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Location
Columbia, Mo., the home of Stephens College, well deserves the designation Collegetown, U.S.A. Twenty-six thousand students are enrolled in the three higher education institutions in this small city, which is devoted to meeting the needs of students. Columbia is only 126 miles west of St. Louis and 125 miles east of Kansas City on Interstate 70. There is regular bus service from both metropolitan areas and airline service through Columbia Regional Airport, with connecting flights available in international airports located in St. Louis and Kansas City. Student Life Stephens has a long history of commitment to the total development of the student, and a planned, residential education is an essential component of that development. By living, dining and studying together, students discover how to develop cooperative relationships with peers and build community. With the help of professional staff and faculty advisers, students learn how to function independently, to develop their own set of values, to manage emotions and to gain a sense of identity. Research also shows that students living in residence halls generally achieve better academically than commuters. Stephens provides students with many opportunities, in and out of the classroom, to make responsible choices and to become involved in policy-making areas which directly affect their lives. In return, Stephens expects students to take their responsibilities seriously and to uphold the standards and regulations set forth by the appropriate governing boards of the College. Rights and Responsibilities In addition to taking full advantage of the educational opportunities available to her, each student has the responsibility to conduct herself in a manner that is best for her own welfare and that of the entire College community. Students are responsible for the policies stated in the catalog and Within the Ivy (student handbook). Both may be accessed through the Stephens College Web site www.stephens.edu. On-Campus Living and Food Service Requirements Students enrolled in the residential program at Stephens are required to live in on-campus housing throughout their enrollment and participate in the College's food service plan. Day students are students who reside with their spouse, parent or legal guardian, or are Columbia-area residents not legally dependent on another person, who have lived in the community for one full year or more. A limited number of seniors apply and are approved by the dean of students to seek housing off-campus. All students living off campus are required to pay fees which include the charge for a specific number of meals on campus per semester in the college dining service. Services and Activities Student Success Center The ARC is an individualized tutoring center that provides free assistance to all Stephens College students who want to improve their academic skills. The goal of the center is to assist those students who desire additional help beyond that provided by course instructors. Broadcasting Activities Stephens students receive hands-on experience in the production of programming for KWWC-FM, the 1,250-watt radio station owned and operated by the College, and in Studio A, a full-size television studio. Counseling Services Students' academic, career and personal counseling needs are met by a variety of services and programs at Stephens College. These programs are designed to assist students as they move toward self-reliance and self-confidence, and student life members are available to help identify a student's talents and potential. Psychological services provided by Stephens College include conducting intake interviews and assessments, making referrals to appropriate psychological resources, providing psychotherapy for students, and providing consultation with college personnel regarding student concerns. Additional services may be negotiated for a fee. Career Services Stephens Career Services assists students with all phases of career planning from choosing majors and identifying career possibilities to gaining career-related experiences and securing employment or entrance to graduate school. The Career Services staff work extensively with students one-on-one to address individual needs, as well as in groups through special programs and presentations on such topics as interviewing, résumé writing and job-search strategies. Career Services also works cooperatively with academic programs to help students plan and prepare for internship opportunities. Career Services maintains an extensive library of resources including employer directories, company literature, graduate school information, résumé sample books, a computerized career information system and much more. The office also maintains a database consisting of more than 500 alumnae career consultants from whom students may gain valuable career and employment information. Employment opportunities can be found in Career Services for permanent, part-time and summer positions. Career Services also assists students with on-campus work study positions. Cultural Events The vast array of cultural experience available to students on campus includes theatre productions, chamber music concerts, exhibits in the Davis Art Gallery, jazz, ballet, comedy and musical productions, numerous lectures, discussions and presentations by on-campus and outside experts. Disabled Student Services Mobility-impaired students may contact the dean of students to receive an accessibility map of the campus and other information concerning access to campus buildings and grounds. Individual orientation to the campus is available through the Office of the Dean of Students. Mobility-impaired students should contact the vice president for academic and student affairs concerning accessibility of scheduled classrooms. Once officially notified, the vice president for academic and student affairs will make every effort to schedule classes in locations that accommodate limited mobility. Residents who have a physical disability that requires special accommodations should contact the director of residence life for room assignments