Student Life

The University encourages and fosters many co-curricular activities and organizations that are designed to complement and enhance the academic and social life of its students.

Student Activities

Student Organizations
The Student Activities Center is the focal point of campus life—providing comfortable lounge facilities, a cafeteria, and meeting and work areas for student organizations. There are more than 60 active organizations and committees on the campus offering opportunities for student involvement. Campus clubs and organizations include a variety of special interest groups, service groups, social groups such as fraternities and sororities, religiously oriented groups, Student Government, Pacer Union Board and student media. A men’s and women’s athletics program and an intramurals/recreation program round out the exciting student life opportunities on the USCA campus.

Student Government
Involvement in Student Government is one of the most valuable learning experiences that a student may have. It provides the student the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process at USCA. Through SGA, the student can acquire and cultivate leadership skills in the legislative process.

The students at USCA have a constitution governing their Student Government Association. All students are encouraged to read this constitution and to run for the various offices created by it, thereby becoming more involved in institutional affairs. Since Student Government is no more effective than the enthusiasm and dedication of the students who participate in it, individual involvement is very important and students are encouraged to seek elected positions. Campus-wide elections are held once during each academic year to fill SGA seats vacated on a rotating basis.

Pacer Union Board
Pacer Union Board (PUB) provides an opportunity for USCA students to become involved in campus life by providing quality entertainment and programs for the USCA community. The Pacer Union Board utilizes a special event planning structure. Each special event is coordinated by a student who is responsible for the program development and implementation. Everyone is encouraged to become active in originating and executing activities for the campus through the USCA Pacer Union Board committees. Participating in PUB will provide students the opportunity to develop new friendships, have a voice in campus programming and enhance the leadership skills that they already possess in addition to developing new ones.

Intramurals
The Intramurals Program at the University of South Carolina Aiken is founded on the philosophy that exercise and relaxation are vital to the total educational process. The program is designed to offer a variety of challenging and enjoyable activities to every member of the student body. Activities include vigorous team sports such as football and basketball; competitive individual events such as table tennis and pool tournaments, and one-on-one basketball; and non-competitive recreational activities.

Athletics
With the goals of both athletic and academic excellence, the Athletic Department at USCA has emerged as a well-rounded intercollegiate program.

USCA is committed to fielding competitive athletic teams which are comprised of academically qualified student athletes. USCA holds membership in the NCAA Division II and is a charter member of the Peach Belt Conference (PBC). The PBC— consisting of Armstrong Atlantic State University, Augusta State University, Clayton College and State University, Columbus State University, Georgia College and State University, Georgia Southwestern State University, Lander University, Francis Marion University, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, North Georgia College, USC Upstate, and USC Aiken— has conference championships in twelve different sports. The "Pacers" compete on a conference, state, and national level in eleven different sports. These sports are volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s cross-country, men’s and women’s basketball, softball, golf, baseball and men’s and women’s tennis.

Facilities are also a plus. The new Roberto Hernandez Baseball Stadium is state of the art. All tennis courts have recently been renovated. The Pacers also have lighted soccer and softball fields. In addition, the new 3500 seat Convocation Center will keep USCA’s facilities among the finest in the southeast.

Student Media
Student Media at USCA is comprised of Pacer Times newspaper and Broken Ink literary magazine. Both are operated by students, offering valuable experience for all interested students, regardless of major. Students can also gain experience in sales, as student advertising representatives work for Pacer Times.

USCA Board of Publications
Created in 1986, the Board of Publications (Media Board) is comprised of three faculty members and four students who allocate student activities funds to the student publications which come under the board’s cognizance. These are Pacer Times (newspaper), and Broken Ink (literary magazine). The Board is the governing body for these media and oversees their budgets, hires the editors of each and sets high journalism standards in keeping with sound ethics.

Leadership Programs
The Emerging Leaders Class is an eleven-week leadership training program designed especially for students interested in developing their leadership potential. The class teaches students leadership behavior skills, enhances personal development, introduces student to key campus personnel and other student leaders, and helps build confidence in students for participating in future leadership positions. During the class, topics covered include, but are not limited to: leadership styles, community service, power and authority, ethical dilemmas, cultural diversity awareness, personality types, and stress/time management. The class includes a weekend retreat and an invitation to participate in various other leadership training and service programs sponsored by the Office of Student Activities. The class is a two credit course.

The Citizen Leadership Class is a two credit course which focuses on applying leadership theory to active service learning experiences. Students will look at citizenship from a variety of perspectives and reflect on their roles as leaders and citizens.

For more information on Leadership Programs, contact the Director of Student Activities.

