Mar 19, 2024  
Mansfield University 2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
Mansfield University 2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]

Student Life


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Residence Hall Living

Mansfield is a university on the move. Exciting growth and changes are happening around campus. The suite-style residence halls have added comfortable, air-conditioned, attractive housing options for students living on campus. Having the right living arrangement is an important part of the student’s overall college experience. Four state-of-the-art, suite and semi-suite style residential buildings with private bathrooms provide more than 1,300 beds, with each building offering four to five different styles of living units. All buildings include the following:

  • Individual bathrooms with spacious showers in each suite
  • Microfridges provided in each suite (included in the room rate)
  • Ample numbers of private room options
  • Unit-controlled air conditioning and heating
  • Coed housing, every other unit (in most buildings)
  • Gender-neutral housing, private bedroom suites (Spruce and Sycamore)
  • One-card security access and entry-door camera coverage
  • Carpeted bedroom and living areas
  • High-speed wired and wireless internet connectivity
  • Suite options with living space ranging from 300 to 1070 square feet
  • Laundry facilities and trash disposal on each floor
  • Group project area and study lounges on each floor
  • Multipurpose recreation area and large-screen TV lounge in common area (including technology for student and/or academic presentations in the living area)
  • Game room for shooting pool, etc.
  • Kitchen(s) in each hall

Thoughtful building design incorporates living-learning opportunities, which promote student academic success. Individual floors provide group project rooms and study lounges that can be utilized by academic tutors, counselors, and study sessions for individual or team projects. Ground floor access to multipurpose rooms and kitchens affords abundant opportunity for lectures, performances, exhibits, and social functions.

To meet the interests of our diverse student body, various housing options are available, including special interest housing. To help ensure a positive living environment, full-time, professional staff members live in the residence halls and are assisted by student staff members who live on each residence hall floor. All residence halls are smoke free.

Since residence halls are homes away from home for students, each is furnished and equipped to meet student needs. In addition to furniture, each room is equipped with computer network access for each student. Each residence hall has laundry facilities, kitchenettes, study lounges, and comfortably furnished lounges for informal gatherings. They are the focal point for a variety of educational, recreational, and social programs and activities on campus, and provide numerous leadership and work opportunities.

Comprehensive information about residence hall living, on-campus residency requirements, costs, dining options and room assignments is available on-line on the Student Living web page. Additional information can be found in the Residence Hall Handbook. All students in the first two years of study are required to live and dine on campus unless they meet exemption requirements specifically delineated on the Student Living webpage.

Student Affairs

To facilitate the personal and professional development of students by providing resources and opportunities that result in a successful learning environment is the mission of the Office of Student Affairs, recognizing that University experience involves learning both in and outside of the classroom. To ensure a positive out-of-class educational experience, offer a wide range of activities to supplement in-class learning, to provide opportunities to gain valuable hands-on experience, and to strengthen interpersonal skills, the Office of Student Affairs coordinates a variety of social, cultural, and recreational programs.

Student Organizations

Mansfield University has over 75 active clubs/organizations and a wide variety of music ensembles, both vocal and instrumental, that provide outlets for student interests as well as opportunities for students to sharpen personal skills and strengthen both leadership and organizational skills. Many of the activities planned by these organizations are funded by student activity fees.

Although participation in student organizations provides opportunities for having fun, developing personal skills, and gaining hands-on experiences, a practical advantage for students can be to enhance personal portfolios that could be very valuable when entering the job market. The university encourages students to become involved in these opportunities.

Student Center

The Alumni Hall Student Center (AHSC) is a campus focal point for students to gather and relax. The AHSC contains numerous spaces for a wide range of organized activities as well as informal gatherings. The AHSC houses the Mountie Spirit Store, Mountie Coffee, Mountie Lounge, the Martin Luther King Jr. Resource Center which houses Multicultural Affairs, meeting rooms, the Women’s Center, organization mailboxes, TV lounge, multi-purpose rooms, offices for the Student Government Association (SGA), and College Community Services, Inc. (CCSI). Additionally, the AHSC houses numerous Student Affairs offices which provide resources and opportunities in supporting student success. The Commuter Lounge is also located in the Student Center.

