Student Life and Support Services

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• The Office of Student Affairs
• General Regulations

The Office of Student Affairs, under the direction of the vice president for student affairs, is committed to the College’s Vision and Strategic Plan. As such, the Office works diligently to provide a warm and comfortable living and learning environment for the College’s students. The Office is dedicated to creating a “home away from home” while it provides oversight and supervision for students’ living in the College’s 10 residential halls and its 2 scholarship houses. In addition, the Office of Student Affairs supervises student organizations, activities, and social activities.

Excellence in the development of the Bethune Man and Bethune Woman is of paramount importance and is facilitated through the goals, objectives, programs, and activities of the sector’s primary departments; namely, Residential Life, Student Activities, Career Services, Health Services, Community Outreach, and Campus Security. The Office of Student Affairs also works closely with the College’s Food Services Department to ensure both nutritious food and quality service.

Student Responsibility

In accepting admission to Bethune-Cookman College, the student subscribes to the standards of personal conduct which the College considers fundamental to group living. It is assumed that the student will take advantage of the opportunities offered to learn how to make wise decisions regarding conduct. Policies and practices governing students and student life are found in the student handbook, posted in the Student Centers, classrooms (Honor Code), and online.

On-Campus Housing

Bethune-Cookman College residential staff will make every effort to accommodate those students wishing to reside in on-campus housing. Therefore, all campus housing will be based on a first-come, first-served basis. Students may reserve a room by submitting a nonrefundable $200 room reservation fee to the Fiscal Affairs Office (returning students) or the Admissions Office (new students). Students will be placed on a waiting list pending cleared balances and room availability. This nonrefundable room reservation fee will be assessed annually.

Persons who apply after residential life spaces have been depleted will be informed that oncampus housing is not available. Students and parents will be responsible for obtaining offcampus housing and making all legal and financial arrangement with landlords or real estate agencies. The College assumes no responsibility for payment of rent or lease agreements.

Off-Campus Housing

Freshman students are required to live on campus except for the following:

1. married students
    
2. residents of Daytona Beach who live with their parents or a close relative
    
3. on-campus housing is unavailable.
    
4. if residential life spaces are unavailable.

Residential Hall Life

Resident students are under the supervision of the Director of Residential Life and the residential hall staff. Rules governing residential life are provided in the student handbook, posted in residential halls & available online.

Residential Life rooms are furnished; however, students may wish to personalize their rooms with their own curtains, rugs, bedspreads, and other similar items. Items strictly prohibited in the rooms include air conditioners, space heaters, hot plates, and other cooking appliances. In addition to these items, students should not bring refrigerators larger than 5 cubic feet, televisions larger than 20 inches, flat screen televisions, George Foreman or other grills, toaster ovens, crock pots, deep fryers, deep freezers, hot plates, and stereo systems with 50 watts or above. However, all students should bring the following items:

4 sheets		4 pillowcases
2 bedspreads		1 blanket
2 towels		2 wash cloths

Residential Hall Implementation Officers may recommend removal from campus housing any student who is destructive, noncooperative, insubordinate, disruptive, or persistent in violating residential hall policies and practices, including disrepecting the rights of others. The student will be given a minimum notice of 48 hours to move off campus. Parents will be notified as soon as possible by a telephone call or a letter, of any such decisions or actions.

Judicial Affairs

Bethune-Cookman College seeks to safeguard the integrity of all students. It is expected that individual students will refrain from participating in acts which are considered inappropriate. Students are subject to disciplinary action who persist in violating any of the privileges, standards, and policies of the College; who are consistently delinquent in academic responsibility; and/or who continuously neglect their financial obligations; or who embarrass the College in any manner. The College reserves the right to dismiss a student for unbecoming social behavior. The possession of firearms and the use and possession of alcoholic beverages and narcotics by Bethune-Cookman College students are strictly forbidden and are grounds for immediate dismissal.

The College reserves the right to notify civil authorities whenever a student is guilty of, or charged with, violation(s) of civil law. The College also reserves the right to dismiss said student if arrested and while charges are pending. Student may apply for readmission upon being cleared of all charges.

Freshmen and Transfer Student Orientation

All freshmen and transfer students are required to participate in the orientation sessions at the start of the first semester of their enrollment. Orientation serves to assist students in adjusting to college life. During Orientation Week, freshmen and new students are made aware of the history of the institution, facilities, personnel, and services available at the College. Counseling is an essential activity during Orientation Week; peer counselors, Presidents Ambassadors, and members of the Student Government Association support Orientation Week programs and activities. Placement tests are required unless exempted because of high school grade point average, and are administered to all freshmen and transfer students at this time. Each freshman and new student are assigned an academic advisor.

