GENERAL INFORMATION

ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES

STUDENT COMPUTING SERVICES
The Information Technology Project

CAREER SERVICES

COUNSELING, ADVISING AND RETENTION CENTER (CARE)

MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS

STUDENT LIFE

OTHER STUDENT SERVICES

AUXILIARY SERVICES FOR STUDENTS

INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Clayton State University offers a wide range of services to assist students with their studies, to facilitate their transition to the academic environment, and to enrich their college experience. Organizationally, these services are administered by several different offices, but they are gathered in this chapter for convenient reference.

The Vice President of Student and Enrollment Services and the administrators reporting to the Vice President are responsible for Admissions; Career Services; Records; the Counseling, Advising, and Retention (CARE) Center; Student Life; Financial Aid; and Multicultural Programs.

Clayton State University’s Library, built in 1979, is located in a modern two-story building of 56,000 square feet. The library’s services and collections are housed on the upper level, with the lower level of the building containing Media Services, the Learning Center, the Department of Learning Support, the student PC lab, and other offices.

The library has a reference and circulating print collection of nearly 90,000 volumes, all of which can be accessed by catalogs. In addition, the library subscribes to 750 periodicals, back issues of which are retained in bound volumes or on microfilm. Several microfilm and microfiche reader/printers are available for scanning and copying the more than 180,000 microforms housed in the library. Reserve materials and audio-visual software may be checked out from the circulation desk; the library owns more than 16,000 pieces of audio-visual software, including slides, videotapes, audiotapes, compact discs, and filmstrips.

The library seats 450 persons at tables and study carrels, and specially adapted carrels have been designed for audio-visual playback. Sixty carrels are equipped with Internet connections. Other library facilities available to students include a change machine, photocopiers, and an audiotape cassette duplicating machine for non-copyrighted audiotapes.

The library is open 81 hours per week with librarians and well-trained support staff available to assist students in using library materials and equipment. Bibliographies for many subject areas have been prepared and are available on the library’s web page. Library orientation classes are designed and conducted for those instructors requesting them, and special sessions are created for students needing individual attention.

Through the OCLC/SOLINET network, the library has access to the book and periodical holdings of nearly 14,000 academic, public, and special libraries. A well-developed interlibrary loan program enables students, faculty, and staff to borrow books and copies of articles not available at the Clayton State University Library. Interlibrary loan service is usually available at no cost or a very modest cost to the user and may be initiated from the library’s web page.

The Clayton State University Library participates in GALILEO, the statewide library initiative. GALILEO provides access to numerous periodical and information databases and over 2,000 full-text periodicals. Additionally, the library subscribes to several CD-ROM databases.

In 1993 the library implemented an on-line catalog. Over 100,000 books, periodicals, and audio-visual materials are listed on this computer database, all of which can be searched by author, title, subject, or keyword.

The library welcomes suggestions for improvements in its service and materials. Users may speak directly to the library staff or may put their written suggestions or recommendations in the library’s suggestion box on its web page.

Media and Printing Services, located on the lower level of the Library Building, provides audio-visual, multimedia, distance learning, graphic design and layout, tape duplication, and printing support and services to the University community. Student printing is available in the lower level of the Student Center.

The Learning Center (TLC) is a unit of Clayton State University which provides academic support services, including assessments and instructional assistance. Located on the lower level of the Library, the Center has a professional staff that includes specialists in communications, math, basic software skills, and assessment. Additional staff provide essential organizational and support services.

Students registered for academic classes at Clayton State University may use the Learning Center at no additional charge. Members of the community not enrolled in the University may use the facilities for a modest fee by enrolling in the Academic Skills Tuneup through the Office of Continuing Education.

