RESIDENTIAL CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE INFORMATION
All student organizations and extracurricular activities are considered integral parts of the total educational program for which Southern Wesleyan strives. These activities encourage faculty involvement with students and are under the supervision and direction of the Office of Student Life. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the opportunities of extracurricular activities and to take advantage of these activities.
CAMPUS LIFE AND CONDUCT
Basic Principles
Southern Wesleyan University provides an intentional education that is more than intellectual. Students are offered a Christian perspective of life in a community of believers where emphasis on common life together in classrooms, residence halls, dining hall, and chapel is deliberate. This community life grows out of scripture, Wesleyan tradition, and the best of Western classical education.
The philosophy of our life together is that all actions and behavior should be compatible with the spiritual enrichment of the individual and the community. While it is impossible to create community regulations acceptable to everyone, the purpose of the established and expected responsibilities of community members is encouraging a life of consideration for others and respect for oneself as a creation of God.
Each person who joins the academic community is expected to accept the responsibilities of following the established policies and procedures of the university and to respect properly constituted university authority. This expectation, the university believes, fosters both individual and community development.
Spiritual Life
Southern Wesleyan is a Christian liberal arts college and happily exists as an educational arm of The Wesleyan Church. All students, both resident and commuter, are expected to honor this rich heritage.
Students are required to be present at regularly scheduled chapel exercises. Students are also expected to attend faithfully the Sunday and other regularly scheduled services at the church of their choice.
Attendance at Spiritual Emphasis services is expected of all students. All students are encouraged to attend the annual missions festival and other chapel events.
Campus Security
The Southern Wesleyan University campus takes pride in its safety record. The Campus Resource Office is responsible for overall campus security. A copy of the most recent campus crime report is available in the Office of Student Life, the Safety and Security Office, or on our website under “Welcome Center.”
REGULATIONS
Housing Policy
All single students enrolled for twelve credit hours or more and who are under the age of twenty-three on the first day of registration for any semester are required to live in university student housing and shall participate in the university board plan for the duration of that semester. Students who are married or living at home with their parent(s) or responsible family member may live off campus. Students under the age of twenty-three who have completed eight full-time post-high school college semesters of attendance, not including May and summer terms, are eligible to live off campus. Single students over twenty-five years of age or under eighteen years of age must receive permission from the Office of Student Life to reside in University housing.
All students must submit a correct address and phone number for their residence during the semester. Changes that occur are to be reported immediately to either the Office of Academic Records or the Office of Student Life.
Students in violation of University residence policy are subject to disciplinary action, including dismissal. All students who live off campus are expected to follow the standards and regulations expressed in the Student Handbook.
Maximum institutional financial aid will be applied only to the actual costs for direct University tuition, room, and board charges and will not be applied to off-campus expenses. Exceptions to university housing policy will be considered only for extreme circumstances and must be requested in writing to the Housing Office in advance.
Rooms
Students living in campus housing are expected to keep their rooms and other public areas neat and clean. They should take pride in their room and the facilities and consider the residential experience a vital part of their education.
No student will be authorized to move into a room without having paid a $200.00 room security deposit.
Dormitory rooms are furnished with bed, mattress, dresser, desk, and chairs. Other items such as pillows, bedding, curtains, rugs, toilet articles, pictures, iron, and ironing board (if desired) are to be furnished by the student. No changes or repairs to lighting or plumbing are permitted.
Residence hall occupants will be responsible for disorder in or damage to rooms and public areas.
Board
All resident students are required to board at the university cafeteria. Meal plans are not transferable. Meal tickets are available to commuting students from the food service at a rate less than ala carte. Commuting students are encouraged to take meals in the cafeteria as their schedule permits.
No food or cafeteria items are to be taken from the cafeteria without permission of the cafeteria supervisor.
During scheduled vacations or recess periods, no food service is available on campus.
Motor Vehicle Policy
All persons having motor vehicles on campus must register these vehicles with the Safety and Security Office at the beginning of the year or immediately upon obtaining a new or different vehicle. Each vehicle so registered will be given a parking permit for the campus. Regular or consistent abuses of campus parking regulations may result in revocation of parking privileges.
Failure to have the parking permit displayed in the designated location will result in a fine. Violations of campus motor vehicle regulations relative to use and parking will be subject to fines. Habitual or serious violations may result in the loss of motor vehicle permit and removal of the privilege of having a motor vehicle on campus. See the Student Handbook for further information.
Student Discipline
Discipline procedures are printed each year in the Southern Wesleyan Student Handbook. Students placed on social probation are not allowed to represent the university.
Representation of the university is a responsibility and a privilege; therefore, such representation is generally carried out only by students in good standing. Students on social probation should not be involved in the following:
membership in the homecoming court
holding office in university organizations
having a continuing role in leading chapel
phonathon
ministry teams
inter-varsity athletics, including travel with the team in a support role, and cheerleading
(Students on probation may practice on campus.)
*senior practicum, including directed teaching
*Christian Service Organizations (CSO) teams
*traveling ensembles
*major dramatic productions
*Exceptions: Students for whom participation in one of these activities is a degree requirement may be allowed to participate. (See p. 39.)
Private Withdrawal
In light of the basic principles of the university, any student whose conduct is considered detrimental to the best interests of the university, whose overall influence is negative to campus morale, whose attitude is persistently antagonistic toward others, whose academic performance is regularly delinquent, or whose stay in college seems to be of small personal benefit or inimical to others, may be informed privately that further stay at Southern Wesleyan is not desired. Such a student will be notified, given the opportunity to be heard, and allowed to withdraw privately or may be dismissed without formal charges.