Student Life

Overview

An important aspect of university life, sometimes overlooked by students, is the rich opportunity to participate in and contribute to the extracurricular life of the campus. USC Lancaster encourages and fosters the growth and development of student organizations, clubs, publications, and student activities in general. Our campus provides the opportunity for every student to make important and noticeable contributions. Your ideas, contributions, hard work, and participation in student activities on this campus will be visible and deeply appreciated.

The following is a brief description of current or recently active organizations, clubs, and publications.

Student Activities and Organizations

Arts and Letters Society

The purpose of the society is to provide cultural activities on campus and sponsor trips to off-campus cultural events.

Baptist Collegiate Ministry

The purpose of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) is to encourage students in their Christian faith through Bible study, prayer, and fellowship. Students are also encouraged to live out this faith through witness and service to others through missions. The BCM meets weekly and is open to students of any denomination.

Black Awareness Group

The Black Awareness Group provides an opportunity for any USC Lancaster student to plan and to participate in functions and activities directed toward promoting and creating a better understanding of African-American culture and its great heritage.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ exists to provide regular opportunities to study and discuss the Bible, worship, and pray in a group setting. This gives members chances for fellowship, encouragement, and spiritual development. Campus Crusade has an open-door policy. Everyone in the USC Lancaster community is welcome, and there are no “members” in the sense of meeting certain requirements or being accepted into membership.

Campus News

Campus News is a weekly newsletter containing information about campus events. The newsletter prints official communications and commentaries prepared by USCL students, faculty, or staff members. Student participation in this publication is strongly encouraged.

Gamma Beta Phi

The USC Lancaster chapter of the Gamma Beta Phi Society was chartered on November 22, 2002. Gamma Beta Phi is an honor and service organization for students in colleges and universities across the United States. It is nonsecret, nonprofit, and coeducational, and membership therein does not exclude a student from membership in any other organization. Only students meeting the minimum GPA requirement set by USC Lancaster are invited into the Gamma Beta Phi Society. Inductions are held in fall and spring. Gamma Beta Phi sponsors at least three educational service projects per year in order to fulfill the Gamma Beta Phi motto of progressus per eruditioneum (progress through education).

Honors Program

The USC Lancaster Honors Program was created to provide an enrichment opportunity for students who have potential for superior academic performance and who seek added challenge and scope in their studies. This program emerges out of our commitment to academic excellence and a belief that quality education must center on helping individual students to achieve their full potential. The honors program presents an opportunity for outstanding students to obtain challenging and stimulating interdisciplinary course work in a supportive environment.

Intramurals/Informal Recreation

Intramural and club sports activities at USC Lancaster afford all students the opportunity to enjoy athletic competition. The intramural program provides frequent events for teams and individuals. Clubs and organizations on campus are encouraged to enter representatives in these activities. Volleyball and basketball have been popular in the past. The Gregory Health and Wellness Center provides students, faculty, and staff with a variety of informal recreational activities, including: swimming, racquetball, volleyball, jogging, weight training, indoor soccer, and basketball. Students, faculty, and staff may use the center at no additional cost.

Peer Advisor at Lancaster

Peer Advisor at Lancaster (PAL) is the organization involved with new student orientation. PALs acquaint new students with campus services and activities. They work with the orientation director, faculty members, staff, and administration during various projects and events. PALs receive a stipend each semester that pays a portion of their tuition. PAL applications are available in January. Selection of PALs is completed by February 28. The appointment is for one year.

Rotaract

Rotaract clubs are part of a global effort to bring peace and understanding to the world on the community level. Rotaract clubs organize a variety of projects and activities, depending on the interests of club members. Members gain professional business and leadership experience. Rotaract meets the first and third Wednesdays of every month.

Student Government Association

The Student Government Association (SGA) is composed of all registered students of the University of South Carolina Lancaster. Membership upon payment of semester fees (full- or part-time) is automatic. Members of the SGA are elected by the student body in two separate elections held in the fall and spring. Officers and representatives of SGA work closely with the administration and faculty to represent student interests and viewpoints. The SGA provides various programs and functions throughout the year, as well as chartering clubs and organizations and preparing, submitting, and administering the budget for student clubs, organizations, publications, and athletics. SGA meetings are held on a regular basis and all students are welcome to attend.

