Student Government Association
Students who are enrolled fulltime at Charleston Southern University are considered members of the Student Government Association and are entitled to the rights and privileges therein. Representatives from the students are elected or appointed to serve in the three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The Association enables students to participate in achieving the goals of the institution and to receive training for citizenship and leadership. For information on getting involved in Student Government, see Student Activities.
Student Conduct
The Faculty Senate of Charleston Southern University adopted a new policy regarding academic integrity in 2003. A complete description of the policy and regulations are described in the Student Handbook.
It is the responsibility of each student to exhibit conduct reflecting high principles of character and morality in keeping with the mission and purposes of the University. Admission to the University constitutes an agreement to uphold the policies and regulations described in the Student Handbook and enumerated in the Student Code of Conduct.
Chapel Attendance
The purpose of Chapel is to promote spiritual enrichment among the CSU community. The objectives of Chapel are to:
- provide Christ-centered programs through music, drama, and message;
- provide an atmosphere conducive to the growth of Christian fellowship;
- lead the CSU community through significant times of personal and corporate worship;
- provide opportunities for evangelism challenging the campus community to experience God’s love and forgiveness through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ;
- complement the discipleship programs sponsored by CSU Campus Ministries;
- introduce examples and techniques of personal faith development; and
- encourage an overall enthusiasm for campus life at CSU.
All full-time day students (with 12 day credit hours or more) are required to fulfill the Chapel attendance requirement (this includes students who have recently converted to full-time day status after having attended Charleston Southern University as part-time or evening students). The system for meeting the Chapel requirement is as follows:
All Students must earn an average of six (6) Chapel Enrichment Units (nonacademic credit), to a maximum total of 48, for every semester that they are enrolled as a full-time student in order to be eligible to graduate from Charleston Southern University (for these purposes, a day student is any student who is not taking at least 50 percent of his or her courses through online and nontraditional programs). These units are independent of the 125 academic credits needed for graduation.
A student may satisfy this requirement by one or a combination of the following options:
- Attend regularly scheduled Chapels offered eight Wednesdays per semester at 11:00 a.m. (one unit per program) during the fall and spring semesters.
- Satisfactorily complete up to three of the approved academic courses listed below (three units per course). A student may earn three credit hours and get three Chapel units for each of the three courses selected.
For instance, a student who is graduating after attending Charleston Southern University for four years as a full-time day student would need forty-eight (48) Convocation Enrichment Units to graduate.
The Career Center
The Career Center, located on the first floor of the Strom Thurmond Center, offers a broad range of services and programs designed to enhance student career development. The Career Center is a full-service, free center for current Charleston Southern students and alumni. The center also offers 24/7 virtual services.
Services include, but are not limited to:
- Career counseling and personality and skills assessments to assist students in all areas of their academic and professional development
- Mock interview video recording
- Resume and professional image preparation
- A career library holding books, career planning videos and CDs to assist students through the process of identifying specific occupations
Each year, many corporate recruiters, professional schools and seminaries visit the campus to interview prospective graduates; a referral service is also available to assist students seeking internships, part-time and permanent employment. Students may also register to receive credit for the APPLE Program (Applied Learning Experience Program) and for the Career Planning Seminar courses in order to develop professional development skills for the 21st century.
Clubs and Organizations
A wide variety of clubs and organizations are available for student membership. A listing of academic and service clubs is available in the Student Activities office.
Academic Clubs
Academic clubs in each major area offer opportunities for co-curricular enrichment. The University encourages and supports these programs and projects.
Service Clubs
The service clubs strive to develop future leaders and citizens, as well as sponsor college and community service projects. There are many excellent service clubs available to students at Charleston Southern University.
Honor Societies
Marshals - The marshals are chosen on the basis of academic scholarship, exemplary character, and leadership ability. They represent the ideals and principles for which the University stands. The marshals act as official hosts and hostesses for University academic functions.
Alpha Chi -Alpha Chi- Founded in 1922, Alpha Chi is a coeducational society whose purpose is to promote academic excellence and exemplary character among college and university students and to honor those who achieve such distinction. As a general honor society, Alpha Chi admits to membership students from all academic disciplines. To be eligible to join Alpha Chi, a student must be a junior or senior and rank in the top 10% of this group.
Alpha Kappa Delta - Alpha Kappa Delta is the International Sociology Honor Society. This honor society serves to recognize academic excellence and interest in the study of sociology. To be eligible for lifetime membership in Charleston Southern University’s Zeta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta, students must be at least junior status, be an officially declared sociology major or demonstrate a serious interest in sociology within the sociology program, have a cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.3 and a sociology Grade Point Average of 3.0 at Charleston Southern University, and have completed at least four catalog courses in sociology at Charleston Southern University.
