Student Life

Associated Students of CWU
The Associated Students of Central Washington University (ASCWU) board of directors (BOD) is the student government board advised by the senior director of Campus Life and the SURC. Executive responsibility is vested in the seven-member BOD and the senior director of Campus Life and the SURC. The board members are elected by the student body to serve as policy-development officers. As a vehicle from which students may share different views, the ASCWU is an integral part of the total decision-making process of CWU. Also included in this area is advisement and support for university student clubs, which average more than 125 clubs per year.

Campus Life
The department of Campus Life is dedicated to enriching students’ experiences outside the classroom by providing social, cultural, recreational, and educational programs, services, and apprenticeships. The variety of events offered by Campus Activities include music, comedy, speakers, concerts, and performances. Special events include Homecoming, Family Weekend, Boo Central, Ware Fair, and Student Appreciation Day. Campus Life representatives serve on organizing committees for orientations, Wildcat Welcome Weekend, homecoming, recreation, and SURC operations. It employs many students in paraprofessional positions, offers internships and practicum experiences, and provides a range of services for university departments, student organizations, and the community.

Center for Disability Services
The Center for Disability Services (CDS) facilitates access to university programs, activities, and services for students with disabilities. Utilizing documentation of disability and information obtained in consultation with the student, CDS staff assesses the affects of a student’s disability on his/her ability to access the educational process and identifies reasonable academic adjustments/accommodations. In addition, DSS works to sensitize university faculty and staff to the needs of students with disabilities and helps students obtain the materials, equipment, and assistance necessary to successfully pursue their education. Students wishing to request disability accommodations are responsible for contacting CDS.

Appropriate accommodations/academic adjustments are determined for each student on an individual basis. Examples of the types of accommodations available include textbooks and academic materials in accessible formats (digital audio, large print, Braille, electronic text), alternative examination procedures, sign language interpreters, speech-to-text transcription, tape-recorded lectures, note-taking assistance, early registration, priority snow removal, special classroom furniture, access technology, assistance with library research, and temporary disability parking permits.

Center for Student Empowerment
The Center for Student Empowerment, located on the second floor of the SURC, offers programs and services that support the affective and cognitive development of students in out-of-classroom settings. The Empowerment Center strives to empower students to reach their full potential, both academically and personally, by facilitating various types of learning opportunities focusing on gender, violence prevention, nontraditional and commuter-student issues. We are proud of our collaborative efforts with CWU academic and university departments as well as the Ellensburg community.

Some examples of our educational programs are: Man-Up! (men’s activities and discussion groups), Women’s Achievement Celebration, National Women and Girls Sports Day, Operation E.L.F. (non-traditional student holiday event) and working collaboratively with the Non-traditional Student Organization (NTSO). Past programs include V-Day: Until the Violence Stops, the Longest Revolution with Gloria Steinem, the Sexual Politics of Meat with Carol Adams, and You Throw Like a Girl with Don McPherson.
We offer two publications for non-traditional students; The Quest monthly newsletter and Making the Pieces Fit, a yearly resource handbook. Additionally, the center provides information and referral regarding campus and community resources.

Central Transit
A student transportation system in its fifth year of operation, Central Transit, has been extremely popular. Highly visible mini-busses operate year round, connecting students with the Ellensburg business community. Central Transit boasts 25 signed pick-up and drop-off locations both on- and off-campus. Central Transit experienced significant growth with more than 35,000 student rides annually. Students have enjoyed the convenient stops at shopping areas, restaurants, and movie theaters.

Central Transit operates seven days a week from 2 p.m. until midnight as well as morning route from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday during the academic year. Additional information about Central Transit is available at www.cwu.edu/~police/transit_map.html .

David Wain Coon Center for Excellence in Leadership
The David Wain Coon Center for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) provides leadership learning opportunities to all CWU students. Training opportunities include leadership retreats, workshops, internships, and a broad collection of resources.

