Student Affairs
The Division of Student Affairs works in partnership with faculty, staff, students, and the community to facilitate student success, engagement, and leadership development at Shepherd University.
Student Affairs continuously improves the quality and scope of its programs and services to enable Shepherd students to be successful citizens in the global community through its core values of learning, engagement, success, service, and satisfaction.
The Division of Student Affairs includes professionals, graduate students, and undergraduate students working together across 20 departments and functions focused on developing students’ capacity to learn and lead.
Becoming a Student at Shepherd University
Shepherd conducts a two-phase program to help students make a successful transition from high school, home, or work to university life. Phase one consists of a one-day (transfer and readmitted students) or a two-day (first-year students) summer Advisement and Registration program which gives new students an opportunity to meet with faculty, discuss their academic program, and schedule classes for the fall semester. Phase two of the program is Orientation held in August. This program is different from Advisement and Registration, as it provides the opportunity for students to meet their academic advisor and is designed to educate students about services and resources available to support their success. Because Shepherd feels that orientation is important whether the student is newly graduated from high school, entering the university from the world of work, or returning to school as a nontraditional student, all new and returning students accepted for admission in the fall semester are required to attend. Shepherd offers nontraditional-aged students programming specifically designed to meet their needs. All new students are required to pay the one-time Student Services Fee. Dates for the summer program are announced to newly admitted students early in the spring. The university also conducts a similar program in January for new, transfer, and readmitted students.
Residence Life
At Shepherd University, residence hall life is considered an important part of the overall educational mission of the university. Because learning does not end in the classroom, the experience of living in a residence hall plays an important role in affecting the development of the whole student. The residence life staff works together to create a living environment which assists students in fostering their intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual development and general well-being. In order to promote this holistic development of the student, all full-time students are required to live on campus. Exceptions to the policy are explained in the Shepherd University Student Handbook.
Activities and programs are planned and carried out for the benefit of residents, providing them with opportunities to learn to live comfortably with roommates and as community members. A major value of the experience is learning to live without infringing upon the rights of others. To this end, the residence halls have specific standards developed by the staff and residents to assist in group living and citizenship education.
By accepting a room reservation in a residence hall, students agree that they will follow the rules and regulations found in the Shepherd University Student Handbook and will not conduct themselves in any way that will infringe upon the rights and privileges of other individuals or the residence community.
Rooms are furnished with single beds, dressers, desks, and chairs. Students must supply linens, pillows, blankets, bedspreads, mattress covers, and accessories to suit their tastes. Additional suggestions and a list of prohibited items are sent to students and are posted online at www.shepherd.edu/residencelife/moving-in-moving-out.
Dining Services
The Dining Services operate five campus locations including:
- The Dining Hall - overlooking the Potomac River on the East Campus and offering action stations and self-service dining with menus ranging from quick service restaurant foods to home-style along with a full salad bar and vegetarian options.
- The Ram’s Den and Fireside Bistro - both located within the Student Center within the main academic core of campus and offering a quick service format including burgers, pizza, chicken, made-to-order sandwiches, express take-out salads, beverages, and freshly made sushi.
- The Riverside Market - located within Potomac Place and offering convenience store items and pan-Asian-themed entrees and appetizers.
- The Wellness Café - located within the Wellness Center and offering made to order sandwiches, soups, express salads, and healthy snacks and baked goods.
All residential students in traditional and suite style housing will need to maintain a meal plan while living on campus. Voluntary meal plans are available for students living in Prince and Dunlop apartments as well as students who commute.
For more information about meal plans and nutritional support, please call 304-876-5149
Student Health Services
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Health services are available to all undergraduate students at Shepherd University–full-time, part-time, resident, or commuter. The Health Center is located on the ground floor of Gardiner Hall on East Campus. The Health Center is directed and staffed by nurses, with registered nurses and an advanced practice registered nurse (NP) offering an integrated approach to address the physical and emotional well-being of students. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Students are seen by appointment only, although urgent care is accommodated as needed, and walk-ins may be worked in if the daily schedule permits. The Health Center offers a self-care station with over-the-counter medication for self-care of minor ailments or injuries, and basic-level care for common complaints such as flu, sprains, strains, colds, seasonal allergies, and minor injuries. State-sponsored family planning services are also available. Emergency services, x-rays, and other advanced diagnostic services are not available.
All students must submit a completed health record prior to matriculation. A complete immunization record is required in accordance with West Virginia law. Immunization against bacterial meningitis is required for all students entering the residential halls. A physician’s or religious leader’s statement is required for those claiming exemption from state immunization requirements. A basic physical examination is also required. These requirements apply as well to students transferring to Shepherd University.
Expenses incurred by emergency or medical care outside the Health Center basic care, such as lab work, x-rays, ambulance transport, or hospitalization, are the responsibility of the student. Health insurance is recommended but is neither required nor offered by the Health Center or the university. In cases of severe illness, it is advisable that personal physicians treat students at home. Health Center staff do not make visits to the residence halls. Special health services are available to eligible veterans at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Martinsburg.