The Learning Center provides a supportive environment where motivated students can acquire skills which help them learn more efficiently and explore resources which supplement regular classroom instruction. Students may come on their own, or they may be referred to the Center by a faculty member to strengthen their skills and/or enhance their understanding of academic material. The Learning Center provides services for students who wish to do the following:

• remediate deficiencies
• review material learned long ago
• cover material missed due to absence
• work through difficult concepts and problems
• prepare for class tests
• prepare for standardized exams
• explore new material
• acquire new skills
• integrate knowledge

A major purpose of the Center is to provide supplementary instruction, especially in the areas of math, communications, and basic computer skills. This includes furnishing students with educational software programs, hardcopy materials such as worksheets, audio and/or video instructional materials, workshops, and personal direction. Annotated topical inventories of the instructional resources helpful in specific courses may be picked up from the kiosk in the Learning Center. For some courses, faculty-generated handouts and worksheets are available to complement regular instruction. The Center currently has instructional materials in the following subject areas:

accounting

algebra

anatomy & physiology

basic mathematics

biology

calculus

chemistry

CLEP test preparation

critical thinking

economics

ESL

French

German

human growth & development

listening

physics

political science

psychology

reading

Regents’ Test preparation

Spanish

speaking

statistics

study skills

trigonometry

U.S. history

writing

Staff in the Learning Center conduct the WLAB 1999 and WLAB 2999 writing skills labs, which make extensive use of the Center’s resources. Interdisciplinary workshops are provided by the Center on an as-needed basis. The topics of these workshops vary from year to year but address skills useful in a variety of courses, such as using the graphing calculator or acquiring proficiency in APA and MLA referencing formats.

In addition to instructional support, assessment is a major function of the Learning Center. Assessment Services regularly administers a variety of paper and pencil and computerized assessments, including the following:

• entry placement exams
• the Regents’ Test
• the Level Examination Program (CLEP) and other tests for credit by examination
• competency exams for the Georgia legislative requirements
• a variety of standardized tests for diagnostic/prescriptive purposes
• selected outcomes assessments, such as the ETS test for the Business major
• exit assessments for Learning Support courses in English, reading, and math
• Learning Plus diagnostic tests and practice Praxis exam
• independent study exams for college-level courses taken by citizens within the Clayton State University service area
• the practice Regents’ Test in reading and writing.

Many students arrive on campus with questions about what career may suit them. Others realize during the course of their education that they may be headed in the wrong direction. Career planning activities are designed to allow students the opportunity to explore interests and skills and then match them to a variety of occupations. A career planning course (CAPL 1000) is available to assist students in the career planning process.

Students can access career planning information through various computer programs and reference materials. Students are encouraged to use a variety of methods in locating career options that are just right for them.

Students who have been accepted but have not yet begun courses are also welcome in the Office of Career Services (Student Center, Room 208).

Other placement services include the following:

• Business In Review – a Career Expo, which brings more than one hundred area businesses and agencies to campus each spring.
• Employment services, including campus interviews and resume referrals by FAX, mail, and World Wide Web.
• The Job Information System with direct access to the job listings of the Georgia Department of Labor.
• Job Library listings of employment opportunities for part-time, full-time, summer, seasonal, temporary, and on-campus positions.
• Georgia Hire System for depositing resumes in a statewide database and for accessing nationwide job postings.

Graduating students who wish to register with the Office of Career Services must purchase a Resume Expert web account that provides resume referral services and allows employers web access to resumes.

Cooperative Education and Internship programs at Clayton State University are intended to improve the competence of students and to encourage cooperation and understanding between the academic and employment communities. Through experiential learning, students can complement their academic learning and training with hands-on experience in a work setting related to their programs of study or career goals. The programs also provide the regional employment community with better trained employees. Opportunities for international work experiences are also available.

Students must meet program standards in order to participate in experiential learning. These include, but are not limited to, number of hours earned and GPA. A student must earn and maintain at least a 2.00 institutional GPA, but academic departments and area employers reserve the right to set higher GPA requirements.

Students interested in cooperative education and/or internships should work with their academic advisors and the Office of Career Services. The New College for Economic and Community Development works with Career Services to encourage and coordinate experiential learning.

The Clayton State University Counseling, Advising, and Retention Center (CARE) provides counseling and advising support services to help Clayton State students develop strategies for academic success and become more effective personal managers.

1. ACADEMIC PLANNING & ADVISING SUPPORT

The CARE Center provides support to undecided freshmen taking core curriculum classes. Assistance includes exploring majors and programs of study, developing realistic educational goals and plans, considering alternatives, and evaluating consequences of decisions. CARE provides seminars and handouts for students who wish to learn effective study skills, such as time management, note-taking, test-taking, and overcoming procrastination. CARE staff assist students with understanding Clayton State University policies and provide advising and registration for select student groups (e.g., Freshman Scholars).