Over 2,000 students participate in CEL programs each year. Current leadership programs include the Experience Leadership Project (a three-day retreat for first-year students), Cross-cultural Leadership Program, Leadership Quest (mini-retreats for all CWU students), and the Executive Internship. Students can also choose to live in the Kennedy Leadership House, join Omicron Delta Kappa (the national leadership honor society), and build their official CWU Leadership Transcript.

In addition to leadership programs and workshops, the CEL collaborates with faculty from multiple departments to offer leadership courses. Currently, the Emerging Leaders course and Cross-Cultural Leadership program are credit-bearing opportunities. Additional leadership courses are currently being developed and proposed. The David Wain Coon Center for Excellence in Leadership recognizes that every student has leadership capacity and will have ample opportunities to demonstrate leadership throughout their lifetime. Through CEL programs, workshops, and resources, CWU students are equipped to make a positive difference within their communities. For more information, please contact CEL by phone at 509-963-5124 or via e-mail at cel@cwu.edu.

Dining Services
All students living in CWU residence halls are required to select a meal plan. There are five to choose from, and all are set up as a prepaid dining debit account, which allows for purchase of meals or snacks at any campus dining location. Students living off-campus may also purchase a meal plan for the convenience of dining and buying beverages and snacks on campus.

Dining Services’ staff is dedicated to your dining satisfaction. Its mission is to provide exceptional food service and customer service to the campus community. This is evident in fresh, appetizing, and nutritionally balanced menus along with the hospitality offered at each of its distinctly different dining locations on campus. These include:

• Holmes Dining room, located in the SURC, offers an a la carte breakfast followed by all-you-can-eat service for brunch and dinner
• Central Marketplace, located in the SURC, offers a la carte service in six restaurants: Taglianno’s Pizza and Pasta, Totally Tossed Salads, Lion’s Rock Broiler, El Gato Loco, Pan Asia, and Wrap and Roll Deli Bar
• North Village Café, located in Green Hall on the north side of campus, offers a la carte service for meals and snacks throughout the day
• You may also use your meal plan at any of CWU Dining Services’ espresso bars or convenience stores:
• Cat Trax East Espresso and Smoothie Bar, Cat Trax West Espresso, and Cat’s Convenience Store in the SURC
• Cat Trax North Espresso in the Brooks Library
• NVC Espresso Bar and NVC Store in the North Village Café and Store

Dining services are available on campus for breakfast, lunch, dinner, late-night meal service on weekdays, and for brunch and dinner on weekends.
If you have questions about the dining options available at CWU Dining Services, call 509-963-1591, or contact us via its Web page at www.cwu.edu/~dining.

Nutritious Foundations
Dining Services offers nutritious menu selections, based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food pyramid, to support your healthy campus lifestyle. You’re encouraged to adopt a diet rich in balance, variety, and moderation by exploring the nutrition foundation that Dining Services provides in all dining arenas.

Special Events
Several special dining events are offered quarterly to enrich your dining experience. Some of these events include the Welcome Back BBQ on the first day of class, a holiday season buffet, a seafood buffet extravaganza, theme and ethnic dinners, the Student Appreciation BBQ, and the commencement luncheon.

Employment Opportunities
Dining Services is the largest employer on campus, hiring between 200-300 students annually for part-time work. Consider joining the team where you will meet new friends and earn money.
Dining Services is a member of the National Association of College and University Food Services, and an active supporter of the academic mission of the university through participation in many out-of-classroom events and activities held throughout campus.

Diversity Education Center
The Diversity Education Center enhances a vibrant campus environment through intentional and thought-provoking programming that challenges students to strengthen intercultural competencies and develop transformative ideas and skills. It offers signature and outreach programs, coordinates the Bias Response Plan, and provides resources to students on a variety of topics including diverse populations, LGBT issues, and social justice. All students are invited to participate in the center’s activities.

