App State College of Arts and Sciences announces new director of college advising

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University’s College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) announces new leadership for its College Advising and Support Services Hub (CASSH).

Diana J. Nelson ’07 ’19 has been named director of CASSH, which is housed in the CAS Office of the Dean, and will begin her new role March 23. CASSH comprises professional advisers and records specialists who serve current and prospective students, as well as faculty and staff in the college.

“We are so lucky to find someone who is already very knowledgeable about the college and has worked closely with our many departments over the years,” said CAS Dean Neva J. Specht. “Diana has experience in both the record-keeping and advising areas, as well as supervisory experience, so I know she can step right in and do an amazing job.”

CASSH personnel are responsible for completing students’ graduation checks, addressing course shortages and providing advising support for CAS faculty, among many other duties. As the CAS student body continues to grow — over 6,100 students were enrolled in the college in the 2018–19 academic year — CASSH ensures the college’s students receive hands-on, personal attention as they navigate their educational path.

“I hope to continue to provide dedicated support for students, faculty and staff in the College of Arts and Sciences,” Nelson said. “I feel the CASSH team already excels in this area, so it will be a matter of maintaining that momentum, developing and implementing policies and procedures that coincide with the changing academic climate, and continuing to provide an open and approachable atmosphere for our students, faculty and staff.”

Nelson, of Jonesborough, Tennessee, earned a B.S. in psychology with a concentration in human services and a minor in criminal justice in 2007 and an M.A. in higher education with a concentration in adult and developmental education in 2019, both from Appalachian.

She previously served in CASSH for nine years — as an administrative support specialist in records (2010–18) and as the administrative support specialist supervisor (January–September 2019) — before taking on a position as academic adviser in the Beaver College of Health Sciences’ Office of Advising and Academic Support.

She also serves as a Faculty Transfer Mentor, working closely with transfer students to help them throughout their transition and college experience at Appalachian by offering leadership, mentorship and service-learning opportunities.

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About the College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences is home to 16 academic departments, one stand-alone academic program, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities and the social, mathematical and natural sciences. The College of Arts and Sciences aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and unique location. The college’s values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of its students as global citizens. There are approximately 6,100 student majors in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing Appalachian's general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges. Learn more at https://cas.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the state of North Carolina, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls more than 19,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.