Academic Success Center and the First-Year Experience
The Academic Success Center and the First-Year Experience office is dedicated to helping students achieve academic success at USCA. The office serves all undergraduate students by offering a wide-variety of free programs and services. Some of which include:

The Academic Success Center and First-Year Experience office is located in the Humanities and Social Sciences Building, Room 208B. For more information about the office and other programs, please contact Stephanie Foote, Director, at 641-3321 or stephanief@usca.edu.

Advisement Services Office
The mission of the Office of Advisement Services and academic advisement is to assist students in the development of meaningful educational plans compatible with their life goals. Academic advisement is a continuous process of clarification and evaluation of these goals. The mission of the Office of Advisement Services is accomplished through a collaborative effort of the advisor and the student. Recognizing that the ultimate responsibility of making decisions about life goals and educational plans rests with the individual student, the office personnel and faculty advisor assist by helping to identify and assess alternatives and consequences of decisions. Together, the office personnel and the advisor provide guidance to the student in developing and completing an acceptable program of study leading to graduation.

The Advisement Services Office also assists students who are interested in changing their major, uncertain about their major, or wish to explore different majors. The Advisement Services Office is located in Room 107 of the Penland Administration Building.

Career Services
The mission of the Career Services Office continues to be to assist all USCA students with their career-related concerns--choosing a career, career planning, experiential learning and job search. The Office advises students to get involved early in career planning and assists them in taking charge of their career future through self-empowerment. It is the goal of Career Services to work in partnership with faculty, staff and the community towards student development. Other components of the Office’s mission are the posting of on-campus student employment positions and responsibility for the campus-wide segment of student employment training. Along with providing quality services, as a member of the Enrollment Services division, Career Services strives to assist with the attraction and retention of all students.

The Career Services Office offers valuable resources and services to all students. To take full advantage of the many resources and services available requires some initiative on the part of the student. In this rapidly changing, competitive and global job market, the Career Services staff invites students to empower themselves by taking charge of their career futures. The staff is available to assist students through this process.

The following is only a sample of the resources and services available:

Career Counseling, including

Experiential Education
The Career Services Office now supports various aspects of experiential learning. The three components of the Experiential Education Program are: Job Shadowing, Non-credit Internships, and Cooperative Education. These three components allow students to gain practical experience in career areas of their choice. Experiences may range from observing a professional for a period of several hours to working for multiple semesters with a local company.

Job Postings and Resume Referral
Career Services now uses a new online system called "Pacer Career Connection" to post jobs and refer resumes. Job postings include all full-time, part-time, internship, co-op, on campus and off-campus positions. "Pacer Career Connection" can be accessed by going to the Career Services website at www.usca.edu/careers and clicking on "jobs".

For more detailed information about our services, visit the Career Services Office in the Penland Administration Building, Room 107.

Counseling
The Counseling Center’s mission is to support students in their individual development by maximizing their problem-solving and decision-making skills in order to facilitate constructive choices in accomplishing their academic and personal goals. In conjunction with this mission, the Counseling Center interacts with the University community to ensure a college environment that is as beneficial as possible to the overall well-being of students, thereby empowering them to meet their fullest potential.

The Counseling Center provides counseling services for USC Aiken undergraduate and graduate students. Services are free and confidential, unless the individual student specifically requests that information be revealed to a particular entity or the student poses a potential danger to himself/herself or others. The services offer an holistic, developmental and short-term approach to assessing, consulting, individual counseling, group counseling, psycho-education, and training which enhances students’ lives. Counselors are available by calling the Counseling Center at (803) 641-3609 for an appointment. Information on additional services is available in the Counseling Center, Business and Education Building, Room 126, or at the following web site: http://www.usca.edu/cc.

Disability Services
The mission of Disability Services is to facilitate the transition of students with disabilities to the University environment and act to provide appropriate accommodations for each student’s special needs in order to ensure equal access to all programs, activities and services at USCA.

USCA seeks to assist undergraduate and graduate students with medical, psychiatric, or learning disabilities in their college experience through an integration of on-campus services. The goal is to make all USCA programs and services accessible. Special classroom accommodations are provided to students with documented disabilities based on individual student needs. These services are the result of a cooperative effort with the student’s instructor and may include: special seating, a note taker, special testing arrangements, permission to tape record lectures or other accommodations to assist the student in her/his classroom efforts. USCA also has an Assistive Technology Center with state of the art equipment and software to improve access for eligible students.