Early Childhood Learning Center
The Early Childhood Learning Center (ECLC) provides early learning to the campus community serving children aged one-month to eight-years of age. There are two sites; 1900 Brook Lane Village, Suite 100, serves children aged two years to eight years of age; Michaelsen Hall, room 109, serves children aged one month to 28 months. The program consists of early learning activities especially designed for young children; including music, language, physical activities, stories, science and math experiences, games, puzzles, blocks, and dramatic play. Nutritious meals and snacks are served throughout the day. Operating hours during the academic year are 7:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Summer hours vary slightly according to need. Call 509-963-1744 or e-mail at eclc@cwu.edu for more information.

Family Resource Center
Michaelsen Hall, room 328
509-963-2785
www.cwu.edu/~frc

The Family Resource Center (FRC) serves CWU, Ellensburg, and Kittitas County by utilizing a family perspective to enrich and improve the quality of individual and family life. The FRC offers educational programming to support families throughout their lives, coordinates family related research and civic engagement opportunities, and serves as a clearinghouse of information for resources of interest to families in the region. The FRC can assist students or other members of the community to identify services that can help to meet their family related needs and advocate for the needs of families on campus. The FRC works in close collaboration with the Center for Student Empowerment and the Early Childhood Learning Center, and seeks to partner with academic departments and community agencies to improve the access to information and knowledge that can strengthen families at CWU and the surrounding community.

Financial Aid
Each year approximately 80 percent of CWU students receive financial aid. To be eligible for federal aid a student must be a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident, or eligible non-citizen.

Financial aid is available to matriculated students seeking a degree or certification in an eligible program. Most financial aid programs require a minimum of half-time enrollment, which is 6 credits at the undergraduate level and 5 credits at the graduate level. Students who have a first baccalaureate degree and are not admitted to a master’s program will be classified as a post-baccalaureate student. Post-baccalaureate students are eligible for federal loans.

Students must apply and be accepted for admission to the university (matriculated) to receive financial aid. Students and their families must complete a Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA). Paper copies are available in the Financial Aid Office and at most high schools or libraries. The Web version is available at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

The application should be submitted to the federal processor as soon as possible after January 1. March 1 is the cutoff date for priority consideration for limited gift aid. Accurate preparation of the FAFSA and timely response to all requests for additional information or documentation are critical.

Students who have been admitted to the university and have listed Central Washington University Title IV code #003771 on the FAFSA will have a student financial aid file delivered to the university electronically. Once that file has been reviewed and verified, the student will receive an award letter.

The award letter will indicate the estimated student budget, the federally determined expected family contribution, and an offer of aid including the type and amount. You must accept or cancel your aid on Safari. Loans are disbursed quarterly in equal amounts. If you have not already signed a master promissory note, you may sign electronically at www.dlenote.ed.gov.

Students are expected to maintain “good academic standing” while receiving financial aid. A minimum CWU cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required for undergraduates after two years of attendance; post-baccalaureates are required to maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA; and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for graduate students. Financial aid recipients are required to make reasonable progress toward a degree.

Additional financial aid information is available in the Financial Aid Office,
Barge Hall, room 115; the Student Employment Office, Barge Hall, room 103; the Financial Aid Resource room, Barge Hall, room 102; and through the Financial Aid Offices at each University Center, at
509-963-1611, finaid@cwu.edu, or on the
CWU financial aid home page at www.cwu.edu/~finaid/.

Scholarships
Scholarships are gifts of money which do not have to be repaid. Central Washington University’s Scholarship Office (Ellensburg Campus, Barge Hall, room 102) makes available the most recent scholarship application information at the Web site www.cwu.edu/~scholar.

Scholarship eligibility is based on a variety of criteria including, but not limited to, academic proficiency, specialized talent, community service, leadership, and financial need. College and departmental selection committees as well as the Financial Aid Office select scholarship recipients. To be fully considered for all scholarship opportunities students should complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid,
www.fafsa.ed.gov and any college or departmental scholarship applications for which the student is eligible that are available in the Scholarship Office. In addition, students with talent in athletics, art, music, and/or theatre should contact the department(s) directly for specific audition or exhibition opportunities. Most institutional merit aid is awarded to meritorious students who submit a FAFSA. Need is not always a criteria.