2. COUNSELING, ASSESSMENT, AND REFERRALS

The CARE Center provides counseling services for students experiencing concerns that could impede successful academic performance. Counselors help students with reducing stress; balancing roles and responsibilities; developing academic confidence and improving performance; clarifying interests, motivations, and purpose; and making effective decisions. CARE services include assessment and referral for students best served by extended or clinical/medical services.

CARE services are available to currently enrolled Clayton State students, are primarily short-term in nature, and are usually free. Some services involve a nominal fee to offset the costs of testing/assessment resources.

3. DISABILITY SERVICES

Disability services provides appropriate and reasonable individualized accommodations for eligible students with disabilities. Any student who is enrolled or eligible for enrollment at Clayton State University and can provide documentation of one or more disabilities may be eligible for services according to the Americans with Disabilities Act, 1990.

The following are examples of the types of disabilities that may require services:

• Visual Impairment/Blindness
• Hearing Impairment/Deafness
• Health Impairment
• Learning Disability
• Motor Impairment
• Brain Injury/Neurological Disorder
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Communication Disorder
• Psychological Disorder
• Educational Impairment
• Any other condition that substantially limits one or more of life’s major activities.

Services offered in the Counseling Advisement and Retention Center include the following:

• Extended test time (up to two times the normal time allotted for test completion)
• Enlarged materials
• Assistive listening devices
• Close captioning
• Separate/quiet testing environment
• TDD – Telecommunication Device for the Deaf
• Use of word processor, dictionary, spell check, or other equipment
• Interpreter services
• Taped lectures
• Note-taking assistance
• Books on tape certification
• Special seating
• Ability to enter and exit classroom
• Special arrangements for attendants
• Braille
• Other special services may be necessary and will be coordinated with appropriate faculty and staff.

Disability Services policy requires students with disabilities to request services in writing as soon as possible prior to the semester services are needed. (See Disability Forms Handbook.)

The CARE center suggests that students:

The Director of the Multicultural Programs assists minority students in their adjustment to student life. The Director works directly with students, faculty, and staff on various multicultural matters of interest including counseling, advisement, and direction. The Director works as an advocate for student interests by assisting students in improving academic achievement and encouraging student participation in programming efforts that provide an enriching academic experience in cultural diversity. Such programs have included The Tradition, Lyceum, and Spivey Hall events. The Director of Multicultural Programs works with the Regents’ Minority Advising Program, the Black Cultural Awareness Association and the International Club. In addition, the office is involved in matters relating to policy and circumstances that affect minority students.

Clayton State has many clubs related to majors and interest areas. New groups are formed based on student interest. For more information, contact the Office of Student Life.

Auditions open to all Clayton State University students are held throughout the year for a variety of Clayton State Theater presentations. Academic credit can be received for participating in Clayton State Theater production in both acting and stagecraft positions.

Through the Student Life Activities Committee (SLAC), students work to satisfy the social and entertainment interests of the University community. Each year, SLAC presents a variety of programs which include dances, bands, comedy acts, and feature films. In addition, Homecoming and Spring Fling are two major seasonal events. Many of the scheduled programs emphasize family participation or children’s activities. You are encouraged to become involved by joining SLAC. More information is available in the Office of Student Life.

Each year a series of concerts, lectures and visual artists are presented for the intellectual enrichment and enjoyment of the student body and the community. Programs have included four Nobel laureates, numerous Pulitzer Prize recipients, and outstanding performance and visual artists. Spivey Hall, the University’s acoustical gem of a recital hall, admits Clayton State University students and a guest at no charge. These co-curricular program offerings are a part of the University’s philosophy of educating the whole person.

Musical ensembles on campus include the Collegiate Chorale, Jazz Band, Jazz Combos, the Camerata (an early music group), the South Metro Concert Band, and a Chamber Orchestra. Students interested in auditioning should contact the Department of Music at 961-3609. Academic credit can be received for participation in campus ensembles.

It is the philosophy of Clayton State University that student government should provide an organizational framework within which a student may participate and contribute to the operation and development of the University. The Student Government Association (SGA) works as an advisory body to the Student & Enrollment Services Committee. The function of the SGA is to provide for the general welfare of the student body by providing it with necessary information that may be of concern and providing, a means for student input and opinion in the organization and operation of student affairs. SGA selects students to serve on campus advisory committees. See the Student Handbook for details and requirements for membership.