Students with a documented disability that significantly impairs their ability to maintain a full-time course load of 12 hours or more per semester may be considered on a case-by-case basis for modified full-time status. Verification of eligibility will be determined by the Disability Services Office. Those who would like to be considered for financial aid must contact the Office of Financial Aid regarding the eligibility requirements for students who are enrolled on a modified full-time basis.

Assistance begins when a student’s Disability Services application is approved and ends when a student graduates. Throughout the USCA experience, campus-wide services are coordinated to meet the needs of the student. To be eligible for services, students must provide medical documentation that provides information about a substantial limitation to one or more major life activities, specifically as it applies to meeting the demands of University life, in and/or out of the classroom. Although some disabilities do not change over time, the medical documentation must address the student’s current level of functioning, therefore, the documentation can be no more than three years old. IEP’s and 504 Plans, although providing historical evidence of services and accommodations, are generally not considered sufficient to make a student eligible for services. For more information, contact Disability Services at (803) 641-3609, stop by the Business and Education Building, Room 126-A, or visit the Disability Services website at http://www.usca.edu/ds.

The Language Learning Center
The Language Learning Center supports the integration of technology into language instruction and linguistic acquisition. Through methods such as aural-oral programs, video, and internet access, the Language Learning Center provides students with opportunities to acquire, develop, and practice effective communicative skills and to gain insight into and appreciation of diverse cultures and peoples. Students use the center to complete homework assignments and class projects.

The Language Learning Center is located in the Humanities and Social Sciences Building (Room 107) with open hours posted each semester.

The Mathematics Learning Center
The mission of The Mathematics Learning Center is to provide support for students enrolled in mathematics courses at USCA. The goal of The Mathematics Learning Center is to enable students to be successful in the classes that use mathematics. This goal is accomplished by providing students with free peer tutoring in any freshman level and selected sophomore level mathematics classes, offering assistance with calculator skills and computer software used with the math classes, and providing resources such as instructional videos, software tutorials, and references.

The Mathematics Learning Center is located in the Penland Administration Building, Room 221, at extension 3470. No appointment is required and students are encouraged to come to The Mathematics Learning Center not only for tutoring but also to complete homework, work with a group, or use the computers. Hours when tutors are available are publicized at the beginning of each semester.

Office of International Programs
The Office of International Programs coordinates programs and services that promote international awareness among students and faculty, and addresses contributions and concerns of international students.

The Office provides information to students on study abroad, work abroad and volunteer abroad opportunities. It is the goal of the Office of International Programs to work closely with faculty and staff on developing new study abroad programs for students and to assist faculty with research/teaching projects abroad.

The Office of International Programs provides services to international students on campus. Services include providing information to prospective international students, assisting international students with academic and social issues, and advising on immigration regulations. We work closely with student and community organizations to insure that international students are well-adjusted and successful on campus.

The USCA Office of International Programs has as its mission the provision of a global perspective by advancing knowledge and appreciation of the broader world and its cultures. This is accomplished by bringing the world to USCA via campus lectures, panel discussions, other cultural events, and through internationalizing the curriculum when appropriate.

The Office of International Programs is located in Penland Administration Building, Room 101F.

Office of Multicultural Affairs
In support of the overall mission of the University of South Carolina Aiken and as an administrative component of the Student Life and Services Division, the Office of Multicultural Affairs seeks to foster a warm, welcoming, and supportive environment for the diverse members of the campus community; to provide minority-student support services and programs that assist with campus efforts to mirror the retention, graduation, and career placement rates of the larger student population; to work with various departments and committees of the university to provide programs and activities for the campus and local community that encourage an awareness and appreciation of cross-cultural perspectives; and to help equip members of the campus community with practical leadership and interpersonal skills to prepare them for living and working in an increasingly multicultural society.

Some of the programs sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs are:

The office is located in the Student Activities Building in the Student Life & Services Suite. Contact: Stacie Williams, Director, 641-3412 or staciew@usca.edu, website at http://www.usca.edu/multicultural/.

The Writing Room
The mission of the Writing Room is to provide an open teaching and learning environment for the collaborative discussion of writing so that students may become more aware and independent writers. Writing consultants come from a range of disciplines and are formally trained to provide feedback during all phases of the writing process. The Writing Room is staffed by students. Located in the Humanities and Social Sciences Building (112), the Writing Room is available to students who want to drop-in but appointments are recommended.

In support of its mission, the Writing Room has the following goals:

1.) to support the composition sequence by providing professional,

individual feedback to students enrolled in composition courses;

2.) to support writing across the curriculum by providing professional, individual feedback to students enrolled in USCA courses;

3.) to support writing in the university by

For additional information, visit the Writing Room's web site at http://www.usca.edu/writingroom/

Library
The Gregg-Graniteville Library of the University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA) supports the University’s overall mission through excellence in facilities, collections, services, instruction, and scholarship.