Community-sponsored scholarships include awards for which the recipients are chosen by organizations outside the university. Each organization establishes its own eligibility criteria and application process. More information can be found at the scholarship Web site (www.cwu.edu/ ~scholar) or by contacting the organizations directly. Recipients are to inform the CWU Financial Aid Office if they are receiving an award from a community organization. Checks should be made payable to “Central Washington University”. Include student’s name and identification number. Send to the CWU Financial Aid Office, 400 East University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926-7495.

Scholarships are considered an educational funding source and may change a student’s eligibility in other state or federal aid programs.

Student Employment
CWU hires more than 3,300 students to work on campus each year. Working allows students to meet a portion of their college expenses and gain valuable work experience.  Career-related employment is strongly encouraged. Student Employment posts notices for on and off campus job openings on the Student Employment Web site and on the bulletin board on the first floor of Barge Hall, including summer job opportunities. Visit the Student Employment office home page at cwu.edu/~seo for additional information, and to view the online job board. Please see the Student Employment Web site regarding Work Study opportunities. Students must be eligible for need-based financial aid to be considered for Work Study. See the CWU Financial Aid home page for details on types of aid available at www.cwu.edu/~finaid/.

Student Health (medical) and Counseling (mental health) Services
A staff of credentialed professionals offers a variety of medical and mental health services for CWU students. Students registered for 6 or more credits pay a mandatory health and counseling charge and are eligible for services. There may be additional charges for specific services. All students are encouraged to check with the business office regarding ancillary fees and charges for medical services.

Services are offered at the Health and Counseling Services building. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and until 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. The clinic is closed on holidays and during breaks. Health/medical services are also available most Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (except during breaks and during holidays). Summer hours are 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. when classes are in session.

The Student Health Center (509-963-1881) is a complete out-patient/primary-care, on-campus facility available to registered students. Services are provided by credentialed and licensed medical staff. The Health Center is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care Inc.  The medical staff provides routine and urgent-care services, including direct care of medical problems such as illnesses, injuries, and infections (e.g., colds, flu, and sexually transmitted diseases). It offers routine physical examinations, sports physicals, pap smears, pregnancy testing, and diagnostic laboratory tests/X-rays. In keeping with the educational mission of the university, special emphasis is placed on education regarding prevention and treatment of illnesses.

Medical appointments are taken by phone from Monday through Friday
7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Tuesdays and Thursdays until 7 p.m.) and Saturdays beginning at 9 a.m. Students are encouraged to make their appointments as early as possible in the day in order to accommodate their schedules.

Emergency medical services are available at the Kittitas Valley Community Hospital when the center is not open. The cost of hospital care is at the student’s expense. A student accident and health insurance plan is available (through an independent vendor) and is recommended to help defray medical costs.

The Counseling Center (509-963-1391) staff consists of licensed psychologists, licensed counselors, and doctoral interns who work under the direct supervision of senior staff.

The center operates on a brief treatment model. Services offered include individual, couple and group counseling.  Students present to the center with issues such as relationship difficulties, self-esteem issues, eating disorders, stress, anxiety, and/or depression. Group counseling opportunities routinely include coping with anxiety, therapeutic lifestyle change for depression, bipolar support, and interpersonal difficulties. Special programs for campus groups are available upon request. Counseling services are private and confidential.
The Wildcat Wellness Center is located in SURC 139. Services and programs delivered through the center include: alcohol/drug education,  prevention and referrals for assessment and treatment, Prime For Life classes, peer education programs,  sexual assault prevention and response coordination,  and referral services.

The Campus Community Coalition works to reduce high-risk and underage drinking at Central and throughout Kittitas County. For information, contact the coordinator at 509-963-3240.

