Student Services

The management of residence halls, extracurricular activities, and various student services is coordinated by the Office of Student Affairs, which is located on the upper level of Decker College Center. The Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs and staff members are readily available to talk with individual students and groups; the goal of the Student Affairs staff is to help students make the best use of the College’s and students’ own resources and opportunities.

A student’s residential experience is often an important facet of attending college, and the residence hall is far more than a place to sleep. Learning to live in close proximity with others, making new friendships, and becoming aware of the rights and responsibilities of all concerned are important aspects of a college education. Students who request campus housing and make a nonrefundable deposit are assigned rooms.

The College offers a variety of living arrangements. First-year students live on campus in two single-sex residence buildings, Whiteford and Rouzer Halls. For upperclass students, there are three traditional residence halls in which men and women are separated by floors. These are Albert Norman Ward Hall, Blanche Ward Hall, and McDaniel Hall; they contain single, double, and triple rooms, and, in some instances, suites. Daniel MacLea Hall is designed for suite-style living. Students may apply to live in substance-free areas, academic clusters, or affinity housing. Other areas are reserved for members of a particular fraternity or sorority to live together as a group. First-year students, sophomores, and juniors are required to live on campus unless they live with their parents or are over age 25. Exceptions are made by the Office of Residence Life. Upperclass students may live in North Village and Garden Apartments shared by four, five, or six students and equipped with its own kitchen, or in the Pennsylvania Avenue College-owned houses that border the campus. All rooms are wired for campus-based cable TV and Ethernet, and are provided with a telephone and a combination microwave/refrigerator. Smoking is not permitted anywhere in College residences.

The Residence Life program is directed by five professional staff members and 30 Resident Assistants (RAs). RAs are qualified and trained undergraduates whose job it is to live with students and be available to oversee the quality of life in their areas. Resident Assistants are responsible for advising individuals, assisting in health or safety emergencies, communicating campus policies to students, and reporting student concerns to administrative staff. They also provide educational and social programs in the residence halls.

The Residence Life staff, along with the entire faculty and staff, assist in facilitating an environment of challenge and support. Students will be challenged by out-of-the-classroom experiences as well as academic experiences.

Web-based roommate preference forms requesting information about study habits, musical tastes, and other considerations are available to new students prior to arrival on campus. The Residence Life staff uses the information in matching potentially compatible persons as roommates. Students may room with friends of their own choosing, but only mutual roommate requests will be honored.

While about 80 percent of the undergraduate students live in the residence halls, commuting students are a welcome and active part of the student body. Many live with their parents or guardians within reasonable driving distance. The College urges all commuting students to visit the Campus Activities Office to learn about the services on campus tailored to their special needs. Commuters are encouraged to participate in the many extracurricular activities on campus.

During the week prior to the start of the fall semester, an orientation program is scheduled for all new students to welcome and assist them in acclimating to life at McDaniel College. Students will be welcomed into this community of scholars through a variety of intellectual activities including small-group discussions, lectures, and panel discussions. They will meet with faculty advisors and peer mentors, and have an opportunity to explore the range of academic offerings and programs that will match their interests and help them to meet their goals. Students will have the opportunity to begin new friendships and develop a multicultural perspective that will allow them to understand and value others. They will have a chance to become familiar with the layout of the campus, student government, student activities, student services, and the residence halls. On the day new students arrive on campus, they and their parents or spouses and other family members are invited to attend the Introduction Convocation, a ceremonial ringing of the Old Main Bell, and a reception in Memorial Plaza. A similar orientation is offered for new students in January.

All residential students other than those living in North Village, the Garden Apartments, and Pennsylvania Avenue houses are required to subscribe to a meal plan in Englar Dining Hall. Meals are served seven days a week and include continental breakfasts for students who prefer to eat later than the scheduled breakfast hour. Dining services are managed by the Sodexho Corporation, and menus include many alternate selections for the diet conscious. Commuting students are encouraged to purchase partial meal plans, and parents and visitors are welcome to purchase individual meals.

The Grille on the middle level of Decker College Center is open seven days a week, with extended evening hours. The renovated Gill Center features an eatery in the Klitzberg Pavilion adjacent to the Merritt Fitness Center.

Student Health Services, a full-service primary-care clinic located in Winslow Hall, provides free confidential medical and health-related services for many acute problems and some health maintenance. This includes office visits, a limited number of medications for the treatment of common ailments, and certain lab tests. The staff will refer a student to off-campus providers if an issue cannot be handled on campus.

Each student must complete a Medical Record Form before entering the college. There are certain required immunizations before a student may matriculate.

Carroll Hospital Center is nearby for emergency services. The College does not assume financial responsibility for any hospital services nor for such services as visits to other doctors’ offices in the community, consultation with specialists, laboratory tests, prescription drugs, x-rays, or immunization shots.

Many parents and guardians carry health insurance that covers their students while at the College. If not, the College makes available a comprehensive health insurance program. Information about this program is provided to all students, including full- or part-time, undergraduate or graduate students. The College requires that every undergraduate student have health insurance.

The Office of Multicultural Services (OMS) works with McDaniel College faculty, staff, and various student groups to provide and support services to increase multicultural awareness and to facilitate the growth and development of the entire campus community.

OMS is particularly committed to the academic and personal support of underrepresented students. OMS offers one-on-one counseling, referral services, recruitment programs, a mentoring program designed to assist first-year students, leadership development opportunities, a resource library, and information on scholarships and internships. OMS also advises culturally diverse student organizations and provides cultural programs and diversity training.

Counseling services are free, voluntary, and confidential. A variety of services are offered to help students adjust to college life, cope with the environment, and plan for the future. After an initial assessment, the counselor will determine if a student’s needs are best met by counseling. Services include short-term personal and group counseling, consultations, referrals to special programs, and workshops to educate and improve skills (coping with college life, etc.). The Counseling Services Office also offers pamphlets and books on topics of interest to the college student (stress management, relationships, etc.).

The Career Services Office assists students with career planning and job placement needs throughout their undergraduate experience. Students can meet with a counselor to discuss academic major selection, career choices, employment opportunities, and job search strategies. Resources available to students include: e-recruiting, an online membership service (free of charge) for employers, alumni, and students; a complete career library; an alumni connections network; information on part-time and summer job opportunities; internship listings; and career-related workshops and seminars. As students approach graduation, they may take advantage of on-campus recruiting, career fairs, credential file service, monthly job bulletins, mock interviewing, résumé reviews, and the College’s e-recruiting services.

The College maintains services for the students’ and faculty’s convenience in Decker College Center. An Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) provides access to accounts with BB&T Bank or other banks in the MOST system. The College Store sells textbooks and other books, general college supplies, imprinted sports clothing, health aids, CDs, greeting cards, gifts, and many other items. The Post Office supplies each student with an individual mailbox; stamps may be purchased, and packages mailed and received.