Dec 07, 2024  
College Catalog 2022-2023 
    
College Catalog 2022-2023 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Student Life



Division of Student Life

Elizabethtown College recognizes that learning and achievement extend beyond the classroom.

The Dean, together with the educators in Student Life, provide students with the opportunity to make connections with campus resources, to develop necessary skills for success, and to productively join in college life. Elizabethtown offers comprehensive co-curricular programs and services that supports our students’ growth and development and enriches their college experience.

Dean of Students

Elizabethtown’s Dean of Students serves as the senior student affairs administrator and the primary advocate for our students. The Dean, together with the Student Life staff, works with students and faculty to shape the living and learning environment and enhance the quality of life for all students.

For more information, please visit www.etown.edu/offices/diversity/. 

Office of Spiritual and Religious Life

The Office of the Spiritual and Religious Life strives to create a vital and vibrant atmosphere for spiritual growth, wellbeing, and religious exploration for all people regardless of background, provides inner work opportunities to connect to self and others more holistically. We seek to develop space for developing and defining values, morals, grounding and guiding questions, as well as space for silence, retreat and service. Religious Life on campus also includes many active student groups, as well as a number of ministries from various denominations and organizations, including Catholic Campus Ministry, Lighthouse (Disciplemakers), CCO/ReKindle, Hillel Club, and Brethren ministries as well as groups in the community. We welcome and support other groups forming and advocate for religious holiday expression and education. The Chaplain is available to students for spiritual mentoring and direction, pastoral care, and vocational exploration. For more information, please visit www.etown.edu/offices/chaplain.

Strengths Education

At Elizabethtown College, we believe that every single person has unique natural talents. Our goal is to help each person discover their strengths and unlock their potential. We begin by utilizing the CliftonStrengths assessment, backed by 50 years of research and developed by Gallup. Students have the opportunity to complete this online inventory, which returns their top 5 themes of talent, and engage in educational opportunities to learn how to utilize their strengths to succeed.

For more information, please visit www.etown.edu/strengthsfinder.

Center for Student Success

The Center for Student Success provides comprehensive academic support services to Elizabethtown College students. The Center is comprised of distinct, yet integrated, service areas, including Academic Advising, Disability Services, Learning Zone, and Writing Wing. Additionally, the Center’s Director chairs the Campus Wellness Network.

For more information, please visit www.etown.edu/offices/student-success.

Academic Advising

Academic Advising guides students in the development of meaningful educational plans that are compatible with their life goals. This program supports and complements the faculty advising system on campus and is available to all students at Elizabethtown College.

First-year students are assigned a faculty advisor, who also is their First-Year Seminar instructor. In their second semester, first-year students may declare a major and, if they do, will be assigned a faculty advisor from the school of their chosen major. Exploring students remain with their first-year advisor for another semester, and thereafter will be assigned to one of our professional advisors from Academic Advising until they declare a major. Additionally, our students benefit from support and guidance from trained peer mentors, peer academic advisors, resident assistants, and other Student Life professionals.

We strive to support students who are experiencing difficulty when that academic advice is the most productive – early and while there is still an opportunity to resolve concerns with a successful outcome. This office coordinates the use of Starfish Alert. This academic progress system provides a tool for intervention, referral and support. Additionally, Academic Advising provides support to all students at the College who are placed on academic probation.

The Director of Academic Advising or designee may conduct academic progress checks by contacting faculty to determine a student’s current academic standing, attendance, participation, and observable behavior in courses for the purpose of follow-up, support, or intervention.

The Director of Academic Advising or designee may notify faculty and staff when a student is unable to attend classes due to brief illness, hospitalization, death of a loved one, or other personal circumstances. The notification is to facilitate communication only and does not supersede individual course attendance policies. The student will be responsible for contacting faculty to discuss missed work. The student or family member may call (717) 361-1415 for more information. For more information regarding a Leave of Absence or withdrawal from the College, see Academic Policies .

Disability Services

Elizabethtown College is committed to providing equal access to all of its courses, programs and services for qualified students with disabilities in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.

The Office of Disability Services requires documentation from the treating health care provider about a student’s condition in order to establish the presence of a disability, gain an understanding of how the disability affects the student’s ability to function in a college setting, and make informed decisions about reasonable accommodations and adjustments. All requests for academic adjustments and accommodations are reviewed by the Director of Disability Services.

For further clarification about policies for students with disabilities or for information about the College’s disability policy grievance procedures, please contact Lynne Davies, Director of Disability Services, at (717) 361-1227.

For more information, please visit www.etown.edu/offices/disability.