Psi Chi - Psi Chi is the National Honor Society in Psychology, founded in 1929 for the purpose of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship and advancing the science of psychology. Membership is open to students who are making the study of psychology one of their major interests and who meet the minimum qualifications. Psi Chi is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) and is an affiliate of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the American Psychological Society (APS).
Sigma Beta Delta - Sigma Beta Delta is an international honor society recognizing scholarship and achievement in business and promoting personal and professional improvement and a life distinguished by honorable service. The Business School invites qualified juniors, seniors, and second year MBA students to become members. Sigma Beta Delta is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS).
Sigma Delta Pi - Sigma Delta Pi is a national honor society of Spanish which seeks to honor those who seek and attain excellence in the study of the Spanish language, and the study of the literature and culture of Spanish speaking people: to honor those who have made Hispanic contributions to modern culture known in the English speaking world: and to encourage college and university students to acquire a greater interest in, and a deeper understanding of Hispanic culture. Membership is open to all students who have completed at least three years of a third-year course in Hispanic literature or Hispanic culture or civilization. They must have grades averaging at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all Spanish courses and rank in the upper thirty-five percent of their classes.
Sigma Theta Tau - Sigma Theta Tau is the International Nursing Honor Society. Its purpose is to recognize superior achievement and leadership qualities, foster high professional standards, encourage creative work, and strengthen commitment to the ideals and purposes of the profession. Nursing students selected for membership must have completed at least one-half of the required nursing courses, have at least a 3.0 GPA, rank in the upper 35% of their nursing class, and demonstrate academic integrity and professional leadership potential.
Campus Ministries
The Campus Ministries program supports student ministries through the Baptist Collegiate Ministries, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and One Accord Gospel Choir. In addition, scholarship students are active in community and church-related service projects.
Opportunities for worship, service, and discipleship are provided in small group and large group settings including: Bible studies, concerts, lectures, vespers prayer ministry, mission projects, and weekly “Elevate” campus worship. Students are also encouraged to become active in the local church of their choice.
Student Publications
“Buc Online”
Buc Online serves the student body as the student news outlet. Found on CSU’s Website at www.buconline.net, articles and photos are posted on a regular basis. Contact the Director of Publications for more information.
“Cutlass”
Charleston Southern’s yearbook preserves the record of each year through photo coverage and articles. Contact the Director of Publications for more information.
“Sefer”
The title is derived from the Hebrew and means writing or book. The Sefer contains original poetry, short stories, essays and art. Student editors solicit contributions from CSU students. Contact the English Department for more information.
Recreation and Health
An athletic program of physical fitness and recreation is provided for every student. Facilities and instruction are available in a wide variety of sports. The Brewer Center is designed for wellness activities. It includes an area for cardiovascular training, an intramural gym, office space, social areas and meeting rooms for clubs and organizations. In addition to intramural programs, CSU offers intercollegiate athletics for both male and female students. CSU is a member of the Big South Conference, in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I.
Orientation
A highlight for new students is a program of orientation introducing them to campus life at CSU. Activities and programs during orientation give administration, faculty, staff, and returning students an opportunity to welcome new students. Activities include individual meetings with faculty advisors, group meetings with administration, staff and student leaders, educational programs, and social activities.
Housing
Housing Policy
Living within the campus community is an important aspect of a student’s personal development and education. Research continues to demonstrate that students who live on campus benefit in a number of ways. In fact, students who live on campus beyond their freshman year:
• Are more likely to persist and graduate
• Gain more interpersonal contacts with faculty and peers
• Experience greater personal growth and development
• Have higher academic engagement and grade point average
• Have higher social-interpersonal engagement
• Participate more in out-of-class activities
• Have more positive and inclusive attitudes and openness to diversity
• Find more satisfaction with their undergraduate experience
(Source: How College Affects Students: A Third Decade of Research by Ernest Pascarella and Patrick Terenzini. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2005)
For this reason, all students under 20 years of age who are enrolled as full time students and classified as dependent (except veterans and married couples) must live on campus.
Students must reach the age of 20 prior to the start of a major semester to reside off campus.
Students may reside with their parents, grandparents, or aunts/uncles provided their permanent address is in the Charleston area for tax purposes. Relatives must be of a “reasonable” parental age. Also, students who have lived in the residence halls for four (4) consecutive major semesters, but who still have not reached 20 years of age will be considered for an exception.
These are the only exceptions that will be considered and other requests that do not meet the above criteria will not be approved.
Failure to follow this policy will result in the student being billed for the cost of the room and board.