Social and Cultural Events

The Student Government Association funds a wide range of student activities each year.

Activities include picnics, dances, movies, ping-pong, and pool tournaments. SGA also sponsors several community service projects, including blood drives, recycling days, and Christmas and Easter parties for the USCL Child Development Center.

USC Lancaster also sponsors the annual Performance Series along with the Lancaster County Council of the Arts. Special guest lecturers, authors, and performers are often invited to appear for book signings and special engagements. Hubbard Hall Gallery exhibits the work of artists from the surrounding areas and other states. Exhibits change every four to six weeks. Black History month, sponsored by various campus and community organizations, is celebrated with a lineup of activities lasting throughout February.

Services

Academic Success Center

The Academic Success Center (ASC) is located on the second floor of Medford Library. The ASC’s hours are Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and Saturday 2-6 p.m.

Students who use the ASC will have access to its tutors and a state-of-the-art computer lab featuring 24 Pentium 4 processor computers, which are available to students for course-specific or independent work.

Designed to help USC Lancaster students attain academic success, the ASC provides students with a variety of resources to support their academic pursuits, including one-on-one tutoring, computer-assisted instruction, instructional videotapes, supplementary handbooks and texts, and workbooks. The ASC works closely with faculty members to provide assistance that is linked to particular courses and offers discipline- and course-specific tutoring in math, foreign languages, and English. Peer writing consultants are available to work with students on writing assignments for any

USC course, at any stage of the writing process. Students can also use the resources of the ASC to improve study and time-management skills.

Available free of charge to all USCL students, the services of the ASC are designed to help students make the most of their educational opportunities.

Bookstore and Campus Shop

In addition to offering new and used textbooks, the USC Lancaster Campus Shop provides many other services. Gamecock and USC Lancaster shirts, jerseys, jackets, decals, and many other items are available. Dissecting kits, laboratory aprons, and other academic items are offered along with a wide array of gift items in all price ranges.

Counseling Services

All currently enrolled students are eligible for counseling services. The goal of Counseling Services is to assist students in clarifying and resolving issues of personal, educational, and career concerns. All counseling is conducted in a confidential and supportive setting, providing students the opportunity to explore and evaluate information central to the helping process. Students may schedule an appointment by calling Counseling Services at 803-313-7112.

Office of Disability Services (ODS)

The Office of Disability Services operates under the provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Any student who prefers to be registered as a student with a disability must be registered with the Office of Disability Services.

Disability status is not retroactive; therefore the University does not recognize an individual as someone with a disability during a time period in which he/she was not registered with the Office of Disability Services. Because disability status is not retroactive, it is important for any disabled student who prefers to register as a student with a disability to register for these services prior to his/her first semester of attendance. Required documentation is necessary for registration and accommodations, and the timeliness of registration is dependent upon the speed at which Disability Services is provided with the required documentation. Students can only register with disability services after they are admitted to the University.

The Office of Disability Services will make every effort to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities; however, registration as a student with a disability does not automatically guarantee accommodations. Accommodations are approved with appropriate documentation on a case by case basis.

In order to register as a student with a disability and apply for accommodations, students must first complete the “USC Lancaster Disability Services Office Request for Services” form. Students must also provide documentation of their disability to the Office of Disability Services. Documentation requirements are specific to the disability, but in general documentation must be from a physician, licensed psychologist, or other person(s) licensed to make the appropriate diagnosis. Guidelines for documentation are provided by the ODS. These guidelines are used to determine whether a student is eligible to register as a student with a disability and also to determine what accommodations, if any, will be made based on the disability and its impact on the student’s major life functions. Documentation requirements, as well as the Online Disability Services Request for Services form, can be accessed at the Disability Services page on USC Lancaster’s website. In order to ensure that you obtain the specific documentation required, the Office of Disability Services recommends that you print the online guidelines and present them to the qualified professional providing your documentation. Students who have accessibility concerns with the online registration links should contact the Office of Disability Services at 313-7448 or visit Starr Hall 125a for assistance. Students may also e-mail the office at lancods@mailbox.sc.edu.