Religious Experiences

In its relationship to the Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church, Bethune-Cookman College has a great and cherished religious tradition. The religious outreach of the College is ecumenical, and the Religious Life Fellowship, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, chaired by the College Chaplain, are comprised of student, faculty, and staff members from a wide variety of religious denominations.

The Office of the College Chaplain is located on the second floor of the Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center and is open to all who have need for spiritual counseling and guidance. This office also serves as the center for religious activities, as it coordinates and promotes programs of spiritual enrichment on the campus.

Religious activities include Bible study, annual spiritual outreach celebrations, midweek prayer services, outdoor celebration services, and spiritual awareness sessions in the dormitories. The College employs a full-time ordained chaplain to administer these activities.

Health Services

A primary goal of the Health Services Department is to positively influence the thinking and actions of students toward more healthful living. The Health Services Department is committed to physical and mental health maintenance and disease prevention as well as managing preexisting conditions.

The College’s Health Services Department is under the direction of a registered nurse who serves as its director. In addition to the director, the activity of the Health Services Department is supported by a Mental Health Professional and an additional registered nurse (on-call) and a part-time licensed practical nurse. The College contracts with a physician who devotes a minimum of 20 hours per week for student appointments. Any student who elects to seek the services of physicians other than the College’s contracted physician is responsible for payment of all fees associated with that decision.

Students who need hospital services should contact Health Services during its regular 8-5 business hours. Students who elect to seek health care at local hospitals and clinics during 8- 5 will not be reimbursed for those charges, unless referred by Health Services staff. For urgent care needed after hours, students should notify residential staff or campus security for appropriate action. In order for students to be reimbursed for treatment received at local hospitals and clinics after hours, they must complete the required forms provided by Health Services staff as soon as possible.

Intercollegiate Activities

Bethune-Cookman College considers intercollegiate athletics and its student athletes an integral part of the College. The total involvement of the coaches, faculty, staff, alumni and friends provides an opportunity to share in the life of the collegiate community.

The College and the athletics department expect all student athletes to strive toward and earn a college degree, as other members of the student body. The program is committed to high standards of academic scholarship, sportsmanship, leadership, and equal opportunities for men and women when participating in amateur athletic competition. Student athletes are recruited, coached, taught and assisted by dedicated coaches, faculty, athletic support staff, academic support staff and medical staff.

The College’s intercollegiate sports program is affiliated with the following governing bodies: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

All varsity programs for men and women are in NCAA Division I except football, which is in Division IAA. The College sponsors 17 sanctioned sports under NCAA and MEAC rules and regulations. Currently men’s sports are football, basketball, baseball, outdoor track, indoor track, cross country, tennis and golf; women’s sports are basketball, volleyball, tennis, indoor track, outdoor track, cross country, golf, bowling, and softball. The College officially observes NCAA standards for student athlete eligibility and participation in the program.

Department of Intercollegiate Athletics Mission Statement

The primary function of the Bethune-Cookman College Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is to work to fulfill the educational mission of the College. The role of the College is to prepare students in the Christian tradition for careers by developing their abilities to think clearly, make sound judgments and communicate effectively, as well as to utilize specifically developed academic skills and practices within their chosen career. The College is further committed to developing in students and employees a desire to sustain lifelong learning by gaining an appreciation of self and of others and their views, and an awareness of the ethical and aesthetic choices that life presents. The role of the Department of Athletics is to provide mechanisms by which to meet the needs of each student athlete with these educational, athletic, social and moral experiences. Policies and procedures are established that will promote gender equity and cultural diversity so that each student and employee may be afforded the best opportunities for a positive experience in an academic setting. The College and Department of Athletics are responsible for providing the best possible environment for its student athletes to compete against quality opponents within the rules of the institution, Mid- Eastern Athletic Conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Philosophy

The members of this conference subscribe to the principle that intercollegiate athletics is a vital part of higher education, and is regarded as an integral part of the educational program, and shall be administered and conducted with the highest degree of integrity, and in a manner consistent with the institution’s educational policies.

Fundamental to the successful application of intercollegiate athletics is the mission to educate student athletes. It is the mission of the MEAC to promote student athletes’ academic and athletic success. Further, the members of this conference are obligated to ensure that the academic and athletic mission is achieved ethically.

