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 students to be successful citizens in the global community.
The Division of Student Affairs includes professionals, graduate students, and undergraduate students working together across multiple departments and functions focused on developing students’ capacity to learn and lead.
Becoming a Student at Shepherd University
In collaboration with Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management, Student Affairs conducts several one-day (for first-year, transfer and readmitted students) summer Registration Days based on a student’s declared major. This provides new students an opportunity to meet with faculty, discuss their academic program, get information on all services, i.e., Residence Life, Student Activities, Health and Counseling, etc. provided by Shepherd. Working academic advisors, students register for their fall classes at this time. The next step is Orientation and New Student Welcome, which takes place in August just prior to the beginning of the semester. Because Shepherd recognizes 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. All new students will pay a one-time Student Services Fee. Dates for the summer orientation can be found at www.shepherd.edu/orientation and 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 that assists students in fostering their intellectual, emotional, and physical development, and general well-being. 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 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.
When signing a room confirmation for a room in a residence hall, students agree that they will follow the rules and regulations found in the Student Handbook and the Resident Agreement; they 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 bed and bath linens, accessories, and personal items to suit their tastes. Additional suggestions and a list of prohibited items are posted online.
Students who need assistance should call 304-876-5172 or visit www.shepherd.edu/residencelife.
Dining Services
Dining Services operates multiple campus locations with a variety of meal plans available to all students, including full-time, part-time, residential, and commuter.
All residential students in traditional and suite-style housing must maintain a meal plan while living on campus. Voluntary meal plans are available for students living in Printz and Dunlop apartments as well as students who commute.
For more information, visit the Shepherd University Dining Services webpage, or 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 living in the residence halls. A physician’s or religious leader’s statement is required for those claiming exemption from state immunization requirements. More information about this can be obtained from the Health Center. 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. Proof of health insurance is not required, nor is it offered by the Health Center or the University. In cases of severe illness, it is advisable that personal physicians treat students at home. Except in very rare situations, 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.
Students who need assistance should call 304-876-5161 or visit www.shepherd.edu/healthcenter.
Counseling Services
Counseling Services 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 filling out an appointment request form on RamPulse. Please visit our website www.shepherd.edu/counseling for the request form and additional information about services.
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.
Students who need assistance should call 304-876-5161 or visit www.shepherd.edu/counseling.
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 integration of service into the classroom curriculum. The office also helps coordinate projects for all academic and social organizations, resident assistants, and staff. 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 their 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, Fifth 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 self-identifying to the University as a person with a disability by completing all necessary, confidential forms and providing all requested documentation to the Accessibility Services Office. 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.
Students who need assistance should call 304-876-5122 or visit www.shepherd.edu/accesibility.
The mission of the Student Success Center 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 Student Success Center is a first-stop shop for all students at Shepherd and is strategically located in the Student Center. Success Coaches work with students who are struggling academically, socially, and behaviorally on an individual basis to aid them to a timely graduation. In addition, the Student Success Center is home to many cohort-based programs, including but not limited to:
- Shepherd Success Academy: designed for first-year students who are assigned a personal success coach who will work with them throughout their first semester; create personalized success plans, and assist students in maintaining strong grades and positive relationships on campus.
- Academic Probation Recovery Program: this program assists students who have fallen below a 2.0 GPA and are considered no longer in academic good standing, but are still allowed to continue coursework while improving their GPA
- Shepherd Athletic Resource Program: specific resources for student athletes to assist them to maintain athletic eligibility and good academic standing through Shepherd requirements
- Generalized Success Coaching: this is available to all Shepherd students no matter what class standing or GPA they may have. Every student is able to visit the Student Success Center through walk-in hours or by scheduling an appointment for assistance.
Students who need assistance should call 304-876-5214 or visit www.shepherd.edu/studentsuccess
The Office of International Student Affairs provides general support for the University’s international students. 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.
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