For a complete list of policies regarding disability services at USC Lancaster, you may refer to the Disability Services website at http://usclancaster.sc.edu/academics/Disability.pdf

Campus Health Services

Campus Health Services (CHS) is housed in the J.M. White Clinic in the Carole Ray Dowling Health Services Center. Services are available to students, faculty, and staff and stress education and the development of decision-making skills relative to preventive medicine and wellness. Other services will be made available as needs are determined and funds are available.

Details regarding any of the services may be obtained from the health services office in the J.M. White Clinic.

Services currently available (fees apply to some services)

• blood pressure screening and follow-up
• cholesterol screening and follow-up
• diabetes screening
• total lipid profile (when indicated)
• nutritional counseling and weight control
• cardiopulmonary evaluation
• exercise program development
• coronary risk factor management

Gregory Health and Wellness Center

The Gregory Health and Wellness Center, located through the wooded area beside Hubbard Hall, offers free membership to all USC Lancaster students. In order to take advantage of this membership, students must bring proof of payment for the current semester to the Membership Services Office and complete a release forms. After all paperwork is completed, students will receive a membership card to access the facility. Students must show this membership card each time they enter the Gregory Health and Wellness Center. Special summer memberships are also available.
Student membership gives you access to a basketball court, indoor track, four racquetball courts, a 25-meter pool, free-weight room, aerobic equipment, and the Khoury Health Fitness Area. Exercise programs are available by appointment with one of our exercise specialists. Located outside the facility are six tennis courts. Exercise consultations are available by appointment by contacting the center office.

Basketballs and racquetball racquets are available for checkout at the entry desk. Racquetball courts are available by reservation.

Participants must supply their own towel and lock. Lockers are available on a daily basis or leased by the semester.

The center offers employment opportunities in the following areas: office, entry control, and pool.

Student Conduct Statement

Recognizing that freedom of individuals is never absolute but is subject to reasonable restrictions, this statement is intended to set forth general principles of student conduct. A student is any person who is admitted, enrolled, or registered for study at the University of South Carolina for any academic period. Persons who are not officially enrolled for a particular term but who have a continuing student relationship with the University of South Carolina are considered students.

All members of the University community share a common and often heavy responsibility to maintain a climate suitable to a community of scholars and to refrain from conduct which obstructs the work of the University, interferes with the lawful exercise of rights by other persons, endangers the safety or security of other persons or their property, prevents the proper use of the facilities of the University, or impairs the maintenance of an environment that is essential to the operation of an institution of higher learning.

Those individuals who refuse to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the above statement may be subject to criminal and/or civil proceedings, as well as the following University sanctions.

Permanent Suspension: Dismissal from the University without leave to apply for readmittance.

Suspension for a Period of Time: Denial of enrollment, attendance, and other privileges at the University for a given period; leave to reapply for admission at termination of the period may be granted with or without qualifications.

Interim Suspension: Interim suspension is an action requiring that a student immediately leave the campus and University property. It may be imposed by the dean when there is reasonable cause to believe, based on available facts, that the student is an immediate threat to the safety of self, other members of the University community, or University property. Any student who is suspended on an interim basis and returns to the campus or University property during the suspension shall be subject to further University action and may be treated as a trespasser. When a student is suspended on an interim basis, the student is given notice containing the reasons for the suspension, the duration and any special conditions that apply, and a copy of the interim suspension policy.

Policy Statements

Academic Disturbance Policy

Disturbances during classes, labs, field trips, lectures, presentations, and other academic activities may result in one or more of the following sanctions: verbal reprimand, written warning, permanent dismissal from class, suspension from the University for a period of time, or permanent suspension from the University. If a student is dismissed from a class after the last day to withdraw from classes, the student will receive a grade of F in the class. A student may appeal verbal reprimand, written warning, or permanent dismissal from the class to the associate dean for academic affairs. The student may appeal suspension from the University for a period of time or permanent suspension from the University to the vice provost for regional campuses.

Alcohol Policy

The facilities, grounds, and parking lots at USC Lancaster are patrolled as public areas where open containers, sale, consumption, or underage possession of alcohol is illegal unless otherwise designated by permit. Persons not in compliance with the law are subject to arrest, prosecution, and loss of use of University facilities. Students are also subject to University sanctions for noncompliance. In order to comply with South Carolina alcohol legislation, the USC Lancaster Student Government Association does not permit or otherwise provide alcohol at student activities.

