Pro Tip: the Bookstore will often match websites like Amazon or Barnes & Noble if you find a better price elsewhere.
To buy, or to rent? That is the question.
The most economical option is usually renting used textbooks, which can come in a range of conditions from practically new to the Half-Blood Prince’s Potions textbook (Harry Potter, anyone?). Starting off renting is a great option since you can decide during the class whether you’d like to purchase the book to keep forever or send it back to never lay eyes on it again. If the book is something that might benefit you in your career or post-graduation, that could be a reason to buy it. Or sometimes we just want to be fancy and have Homer’s Odyssey in our personal libraries, even after we’re done with it after our Ancients class. I won’t judge.
Wherever you choose to acquire your books, be aware of the different vendors’ terms and due dates. For example, can you return a book during add/drop and get a refund? Do they have 7-week rental options for FastForward courses? Do they provide free shipping materials to use once your rental period is up? Do you have the option to buy at the end of the term? Are you allowed to highlight or write in rented books? Some companies allow you to mark up the books as you would if you owned them, while others may ask that you only highlight or underline and refrain from taking notes. Most companies will allow some type of markup, though!
Are there other resources available at Villanova?
There are several options for acquiring your books for less, making these decisions much easier. First, check the new Textbook Lending Library right in CPS! We have many books required for Core classes, like Saint Augustine’s Confessions, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or Freud’s Civilization and its Discontents. Right now, we’re only able to serve local students who can come to campus and pick up their books, but we are hoping to expand these services to CPS students across the country. The Center for Access, Success & Achievement (CASA) also has a lending library of thousands of books and course materials available to CASA students on campus.
If you’re someone who likes to physically engage with the text instead of staring at a screen, you’re not alone! Choose the textbook method that works best for you but try to keep an open mind about digital materials – many technologies will allow you to highlight and make notes right on your computer screen. Ask your advisor for their thoughts and suggestions on finding textbooks and making your reading more efficient and effective... because you’ll be doing A LOT of it.
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Health Professions Advising Program |
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We encourage all students who are interested in health professions to register with the Health Professions Advising office! Their Blackboard group contains a wealth of information regarding applications, preparation, and group events. Please register using the following steps in the image below.
Students can sign up for individual appointments with Dr. Louise Russo via the HPA Blackboard site in the main Content folder.
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Interested in attending law school? Check out one of the pre-law events hosted through the Pre-Law Advisor, Alexandra Karlesses, in the Career Center! All pre-law events are listed in Handshake and are a mix of in-person and virtual options. See some of the upcoming pre-law events below and a more comprehensive listing by visiting https://www.bit.ly/vuprelawevents. Because more pre-law events may be added throughout the semester, please make sure to frequently check Handshake for the most up-to-date event information! Students can also opt into the monthly pre-law newsletter that contains tips, advice, and events on the Pre-Law Advising website.
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**Please note that these events are not affiliated with Villanova Law School Admissions events. |
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The Office of Financial Assistance has opened virtual meetings where they can answer any individual questions you may have regarding your eligibility or package. Please click on the linked names below in order to schedule a virtual appointment with a financial aid counselor. Unless by special request, meetings will be held through online options such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Skype. If you would like to have a phone call instead, please indicate in your meeting request.
The 2023–24 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form is available for students to complete online at fafsa.gov and through the myStudentAid mobile app.
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Spring 2023 Academic Calendar |
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Mar. 3 (F): Full Semester Mid-term, FF3 Last Day of Classes
Mar. 6 (M): Semester Recess
Mar. 8 (W): FF3 Final Grades Due (Noon)
Mar. 15 (W): Full Semester Mid-Term Grades Due (Noon), Summer Registration Opens
Mar. 17 (F): Registration Advising Begins
TBA: Registration Begins for Fall 2023
Apr. 5 (W): Full Semester Last Day for Authorized Withdrawal without Academic Penalty (WX)
Apr. 5 (W): Easter Recess begins after last class
Apr. 9 (Su): FF4 Last Day for Authorized Withdrawal without Academic Penalty (WX)
Apr. 11 (Tu): Classes Resume
May 4 (Th): Full Semester & FF 4 Final Day of Classes
May 5 (F): Full Semester Reading Day
May 6-12 (Sa-F): Full Semester Final Examinations (No exams on Sun., May 7)
May 15 (M): FF4 and Full Semester Final Grades Due (Noon)
May 19-20 (F-Sa): Commencement Weekend
Jun. 30 (F): Incomplete (N) Deadline
Jun. 14 (F): Incomplete (N) Grade Conversion to NF
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