The Office of Student Life is responsible for coordinating the orientation programs for new freshmen and transfer students. Please see the Admissions Chapter of this catalog for details about orientation.

The Office of Admissions is responsible for providing information about Clayton State University to prospective students. The Admissions Office also makes admissions decisions and communicates with all new students regarding the application process.

Procedures and requirements for admission to the University are explained in the Admissions Information chapter of this catalog.

This office maintains the official grade records and transcripts for all students who have enrolled in academic classes at Clayton State University. The Office of the Registrar coordinates the registration process each term.

Requests for official transcripts and verification of enrollment should be directed to this office. In addition, students who have previously attended but have not been enrolled for two or more terms must apply to the Office of Registrar for readmission.

Students are responsible for notifying the Office of the Registrar of any name or address changes.

Students at Clayton State University are encouraged to select a personal health care provider and to secure health care services.

The University operates a nurse-managed clinic in the Student Center, Room 207. Limited services are available through this clinic, including health examination assessments, physical examinations, immunizations, and selected laboratory tests.

On-campus emergencies are handled by the Department of Public Safety (770-961-3540, STC-209).

Information on housing near the campus is available to the students through the Office of Student Life (STC-223). New housing immediately adjacent to campus is specifically designed with students in mind including computer hook-ups and roommate plans. However, the University neither approves nor disapproves specific housing arrangements, and the selection of student housing is the responsibility of the student and his or her parents or guardians if the student is a minor.

To insure efficient control of traffic and parking on campus and the safety of all persons and vehicles, each motorized vehicle operated at Clayton State University must be registered with the Department of Public Safety and must display an official hang tag. A parking service fee is charged all students. (See the Financial Information section of this catalog.) The campus police are responsible for enforcing parking and traffic regulations. Emergency telephones are located in the parking lot.

The Clayton State University campus story is a full-service facility for the following:

- new and used textbooks - backpacks

- general and special order books - gifts and cards

- school and office supplies - University insignia merchandise

- computer software and guide books - book buyback program

The store accepts cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, and the Clayton State University LINX card.

• Register receipt is required.
• Required textbooks for the current semester may be returned no later than the date posted in the Campus Store or on the receipt.
• When the text or any part of the text materials is sealed in plastic, it is not returnable if opened.
• Any textbook returned must be resellable, i.e. clean, unmarked, and undamaged.

Located adjacent to the main campus store, the Technology Store and Copy Center has an inventory of computer software and hardware designed to help students, faculty, and staff take full advantage of Clayton State University’s Information Technology Project. The full-service Copy Center offers assisted and self-service photocopying, tranparencies, faxing, laminating, and binding.

Hours: Monday – Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Both the Student Center Food Court and vending machines will accept the LINX card in payment. Food Services provides a variety of menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Selections include a salad bar, deli sandwiches, grill items, daily hot entrees, Chick-Fil-A® products, snacks, and hot and cold beverages.

Hours: Monday – Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Vending Machines are located in most buildings on campus.

The LINX card is the official Clayton State University student ID. It is accepted as photo identification for access to an array of services on campus. The LINX account gives students access to an electronic system which allows cardholders to pre-deposit funds onto the LINX card and then conveniently use it as a declining balance cash card on campus for campus store, Food Court, vending, and other purposes.

Students will be given the opportunity to use their LINX cards for access to commercial telephone and banking services via AT&T and Wachovia. These services are optional for students.

Clayton State University Athletics program features 10 sports and competes at the NCAA Division II-level in the Peach Belt Athletic Conference. The University has five male and five female teams, which compete in six sports:

• men’s and women’s basketball
• men’s and women’s soccer
• men’s and women’s cross country
• men’s and women’s track
• women’s tennis
• men’s golf.

In the Peach Belt Conference, the Lakers and Lady Lakers face such schools as Kennesaw State, Columbus State, Georgia College, Armstrong Atlantic, and Augusta State. The conference consists of 12 Southeastern schools that have won seven national championships.

The Student Handbook details the rights and responsibilities of a student at Clayton State University. A copy of the Student Handbook is usually given to each student during orientation, and copies are available in the Office of Student Life. Students at Clayton State University are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the regulations set down in this catalog and in the Student Handbook. A violation of the student conduct code will be adjudicated through the Office of the Vice President of Student and Enrollment Services.