For further questions about this policy, contact the Dean of Students office at (843) 863-8008.
University policy requires students to provide proof of the following immunizations for their protection prior to admittance to Charleston Southern University: Tetanus, DPT, Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Tuberculin, and Hepatitis B. The Meningitis vaccine is recommended. See the CSU Student Handbook (online at www.charlestonsouthern.edu).
Authorized representatives of the University shall have the right to enter any room at any time for the purpose of: inspecting for cleanliness, orderliness, maintenance of space and equipment, assessing damages, investigating possible infractions, and enforcement of the University rules and regulations. Nobody, other than authorized representatives of the University, shall enter a student’s room without the student’s permission.
Due to health and safety concerns, students who are pregnant are permitted to live in campus housing only through the end of the second trimester. This does not apply to residents of married student housing. Exceptions to the housing refund policy will be dealt with on an individual basis.
Married students with children will only be granted housing privileges until the child reaches nine months of age. After that point, arrangements will have to be made for off-campus housing. Appeals of this policy must be addressed to the Dean of Students.
Counseling Services
Students may receive personal counseling through the University Counseling Center. Professional Counselors are available for individual counseling, and the Counseling Center also sponsors workshops and seminars on wellness, coping strategies, and interpersonal skills. Students can access services through the CSU Counseling Line at 863-8010, or by logging onto csuniv.edu/campuslife/counseling services.
The Learning Center
All CSU students may take advantage of free tutors in many subject areas provided by The Learning Center, located off the breezeway between the Russell East and Russell West residence halls. Tutors earn international certification through the College Reading and Learning Association through a program of training and experience. Academic resources are also available for in-lab study during posted hours.
Supplemental Instruction
Historically difficult courses are supported by a Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leader, who has been selected by the professor to (1) attend a class s/he has completed successfully and (2) lead a separate SI peer study session for that class. Studies show that students who attend SI sessions regularly can expect higher grades than students who attend class only.
Students With Special Needs
Charleston Southern University accepts students requiring special needs and services, providing the student meets the academic admissions standards of the University and reasonable accommodations can be made. Special needs services and programs are coordinated by the University Counseling Center and the Special Needs Committee.
Student Assessment
At Charleston Southern University assessment consists of the ongoing, systematic collection of data and information across the institution that can be used to validate the accomplishment of our mission and facilitate improvement of programs and services. The university routinely conducts campus-based surveys and evaluations of student attitudes, achievement, and satisfaction. Such studies are grouped under the heading of student outcomes assessment. Various types of outcome assessment are used to measure the correspondence between the claims CSU makes for its programs and services and what is actually achieved. While every student is not selected for participation in every assessment activity, it is likely that an individual student will be involved in one or more assessment activities while at CSU. Although student participation in survey completion will often be voluntary, it is only through cooperative participation in the assessment process that students can help us make the CSU experience the very best we can offer for all of our students.
Complaint Policy
Complaints should be addressed to the Dean of Student’s Office, Strom Thurmond Center, 2nd Floor. Complaints may be submitted by letter or by e-mail but must be signed. The Dean of Students will determine the appropriate channel for addressing the complaint and forward it on, if need be, to the relevant department.
The appropriate department will provide the student with an acknowledgement of receipt of the complaint within 15 business days of the receipt of the complaint. This acknowledgement may take written or verbal form based on the nature of the situation. Within 30 business days after receipt of the complaint, the appropriate department of the University will provide the student with the institutional response to the complaint.
In addition, students may also submit suggestions, concerns, or complaints through one of the suggestion boxes on campus and have the option of requesting a written response. These boxes are located in the Cafeteria, Lightsey Chapel, Norris/Wingo Hall Lobby, and the Brewer Center.
The University recognizes the sensitive and confidential nature of many student complaints and as a result documentation and correspondence about written student complaints are kept in the office of either the Dean of Students or the department issuing the institutional response. This information is shared with other departments only on a need-to-know basis.
Student Health Insurance
All International Students attending Charleston Southern University must take the medical insurance offered by the University. (The premium for this insurance will be added to their student bill each semester.) This insurance will include repatriation and medical evacuation. The purpose of this requirement is so that these students may be protected from great financial loss in the event of illness of injury requiring hospitalization or other medical care. Each student will receive his/her insurance card and can obtain any information he or she will need on physicians in the area whom he or she can see from the Business Office.
All Charleston Southern University student-athletes must provide proof of adequate medical insurance coverage in the Charleston area while they are participating in their sport. This coverage will be the student-athlete’s primary coverage, and must remain in effect during the entire year. Student athletes who do not have this coverage will not be permitted to participate in practice or games.