Counseling Services
The Counseling Center is located on the ground floor of Gardiner Hall and accessed through the Health Center. The Counseling Center is staffed by full-time licensed professionals and is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Appointments can be scheduled by calling the Health Center at 304-876-5161. Please visit our website www.shepherd.edu/counseling for additional information about our staff and services. If you want to take the online screenings, the keyword is Rambler.
Free confidential counseling for individuals and groups is available on campus to all students. Referrals to outside agencies for more extensive or comprehensive services are also available; however, Shepherd University will not assume the cost for these outside services.
Student Community Services and Service Learning
The Office of Student Community Services and Service Learning, located in Student Center 216, is committed to providing beneficial, educational, and memorable community outreach experiences for students by assisting and coordinating individual and group opportunities for service. The staff offers support to students and faculty for service learning projects to enhance the learning opportunities at Shepherd by assisting with the integration of service into the classroom curriculum. The office also helps coordinate opportunities for all academic and social organizations, resident assistants, and staff. Local and out-of-town Alternative Spring Break trips are planned each year that give students the option of spending their spring break volunteering outside their immediate community. Students who wish to volunteer can view a list of nonprofit agencies and opportunities on the Office of Student Community Services website www.shepherd.edu/communityservice/.
Services for Students With Disabilities
In accordance with the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Shepherd University is committed to fulfilling its ethical and legal responsibilities to ensure equal opportunity for all students. In addition, the university prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual on the basis of her/his disability. A person with a disability is generally defined as any individual who 1) has a physical or mental impairment, 2) has a record of such impairment, or 3) is regarded as having such an impairment, and the impairment substantially limits one or more major life activities such as self-care, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, or learning. Disabilities can include, but are not limited to, mobility impairment, visual or hearing impairments, systemic (medical) conditions, psychological disorders (as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition), and learning impairments.
Students with disabilities at Shepherd University have the right to:
- Equal access to curricular and co-curricular programs across campus, including academic courses, student services, employment, and student activities;
- Reasonable and appropriate accommodations;
- Information available in a timely manner and in an accessible format;
- Expect all disability-related information will be treated confidentially by all university employees; and
- Appeal any disability-related accommodation decision.
Students with disabilities also must act as self-advocates. In order to obtain disability-related accommodations, students are responsible for completing all necessary forms and providing all requested documentation to the appropriate disability service provider (listed below) in accordance with posted deadlines. At a minimum, the documentation must be from an appropriate and authorized professional (e.g., physician, clinical psychologist), it must be timely, and it must verify the nature of the disability, the functional limitations it imposes, and the need for specific accommodations. The university will not be liable for any costs associated with obtaining such documentation.
All accommodations will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Please note that the university has an obligation to provide reasonable and appropriate accommodations to ensure that students with disabilities have access to all campus programs, services, and functions. However, if the university can provide an accommodation that is equally as effective as the one requested by the student but is less expensive or less extensive, the university is not required to provide the more expensive or extensive one.
Please direct all accommodation inquiries to the coordinator for disability support services/ADA coordinator at 304-876-5689. Students who wish to appeal an accommodation decision should contact the dean of students at 304-876-5214.
Students also can go to the following website for additional information: www.shepherd.edu/disability.
The mission of the Office of Student Success is to provide services to help students be successful at Shepherd University. This mission is fulfilled by:
- Helping students identify appropriate resources to address individual needs.
- Leading through best practices by establishing university programs and services that promote student learning and development, assist students in developing strategies for academic and personal success, and help students connect with the university community.
- Implementing strategies to improve the graduation and program completion rates.
The Office of Student Success understands that success is defined by more than a student simply returning each semester. Office staff work with students who are struggling academically, socially, and behaviorally on an individual basis to aid them to a timely graduation.
The Office of Student Success is located in room 216 in the Student Center and can be reached via email at retention@shepherd.edu or via telephone at 304-876-5453.
The Office of International Student Affairs provides general support for the university’s international students, including foreign-born U.S. citizens and permanent residents. This includes visa and immigration-related advising, new student welcome and orientation, cultural programming, and assistance with the many potential issues international students may face in the new university and community cultures that are central to their time at Shepherd University.
Multicultural Student Affairs
The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs was established in 1989 as a department in the Division of Student Affairs. The primary mission of this office is to help prepare all Shepherd University students to live, learn, work, and succeed in a diverse society. Therefore, the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs embraces all students and endeavors to create awareness, appreciation, and action around issues of race, gender, sexual orientation, culture, ethnicity, national origin, and religion through programs, speakers, lecture series, and community service. The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs administers the Multicultural Leadership Scholarship program and provides support and guidance to student organizations that promote the needs of under-represented populations such as Alianza, Allies, Black Student Union, International Student Union, Pan-African Student Union, and Rising Love.
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