James Center

Coronavirus Update

Effective August 2, pursuant to the University's "[return] to pre-pandemic operations for the Fall 2021 semester, with safety precautions in place," the James Center student space is open for in-person visits during normal hours of 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. We remind all visitors to the James Center to follow guidelines from the university, the state of North Carolina, and the CDC. Please remember that masks are required for all indoor spaces on campus for students, faculty, staff and visitors, regardless of vaccination status.

• Academic advising continues via virtual walk-in hours and by appointment. Please visit the James Center Advising webpage for details. Please contact your assigned advisor with any questions.
• Professional development offerings continue. Please check email, Engage, the James Center events calendar, and the Virtual Professional Development Newsletter (available via email and Engage) for details. Please contact Dr. Alicia Muhammad (muhammada@appstate.edu, 828-262-8914) with any questions.
• Appalachian Community of Education Scholars members will continue to receive communications via email. Please contact Megan Kasper (kaspermm@appstate.edu, 828-262-3168) with any questions.

If you have any other needs, questions, or concerns, please contact Ike Smith (smithit@appstate.edu or 828-262-7171) and continue to visit our website for updates. 

Please refer to the App State Coronavirus Information website for current, official updates from the university.

About the James Center for Student Success and Advising

The James Center, named after Steve and Judy James, is located on the first floor of the Reich College of Education and serves all teacher education majors at Appalachian. We invite you to explore our website and contact us if you have any questions or would like to get involved!

Our Vision

The vision of the James Center for Student Success and Advising is to be a space in the Reich College of Education that espouses a commitment to the growth, development, and well-being of education practitioners at Appalachian State University so they can reimagine a sustained vision of a transformed education system, culture, and climate for the districts, schools, classrooms, and -- most importantly -- students they will serve throughout their professional lifetimes.

Our Mission

The mission of the James Center for Student Success and Advising is to promote, uplift, and amplify the voices of all students, specifically those whose voices are and have traditionally been silenced in our communities, in a way that respects the identity, dignity, humanity, and positionality they bring to the education preparation space. Our diversity is reflected by differences in race, culture, age, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and numerous other social identities and life experiences. The James Center supports an inclusive learning environment in which diversity and individual differences are understood, respected, valued, and celebrated. Additionally, we seek to provide an inclusive space grounded in equitable practices that supports the development of equity-minded teaching professionals in all teacher education programs. Furthermore, we will prepare globally and sustainably oriented pre-service educators through advising, professional development, and student-focused programming.

Our Core Values

As a core value, the James Center for Student Success and Advising recognizes that Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) practices are essential for the service of students, faculty, staff, and the education profession as a whole. We commit to student development practices rooted in equity and the formation of meaningful relationships. We provide a safe space to build and facilitate community by deeply listening and intentionally discussing diverging views, so that all teacher education majors develop their authentic selves, grow as individuals and professionals, and are prepared for inspirational, creative, and visionary teaching, learning, and community advocacy in their education careers.