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 of Student Affairs and Dean of Students 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.

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 comprised mainly of double rooms and some singles and triples. These are Albert Norman Ward Hall, Blanche Ward Hall, and McDaniel Hall. Daniel MacLea Hall is designed for suite-style living. Students may apply to live in substance-free areas 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. 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 combination microwave/refrigerator. Smoking is not permitted anywhere in College residences.

The Residence Life program is directed by five professional staff members and 33 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 Office of Student Engagement 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 and the ceremonial ringing of the Old Main Bell.

All residential students other than those living in North Village, the Garden Apartments (with a kitchen), 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 Sodexo 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 Gill Center features The Green Terrace, an eatery in the Klitzberg Pavilion adjacent to the Merritt Fitness Center.

Counseling Services

McDaniel College Counseling Services, located in the Wellness Center, provides an opportunity for students to explore problems and concerns that interfere with their adjustment to and success in college. Students meet with a licensed mental health professional in a confidential setting. Counseling Services are available at the Wellness Center to all full-time undergraduate and graduate students during the academic calendar year.  After an initial assessment (intake appointment), the counselor will determine if the student’s needs are best met by Counseling Services or off campus resources.  Services include short-term individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, limited psychiatric consultation, and workshops on a variety of topics.  The Wellness Center also offers pamphlets and brochures on topics of interest to the college student (stress management, relationships, anxiety, etc).

Health Services

McDaniel College Health Services, located in the Wellness Center, provides free medical and health consultations to all full-time undergraduate and graduate students during the academic calendar year.  Nominal fees will be charged for some services and prescription medications.  Students must complete a health form, including a current immunization record.  This document must be completed and sent to Health Services in the Wellness Center prior to beginning classes.  The College requires all students to have health insurance.  If a student does not have health insurance, or a family health insurance plan does not provide adequate coverage, the College offers a comprehensive health insurance plan.  The College insurance plan is mandatory for all International Students. For more information please see the McDaniel College website.

The Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs (ODMA) 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.

ODMA is particularly committed to the academic and personal support of underrepresented students. ODMA 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. ODMA also advises culturally diverse student organizations and provides cultural programs and diversity training.

Open to all McDaniel graduate and undergraduate students and alumni, Career Services is the clearinghouse for resources and services to assist individuals with their career planning and job search needs. Career Counselors are available to help students to clarify their skills, interests, and work-related values; make career/life related decisions; research career options; plan for graduate school; and search for internships and employment opportunities.

Resources available include: career assessments, a career resource library, an interactive website, the GT Job Connection online job, internship and resume database, the Companies on Campus Employer Recruitment Program, graduate / professional school information, workshops, and the Alumni Career Network Mentor Database.

Career assistance is available on a walk-in basis, by appointment, online via e-mail, and via the telephone. For more information, visit our website at www.mcdanielcareers.org.

International Programs Office

The International Programs Office (IPO) is committed to enhancing the international dimension of the college and increasing cross-cultural understanding through overseas study as an important part of a liberal arts education. Located in Hill Hall 105, the IPO is the main campus resource center for all students interested in study abroad or overseas internship opportunities and assists them at every stage of the study abroad application process.  The IPO also supports international students in their transition to the College, assisting them with issues of personal and cultural adjustment, academic concerns, and immigration matters. 

In addition to the numerous study abroad opportunities around the world that are available to McDaniel students, the IPO coordinates study abroad at McDaniel Europe, the college’s four-year branch campus in Budapest, Hungary; the Brussels Student Exchange Program in Belgium; an exchange program with Africa University in Zimbabwe; and a special Honors Program at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. For a complete list of study abroad programs affiliated with McDaniel College, visit www.mcdaniel.edu/studyabroad.

International Students

McDaniel College has a long tradition of welcoming students from around the world into our academic community.  The International Programs Office (Hill Hall 105) provides orientation programs for new international students upon arrival to campus and helps them with issues of personal or cultural adjustment and academic concerns throughout the year.  The IPO issues F-1 visa-related documents to incoming international students as well as assists them on matters related to immigration status and regulations regarding employment in the U.S., social security cards, and travel to other countries.  The IPO also advises students interested in study abroad opportunities, supports the student-run International Club, and coordinates the Home Away From Home: Host Friends and Families Program for our new and current international students.

The Home Away from Home Program helps to ease the transition for international students and offers them a view of American life and culture. This non-residential program pairs international students with hosts from the campus community who are interested in the opportunity for cross-cultural exchange. The program enriches the experience of international students at McDaniel and provides an additional source of support, connectedness, and interaction. For more information, visit the website for incoming and current international students: www.mcdaniel.edu/internationalstudents.

Conveniences

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.