Summer Academy is designed specifically for incoming freshman and transfer students to come and experience campus life six weeks before the rush of fall. Eat in the dining halls, live in the residence halls, and earn six or more credits in much smaller class sizes, while making friends with other awesome Hokies.

Our school offers Track 7: Architecture and Design, this track is to cultivate awareness about design and your new college life. You will be introduced to the learning environment and activities characteristic of Foundation Design Lab ARCH 1015. You will also be exposed to ways of perceiving and recording the built and natural environment through travel around the region, as well as transforming your findings in ways that enhance design education.

This track is recommended for all design related majors, all students admitted to the College of Architecture and Urban Studies (CAUS), and University Studies students desiring to transfer into CAUS.

Martha Sullivan, Assistant Professor of Practice, is the lead for the Summer Academy Program in our college. She states, "I have seen so many students propel themselves into freshman year with confidence and a good grounding physically, socially, emotionally, and academically because of their participation in the program. I hope you will join us! Please let me know if you have questions about Summer Academy!"

ARCH 1024: Design Thinking: Defying Preconceptions, 3 credits
Engages students in the learning environment of the design laboratory, which is interactive inquiry, experimentation, discovery, and synthesis. Develops thinking and making skills in 2D and 3D across multiple scales. Advances abilities to solve problems through exploring strategies with viable consequences. Engages students in a series of iterative drawing, and modeling exercises relevant to architecture and design education. 

ARCH 1034: Seeing Design: Transforming Observations, 3 credits
Introduces students to ways of perceiving, and recording the built and natural environment in Southwest Virginia. Introduces students to travel studies as an essential part of their architecture and design education. Transforms students’ observational skills. Employs photography and sketching as means of documenting findings. Employs digital technologies as a way to transform documentation. Prepares students for an exhibition of their work, including oral presentations.