STUDENT SERVICES & ACTIVITIES
Students at Sacramento State do not have to look far to find ways of sharing their interests. A number of campus and community organizations and athletic teams have been established to encourage students to participate in non-academic aspects of campus life. We hope that you will take the time to investigate some of these clubs, organizations, sports groups, etc., and that you will choose to participate in some of their activities.
CAMPUS ORGANIZATIONS
Associated Students
Incorporated
ASI
provides the framework for students to become involved. ASI,
the representative organization for Sacramento State students, is a
non-profit educational corporation, which functions for the benefit
of students. You can become involved as an active member of student
government through the services provided by ASI or by participating
in ASI-sponsored activities.
1. |
Student Government. As an elected member of the ASI Board of Directors or as an appointed member of one of the many ASI committees, you can directly participate in the management of a corporation with assets over $1,000,000. As the advocate for the common interests of students, ASI actively represents students in campus government, in the community, and at the state level. The proximity to the State Capitol (five miles away) provides ASI members with an opportunity not only to lobby for student interests directly at the state level, but also to view first-hand the governmental process of a state whose annual budget is exceeded by only a handful of nations in the world. |
2. |
Services. ASI provides services to students through the various businesses it operates. For example, Peak Adventures, a recreation store, rents a wide assortment of recreational equipment at low cost, sponsors clinics on skiing, rafting, rock climbing, and a number of outdoor trips, and offers assistance to students in planning their outdoor adventures. Additional services are available through the Child Care Center, Student Access Center, Student Legal Services, Aquatic Center, and Women’s Resource Center. Medical, dental, and eye care plans are offered through ASI as well as a check-cashing service. |
3. |
Activities. The ASI Program Board and student activities office initiate many cultural, recreational, and social activities such as concerts, films, performing arts presentations, guest speakers, dances, games, contests, etc. The recreational and intramural program provides recreation and sporting activities to numerous students each year. Intramural sports include such team events as flag football, volleyball, 3-on-3 basketball, frisbee, softball, and soccer and individual events and tournaments in racquetball, tennis, handball, badminton, and swimming. |
University
Union
The
University Union is the center of campus activity. You can dine in
elegant fashion in the University Center Restaurant or grab a quick
bite to eat in one of the many fast food locations. You can listen
to your favorite cd in one of the Music Listening Rooms, play a variety
of table games, read the latest magazines, or watch TV-all in the
Union. Table tennis and pool are favorite in-between class pastimes.
Chess, bowling, pinball, and billiard tournaments are periodically
held, plus billiard demonstrations are presented by nationally known
players. The Union Activities Organization invites comedians, musicians,
and other talented artists to perform at Sacramento State.
Student
Organizations
The
list of clubs and organizations for students to join is extensive. It
includes cultural, departmental-professional, social and honorary, religious
and service groups. ASI provides funding for individual clubs and
organizations sponsoring events which have campus-wide appeal. You will
find a list of campus student organizations at the Student Activities
Office at 278-6595 (3rd Floor of University Union Building) or visit www.csus.edu/studentactivities.
Intercollegiate
Athletics
Sacramento
State offers a very comprehensive and competitive intercollegiate athletic
program. Sacramento State fields teams (including club teams) in the
following sports: Baseball, basketball, cross country, cycling, field
hockey, football, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, racquet ball, rowing,
rugby, skiing, softball, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field,
water skiing and wrestling. Whether you decide to participate actively
in a specific athletic program or simply choose to attend several events
each semester, we are certain that you will find Sacramento State sports
exciting and enjoyable.
STUDENT SERVICES ON CAMPUS
As you will rapidly discover, the great majority of the work needed to resolve (or prevent) most university related problems or to find answers to your specific questions, involves locating the appropriate office and staff person. Simple bureaucratic procedures can be quite time-consuming unless you know exactly where to go. The goal of this section is, thus, briefly to introduce you to a number of offices and services on campus.
OFFICE OF GLOBAL
EDUCATION
Lassen
Hall 2304
Main
Telephone: 278-6686; International Admissions :
278-7772
The OGE staff assists international students in such areas as admission, orientation, immigration work (visas, work permits, extensions, transfers, and individual problems), counseling, academic and personal advising, and liaison with sponsoring agencies, campus and community clubs and organizations, and with other campus administrative units and student services. In other words, you may contact the staff of the OGE with any question you have. We may not always be able to solve all your problems for you, but we can certainly assist you in solving them yourself by referring you to the proper place and person, by instructing you in procedures and regulations, by showing you what alternatives are available and which might be most effective, and by helping you complete any required form or document.
The international student advisors in the OGE are more than willing to discuss any matter with you and will treat all information which you have shared as confidential. It is important for you to remember not to wait until the last minute to contact your advisor. Call or visit the OGE as soon as you see a problem developing with which you believe you will require some help or guidance.
ADMISSIONS,
RECORDS & EVALUATIONS
Lassen
Hall 1011, Telephones: Degree Evaluations 278-4862; Records 278-3901
You will rapidly become familiar with these offices as they handle almost all of your university petitions, applications, registrations, records, etc. You should contact the International Admissions staff (Lassen Hall 1011) when you have questions concerning application procedures, requirements and results, foreign document evaluations, evaluations of transfer credits.