that best meet their needs. Health Services The Stephens Health Services program is designed to help students gain the knowledge they need to make responsible decisions about optimal health. The director of health services, who is also a certified nurse practitioner, coordinates the delivery of health education and medical services. She sees students by appointment at the health clinic for lifestyle changes, illnesses and injuries and may refer students to a consulting physician. There is an extra fee for using a consulting physician. For emergency and/or specialized medical care, students are referred to Columbia physicians or hospitals where all medical and surgical sub-specialties are available. All costs are the responsibility of the student and her family. In Missouri, anyone 18 or older may contract for their own health care. Students should be aware of medical insurance coverage under their family's policy. Specific information on student health insurance is available in the Office of the Dean of Students. When a student is admitted to Stephens, she receives a health information form which must be completed and returned to Health Services prior to her arrival on campus. A student must furnish the report of her medical history, present health status and evidence of recent immunizations prior to confirming fall preregistration. Office of Student Leadership and Campus Programming The Campus Programming office promotes and sponsors student activities and events, and provides advice and support for student organizations and campus-wide activities. The director and staff are committed to developing student leadership and involvement through innovative and developmental programs. The office encourages service, volunteerism and active participation throughout the student body. Residence Life The director of residence life, residence counselor and graduate residents, all of whom are professionals in the student life area, work closely with student staff members, assist in the development of hall programs and provide opportunities for individual and group development that contribute to the quality of life for students living in the residence halls. Resident assistants (RAs) and resident directors (RDs) living in the halls are students who serve as peer support persons, providing resource information and referrals. They assist students in adjusting to college life and its demands. RAs and RDs are responsible for creating and maintaining a sense of community in the residence halls. Residential hall living complements students' academic endeavors through the connections they make with their roommate, hallmates and staff. The staff encourages students to take advantage of the many opportunities for involvement. These opportunities are designed to challenge a student as she learns and grows throughout her college years. Student Government Association, Hall Councils Students' responsibilities in campus and hall government are twofold: to become involved in policy-making by making suggestions and problems known to elected representatives; and to uphold the rules and regulations made by the same representatives. Every student is automatically a member of the Student Government Association (SGA). SGA has executive and legislative powers to govern student activities and to develop and maintain group living standards. Students who are elected to SGA committees gain experience in planning, administering and communicating cultural, social and recreational activities and in dealing with academic, residential and community problems. Students are also elected to serve as class officers for each of the four classes. These officers work within the SGA guidelines as well as serve as leaders for their classmates. Each residence hall has its own elected council that provides ideas and support for campus-wide concerns through SGA. Hall councils also coordinate recreational, social and cultural activities within the hall. Student Organizations Many growth and leadership opportunities are available to students through the following organizations. Honoraries include Alpha Lambda Delta, national freshman honorary; Alpha Epsilon Rho, television, radio; Beta Beta Beta, science; Pi Phi Rho, retailing, fashion, business; Phi Alpha Delta, pre-law; Sigma Beta Delta, business, management, administration; Sigma Tau Delta, English; Dimensions Company, dance; Psi Chi, psychology; and Mortar Board, national senior honor society. Other organizations include Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union; Sigma Sigma Sigma and Kappa Delta social sororities; Panhellenic Council; Prince of Wales Club, equestrian riding; Catholic Student Association; Stephens Christian Fellowship; Mikreh "Happening;¹¹ Model United Nations; Public Relations Student Society of America; Habitat for Humanity; Psychology Club; Ambassador Association; Students Looking at Teaching and Education; Stephens College Republicans; Stephens Feminist Organization; Student Government Association; Students in Free Enterprise; The French Society; Young Democrats Club; Warehouse Theatre Company; Mudshark Club; Ten Ideals; and Human United Educated Sistahs. Student Publications Students may become involved in the production of the student newspaper, Stephens Life, by enrolling in a mass communication practicum course for credit. Harbinger, a magazine of original literary, photographic and graphic works, is also produced by students. The Campus The buildings on the Stephens campus bridge the modern and historic eras. Historic Senior Hall, the oldest building on campus (1841) and one of the oldest structures in Columbia, is included in the National Register of Historic Places and houses the music and dance programs. The James Madison Wood Institute for the Study of Women's Education is located on the first floor of Historic Senior Hall. Seeking to facilitate research that will have a significant influence on the lives of women through the integration of new scholarship into the curriculum, the Institute draws upon and continues the rich heritage of commitment to women's education that has characterized Stephens since former President Wood began the tradition