Learning Zone

The Learning Zone’s mission is to assist students working toward achieving their academic goals, in an open and safe environment while demonstrating integrity, respect, confidentiality, and professionalism. The Learning Zone fosters a student-centered learning environment and provides academic and writing peer tutor support as well as professional academic coaching, by a coach certified in Learning Differences and Neurodiversity: Specialization in Executive Function. The coach can assist students in the areas of study skills, time management, and school/life balance. For more information, please visit www.etown.edu/offices/learning.

The Writing Wing

The Writing Wing can help all students improve their writing with the help of student tutors who are trained and updated on their skills by a faculty member who teaches writing at Elizabethtown, and who is a professional writer. Writing Wing tutors are friendly, and it’s easy for students connect with them for an hour-long session. Many tutors are education or English majors, but there are also some from other majors. We emphasize a chain of events frequently called the writing process. It’s not simply a proofreading service; instead, it’s a learning service aimed at helping students become better writers. The Writing Wing also conducts workshops about all aspects of writing for faculty and students and can act as a resource about writing for anyone in the campus community.

To learn more about The Writing Wing, please visit www.etown.edu/offices/writing-wing, or to stop by and see us in the Baugher Student Center, second floor, in Learning Services.

Starfish

Starfish is a software tool that enhances advising relationships and student success at Elizabethtown College. Students receive real time feedback, encouragement and acknowledgement through flags and kudos and can easily connect to faculty, advisors, and staff through a network of information and services.  The “Raise your Hand” feature allows students to ask questions about topics such as financial aid, residence life, major/minor inquiries and more.  The “Success Network” is a personal list of individuals on campus to which a student is directly linked.  Starfish (717) 361-1415 or www.etown.edu/offices/advising/starfish.

Campus Wellness Network

Elizabethtown College’s Campus Wellness Network is an effective student support system that seeks to proactively identify and aid at-risk students. Composed of faculty and staff, the Campus Wellness Network bridges academic and co-curricular aspects of college life at Elizabethtown to take a more holistic approach to student success.

Any member of the campus community may refer to the Campus Wellness Network a student who he/she believes is experiencing difficulty in or out of the classroom. Once identified, the Network will formulate an appropriate course of intervention that will suggest choices and options that the at-risk student may not have recognized. Through interventions, students receive the support they need and learn valuable skills that benefit them not only during their college career, but also throughout their lives.

For more information, please visit www.etown.edu/offices/counseling/campus-wellness-network.

Community Living

Community Living exists to authentically empower growth and accountability through experiences that cultivate purposeful community development and change. We do this by focusing on growth & development, a sense of belonging, clear communication, and supporting individuality. Community Living is comprised of the following teams: Housing & Residence Life, Student Activities & Commuter Engagement, Student Leadership, and Student Rights & Responsibilities.

Residence Life

Elizabethtown College is a residential campus, which means students live on campus all four years. National data demonstrates that students who live on-campus have higher GPAs, report greater connections to peers and staff, and are more likely to graduate on-time when compared to those who live off-campus. More than 85% of our 1,900 students live on campus in residence halls, townhouses, apartments, and on-campus houses. Our Housing & Residence Life team is ready and excited to support you in and out of the classroom.Our commuting students can engage with the Commuter Engagement Program

For more information, visit www.etown.edu/offices/community-living/ or email reslife@etown.edu.

Office of Student Activities

OSA provides opportunities for students to engage outside of the classroom. Whether it is a social engagement such as BINGO or a comedian, or helping connect students to Clubs and Organizations, OSA is here to help students make meaning out of their time at Etown and to remind them from time to time it’s ok to take some time to socialize. Additionally, OSA supports our off-campus and commuting student population with targeted programs and resources.

For more information, please visit www.etown.edu/offices/osa or email osa@etown.edu.

Student Leadership

We want students to graduate with confidence, experience, and opportunities to lead. Student Leadership is a new area within Community Living at Etown and we will be exploring ways to champion students as they identify their strengths and how to effectively lead teams. Collaborating across campus, Community Living is supporting Student Life’s co-curricular model that will help students make meaning out of not only their academic pursuits, but also those found outside the classroom allowing for deeper praxis.

Student Rights and Responsibilities

SRR ensures that we are all upholding our mutual agreements as members of the flock. We also recognize that a part of growing and developing is to sometimes make choices that run counter to our values and beliefs. When this happens, SRR provides students with a process to reflect, restore, and re-engage with their peers in healthier and more productive ways.

For more information, please visit www.etown.edu/offices/student-rights or email reslife@etown.edu

Diversity, Equity and Belonging 

The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Belonging supports students with historically marginalized identities, educates the community about and celebrates identity, and addresses structural inequity.

Working with students, faculty, staff and the greater community, this area promotes a culture prioritizing individual worth and interconnectedness. Our mission is realized through a number of events and activities exploring topics including but not limited to race/ethnicity, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, ability status, national origin and religion.

