Emergency Locator Service
Emergency assistance in locating a student is provided by the Office
of the Vice President for Student Affairs during normal school hours, from
8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The University Police
Department will provide emergency assistance in locating students on weekends
and after 5:00 p.m. on weekdays (678-915-5555).
Student Housing
Southern Polytechnic State University has two air-conditioned residence
halls that provide space for approximately 436 students - 60 women and
376 men. All rooms are occupied by two students. Single room contracts
are not usually available unless medically-required, and then only as space
permits.
In addition to providing a convenient and economical "home" on the campus, the residence halls also meet the student's physical needs of shelter, comfort and attractive surroundings. Living in the residence halls contributes to the educational development of each student through exposure to other students of varied backgrounds, experiences, and personal philosophies. Harmonious living, broadened horizons, and increased human understanding are all desired results of the residence experience.
The housing program is supervised by the Director of Housing and Residence Life who is assisted by professional staff and paraprofessional student staff. The primary function of the residence staff is to create and maintain a desirable environment for all residents.
Application
All new students who have applied for admission to Southern Polytechnic
State University and who have requested information about on campus housing
will be sent a Residence Hall application. As space in the residence hall
is limited, it is important to make requests for on-campus housing early.
The completion and return of the Residence Hall application with a $75
deposit, sent to the Business Office, indicates a request for housing.
It
does not guarantee housing. When the completed form and deposit have
been received, a notification of housing status will be sent by Housing
and Residence Life.
All new student assignments are made from a "waiting list." The waiting list is comprised of the Residence Hall applications once they have been received and dated by the Business Office and forwarded to Housing and Residence Life. The latest dated form is placed at the bottom of the waiting list, thereby ensuring that the student with the oldest request for housing is assigned the next available space in the halls.
New Student Assignments
When housing space is available to those on the waiting list, the Housing
and Residence Life Office will send a residence hall contract for completion.
This contract must be returned by the date specified at the top of the
contract to ensure a reservation of space.
The Director of Housing and Residence Life is responsible for all room assignments. Preferences for a specific residence hall will be honored whenever possible. Mutual roommate requests should be so marked on the application forms of both students. Consideration of a roommate request will be given providing the request is mutual and space is available.
Deposit Refund
Students may request a refund of their security deposit up to the time
a contract has been offered for the academic term for which they are requesting
housing. Deposits are refunded once a contract is fulfilled and if on-campus
housing is no longer desired. The deposit is forfeited if the contract
is broken.
Student Health Services
Limited out-patient services for minor illnesses are provided by the
school nurse who is on duty Monday through Friday in the clinic located
in the Recreation and Wellness Center. If the nurse cannot provide sufficient
medical treatment, she may refer the student to a medical facility located
near the campus. Due to the limits on the health services provided by Southern
Polytechnic State University, each student is encouraged to have adequate
sickness and accident insurance through either a personal or family insurance
policy. International students are required to have private health insurance
protection. Southern Polytechnic State University is not responsible for
any medical expenses incurred by international students beyond those which
are covered for any student paying the Student Health Fee.
Student Counseling Services
The Counseling Services Office, located in the Student Center, offers
a variety of services to students, including help with personal/emotional,
career, and academic concerns, as well as disability services.
Personal concerns such as anxiety, depression, relationship problems, low self-esteem, low self-confidence, and communication issues can make it very difficult for students to gain the most from the university environment and from their classes. Professional counselors provide individual sessions for students seeking confidential assistance with these and other personal and emotional issues.
Part of the career development process involves increasing our self-understanding in such areas as our values, life goals, interests, and skills. The Counseling Services Office helps students increase their self-understanding and learn how to match their personal characteristics with the work environments that a university education makes possible for them.
Many students find university work more difficult than they expected and find that it strains their abilities. The Counseling Services Office assists students with academic skills in the following areas: stress management, overcoming test anxiety, test-taking strategies, academic motivation, and enhancing memory by understanding learning style.
The Counseling Services Office makes available to students a variety of tests that are adjunctive to counseling services. With the student's consent, these instruments are used by counselors when they feel that the data provided will facilitate the student's use of the service.
Counselors provide outreach programs on many topics, including stress management, assertiveness training, dealing with the blues, relationship building, and special student concerns.
All counseling services are free of charge, confidential, and are available on an appointment or a walk-in basis.