Crime Statistics Policy

The crime statistics policy is available in the USC Lancaster Student Handbook. The policy details accident, incident, and security procedures.

Drug Policy

Use, possession, sale, or purchase of drugs on or adjacent to University property may result in criminal prosecution and University sanctions, including, but not limited to, permanent expulsion from the University. University and community services to assist individuals with alcohol and drug dependency problems are available: USC Lancaster Counseling Services, 803-313-7112, or Counseling Services of Lancaster, 114 S. Main Street, 285-6911.

Physical Disabilities Statement

Mobility impaired persons whose disabilities substantially interfere with their ability to attend University-sponsored, public, ticketed events should provide a request for special accommodations as soon as possible but no later than two days before the scheduled date of the event. Such persons may be required to provide medical documentation if the disability is not obvious. Requests for special accommodations should be provided to: Tracey Craig (803-313-7448) for events at USC Lancaster, and the University of South Carolina Equal Opportunity Office (803-777-3854) for other facilities of the University of South Carolina. Every effort will be made to honor requests for special accommodations; however, if tickets to an event are unavailable to the general public, the University may not be able to honor the request.

Smoking Policy

Under the Clean Indoor Air and Promotion of Public Health Act it is unlawful for anyone to possess or smoke lighted smoking material in any form in schools, state government buildings, and other public areas. In accordance with this act, and with University of South Carolina policy: smoking and use of all tobacco products is prohibited in all USC-owned or leased buildings, buildings on university-owned land, all university vehicles and within 25 feet of a building or an air intake unit/opening. Violation of this policy and law may result in criminal prosecution and University sanctions.

Student Publication Policy

All student organizations, including student publications, must be recognized by the USC Lancaster Student Government Association, recommended by the acting Assistant Dean of Students, and approved by the Dean of USC Lancaster. Decisions regarding the content of student publications are the joint responsibility of the student editor and faculty/staff advisor and should adhere to South Carolina libel laws and community standards regarding published materials. In addition, all student publications must be approved by the Office of Public Information.

Parking Regulations

These regulations pertain to students, faculty, and staff of USC Lancaster.

Parking permits or decals must be displayed on vehicles of all students, faculty, and staff. Permits are issued during registration in the Business Office in Starr Hall.

Campus speed limit is 10 mph unless otherwise posted.

Fines will be imposed for the following violations:

• Parking improperly, $20.00
• Parking permit or decal not displayed, $10.00
• Parking in “No Parking” area, $20.00
• Parking in loading or service zone, $20.00
• Blocking sidewalk or driveway, $20.00
• Failure to register vehicle, $20.00
• Parking in or blocking “Handicap” space, (1st- $25.00, 2nd-$50.00, 3rd-$100.00, 4th-BOOT ON VEHICLE)
• Boot removal fee, $50.00

Fines should be paid in the Business Office or mailed to the same within four school days of the violation. After four days, the fine will be increased by $1 and an additional $1 for each week thereafter.

Students with unpaid fines will not be allowed to register at any USC campus until the fines are paid. Student records will not be transmitted from the Registrar’s Office until fines are paid.
Initial questions regarding fines should be directed to the Business Office. Fines may be appealed, but the appeal must be made within four school days of the violation by notifying the Associate Dean for Student Services. The payment of fines is to be suspended until the appeal decision is rendered. During the time of an appeal, fines will not be subject to the $1 increase.

The income from the collection of fines will be deposited into the general University account to provide safety and security services.

Additional information can be found in USC Lancaster’s Student Handbook. http://usclancaster.sc.edu/studentlife/2010-2011StudentHandbook.pdf

Carolina Creed

The community of scholars at the University of South Carolina is dedicated to personal and academic excellence.

Choosing to join the community obligates each member to a code of civilized behavior.

As a Carolinian…

I will practice personal and academic integrity;

I will respect the dignity of all persons;

I will respect the rights and property of others;

I will discourage bigotry, while striving to learn from differences in people, ideas and opinions;

I will demonstrate concern for others, their feelings, and their need for conditions which support their work and development.

Allegiance to these ideals requires each Carolinian to refrain from and discourage behaviors which threaten the freedom and respect every individual deserves.