The faculty, support staff, and collections of the Gregg-Graniteville Library comprise an integral part of USCA’s instructional program. The following services and resources are available to all registered students:

Traditional and nontraditional library services

Computerized library technology

An attractive, modern library facility

Loan periods/Overdue charges

Hours

Presentation of current bar-coded University ID card required for check-out.

The USCA Bookstore
The mission of The USCA Bookstore is to provide a competitive source for purchases of course materials, USCA merchandise and other services related to campus life, while fostering, enhancing, and supporting the academic and administrative goals of the University of South Carolina Aiken.

The USCA Bookstore is the source for all course materials including textbooks, lab supplies, course packets, school supplies, and study aids. The bookstore is located in the Student Activities Center, (SAC) near the Food Court. Operated by the University of South Carolina Aiken, the primary goal of the bookstore is to provide educational materials to students at the lowest cost possible.

Return Policy
The USCA Bookstore offers refunds and exchanges.

Book Buy Back Policy
The USCA Bookstore wants to buy as many books as possible. This helps reduce the expense of course materials for everyone. The best time to sell used books is during final exams at the end of each semester.

The bookstore will pay half (50%) for a book that has been readopted for an upcoming semester, is a current edition, is in re-sellable condition, and is not overstocked at the bookstore.

The bookstore will offer the current wholesale value for all other books as determined by a national textbook buying guide.

Bookstore Hours
Fall & Spring Semesters
    Monday through Thursday 8:00am - 6:00pm
    Friday 8:00am - 3:00pm

Summer Sessions
    Monday through Thursday 8:00am - 5:00pm
    Friday 8:00am - 3:00pm

With extended hours at the start of each semester.

Any change of Bookstore hours will be posted.

Contact Information
Telephone 803-641-3457
e-mail bookstore@usca.edu
url: www.uscabookstore.com

Mike Speer: Textbook Manager
e-mail: michaels@usca.edu

Heidi DiFranco: Director
e-mail: heidid@usca.edu

The Science Store
The Science Store is located near the Dupont Planetarium in the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center. The Science Store is open Monday through Friday from 10:00am - 2:00pm. In addition, the Science Store is open Friday and Saturday evenings from 6:00pm - 9:00pm (first and third weekends only, during public planetarium shows). For more information, please call 641-3649 or 641-3313.

The Science Store specializes in unusual, hands-on science materials, toys, models, kits, and collectibles not typically found in larger chain stores. This is a child-friendly, "please touch" kind of store, with merchandise similar to that found in museum gift shops. The Science Store carries puzzles, games, tee shirts, posters, puppets, reference materials, and educational books which make great gifts or classroom teaching aids. This is a terrific resource for teachers, parents and students looking for unique items that make science come alive in the hands of a child.

Campus Dining 
Campus Dining’s mission is to maintain its unique partnership with the Aiken community. Campus dining strives to provide high quality products and excellent service to USC Aiken students, administration, faculty, staff, visitors, local merchants and residents.

The university has contracted with Aramark Inc. to provide food services on campus. Aramark is one of the premier food service providers in the country. Aramark offers many dining options at USC Aiken including:

Pacer Downs Market
The Pacer Downs Market is located next to the campus housing office at Pacer Downs. The market offerings include grocery items, snacks, gourmet coffee and cappuccino, and other items.

Pacer Cards $40.00
Pacer Cards are ideal for those students not required to purchase a meal plan, commuter students, faculty and staff, or as a way to supplement an existing meal plan. Pacer Cards only cost $40.00 and you receive $44.00 of purchasing credit. When one runs out, just stop by and purchase another.

Meal Plan Options
Meal plans are an excellent way to ensure proper nutrition and budgeting. Additionally, they offer the best dining value! There is a meal plan to suit the needs of every student, everyone should consider purchasing a meal plan.*

*A Special Note to Students Residing in University Housing

All students residing in university housing are required to purchase a meal plan.

OR

University Housing
Students living on campus reside at Pacer Downs and Pacer Commons. University Housing is staffed by the Director of University Housing and Judicial Affairs, an Associate Director, an Assistant Director, 23 Resident Assistants and a Maintenance Supervisor.

Pacer Commons consists of 79 4-person apartments housing 316 students. Pacer Commons contains 43 2-bedroom apartments and 36 4-bedroom apartments. Each apartment is furnished and contains two full bathrooms, a living area and a fully equipped kitchen. Pacer Commons is staffed by a live-in Associate Director and 11 Resident Assistants. Pacer Commons has a recreational area that consists of a volleyball court, basketball court and a gazebo. Within the halls of Pacer Commons there are 9 study lounges, a computer room, game room and laundry facility.

