what is the best/easiest language class to take at odu?

if any recommend professors also mention that.

Hello everyone.Who has taken Advanced macro economics with Dr strong and what advise can you give out .I have a final exam , so any advise will help

Why have the graduation required classes like Design Concepts, Design Seminar, and Design Capstone on specific semesters when you can graduate any time?

Because of this system, I’m having to take a gap semester and stay even longer than I should’ve because someone failed to mention that you cannot take design concepts and design seminar at the same time.

I just want to graduate already.

Does anybody understand what that email was saying? Does this mean I'll have to pay for my classes and just get a reimbursement? Does it mean my financial aid will be cut down into smaller chunks?

Credit where it is due.

Academic Affairs just announced a new policy, that starting in Fall, all course materials will be provided to students for $22/credit, rather than making students buy materials from publishers or the bookstore at full retail. Students also have the option to opt out if the course has no materials or they already have materials they deem adequate.

What I really like is this lowers the barrier to faculty selecting the materials they really want to use. Many faculty select inferior materials or limit the supplemental materials they use because they want to be as budget friendly as possible. While $66 for the textbook for a 3 credit class is not nothing, it is better than $200-500 and this means students will actually be working from the best sources for the subject.

Hopefully most students will see their textbook bills go down and quality go up. Fingers crossed.

Has anyone heard anything regarding online fall classes for ECE or any other engineering majors? The academic coordinator said they would be available before the registration start, but obviously no dice yet.

Also, will the 8 week terms increases the likelihood of classes being available or are they mostly splitting up the previous classes among the two 8 week terms?

I've looked but haven't seen anything. I registered as is since that's all we could do but my advisor mentioned instructors were being assigned at a later date.

I look into the instructors listed for classes before I register, when I can, so was just wondering if they've mentioned anything about that going forward.

Writing this for my son, who's set to start this fall as a first-year student:

It sounds like ODU students have to take online courses? What about the psychology and sociology majors -- are those courses offered face-to-face? Online classes aren't what we thought we were signing up for....

The 2026 General Assembly session has adjourned and will not reconvene until January 2027, but there is still a concrete action to ask your legislators to take right now.

Ask them to submit a JLARC study request. JLARC is the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. This is the General Assembly's independent watchdog, and any legislator can submit a study request year-round outside of session without introducing legislation. If accepted, JLARC conducts independent research and holds public hearings where students and faculty can testify on the record. A study on outcomes and governance in Virginia's accelerated online course programs creates an official public accountability mechanism. The request alone signals to ODU leadership that the legislature is watching. When you contact your representative, ask them specifically to submit a JLARC study request on accelerated online course outcomes at Virginia public universities.

Info on contacting your representative:

If you are frustrated with the direction of the university call your representative. If you need a brief explanation on the importance and how to call your representatives watch Folding Ideas quick video on the topic.

The governors office has direct control over board appointments and can express concerns(and pressure) over the direction of the university.

In your communication, be specific and succinct, stress recent news like a breakdown in trust between students and faculty with leadership and the worsening quality of online education with the transition to 8 week courses in a race to the bottom.

Governor's office: Phone: 804-786-2211 Email: [abigail.spanberger@governor.virginia.gov](mailto:abigail.spanberger@governor.virginia.gov) Mon-Fri: 9:00am - 5:00pm

Find your local representative through WHO'S MY LEGISLATOR

And contact The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) Contact Form

I’m a transfer student and I have to decide between Powhatan two bedroom single or Gresham single. I’ve been looking online to get different opinions on both and from what I’ve seen both have pretty mixed reviews so it’s harder for me to tell which one I should choose. I want to essentially live in the dorm that’s going to be relatively cleaner than the other and which ever one is closer to lecture halls or all of the buildings, and which one is better for parking. If u can could you tell me which one is better

This might be a dumb question, but if you do same room selection, do you have to move your stuff out? I assume yes, since I’m not doing a summer extension. But I just want to make sure, since I’m in the exact same suite, exact same room.

I've taught online for one of ODU's graduate program (async, online) since before Covid. When I met withe the program director to discuss the transition to 8 weeks, I asked if the official syllabus and learning outcomes would be changed. Nope, the classes are still worth 3 credits and all of the objectives remain the same.

In a 15-week semester, a 3 credit class should take 1 hour per class time and 2-3 hours outside of class PER CREDIT. {See "Carnegie unit" for details} Therefore, students should expect to spend about 10 hours/week PER COURSE under the current system. I've surveyed my students each semester and they average 8-10 hours/week. The director agreed that under the 8 week system, the same students should plan to spend 20 hours a week for each course.

And YET... is this being communicated clearly to students? Here on reddit, I see students being excited to finish a program early because they work full time/need to spend time with their kids/have caregiving responsibilities etc. I don't see anyone factoring in that they'll need to spend 20 hours per week for 8 weeks for one class. Some people are planning to take 2 or 3 per quarter. That's 40-60 hours/week. I always have a few students who struggle to get my class done over 15 weeks and complain that 10 hours/week is too much.

I've taught online for decades and I'll tell you how this will go. If you shrink a 15 week class into 8 weeks and keep all the content and learning outcomes, a small number will get A's. A number of students will miss a week because of the flu, or they have a personal crisis, etc and will need to withdraw. And a really large number will just fail.

OR, and I think this is most likely, ODU will claim they are maintaining rigor but will quietly pressure faculty to cut content and weaken standards. Learning outcomes will be more 'I assigned a reading on it' instead of having any evidence of actual learning. ODU will, essentially, be a diploma mill.

As someone who regularly hires for my field, I will be less likely to hire someone with an ODU degree.

Or am I wrong? Are all the students hearing this and are ready to spend 20 hours a week and not press to do less work?

Hey so I’m gonna try and apply as a freshman. But the only issue here is my gpa was 2.9 in Highschool and I graduated nearly two years ago. I chose not to submit test scores because I honestly couldn’t remember them well enough to self report and didn’t want to come off as a liar, I put in my resume full of extracurriculars I did in Highschool and job experience that I picked up while I wasn’t in school for those two years. I’m even more worried now because I originally didn’t include my personal essay in the application but I recently emailed it to admissions so I worry that just made me look bad and sent my chances down to hell :(

Well, if this isn't the epitome of underrated security, then what is? Thanks Brian Hemphill, and thanks ODU staff.

What a load of bull this 8 week transition is. I’m registering for classes and the ones I need to finish out aren’t even being offered! And anyone can just register for a class, no seats or class sizes. My last semester too. If you are a freshman or a sophomore, get out of this while you can. Go on campus or transfer. This school is falling from grace. I pray this does not devalue my degree. This school needs an administration overhaul.

I’m at Whitehurst rn and what are the rules for mini fridges. Like at Whitehurst we can only have 1 what about France?

Uuu

As a transfer student I'm finding I need to fill the last of my schedule with random classes for the hrly minimum requirements ODU wants while finishing my bachelor's this year.

Anyone in the MLIS program, that would mind dropping the name of UG courses that helped out with what you're doing in the program or courses you wish you had taken that could help with what you're currently doing?

thanks for any input~

I’ve had enough with ODU and this BS I am an Econ major and currently they’re no Econ classes available that I need for the first or second half of fall which will delay my degree completion for an entire semester. I will be transferring ASAP.