The Evaluations staff provides:
| 1. | Evaluation of the transferability of courses from other institutions to Sacramento State for entering transfer students. |
| 2. | Evaluation of all credits to be used to meet the university’s graduation requirements. (REMEMBER TO FILE A GRADUATION CONTRACT ONE YEAR PRIOR TO YOUR ESTIMATED DATE OF GRADUATION.) |
You should visit the Admissions & RecordsWindows when you need to: order transcripts, change your name, address, and major, and complete many other procedures. The Student Financial Services Center (Lassen Hall near main entrance) will accept your payment for fees, parking, transcripts, special tests, etc.
The Registrar’s Office, Lassen Hall 1011, should be contacted if you need to:
| 1. | Have the university correct any clerical error made in your registration or your grade report. |
| 2. | Have an “I” or “WU” grade dropped from your transcripts. |
| 3. | Petition to have a grade changed on your transcripts. |
| 4. | Obtain special waivers of a registration regulation. |
| 5. | Resolve any other registration problems. |
ACADEMIC ADVISING
Academic Advising
Center
Lassen
Hall 1012, Telephone: 278-6351.
A number of faculty advisors, staff members, and student interns provide general advising on a drop-in basis. The areas most commonly discussed are selection of a major, General Education, and general graduation requirements. Advisors at the Academic Advising Center also review petitions for complete withdrawal from Sacramento State.
Faculty Advisors
Advisors
in the major departments are available to assist students in
planning an academic program appropriate for each student. Faculty advisors
are also helpful in the explanation of career options. For more information,
please contact your department office.
Undergraduate
Business Advising Center: Tahoe Hall,
Room 1030, Telephone: 278-6771.
The
Degree Program Center of the School of Business Administration exists to
serve Business students with all aspects of program advising, coordination
of career advising, approval of graduation contracts for major
and minor programs, add/drop, processing of late registration, and clearing
house activities related to most types of petitions.
COLLEGE
OF CONTINUING EDUCATION
Napa
Hall South of the Campus
Telephone:
278-4433
The English Language Institute (ELI) at Sacramento State offers intensive language courses for students who wish to live and stay in California . The Sacramento State ELI prepares students with skills needed for study in American universities (including TOEFL Preparation). Please contact (916) 278-4596 or see www.cce.csus.edu for additional information.
LIBRARY
Telephone:
278-6926
The Sacramento State Library is a modern building, representing the academic and architectural heart of the campus. It provides an excellent, comfortable study environment as well as an extensive and sophisticated resource base for studies on a multitude of subjects. For several weeks usually beginning with the second or third week of each semester, the library offers orientations to new students. These orientations include an introduction to the how to use the library and locate resources, and tours of subject / reference departments, and the media center.
In order to check out books (or any other item) from the library, you will be asked to present your student identification card at the circulation desk. The circulation clerk will inform you of the due date by which you must return your items. It is important that you return this material on or before the due date or the library will automatically impose a fine. If you choose to ignore the fine, a “hold” will be placed on your record which will prevent you from registering, graduating, or ordering transcripts. Graduate students may obtain a thesis card from the Graduate Studies Office ( Riverfront Center , Room 206) once the “Petition for Candidacy” has been approved, which allows them to check books out for one semester at a time.
For more information regarding the numerous services offered by the Sacramento State Library, it is recommended that you attend one of their orientations. The library is an important place in every student’s life, and you should learn how to use it to your maximum benefit.
THE BOOKSTORE
The Sacramento State Hornet Bookstore is located near the University Union. At the bookstore you can purchase all of your “school necessities” such as textbooks (new and used), school supplies, calculators, as well as a wide array of other products and services.
Course-required textbooks (and other materials) are arranged by department, course number, and instructor’s name. Please inquire as to the bookstore’s check cashing policy if you plan to remit payment by that method (usually you will be required to hold a valid student ID card or other means of identification before your check can be accepted). Remember that you can save money by buying used books, when available.
It is advised that you keep all of your receipts for supplies purchased from the bookstore. Should you, for one reason or another, need to return a textbook or supplies, a refund will be given only if you produce the proper receipt. At the end of each semester, the bookstore is often willing to purchase used books back from you. The bookstore normally pays up to fifty percent of the purchase price on books that are to be used again, and up to twenty or thirty percent for books accepted for other reasons.
LEARNINGSKILLSCENTER
Lassen
Hall 2200, Telephone: 278-6725
The Learning Skills Center assists students in the development of basic skills essential to successful learning. The Center offers a variety of programs including self-instructional labs, tutorial assistance, workshops, and courses in reading, study skills, computer science skills, and English verbal skills for international and bilingual students. The Learning Skills Center provides all students with the opportunity to develop their learning skills to their full potential, not only for effective learning in the university environment but also for the attainment of skills and positive attitudes for lifelong learning.
The Learning Skills Center also has the responsibility of administering the mandatory English Diagnostic Test to new international students. The staff of the Learning Skills Center will also notify you of the test result and outline a plan of study designed to enable you to meet all Sacramento State English graduation requirements. It is important to note that many international students have benefited from Learning Skills programs to improve English writing and verbal skills.
