Campus Life

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Belhaven University believes that well-rounded personal, social, spiritual, and academic development can best be accomplished within a Christian community. Therefore, in order to meet individual needs while working for the needs of the community, it is necessary to establish guidelines for conduct. Belhaven’s student handbook, The Kilt, describes in detail the guidelines governing student life and college community expectations. The system of standards set forth in the student handbook is intended to maintain a balance between individual freedom and the good of the community. Believing that every aspect of life should be lived to the glory of God, Belhaven University seeks to consistently apply these standards with a concern for the total development of the individual.

Belhaven reserves the right to withdraw and/or dismiss any student who, in its judgment, displays conduct in violation of the standards of the University.

Grievance Policy for Written Student Complaints

COMPLAINT RESOLUTION
Belhaven University desires to resolve student complaints, grievances, and concerns in an expeditious and fair manner. Students can file a written complaint to the appropriate
university official as described in the Belhaven University Academic Catalogue and The Kilt (Student Handbook).

Additionally, student may appeal the final institutional decision to the proper entity:
• File a Complaint with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges SACS COC Student Complaint Policy
• File a Complaint with our SARA Portal Agent (for those students who are taking online courses and reside outside of Mississippi in a SARA state)
• For a list of SARA states, see the SARA States and Institutions page
• File a Complaint with your state agent (if you are taking online courses, do not reside in the state of Mississippi and do not reside in a SARA state) by referring to the list of State Agencies on the U.S. Department of Education website.

COMPLAINT TO ACCREDITING OR AUTHORIZING AGENCY
State Authorizing Agency
A complaint can be filed with one of our state authorizing agencies when there is evidence of the of the following:
• conduct or behavior on the part Belhaven University or any of its agents, representatives or employees that constitute dishonest or fraudulent behavior, including providing false or misleading information to a student
• the operation of programs (including distance education) contrary to practices expected by institutional and/or programmatic/specialized accreditors

[Belhaven University has a number of programs that are accredited by professional, discipline-specific accrediting bodies. Contact the Office of the Provost for additional information on program accreditation.]
Students studying in the State of Mississippi-Please review the MCAA Student Complaint Process.

The MCAA contact information is below:

Dr. Sheriece Robinson
3825 Ridgewood Road
Jackson, MS 39211-6453
Telephone: 601.432.6336
Fax: 601.432.6225
srobinson@ihl.state.ms.us

COMPLAINTS SPECIFIC TO NON-MISSISSIPPI RESIDENTS TAKING ONLINE COURSES
If your complaint has been escalated through the grievance and appeal process and cannot be resolved, please review these points of escalation applicable to students taking online courses from outside of the state of Mississippi. Please note matters regarding grades and conduct cannot be escalated beyond the institutional level.

SARA Member state
Belhaven University participates in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement. Students residing in member states are subject to the SARA Complaint Process which is detailed on the SARA Student Complaint Process page. For a list of SARA Member states, see the SARA States & Institutions page.

State Agencies
If an issue cannot be resolved institutionally, students residing outside the state of Mississippi who do not reside in a SARA member state may file a complaint about Belhaven University with their State by referring to the list of State Agencies on the U.S. Department of Education website. For a list of SARA member states, see the SARA States & Institution page.

Academic Grievances

Students wishing to file grievances on academic issues, including grades, should submit written appeals to the Academic Appeals Committee, which may be done through the Registrar’s Office. Appeals regarding course grades must be filed before the end of the next semester in which the grade was received. Decisions made by the Academic Appeals Committee shall be final. Academic grievances concerning a faculty member should be directed to the faculty’s department chairperson. In cases where the faculty member also holds the chair of the department, grievances should be directed to the division chairperson. In the case of division chairpersons, grievances should be reported to the Provost. Decisions made by the faculty member’s supervisor shall be final.

Residence Halls

Residence halls enhance the college experience by offering many outside the classroom educational opportunities to resident students. Close proximity to campus resources affords resident students the opportunity to become easily involved in campus activities. Resident students also tend to be more satisfied with their college experience, and are even more likely to graduate. For these reasons, all full-time freshmen and sophomores (under 54 credit hours), single and under the age of twenty-one, are required to live on campus, with the exception of those students who live off campus at the permanent address of their parents or legal guardian. Campus housing is for undergraduate students (ages 17 - 26) enrolled in the traditional program. The University reserves the right to deny on-campus housing and recommend alternative housing options.

The coordination and management of each residence hall is accomplished by a professional Resident Director (RD) who lives in the hall. Resident Assistants (RAs) are Belhaven student leaders who live with the students and assist the RD in maintaining an environment in each hall that is conducive to living and learning. Both RDs and RAs are personally and professionally committed to a biblical worldview that integrates Christian faith with the learning environment. For more information, contact the office of Student Life in Room 203 of Cleland Hall or call 601-968-5969.

Residence halls are not open during Christmas break, May term, and summer sessions.