Sexual Assault Response Coordinator
Students may call 509-963-3233 and leave a confidential message and/or drop by the Wellness Center at SURC 139. Services include confidential, referral, advocacy, information and crisis response for victims, survivors, and significant others.

The SAFE (Sexual Assault Facts and Education)  peer education program is sponsored by the Wellness Center and advised by the Wellness Center’s health educator. It can be reached by phoning 509-963-3213.

Student Union Recreation Center (SURC)
The SURC is the community center of the university, providing services, conveniences, and amenities for all members of the CWU community and their guests. The SURC houses the following offices and departments: ASCWU, Campus Life administration and accounting, Campus Activities, Center for Excellence in Leadership, Center for Student Empowerment, Civic Engagement Center, Connection Card, Dining Services, Diversity Education Center, Information Center, student radio station KCWU/88.1 the ’Burg, Publicity Center, SURC Operations and Scheduling Services, Ticketmaster/SURC Box Office, University Recreation, Wildcat Shop, and two tenant spaces, one of which houses the Wildcat Wellness Center. Facilities available for use include meeting rooms, the SURC pit, and a 345-seat theater and ballroom.

University Housing and
New Student Programs
University Housing provides well-maintained housing facilities, with an emphasis on student development, as part of the university’s academic environment, and works to augment classroom instruction with a learning environment that is supportive of students’ educational goals, personal and interpersonal growth, and cultural awareness. Programs such as Discover! New Student Orientation, Wildcat Welcome Weekend, and Wildcat Connections are part of new student programs.

CWU is a residential university with most students living on or near campus. The residence halls and apartments can house 3,300 students. CWU’s residence halls offer students a variety of quality living experiences and options.

The residences are within a few minutes walk of any classroom, library, or dining hall, which offers considerable convenience and flexibility to students. Residence hall staff provides crisis intervention and educational, cultural, social, and community services programs, as well as coordinating behavioral problem-solving interventions in cooperation with the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.

The residence halls offer a diverse selection of communities and environments. The residence halls, which house between 35- 476 occupants, offer programs and environments to enhance classroom experiences. Furniture, basic FM-TV cable service, Internet hookup, basic telephone service, utilities, and coin-operated laundry facilities are also provided. Many halls have their own pool table, piano, or ping-pong table. All residence halls are smoke-free.

Living and Learning Communities (LLCs) are available for students interested in the following areas: education, Science Talent Enhancement Program, aviation music, Casa Latina, Asian Pacific Islander American House, Students for the Dream, International House, Leadership House, or for those participating in the Douglas Honors College. Students may request a residence hall offering a living-learning enrichment opportunity. Hall staff and faculty from these areas of interest collaborate to provide residents with educational and social activities that integrate their field of study, enhancing their residence hall experience.

A computer lab, staffed with trained attendants, is available to all residence hall students in Barto Hall.

In the belief that the university is a total learning experience, Central requires all freshmen who are single and under 20 years-of-age to live in the residence halls for one academic year. Running Start students under 20 years-of-age, regardless of class standing, must also fulfill the live-in requirement. Students requesting an exception to the policy must apply through University Housing and New Student programs.

CWU also maintains 398 apartments (studio, one, two, or three bedrooms) designed for single students and those with families. The apartment complexes offer activities for residents that focus on their needs and priorities. Single student complexes feature programs and facilities that assist students in developing healthy, independent lifestyles. These programs might include wellness, self-defense, cultural awareness, lifestyle planning, career planning, and recreation. The communities in the family-student complexes enjoy programming and activities tailored for the needs and interest of families and older students. Many activities for children and families are presented, such as holiday events, child safety awareness programs, domestic violence programs, and career planning.

At different times of the year, demands for apartments may exceed availability. For this reason, waiting lists are provided. Applications are accepted from students who have not been officially accepted for admission to CWU, but who plan to attend classes during the dates listed on their application forms. To be eligible for apartment housing, a student must be currently enrolled in and must maintain at least 12 credit hours of coursework.