Student Government Association

Student opinion and input into the operations of Mansfield University are valued and fostered. The Student Government Association (SGA) provides a forum for discussion and an avenue for students to make change. Under the umbrella of SGA, students serve on the Executive Board, Student Senate, and a wide range of university committees. In cooperation with faculty, staff, and trustees, they are part of the decision-making processes of the university.

Office of Student Involvement and Leadership

Mission

The Office of Student Involvement and Leadership promotes student learning and community through high-impact student engagement that develops student leaders through co-curricular / extra-curricular experiences that enable students to complement their academic learning experience by further developing critical thinking, decision-making, values clarification, and problem-solving skills.

Vision

To create transformative learning experiences that develop ethical student leaders to lead lives of balance, generosity, and integrity in the university and outside community in which they serve.

About Student Activities

The Office of Student Involvement and Leadership provides co-curricular opportunities for students to engage in that are fun, entertaining, and educational by design. These diversified opportunities in the form of special events, student activities, and extra-curricular programming (concerts, lectures, films, travel, theatre, multi-media, special events, etc.) are designed to promote student leadership development, social interaction, self-exploration, organizational development, and student formation. The Office of Student Involvement and Leadership guides and assists students from idea to implementation on all aspects of special event and extra-curricular programming, to include research, design, management, planning, advertising, promotion, production, and assessment. Additionally, it is a key resource for students in the areas of equipment, materials, publications, training, advertising /promotional tools, artist / entertainment agency contacts, programming ideas, etc., that students, student clubs & organizations, and advisors can utilize in planning and implementing their programs and developing stronger clubs and organizations. The office further supports the university creed of Character, Scholarship, Culture, and Service and the academic mission of the institution by intentionally linking student experiences that occur both inside and outside the academic classroom.

The Hut

The Hut is our premier student union facility on campus. It is a student social and recreational center for co-curricular and extra-curricular activities that enhance the quality of student life on campus and contribute to the university’s mission.

Multicultural Affairs

Mission

To promote and advocate for diversity, multicultural and global education, and inclusivity at Mansfield University.  These goals will be accomplished by providing programs and events designed to support and educate students, faculty, and staff on issues relating to cultural sensitivity, social awareness, and global information. 

Multicultural Affairs is housed in the Martin Luther King Jr. Resource Center and receives its charge from Mansfield University’s Creed.  The creed has four core values and one of those values is Culture.  “We believe in celebrating humanity.  We enrich ourselves and others by sharing and exploring our similarities and differences.  We honor the past as we invent the future.”  Multicultural Affairs operates to support student learning about culture.

Athletics and Recreation

Mansfield University is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and its 14 intercollegiate teams play at the Division II level.

Women’s programs include soccer, field hockey, basketball, cross-country, softball, indoor track, and track. Men’s programs include football, cross-country, basketball, baseball, indoor track, and track. Sprint football is not an NCAA sport but provides special opportunities for intercollegiate competition through the Collegiate Sprint Football league.

The University’s recreational sports program is for students who value athletic participation but at a less competitive and more social level. It provides a broad range of opportunities in men’s, women’s, and coed events as well as multiple groups involved in aerobics. In addition, both indoor and outdoor facilities for organized as well as individual participation are available. The Kelchner Fitness Center provides facilities for basketball, volleyball, badminton, indoor soccer, aerobics, racquetball and dance, and includes a well-equipped fitness room. Additionally, a Rock Climbing Wall provides students with extensive casual and technical climbing experiences. Students may use the facilities individually, in groups, or as part of the recreational sports program. Club Sports programs are also available.

Health Services

Healthcare services for MU students are provided at our on-campus Health & Wellness Center located in Spruce Hall. The Health & Wellness Center is staffed with a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), and an Administrative Assistant. Students requiring medical care are referred to the Guthrie Clinic located just off campus.