Chapel Attendance Policy

Chapel is held weekly (Tuesdays 9:35-10:25 a.m. and 11-11:50 a.m.) in the Concert Hall of the Center for the Arts. All students must register for one of the Chapel sections each semester they are enrolled at Belhaven. All students who are not exempt from chapel are required to attend a minimum of 8 sessions each semester they are enrolled at Belhaven. Chapel attendance is included in the student’s transcript as a satisfactory grade and a pass grade is a requirement for graduation. A detailed explanation of the chapel attendance policy is published in the student handbook, The Kilt.

The purpose of the Belhaven chapel program is to bring together the entire campus in a shared, spiritually enriching hour that collectively enables us to be challenged to explore the depths of God’s truth, grace, and love. Respectful of the diversity of traditions and experiences consistent with Belhaven’s Statement of Faith, services are designed to allow all of us to be challenged with the central truths of the Gospel. Chapel is not offered as a substitute for involvement in a local church nor designed to provide the type of consistent worship experience unique to an individual church.

Life Quest (Belhaven University’s Quality Enhancement Program)

Life Quest is a program that has been designed by faculty and staff to enhance traditional student awareness of personal calling and improve student preparedness for their career paths. Life Quest focuses on providing a foundation based on individual strengths discovery as related to personal calling that is reiterated and refined from freshman year through graduation.

Belhaven Basics BU 101 & BU 102

BU 101  and BU 102  are designed to guide students through a process of identifying, developing, and applying their individual strengths in several areas crucial to success in their academic and career journey. The topics studied in BU 101  & BU 102  challenge students to examine their strengths and calling in order to prepare them academically and spiritually to serve Christ Jesus in their careers, in human relationships, and in the world of ideas, which is Belhaven University’s mission.

The courses challenges students to explore different topics and experiences as they relate to personal strengths. Through the use of the StrengthsFinder^© assessment, students discover their top five “Signature Strengths” and how to develop those to achieve success in academics, understanding others, and career. The course takes students through three areas of knowledge as related to personal strengths with the goal of clarifying major and career choice.

The one-hour credit course meets throughout the fall semester.

Warren A. Hood Library

The Warren A. Hood Library houses more than 96,000 items. In addition to book and periodical collections, the library provides access to a vast array of electronic databases, electronic books, media collections, archival materials, and reference materials for all fields of study at Belhaven.

The Online Library is accessed through the Library web page (www.belhaven.edu/Library) and also provides a large collection of online full text databases including 24 databases within EBSCOhost, Business Education in Video, Christian Periodical Index, CQ Researcher, ERIC, Grove’s Dictionary of Art, JSTOR, LexisNexis Academic, Mergent Online, Oxford Music Online, CREDO Reference eBooks, Classical Music Library, ProQuest Newsstand including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal database. Additionally, library patrons have access to more than 47,000 e-books. These e-books are accessible 24/7 through Blazenet from any computer with an internet connection. The library is an invaluable resource for Belhaven users at all campuses to access essential resources via the internet.

The physical library is open approximately 103.5 hours per week during the Fall and Spring sessions. Hours are slightly reduced during holidays, breaks and during the summer session. The library hours are intended to sufficiently provide Belhaven faculty, staff, students, and administration access to collections, services and professional assistance.

The library staff is well trained to assist all faculty and students with a wide range of research activities. It is the librarians’ intent that each student at Belhaven develops transferable skills to ensure life-long learning through instruction and skilled use of the materials (both physical and online) available through the Warren A. Hood Library as well as any library or research facility throughout the world.

The library staff strongly encourages reference consultations. Professional librarians are available for subject specific reference consultations. Advance appointments may be scheduled by contacting the library at 601-968-5948, 1-800-808-5002 or at askalibrarian@belhaven.edu. Patrons are encouraged to carefully describe their research needs at the time the appointment is made, thus allowing library staff the lead time necessary to plan the best use of the library’s collections. Interlibrary Loan services are also available to ensure access to resources that are not owned by the library.

The Wynn Kenyon Think Center

Located on the main level of the Warren Hood Library, the Wynn Kenyon Think Center houses the primary retention and academic support services and supports programs that are developed from the collaborative efforts of the Student Success and Academic Units.

Understanding that “space matters”, the Think Center provides an innovative and dynamic location that supports collaboration, individual work and peer assistance through flexible furnishings, work spaces and technology.

Think Center staff work with students in both “traditional” areas of academic adjustment such as study skills and time management and in helping students understand more about their own thinking processes and how they best learn. Many of the academic tutoring labs utilize the Think Center. All tutoring schedules are available at the front desk. The center is also available to students as a general “touch-down” space for working individually or with others.