Students who are required to live in residence halls are not eligible to live in the apartments. Each tenant is required to sign a lease, which provides for renting an apartment on a month-to-month basis. Written notice must be given at least 30 days prior to vacating an apartment. Pets are not allowed in any area of CWU housing.

Discover! New Student Orientation: New students with less than 45 credits, and all students who participated in Running Start, are required to attend an on-campus orientation and registration program. For students starting fall quarter, this program takes place on a variety of dates in July. For winter quarter students it is held in December and for spring quarter students it is scheduled in March. New Ellensburg campus students with 45 or more credits are urged to attend the transfer orientation. Orientations for transfer students coming fall quarter are held in July or August. For those students coming for winter or spring quarter, the orientations are held in December and March, respectively. Students attending a campus other than Ellensburg need to contact the appropriate university center for information about their orientation and registration programs.

Central changed its procedure for student alcohol violations involving underage drinking, which is a violation of Washington State law as well as the CWU Student Conduct Code governing the conduct of students. The university has a comprehensive alcohol education and prevention program. Parental notification is one part of CWU’s comprehensive sanctioning procedure for underage alcohol use.

University Recreation
Housed in the 80,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art recreation center, University Recreation provides an array of programs to engage students in their personal fitness goals. Programs include intramural sports, sport clubs, personal training, group fitness, outdoor programs, equipment rentals, climbing wall, summer kids camp, and a myriad of special events including films, lectures, interactive programs, and instructional courses..

Intramural Sports (IM Sports) is designed to provide opportunities for all members of the university to participate in women’s, men’s, and co-ed team sports.

Sport clubs allow opportunities for students, with mutual interests in a sporting activity, to represent CWU in intercollegiate competitive activities that are not available through the Athletics Department.

Personal training packages are available to all recreation center members. For a nominal charge, a personal trainer will develop a challenging workout routine specifically designed to your needs.
Group fitness classes are available to all recreation center members for a very small fee. From Spinning to ballet, intense ab workouts to yoga, there’s something for everyone.

Outdoor Pursuits and Rentals provides both guided trips and equipment rentals to support students’ outdoor recreation desires. The fully-staffed, 50-foot climbing wall in the Student Recreation Center offers bouldering and roped climbing, and certification courses in top-rope belay and lead climbing.

Little Cats’ Summer Kids Camp provides a quality day camp atmosphere for Ellensburg-area youth entering grades 1-5.

Veteran Services and Outreach
The Veterans Center is located in the Psychology Building, rooms 463-465. Students wishing to receive education benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) must contact the Veterans Center office. Notification is NOT automatically sent to the DVA when a veteran or other eligible person enrolls. For more information, call 509-963-3028 or visit its Web site at cwu.edu/~regi/veteran. The Veterans Center provides information and guidance to veterans, dependents, and others regarding questions or Veterans Affairs Education Benefits. It also provides information on tuition waivers including police and firefighters, veterans in foreign conflict, and veteran survivors and dependents. Selected programs of study are approved by a Washington State Approving Agency for enrollment of those eligible for benefits under the Title 38 and Title 10 U.S. codes.

Wildcat Shop
The Wildcat Shop has everything you need right here on campus and its selling prices on textbooks are lower than 96 percent of all college stores in the country. It carries:

• Textbooks
• General reading and reference books
• Magazines
• Computer software
• Computer hardware
• Electronics
• Clothing and gifts
• School and art supplies
• Greeting cards
• Novelty gifts
• Health and beauty aids
• Stamps
• Snack foods and more

It also provides laminating, binding, copying (color or black and white), mat board cutting, DVD and CD recording, Apple computer repair, and fax services.

Special order any book, computer, or electronic product, or supply, at no additional cost. For your convenience the Wildcat Shop buys back textbooks throughout the quarter. Contact the Wildcat Shop at 509-963-131,
800-280-1186, or at www.wildcatshop.net online.