TUTORING SERVICES
Many departments at Sacramento State provide tutoring services for their students. Math, Engineering, Economics, Business, and English departments all maintain “tutoring offices” normally staffed with graduate students. If the department is not able to accommodate your tutoring needs they most likely will be able to recommend a private tutor for a particular class. Although a private tutor will entail some expenses, it is usually well worth it if it prevents failing one or several classes.
As soon as you begin to have some difficulty with a particular course, you should plan to visit your professor during one of his/her posted “office hours.” Explain the problems you are having to him and let him recommend the most beneficial remedy. Some suggestions might be to:
| 1. | Tell you that the problem is nonexistent. |
| 2. | Tell you to drop the course. |
| 3. | Give you some helpful hints that alone suffice in resolving your problem. |
| 4. | Advise that you meet with a department tutor. |
| 5. | Advise that you hire a private tutor. (Ask him to recommend one if he selects this option as most beneficial to you.) |
Remember that both the English Department and the Learning Skills Center offer specialized tutoring and instruction for international students having difficulty with English. The Writing Center is located in Calaveras Hall 128, and their telephone number is 278-6356.
STUDENT ACCESS
CENTER
First
Floor of the University Union Building, Telephone: 278-4689
This center, funded by the Associated Students Inc., has assumed responsibility for the distribution of a variety of information helpful to Sacramento State students. The Student Access Center maintains boards advertising student employment, book exchanges, and items for sale information as well as housing and ridesharing referrals.
THE CAREER CENTER
Lassen
Hall 2000, Telephone: 278-6231
The Career Center has two primary functions - placement opportunities and career counseling with an emphasis on helping students help themselves. You are welcome to use the Center to locate on campus jobs, prepare yourself for the job market prior to your return home or to locate temporary employment for practical training. They offer workshops and assessments on interview techniques, resume writing, employment search techniques, self-assessment for career choices, and practical interviewing skills.
UNIVERSITY UNION
The University Union is the center of student life and activity on campus. Service and facilities include: various food services, lounges, convenience stores, television, meeting, display and game rooms, bicycle and wheelchair repair areas, and tool and recreational equipment rentals. The newly remodeled University Union also features a travel office, a hair stylist, a Notary Public, and a mailbox and shipping service.
TESTING CENTERLassen Hall 2302, Telephone: 278-6296
The Testing Office acts as a center for most national and international exams and also conducts the tests offered or required by the CSU system and various Sacramento State departments. Among the many tests administered are the Writing Proficiency Exam (WPE), the English Placement Test (EPT), the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), and the Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT). Make-up exams and exams administered to students with special needs are often proctored by the staff of the Testing Center.
CHILD CARE
Telephone:
278-6216
The Sacramento State Associated Students Children’s Center provides a variety of day-care programs for children of Sacramento State students and staff. Although enrollment in certain programs is limited, we encourage you to contact the Children’s Center for more information on services currently available.
STUDENT LEGAL
SERVICES
University
Union , 3rd Floor, 278-7916
Legal assistance is available through the Associated Students Inc. Should you have some questions regarding your rights or obligations under US or California law or should you run into a legal problem (housing, automotive, etc.) simply call the number listed above to set up an appointment with the ASI student legal assistance attorney. If you are uncertain whether you need an attorney’s help or advice, please contact the OGE first.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Police
Station Building , 278-6851, Emergencies 911
The Public Safety Department is assigned the task of protecting the safety of everyone on campus and enforcing the appropriate laws. This department also handles Lost and Found goods. Articles found on campus and turned in to them will be held for only ninety days. Smaller goods are held for only thirty days.
Public Safety officers have established a night escort service to ensure that students reach their car, bus, or dorm safely from various on-campus locations. This service is provided from dusk until 11:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. To obtain a campus escort, simply dial 8-6851 from any of the on-campus (yellow) phones and request that someone meet you at your present location.
TRANSPORTATION & PARKING
SERVICES
Telephone:
278-7275
In order to be able to park on campus all students are required to purchase a student parking pass from Student Financial Services or online at www.csus.edu/utaps. Students may park only in areas designated for students. Students violating on-campus parking regulations are fined, so please be careful.
Finding parking is especially difficult during the first two weeks of each semester. However, problems ease considerably after that time. In order to get to your classes on time during the busiest times, you might wish to arrive at school thirty-to-sixty minutes before your first class.
MISCELLANEOUS CAMPUS SERVICES
| 1. | Coin operated and campus only (beige) phones are located throughout Sacramento State. |
| 2. | Photocopy machines (coin and/or one-card operated) are located in several buildings on campus including: Douglas Hall, The Bookstore, the Library, the University Union, as well as Alpine, Sequoia and Capistrano Halls. A copy center is located in the Riverfront Center Building. |
| 3. | Postal Services: Postal services are located in the University Union. |
| 4. | The Hornet student newspaper is an excellent source of news, activities, or services. |
| 5. | Computer labs are located conveniently throughout the campus. |