Belhaven Bookstore

In addition to textbooks and supplies, the Belhaven Bookstore, located in the McCravey-Triplett Student Center, offers a variety of Belhaven memorabilia such as shirts, mugs, trade books, and Christian books and music. https://belhaven.bncollege.com/shop/belhaven/home

Intercollegiate Athletics

The Intercollegiate Athletics Department of Belhaven University is committed to the vision and mission of the University through athletic participation and competition. The Athletics Department exists to lead student-athletes to compete for championships and to mature as men and women created in the image of God. The Department is responsible for the recruitment, orientation, leadership, development and retention of student-athletes in seventeen intercollegiate sports. Athletics provides a unique environment for demonstrating and teaching the virtues of self-control, patience, love, service, respect for authority, ethics, leadership, hard work, and dedication as they relate to the teachings of Jesus Christ and biblical principles. The department will take every opportunity to use athletics as a platform for sharing the Gospel.

The Belhaven Athletics Department is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III, participating in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross-country, football, men’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, men’s and women’s tennis, and volleyball as a member of the American Southwest Conference. The Athletics Department also sponsors cheerleading and marching band.

Intramural Athletics

As an extension of the office of student leadership, the intramural program supports the University mission by providing opportunities for students to participate in a variety of sports activities. These activities are designed to promote exercise, leadership development, and fun. Throughout the year, the Coordinator of Student Leadership and Intramurals plans and schedules competitive activities such as indoor soccer, pool, basketball, ping-pong, volleyball, and dodgeball.

Social Life and Recreation

Belhaven University provides opportunities for wholesome recreation. When available, students may use the auxiliary gymnasium, tennis courts, lake, weight room, and university bowl. The office of student leadership plans events such as concerts, dances, service projects, trips, and other various programs. The Belhaven Leadership Council (BLC), the student government arm of the student body, also plays a primary role in representing students and in planning activities to enhance campus life.

The following is a list of student organizations in which students are encouraged to participate:

Publications

Briefly Belhaven is published five times a year for alumni by the office of alumni relations.

The Brogue, a literary journal devoted to creative writing and other fine arts at Belhaven, is published once a year under sponsorship of the Creative Writing Department.

The Kilt, the student handbook, is published by the office of student life and provides information regarding policies, procedures, regulations and services.

The Tartan, a publication for alumni and friends, includes news of alumni and campus events and is published twice a year by the Office of University Relations.

White Columns, the student yearbook, is published annually. Students work with faculty and staff advisors to produce this printed record of the school year, all from a student perspective.

Student Success

The Office of Student Success provides services to students in two main ways. First, the office provides assistance to students with identification of personal values, career interests, personality make-up, and skills and abilities to help begin the process of identifying God-given talents with the goal of integrating academic preparation and career direction. All incoming freshmen are introduced to the office through the Belhaven Basics class and are encouraged to begin the process of selfdiscovery and to realize their unique and marvelous design. Upon identification of their innate talents and abilities, students can then begin to seek significant purpose in their lives and strive effectively to serve in their particular discipline. Second, the office strives to facilitate the development and success of those students needing assistance or guidance in their adjustment to the academic program of Belhaven University. The staff work with students individually to assist with accountability, develop thinking and learning skills, provide support for adjustment issues, and identify personal learning strategies for building knowledge. Through the Office of Student Success, Belhaven strives to provide students with guidance and resources for successfully navigating the road to graduation.

Academic Disability Accommodation

Belhaven University offers students disability accommodation in accordance with the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The student must make his or her disability known to the Office of Student Success (located in the Wynn Kenyon Think Center) and must provide current documentation, within 3 years, of the disability from an appropriate licensed professional and complete the Belhaven ADA Request Form for accommodation. The student must provide such a request at least two weeks prior to the beginning of each semester for which the accommodation is requested. Approved accommodations will be made within a reasonable time period after completion of the official request.

Grievance Procedure for Disabled Students

Belhaven University has adopted an internal grievance procedure providing for the prompt and equitable resolution of student complaints alleging any action prohibited by regulations implementing the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and other pertinent federal, state, and local disability anti-discrimination laws. For grievances related to academic accommodations, The Dean of Student Development shall serve as the Complaint “Coordinator”.

1. Applicants or students shall file complaints, in writing, with the Coordinator. A complaint shall contain the name and address of the person filing it and a brief description of the alleged violation. If the complainant needs an accommodation in order to file the complaint, he/she should inform the person taking the complaint.
2. Such complaints must be filed within forty-five calendar days after the complainant becomes aware of the alleged violation.
3. An investigation, as may be appropriate, shall follow the filing of a complaint. The Coordinator will conduct the investigation.
4. The Coordinator shall issue a written determination regarding the complaint and a description of the resolution and shall forward a copy to the complainant within a reasonable time.
5. The complainant may request a reconsideration of the case in instances where he/she is dissatisfied with the resolution. Persons with complaints should make requests for reconsideration to the Provost within thirty calendar days of the date of the written determination issued by the Coordinator.
6. The Provost shall issue a decision regarding the appeal within a reasonable time, and the decision will be final.

For grievances related to non-academic accommodations, the policy in the student handbook The Kilt should be followed.