Comprehensive primary health care services are provided to registered full- and part-time undergraduate and full-time graduate students while the university is in session. There is no additional cost for basic care beyond the health fee paid each semester. There is a fee, however, for specialized services such as tests and x-rays. The University police are trained to deal with medical emergencies and are assisted as necessary by the residence hall staff. Community ambulance service is available on a 24-hour basis to transport students with serious emergency medical problems to local hospitals as required.

Identification Cards (One Card)

A University identification card that contains a photo (also known as “One Card”) is issued to students, faculty, and staff. All students, including those off-campus, must have an MU One Card. One Cards are available at the CCSI office (College Community Services, Inc.), inside the Mountie Spirit Store. Regular office hours are Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.  Extended hours are available during the first two weeks of classes but vary each semester; therefore, students should contact the CCSI office at (570) 662-4929 for specific information.

Student One Cards must be carried at all times and shown to authorized personnel upon request. The cost of the One Card is $5 for new students. Replacement cards are $15.

In addition to identifying your affiliation with Mansfield University, your card provides access to on- and off- campus services.
On-campus services include:

  • Residence Halls
  • Kelchner Fitness Center
  • On-Campus Dining, Meal Plans, and Flex Dollars
  • Access to North Hall Library Resources
  • Campus Events and Activities
  • Athletic Events
  • Mountie Money, which acts just like a debit card and never expires!

Mountie Money can be used for:

  • Postage
  • Vending Machine Purchases
  • Mountie Spirit Store Purchases
  • Printing and Copying on campus
  • Parking Fines and Permit Payments
  • Various local businesses

Money can be added at any time by cash, check, or credit card, at the CCSI office, PHIL station in Alumni Hall, or online through the One Card Web Portal. (Flex money is part of the meal plan and is separate from Mountie Money. Flex funds expire every spring semester). Use the One Card webportal to manage One Card account online. Students can make deposits, view statements, check balances, and deactivate lost or stolen cards.

The One Card also enables students to receive discounts on many cultural and entertainment productions on- and off- campus. In addition, cards are used to access the Library website from off-campus for services and convenience.

Students enrolled in an online program will receive a letter containing their Library Access bar code. The online student also has the option of receiving an actual One card by submitting a picture (equivalent to a passport/drivers license photo) and a front/back copy of an official government ID (i.e., driver’s license, military ID), along with $5.00, to the office of One Card Administration, 208 Memorial Hall. For questions, please call 570-662-4074. 

Police and Safety Services

The University Police Department is located in Doane Center and is open 24 hours each day of the year. The Department staff includes 9 commissioned police officers, including the Director, 3 security officers, and one clerical staff. The Department has responsibility for parking enforcement and parking permit issuance, crime prevention, criminal investigations and other related police functions, and student weapons storage.

Student Policies

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Educational Records Confidentiality Policy

The University collects and maintains data and information about students for designated periods of time and for the express purpose of facilitating their educational development. The University recognizes the privacy rights of individuals, as guaranteed by the Family Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law of 1957, and attempts to balance those rights with the institution’s need for information relevant to the fulfillment of its educational mission. As such, the university has an approved policy on the confidentiality of student records that outlines all procedures that apply to the collection, maintenance, and release of such records. (See University Polices section of this catalog regarding Family Education Rights and Privacy Act).

Code of Conduct

Students are accountable for the information contained in The Student Code of Conduct as electronically published at https://www.mansfield.edu/student-affairs/the-office-of-student-conduct.cfm Find the Student Code of Conduct on the Office of Student Conduct website https://www.mansfield.edu/student-affairs/the-office-of-student-conduct.cfm.

Smoking/Tobacco Policy

The Mansfield University policy on smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco is consistent with both the Pennsylvania Clean Air Act and policies established by the Board of Governors for the Pennyslvania State System of Higher Education. Concerns with this policy or reports of violation of this policy should be directed to the Vice President for Finance and Administration.