Pacer Downs consists of 91 4-person apartments housing 364 students. Each apartment is furnished and contains two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a living area, and a fully equipped kitchen. Pacer Downs is staffed by a live-in Assistant Director and 12 Resident Assistants. The recreation area within Pacer Downs consists of a pool, volleyball court and basketball court.

In addition to the physical amenities of both buildings, the Residence Life staff members provide a variety of activities and programs to help students learn, connect and grow.

Continuing USCA students wanting to live on campus for the next academic year are required to participate in the housing selection process beginning in March.

For more information, contact University Housing at 803-641-3790 or visit our website at: www.usca.edu/housing/

Safety at USCA
USCA is concerned about safety issues for all of its students. The Student Right to Know Act gives all interested parties information concerning on-campus safety and crime. For information about the frequency and type of reportable incidents on campus, please contact the USCA Office of Public Safety at (803) 641-3290 or at the following web address: http://www.usca.edu/ps/psmain.htm

If off-campus housing is being considered, students and parents should be aware that Aiken County is served by three separate law enforcement units, with jurisdiction determined by location within the City of Aiken, the City of North Augusta, or the balance of the County, which is served by the Office of the Sheriff of Aiken County. Please contact rental agents for County or City emergency numbers that might be helpful such as fire, police, and hospital. In addition, USCA strongly suggests that all students considering off-campus housing contact the appropriate law enforcement agency for specific safety and crime information about the residential areas under consideration.

Local Law Enforcement Contact Points:

Automatic Teller Machine (ATM)
An ATM is located in the Student Activities Center near the USCA Bookstore for your convenience.

Child Care
The USCA Children’s Center is located on the south side of the campus and offers child care for faculty, staff, and students for a reasonable fee. It is licensed by the State of South Carolina and employs qualified teachers and students of the University. The Center is nationally accredited. The Center is open twelve months a year. Full-time care is available for children ages six weeks through five years. The Children’s Center not only provides quality child care but also serves as a training and research site for the USCA School of Education’s Early Childhood Education degree program.

Conduct
The responsibility for administering undergraduate and graduate student discipline at USCA is vested in the Vice Chancellor for Student Life and Services. Conduct rules, disciplinary penalties, and complete hearing procedures are contained in the USCA Student Handbook.

The University reserves the right to decline admission, to suspend, or to require the withdrawal of a student from the University if the appropriate hearing body or official determines that this course of action is in the best interest of USCA students. Registration at the University assumes the student’s acceptance of responsibility for compliance with all regulations published in the Student Handbook, as well as any rules found in any other official publication.

USCA Academic Code of Conduct
USCA supports a culture of academic integrity and requires that all faculty and students abide by the spirit and letter of the Academic Code of Conduct. Violations of this Code will not be tolerated by this community.

Academic honesty violations are dealt with in accordance with the Academic Code of Conduct, which is described in the USCA Student Handbook. Such violations include, but are not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, lying, and bribery. Undergraduate and graduate students who have committed infractions of the Academic Code of Conduct may receive a hearing before the University Judicial Board, with right of appeal to the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, who is responsible for maintaining and enforcing the Academic Code of Conduct.

Student Consumer Information
The Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-542) and the Higher Educational Technical Amendment of 1991 (P.L. 102-26) require that all institutions of higher education collect and make certain information available to students/prospective students and employees/prospective employers upon request. Title I of this act is known as the Student Right-to-Know Act and Title II is known as the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act. Information requirements are separated into three categories: graduation or completion rates, athletically-related financial aid, and campus crime. Graduation or completion rates are prepared and published by the Registrar’s Office and are readily available to current and prospective students upon request. Athletically-related aid reports are prepared for the NCAA and are available upon request from the Athletic Department. Statistics on campus crime are published annually by the USCA Department of Public Safety and are provided to current and prospective students and employees. This information is also available on the USCA web page.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Public Law 101-336 of 1990 provides antidiscrimination (civil rights) protection and access to equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. Accessibility requirements are similar to those imposed under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which addresses non-discrimination in employment and program services by recipients of any federal assistance. The ADA compliments section 504 and expands its coverage as well as changes some of the application and accommodation processes.

USCA is committed to the letter and the intent of both the ADA and section 504. If a student has a question concerning possible discrimination due to a disability, they may contact the Coordinator of Disability Services at 641-3609 for further information.

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