Disability Services
The Disability Services Coordinator, who is a counselor in the Counseling
Services Office, coordinates academic support services for students who
have a permanent or temporary disability. Individuals eligible for services
include but are not limited to those with mobility, hearing, learning,
visual, speech, or specific neurological disabilities. Services are available
free of charge on a self-referral basis.
Student Responsibility
A student at Southern Polytechnic State University who has a disabling
condition has a responsibility to voluntarily identify him/herself as having
a disability. The student should contact the Counseling Services Office
as soon as possible to schedule an appointment with the Disability Services
Coordinator.
Specific Learning Disability
The Counseling Services Office is also responsible for providing special
assistance for students diagnosed as having specific learning disabilities.
To become eligible for special services at Southern Polytechnic State University,
a student must verify the specific learning disability by having a psychological
evaluation on file in the Counseling Services Office. This evaluation must:
Special services and considerations are available, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and through the Counseling Services Office, to any learning disabled student at Southern Polytechnic State University. All such services are implemented on an individual basis. Resource programs and aids also include the Learning Resources Center, the central Computer Labs, the math help sessions, and the general faculty.
Campus Accessibility/Accommodations
Southern Polytechnic State University makes its programs and activities
accessible to disabled students. However, many Southern Polytechnic State
University buildings are not barrier-free; it may be necessary to relocate
classes and other activities. Any mobility-limited student wishing to participate
in a program in an inaccessible building should contact the Counseling
Services Office or the person responsible for the activity to request that
appropriate arrangements be made.
Affirmative Action
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, provides that "no otherwise
qualified handicapped individual in the United States, as defined in Section
7(6), shall, solely by reason of his handicap, be excluded from the participation
in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under
any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 gives civil rights protection
to individuals with disabilities that are like those provided to individuals
on the basis of race, sex, national origin, and religion. It guarantees
equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities. Southern Polytechnic
State University strives for compliance with ADA.
Campus Life
Housing
Accessible on-campus housing is available for students with disabilities.
Contact the Director of Housing as early as possible to discuss the nature
of the disability and the type of accommodation needed.
Medical
The school nurse is on duty daily in the clinic in the Recreation and
Wellness Center. Students with a physical disability are urged to introduce
themselves to the nurse at the beginning of their first term at Southern
Polytechnic State University.
Orientation
Special orientation or campus tours for mobility-limited, visual-,
and hearing-impaired students are offered on an individualized basis, as
needed. Contact the Disability Services Coordinator in the Counseling Services
Office.
Parking
Special parking permits are issued through the University Police Office.
Documentation of the disability is needed to qualify for a permit. Parking
places for the disabled are available throughout the campus.
Student Center
The upper level of the Student Center is accessible to mobility-limited
students. An elevator connects the upper level with the lower level, which
houses the cafeteria, bookstore, lockers, and post office.
Registration
On a case by case basis, students with a disability may advance-register
on a first-priority basis with the assistance of the Disability Services
Coordinator. Early registration enables students with a disability to schedule
their classes with consideration for items such as class location or transit
time between buildings.
Library
The librarians will work individually with mobility-limited students
to make the services of the library available. Students with a disability
wishing to use the library should contact the Reference librarian. Services
needed by visual- or hearing-impaired students may be requested from the
Library Director.
Career Services
Placement
The Southern Polytechnic State University Career Services Office provides
placement assistance for graduates and students seeking full-time or part-time
employment. The Career Services Office provides assistance to students
in preparing for the job search and obtaining employment suited to their
career goals and aspirations, but can never guarantee employment for any
student or graduate. Services offered by the Career Services Office include
assisting in resume preparation, resume referral and campus interviews.
In addition, the Career Services Office maintains employer and occupational
information as well as a part-time and temporary job opportunities listings.
Some of the employers who recruit at Southern Polytechnic State University are Scientific-Atlanta, Bell South, Hewlett Packard, Georgia Department of Transportation, Lockheed Martin, Milliken and Company, Shaw Industries, Johnson Controls, Southwire Company, Lockwood-Greene, Springs Industries, and TDK.
Students are encouraged to make use of the Career Services Office as early as possible during their stay at Southern Polytechnic State University. Degree candidates should begin the job placement process two semesters prior to their graduation.