It is the function of the MEAC to encourage intercollegiate athletics on an amateur basis with the highest degree of institutional control. To reinforce these principles, the MEAC believes in and subscribes to the fundamental principles governing the conduct of intercollegiate athletics as adopted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) with respect to the principles governing:

Amateurism and student participation
Institutional control and responsibility
Sound academic standards
Financial aid
Recruiting
Ethical conduct
Competition in post-season and intercollegiate sponsored contests
Playing and practice seasons
Eligibility of student athletes
Personnel and squad limitations
Football television
Basketball television

Student Organizations

Any student who seeks membership in fraternities, sororities, clubs, and other organized groups on the campus must meet the scholastic standards of the College before approval and admission into such organizations. The College encourages participation in such activities as those listed below:

1. GENERAL ORGANIZATIONS
   Clubs, activities and organizations in which the membership is not restricted because of registration in a particular department are considered general organizations. Participation in these groups is voluntary. Programs may be national or local in scope.
   
   
   1. The Student Government Association at Bethune-Cookman College is the student governing body in matters pertaining to the common interests of the students.
       
   2. Voice of the Wildcat newspaper is the school’s publication, which reflects the college life and activities of the students.
       
   3. The B-Cean is the College’s annual yearbook to which students have an opportunity to contribute.
       
   4. Performing groups include the (a) marching, stage, and concert bands, (b) Concert Chorale, (c) Tra-Co-Dram, (d) Orchesis Dance Ensemble, (e) Inspirational Gospel Choir, and (f) cheerleaders. 

2. MAJOR AREA CLUBS
   Major area clubs are organizations designed to give students an opportunity to help interpret the broader educational implications in a given field of study and to gain professional perspectives. Some of these clubs are affiliated with national organizations.

3. RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS
   The Religious Life Fellowship is an organization charged with the creation and promotion of all religious activities on the campus, and is drawn from both students and faculty- staff members who represent a cross section of denominations and faiths. Other religious organizations include the YMCA and the YWCA.
    
4. FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS The fraternal organizations are international Greek letter organizations, which have established chapters on the campus of Bethune-Cookman College:
   Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Gamma Tau Chapter
   Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Delta Beta Chapter
   Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Delta Alpha Chapter
   Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., Beta Chi Chapter
   Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Gamma Theta Chapter
   Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Omicron Epsilon Chapter
   Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Beta Upsilon Chapter
   Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Beta Eta Chapter
   Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Mu Beta Chapter

5. HONOR SOCIETIES
   Honor Societies are those whose memberships are determined on the basis of merit and scholastic achievement. The names of honor societies of the College are listed under the Honors Program in this catalog.

6. SERVICE AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS
   These organizations are those whose memberships are determined on the basis of service.
   Gamma Sigma Sigma National Service Sorority
   Kappa Kappa Psi National Band Fraternity
   Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
   Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity
   Tau Beta Sigma Band Sorority
   Gamma Beta Chi Fraternity

A grade point average of 2.5 is required to participate in service and social organizations. Honor societies have their own regulations; however, to participate in Intake to a fraternity or sorority, a student must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.8 as established under rules of the Greek Letter Advisory Council of the College. Intake and initiation may take place only at prescribed times during the school year.

Each student organization and activity must be registered in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs with a copy of the charter and a list of the names of the current officers on file. Permission must be obtained from the administration of the College to start a new organization on the campus. Organizations must select three members of the faculty and/or staff from which the administration of the College appoints the official sponsors. Each organization must have at least two sponsors.

To participate in extracurricular activities or performing groups representing Bethune- Cookman College, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above and a minimum course load of 12 semester hours.

Cultural Affairs

To supplement classroom education, Bethune-Cookman College offers a well-rounded program of cultural programs including such activities as plays, lectures, and musical performances by outstanding individuals and groups. Most of these programs are free for all students upon presentation of Bethune-Cookman College identification cards; others are offered for a reasonable fee.

Career Services

The Office of Career Services exists to educate and orient students on the career exploration process, which begins during the first year of college and continues throughout the student’s entire matriculation.

Career Preparation is also essential to college alumni and other professionals as changes occur in the Career Development Process at various intervals in an individual’s lifetime.

The major components/techniques of career preparation are as follows: Interviewing Skills, Resume Writing, Professional Dress/Business Etiquette, The Job Application Process, Selecting a Major, Graduate School Advisement/Information, The Internship Process, Networking, and overall Employability Skills.

Additional Career Services are: Career Counseling, Career Resource Materials, Campus Recruitment Program, Special Career Programs: Career Fair and Graduate School Fair, Career/Recruiter Classroom and General Sessions, Interviews/Employment Opportunities (Part-Time/Full-Time), Professional Development Sessions.

Students are encouraged to utilize Career Services to determine internship opportunities available throughout the country. These opportunities greatly enhance the students’ marketability skills and many times result in full- and part-time positions.