Buccaneer Athletics
As of the end of the 2009-10 school year, the athletics department at Charleston Southern University has captured 28 Big South Conference Team Championships in its history. The Buccaneers continue to make strides in their attempt to become a power in the Big South Conference placing more than 40 athletes on all-conference teams in the 2009-10 with another four athletes earning all-freshman honors. 2008-09 Women’s tennis Freshman of the year, Olga Makhova took home Player of the Year honors for the second year in a row, while women’s golfer Olivia Jordan-Higgins was named the 2009 Big South Co-Golfer of the Year and won the individual title at the 2010 Big South Championship. Both helped their respective teams claim a Big South Championship in 2010.
The football team had one AP All-American selection after 2008 in junior Philip Ashley, while Justin Witzmann was named to the ADA Academic All-Star Team and one of six finalists for their postgraduate scholarship. Despite starting the season with two road games against FBS teams in the defending national champion Florida Gators and South Florida Bulls, the team had its fourth winning season in the past five years, finishing third in the Big South. Over the past five years, the Charleston Southern football program has more wins than anyone else in the Big South Conference, and has faced more FBS opponents than anyone else in the conference over that span.
The volleyball team has now put together their most impressive season back-to-back campaigns in the past 15 years, posting the most wins during that time and their first .500 record since 1993. They also snapped a 31-match losing streak against Winthrop, beating them in the first round of the tournament to give them the first appearance in the semifinals since 1990.
The soccer team led the Big South in goals, assists and points this season, finishing third in the regular season and tying the school record for the most wins in a single season with 12. After starting 4-0 for the first time in school history, CSU posted the best home record (5-2-1) in the Big South. The team was led by Marky Boyce, who finished as the Big South Player of the Year, and was the first CSU player to ever earn NSCAA All-Region honors.
A team that has continued to raise the bar, the men’s track and field team made history as they qualified two athletes for the 2010 NCAA Indoor National Championships, the first time a CSU athlete has made it to the indoor national championships. The 4x200m relay team of Cornelius Tyler, Dantwan Spreads, Javon Young and Levi Brooks also ran the second-fastest time in collegiate history and the fifth-fastest time in US track and field history. These performances followed up the incredible run by the women’s 4x100m relay team (Dionne Gibson, Jessica Thomas, Misha Morris and Gabrielle Houston), who made history in 2009 by becoming the first relay team in the history of the Big South to qualify for the NCAA National Championships. They went on to make the finals and earn All-American status by finishing eighth in the nation Patria Norman and Gabrielle Houston also competed at the 2009 USTF Junior National Meet, while Levi Brooks competed against the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the 400m dash at the 2009 USTF National Championships.
On the hardwood, the women’ steam made history by qualifying for the first postseason tournament in program history, hosting the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational. The team finished one win away from a program record for wins in a season, but set the school record for Big South wins in a season with nine, finishing in third place. Junior Katie Tull set a school record with 100 three pointers, placing her seventh in the nation. Tull joined teammate Kelsey Wasmer on the all-conference second team, the first guard duo to earn the honor in school history. The men’s team showed a number of improvements, including an 11-3 home record, tying the school’s mark for home wins in a season. The team also had the Big South Freshman of the Year (Jeremy Sexton), while Kelvin Martin finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.
The women’s golf and women’s tennis teams each claimed a Big South Championship in 2010, with tennis claiming the regular season title. It was the sixth championship in women’s golf history, and the second in the past three years (1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2008, 2010). The football team won their first conference title in school history in 2005. The men’s tennis team leads the charge with six championships (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002), while the men’s basketball team has won four titles in school history (1986, 1987, 1995, 1997). The volleyball team has three championships to their credit, coming in 1986, 1988 and 1999. The men’s cross country team won a title in 1984, while the softball team won in 1988. CSU’s baseball team won in 1996 and the men’s soccer team won the Big South crown in 1997. The men’s golf team won titles in 2001 and 2003.
The baseball team, which won the 1996 Big South Conference tournament, became the first program in school history to advance to national championship play when it participated in the NCAA tournament. The men’s basketball team followed in the spring of 1997, playing against UCLA in the NCAA Tournament. Men’s soccer reached the NCAA tournament in the fall of 1997, and the men’s tennis team has made four appearances in the national tournament. In 2001, the men’s golf team made their first-ever appearance,, while the women’s golf team became the first women’s program to advance to NCAA championship play.
CSU has a long and storied history in track and field, having produced a silver medalist, Charlie Simpkins, in the 1992 Olympic Games. The men’s track program has produced numerous All-Americans since its inception. The track program again sent a number of athletes to the national championships. |