  1. Smoking or the use of smokeless tobacco products is not permitted in Mansfield University buildings, except in an area or individual office that has been designated as a smoking area. Classrooms, laboratories, reception areas, common areas, conference rooms or other places where classes, committees, or other public groups may convene are not to be designated as smoking areas. Entrances to buildings will be appropriately signed to indicate that smoking is permitted in designated areas.
  2. The use of smokeless tobacco is only permitted in smoking areas. Users of smokeless tobacco products are to discard expectorant in toilets and not in common ashtrays or common waste containers.
  3. The Vice President for Finance and Administration is responsible for the designation of smoking areas within buildings other than residence halls. Requests to (a) designate a new or additional smoking area or (b) to delete the designation of an area for smoking should be addressed to the Vice President who shall make decisions on smoking area designations consistent with this policy after consulting, where appropriate, with other cabinet members and the Administrative Affairs Committee of the Faculty Senate.
  4. Consistent with this policy, smoking is also prohibited in all residence halls.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Mansfield University is an active member of the Network of Colleges and Universities Committed to the Elimination of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. The standards of the network have also been adopted by the Board of Governors of the State System of Higher Education as policy for all state universities.

The University has the responsibility to provide a drug-free environment where the use of alcohol and other drugs do not interfere with learning. For this reason, the possession, distribution, and/or use of alcohol and other drugs on the Mansfield University campus is prohibited. Persons violating this prohibition will face university disciplinary sanction, and/or arrest by university police. University disciplinary actions will include an educational component to encourage the individual’s acceptance of the responsibility for the individual’s choices and behavior.

Mansfield University will educate and provide information to the campus community for the purpose of preventing the abuse of alcohol and other drugs. The university will also provide counseling and referrals for persons with alcohol or other drug problems.

Medical Marijuana Policy

Background

Pennsylvania became the 24th state to allow medical marijuana use when Governor Tom Wolf signed enabling legislation in April 2016.  Marijuana prescriptions are restricted to state residents suffering with any of 17 “serious medical conditions,” including cancer, glaucoma, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, and post-traumatic stress disorder.  Prescriptions are filled only at approved dispensaries.  The first dispensaries opened in Pennsylvania on February 15, 2018.

Policy

The use, possession, storage, or cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes is prohibited for all individuals on all Mansfield University properties and instructional locations, including, but not limited to the facilities at Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania.  Medical marijuana use is also prohibited at all Mansfield University sponsored, conducted, or authorized events and activities held off campus.  The federal government regulates drugs through numerous laws, including the Controlled Substance Act, the Drug Free Workplace Act, and the Drug Free Schools & Communities Act as codified under the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Regulations [EDGAR Part 86].  These laws do not recognize the difference between medicinal and other uses of marijuana, which is classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. 

Mansfield University must abide by and certify it is in compliance with all federal laws and regulations in order to be eligible to receive federal funding through Title IV in the form of student financial aid (grants, loans, and work-study program), as well as other forms of federal funding, such as research or program grants like TRiO.  Students and employees who violate this policy may be subject to campus sanctions and federal penalties.

Scope

This policy applies to anyone who has a physical presence on University properties, instructional locations, or at off-campus activities and events sponsored or authorized by the University.  Beyond students and employees, this policy also applies to visitors, contractors, and employees who work for contractors, including CCSI and food services personnel.

Forms

The University requires most first- and second-year students who reside 50 miles or more away from Mansfield to reside on campus. Students with valid medical marijuana prescriptions may petition the Office of Disability Services to be waived out of their campus housing requirements.  

Responsibility

Because this is a University governance issue, responsibility for this policy is with the President’s Office and the Council of Trustees.

Motor Vehicle Registration

Regulations pertaining to parking and vehicle use are available at the University Police Department, Doane Center, or online at https://www.mansfield.edu/police/parking/index.cfm and are also distributed when registering vehicles. All students, employees, and visitors who operate a vehicle on campus must register their vehicles and display the appropriate decal or tag.