Career Related Work Experience

The career related work experiential program applies to all work experience placements at Bethune-Cookman College, with the exception of teaching, and nursing. The program involves students, faculty and employers and is designed to coordinate classroom studies with related job experiences in business, government and other industries. The work experience placement may or may not be related to a student’s major.

The goals of the career related work experience program are the following:

1. to insure that experimental activities or productive work are at the core of the college experience for all students;

2. to assist students in finding meaning in their studies;

3. to assist students in coordinating classroom study with related on-the-job experiences;

4. to assist students in developing and improving working and life skills related to employment; and
    
5. to enhance students’ opportunities for employment.

Types of Career Related Work Experience are the following:

1. Field Experience: A supervised learning situation that may be related to a student’s major and/or vocational interest. A student may seek preferred field experience. However, it must be approved by the career counselor and department head. Field experience will be offered in all academic areas during regular semesters and summer. The final grade will be awarded by the instructor and department head based upon site visits, written reports by the students, and evaluations by the immediate supervisor. All students participating in the field experience program must have and must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above. All field experience courses will be numbered 290, 390 and 490. A student may or may not be paid for a field experience, depending upon the employer.

2. Internship: Internships are practical experiences specifically related to the student’s major. Students are eligible for internships beginning in the sophomore year, although some majors establish curriculum completion, status, and classification criteria. Internships must be approved by the student’s department head or academic advisor. All students applying for internships are required to maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average. Grade point requirements may sometimes vary, as many agencies determine individual prerequisites and requirements. Internships may be paid or unpaid. This is determined by the agency/industry.

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974

1. Statement of Policy. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that affords students at Bethune-Cookman College certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:
   
   
   1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the College receives a request for access. Students wishing to inspect their education records should submit to the Registrar, Dean of the appropriate academic division, or other appropriate official, a written request identifying the records they wish to inspect. The College official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the College official to whom the request was submitted does not maintain the records, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed. Students wishing to have copies of education records will be responsible for payment of reasonable copying charges.
       
   2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate. Students may ask the College to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate. The student should provide written notice to the College official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record he or she wants changed, and specify why it is inaccurate. The College will review the request and determine whether an amendment is warranted. If the College determines that amending the record is not warranted or appropriated, the College will notify the student of its decision, and will advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendement.
       
   3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
       
   4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA are:

      Family Policy Compliance Office
      U.S. Department of Education
      400 Maryland Avenue, SW
      Washington, DC 20202-4605

2. Release of “Directory Information”. FERPA permits the College to disclose “directory information” contained in its students’ education records. “Directory information” includes, but is not limited to, the student’s name, address, telephone listing, e-mail address, photograph, date and place of birth, major field of study, dates of attendance, enrollment status, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, degrees, honors and awards, and the most recent educational institution attended.

3. Disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. FERPA also permits the College to disclose personally identifiable information from a student’s educational records to “school officials” with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff): a person or company with whom the College has contracted (such as an attorney), auditor, or collection agent); a member of the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

4. OTHER DISCLOSURES WITHOUT CONSENT. FERPA permits the College to disclose personally identifiable information from a student’s educational records without the student’s consent in a number of instances other than those specified in this notice. The permissible disclosures described above should not be construed as an exhaustive list.

The Carl S. Swisher Library/Learning Resources Center

The library collection contains over 187,908 books in addition to periodicals, audio and video tapes, microforms and other materials. An online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) provides access to the library collection via the Internet. The collection is housed in open stacks except for special collections.

The library features a Local Area Network (LAN) with access to the Internet and subscribed online databases that include ProQuest, Britannica Online, First Search. ERIC, SIRS, Newsbank, InfoTrac, JStor and others.

As a member of the Florida Library Network (FLIN), Central Florida Library Consortium (CFLC), and the Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET), the Swisher Library has access to other resources and collections in Florida and around the country through inter-library loan programs.

The Carl S. Swisher Library/LRC also houses a number of conference rooms for group study; an exhibition area; a nonprint media room for class presentations; a computer center; a graphics department; and the college archives. Special collections included are the Mary McLeod Bethune, the Joseph M. Taylor, the Thelma Harris Livingston, the Florence L. Roane, the Attica Collection, and the Negro Collection of books by and about Blacks. The archival area is the repository for documentary, photographic and other materials of historic value to the College.

The Swisher Library/Learning Resources Center thus serves as a major focus for improving learning, teaching and research. It addresses academic, administrative and cultural needs of the College through the provision of resources identified above as well as through the offering of consultative services to faculty, staff, students and visitors in maximizing the use of services and facilities.