Campus Life
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. 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.
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 Vice President of Student Services 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 Vice President of Student Services.
Mobility-impaired students should contact the Vice President for Academic
Affairs concerning accessibility of scheduled classrooms. Once officially
notified, the Vice President for Academic 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.
Specific information on student health insurance is available in the
Office of the Vice President for Student Services.
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. Insurance information is also
required.
Office of
Student Leadership and Campus Programming
The 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.
The Director
of Residence Life 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.
Students invited to be a part of the Honors House Plan, which is a specialized living and learning environment, will be living in a designated area in the residence quad. Tower Hall is reserved for upper-class students only.
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.
With the Identification card, a student may cash checks , obtain a Stephens postal box and be given ticket discounts for most Stephens Macklanburg Playhouse productions. It may also be used as a debit card at the Bookshelf after funds are deposited into the debit account. Please contact the Bookshelf for details.
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", 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 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 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 several
large databases with access to approximately 10,000 full-text and abstract
versions of numerous journals. Other media include audio and videotapes,
DVDs and journals on microform. The Education/Children's Resource Collection
is also housed in the Library.
The library is home to two computer labs (Mac and PC) and a G5 Mac lab
for digital film editing -- all creating a "one-stop shop"
meeting students' learning, tutoring and technology needs.
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 the other 58 member academic
libraries in Missouri . Students can view the online catalogs of other
member libraries, borrow books directly online or review their own list
of checked out materials and renew items themselves if so desired. Arthur
is available at http://arthur.missouri.edu/
.
Helis Communication Center , KWWC-FM and the Patricia Barry Television
Studio serve as laboratories for students in television and radio production,
digital filmmaking, 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, and printmaking. These studios also support
fashion design classes.
Special facilities of the visual arts area include 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.
Louise Dudley Hall contains classrooms with audiovisual equipment for
courses in English, art history, social studies, business, psychology,
and computer technology. Special facilities in Louise Dudley Hall include
a large art history collection of 35,000 slides, records, CDs and videos.
This specialized library is used as a teaching aid in art, art history
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. The Chapel is rented
for weddings many weekends of the year.
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 Vice President of Student Services, Office of Residence Life
and the spacious Windsor Lounge.
The Stars Café in Columbia Foyer will be open 7:30am to 5:30pm Monday through Friday. The Stars Café will feature deli style sandwiches, salads, beverages and snacks, plus Starbucks brewed coffee and hot teas.
The John and Mary Silverthorne Arena is equipped for NAIA basketball
and volleyball. The Arena is used for a variety of campus activities.
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
Classrooms, studios for fashion design, dance,
music and drama, and student publication offices are located in several
traditional and modern buildings; administrative offices are centered
principally in Hickman Hall.
Also on campus are the experimental arena-type Warehouse Theatre with
seating for about 300; the Johnson Plant Laboratory (greenhouse); and
the Audrey Webb Child Study Center, with the Stephens College Children's
School. Stephens Stables, including indoor and outdoor arenas, paddocks
and rings, and two stable blocks, are close to the main campus. The
indoor arena, renovated in 1999, furnishes all-weather accommodations
for riding instruction and horse shows.
For a closer look at campus, visit our Campus
Tour.