of building the Stephens curriculum on "the actual social and economic needs of woman herself." Students and faculty are encouraged to become Institute research affiliates. The James Madison Wood Quadrangle is the Stephens learning center. Included are the Hugh Stephens Resources Library, classrooms, multipurpose areas, office-seminar space, a teaching auditorium, a lecture theater, listening rooms, television and radio studios, FM broadcast facilities, newsroom, computer labs, laboratories, galleries, art studios-bringing together traditional learning aids and modern technology. The Hugh Stephens Resources Library is the central building of the Quadrangle. It is an open, informal space housing a variety of resources and offering students and staff comfortable study areas and computer access to enhance a pleasant, independent learning and research experience. The Library also offers other spaces to facilitate academic and business meetings, such as the Penthouse and other meeting rooms. The Albert Schweitzer Collection area is a quiet nook tucked away in a corner of the Library-perfect as a quiet place for individual study or reflection. The library collection includes more than 120,000 volumes with new materials added at the rate of approximately 1,000 each year. There is also a very good reference collection with professional staff who work with students and faculty to provide individual or group instruction concerning the various library resources as needed. The Library subscribes to approximately 355 magazines and newspapers in paper form, as well as several large databases with access to full-text and abstract versions of numerous journals. Other media include audio and videotapes, and journals on microform. The Education/Children's Resource Collection is also housed in the Library. Access to the Library's collection is through the on-line public catalog, Arthur. Stephens College is a member of the Arthur cluster of the MOBIUS consortium and so has access to the collections of other academic libraries in Missouri. Students can view the on-line catalogs of other member libraries, borrow books directly on-line, or review their own list of checked out materials and renew items themselves if so desired. Arthur is available at http://arthur.searchmobius.org/ . All computers in the Library have access to the Internet. The Library has a carefully planned Web page with links to other Stephens Web pages and links to useful on-line catalogs, search engines, numerous helpful reference-related sites and other resources. Access the library through www.stephens.edu . Helis Communication Center, KWWC-FM and the Patricia Barry Television Studio serve as laboratories for students in television and radio production, broadcast and print journalism, and public relations courses. Lewis James and Nellie Stratton Davis Art Gallery exhibits works of selected artists, with a special emphasis on women artists. The Catherine Webb Art Studios provide class and studio space for drawing, painting, computer and digital design, ceramics and printmaking. These studios also support fashion design classes. Special facilities of the visual arts area include a large, gas-fired reduction kiln; two electric kilns; Macintosh computers; printers; and scanners. Each computer is equipped with CD-ROM drive and a Zip disk external backup system. E.S. Pillsbury Science Center houses science and mathematics faculty offices. Classrooms and laboratories are set up for individual projects and class experiments. Ellis Learning, the foreign language lab/student center, provides audio tape players for drill in foreign languages and a dubbing service for individual tapes. Louise Dudley Hall contains classrooms with audiovisual equipment for courses in English, art history, humanities, social studies, business, psychology, philosophy and computer technology. Special facilities in Louise Dudley Hall include a large humanities and art history collection of 35,000 slides, records, CDs and videos. This specialized library is used as a teaching aid in art, art history and humanities classes. Windsor Auditorium, a teaching auditorium seating 300, is also used for recitals and guest lectures. Charters Lecture Theatre, with seating for 128, is used for lectures and films. The adjacent Arena Classroom is used for teaching, lecturing, conferences, exhibitions, audiovisual presentations and special theatre arts productions. Firestone Baars Chapel, designed by Eero Saarinen, is acknowledged to be one of the most beautiful buildings of its kind in the United States. It is used for a variety of worship services and campus activities as well as for individual worship and meditation. Stamper Commons features self-service dining facilities for all students, faculty and staff and separate lounge areas on four levels. There is also the College post office, the bookstore (known as the Bookshelf), the Office of Student Leadership and Campus Programming, Health Services, Office of Dean of Students, Office of Residence Life and the spacious Windsor Lounge. The John and Mary Silverthorne Arena is equipped for NCAA Division III basketball and volleyball. Other recreational facilities include tennis courts, an indoor pool and billiard tables located at several locations across campus. A workout facility is located in Tower Hall. Macklanburg Playhouse adjoins the Performing Arts Department production shop and the student-run Warehouse Theatre. The playhouse seats 350 and includes a state-of-the-art computerized lighting control system, sound system and modern rigging equipment. Some unique features are a fully trapped stage floor; 8-foot-by-32-foot flexible apron deck; dimmer per circuit lighting distribution; and an independent intercom system. The building houses faculty offices, a rehearsal hall, an art gallery and a box office. The Visitors Center, a four-story building, houses the Office of Admission and provides rooms for guests of the College. The building also contains the Macklanburg Gallery, which exhibits the Berman Collection and works of art by Albert and Arland Christ-Janer.
Other Buildings
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