Students interested in part-time or temporary employment should survey the jobs listed on the Career Services web page. Some of the jobs require technical expertise; however, many require no experience. Most students seeking part-time employment are able to find suitable work in the metro area.
Alumni placement is also offered through the Career Services Office. Employment opportunities are posted through the Career Services web page.
Cooperative Education
Southern Polytechnic State University offers its graduate students
the opportunity to gain valuable work experience related to their academic
majors through a university-work sponsored graduate cooperative education
program. The graduate co-op plan is provided on an optional alternating-semester
basis in most degree programs. Graduate co-op is founded on the principle
that learning takes place through practical experience as well as through
academic achievement. In addition, the graduate co-op programs help students
in their career decision making process and provide substantial support
for education expenses.
Graduate co-op students must have and maintain a 3.00 scholastic average, have completed a minimum of 6 hours in their graduate program at Southern Polytechnic and must be able to complete at least two co-op work periods. The university Career Services Office will refer students to employers after they have been accepted as a graduate co-op applicant, however, acceptance as a graduate co-op applicant does not guarantee a student's employment in a co-op position. Although Career Services refers graduate co-op applicants, graduate co-op students are ultimately responsible for developing their own work positions, which must be approved by the student's academic department as well as Career Services. Students cannot register for Graduate Placement Services and as a Cooperative Education applicant simultaneously.
Graduate co-op salaries are determined by the employer and normally increase with job responsibilities. Board and lodging during work terms are the responsibility of the student, but in most cases employers can provide assistance in locating suitable accommodations. Students with metro-Atlanta assignments may live in Southern Polytechnic State University residence halls. In addition, students with local graduate co-op work assignments are eligible to participate in all extracurricular, intramural, and health service activities on campus with the payment of the regular student athletic, activity, and health fees. Although no credit is awarded, graduate co-op students are viewed by the university as active, continuing full-time students during their periods of approved work experience for insurance and financial aid purposes.
The Student Center
Southern Polytechnic State University's Student Center includes food
service and dining areas, a 500 seat theater for films, concerts, lectures,
and entertainment productions, and bookstore and post office operations.
Also provided are offices for the Department of Student Activities, Student
Support Services, computers offering internet and e-mail access, a large
recreation room, and additional meeting rooms, lounges, and TV/video viewing
areas.
The student center is the focal point for the majority of entertainment activities provided by the Campus Activities Board including concerts, dances, and videos. Also, the student government, newspaper, radio station, and fraternity/sorority offices are located here. The Student Center is where the Southern Polytechnic State University community comes together to eat, meet, relax, and be entertained.
Recreational Sports
The Department of Recreational Sports maintains a comprehensive program
of activities that appeal to the leisure time interests and needs of the
campus community.
Activities available through the intramural sports program include competitive team sports leagues such as flag football, volleyball, basketball, and softball. There are also individual competitive tournaments such as billiards, golf, tennis and a free-throw contest. In addition to the intramural sports program, the department offers a club sport program, a wellness program, special events, and an outdoor recreation program. The outdoor recreation program sponsors various adventure trips throughout the year and a camping equipment rental program.
Recreational Facilities
The Recreation and Wellness Center, opened in the Summer of 1996, offers
many recreational opportunities to the student. A state of the art weight
room that includes free weights, selectorize, and cardiovascular equipment
highlights the facility. To go along with the weight room, the facility
boasts a large multipurpose gym that holds 2 basketball courts, 2 volleyball
courts, 4 badminton courts, and a perimeter jogging/walking area. The Recreation
and Wellness Center also has 2 racquetball courts, locker room/shower,
and a pool complete with an outdoor sunbathing area. The pool can be used
for recreation, lap, and competitive swimming. The Department of Recreational
Sports and Campus Health Services are housed in the Recreation and Wellness
Center.
The Southern Polytechnic Outdoor Recreation Complex provides 3 softball fields and one large multipurpose field for student use. The intramural sports program makes use of these fields throughout the year with their flag football, soccer, and softball leagues. Also included in the complex are 9 tennis courts and a half-mile jogging trail. The Southern Polytechnic Tennis Team uses the tennis courts for matches and practice.
Athletic Facilities
The Athletic Gymnasium is home to the Southern Polytechnic Runnin’
Hornets Basketball Team. The Athletic Department offices are located in
the Athletic Gymnasium.
The Walter Kelly, Jr. Field is home to the Southern Polytechnic Baseball Team.