Title IX

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) and its implementing regulations prohibit sex discrimination in educational programs and activities operated by recipients of Federal financial assistance. This prohibition encompasses discrimination based on a student’s gender identity, including discrimination based on a student’s transgender status.

Elizabethtown College is committed to providing a learning, working, and living environment that promotes personal integrity, civility, and mutual respect in an environment free of sex discrimination and sexual misconduct.

Sex discrimination violates an individual’s fundamental rights and personal dignity. Sex discrimination includes all forms of sexual and gender-based harassment, sexual misconduct, sexual violence, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking by students, employees or third parties against employees, students, or third parties.

Elizabethtown College takes seriously violations of Title IX policy and will investigate allegations of Title IX violations to the fullest extent possible. Any person found in violation of the policy will be subject to discipline, up to and including termination if they are an employee, and/or expulsion if they are a student.

Title IX Coordinator: Nichole Gonzalez, Dean of Students (Title IX Coordinator), 210 Baugher Student Center, 717-361-1179.

Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Students: Gabrielle Reed, 210 Baugher Student Center, 717-361-3727.

Student Health

Elizabethtown College collaborates with Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health to provide comprehensive clinical health services for our students. To be connected with Student Health Nurse Kati Frey, RN (or other medical staff) to address health concerns, please call the LGH Sycamore Square phone line for Etown College students at 717-588-1059.  The address of the LG Health Physicians Family Medicine Sycamore Square office is 99 Masonic Drive, Suite 101, Elizabethtown, PA 17022.  Students can also call Kati for consultation and, if needed, assistance with transportation to the Sycamore Square facility (which is about a four minute drive from the Etown College campus). If you experience a health crisis, please call the 24/7 Elizabethtown College Campus Safety number of 717-361-1111, or call 911.

You can reach Bruce Lynch, Licensed Psychologist, Associate Dean of Students for Student Counseling and Health Needs, by calling 717-361-1405 during 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday office hours, or by emailing him at lynchbg@etown.edu.  

For more information, please visit www.etown.edu/offices/health.

Counseling Services

Counseling Services provides a broad range of counseling and mental health support services that facilitate our students’ personal, social, and academic development. Our licensed mental health professionals provide short-term individual counseling, group counseling, crisis intervention, and consultation to currently enrolled students for no additional charge. Counseling services are provided in a confidential and diversity-affirming environment to help students address a variety of mental health, situational, and developmental concerns. Our office is located in the Baugher Student Center, Suite 216. Appointments can be made in person or by calling 717-361-1405. Urgent walk-in services are also available. To access our after-hours crisis services, please call the 24/7 Campus Security number of 717-361-1111.

For more information, please visit www.etown.edu/offices/counseling.

Affiliated Offices

Athletics

Elizabethtown College proudly sponsors one of the top NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletic programs in the nation. Enjoying an 92-year tradition of success, the College’s 24-team, 13-sport varsity program operates within the principles and rules of the NCAA and the Landmark Conference’s philosophy of amateur student-athlete participation. Our exceptional coaching staff believes in the importance of integrating our students’ academic and athletic experiences.

All Elizabethtown students receive free admission to home contests. The entire campus community joins in cheering on our Blue Jays to victory.

For more information, please visit www.etownbluejays.com.

Campus Recreation and Well-Being Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-Being

The Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-Being serves as a dynamic campus hub for health and well-being as well as supports the college’s expanding athletics program.  It provides purposeful programming and a state-of-the-art facility that inspires, educates and empowers students and the campus community to cultivate healthy and active lifestyles.  Features of the space include a cardio, strength and fitness area, group fitness rooms, a classroom, athletic training area, six athletic locker rooms, indoor track, three multi-use courts, healthy food options, demonstration kitchen, relaxation room, lounges with fire places, an outdoor fire pit, outdoor courts and a human performance lab.  Within the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-Being is the Office of Campus Recreation and Well-Being (RecWell). RecWell provides many of the extracurricular events and programming on campus, focusing on the holistic health of our campus community.

For more information, please visit https://www.etown.edu/bowers-center/.

Intramurals

A variety of intramural sports are offered each semester that are free for students, faculty and staff to participate in.  Consisting of structured game play between other teams on campus, intramurals are a great way for the campus community to engage in physical activity and meet new people. 

For more information, please visit https://www.etown.edu/bowers-center/intramurals.aspx.

Group Fitness

The Group Fitness program provides students, faculty and staff with an opportunity to participate in a variety of group exercise offerings that encourage and support a healthy lifestyle in a fun environment.  Classes are run by certified student instructors as well as employees and outside instructors.  We offer a diverse listing of classes each semester to accommodate a range of skills, interests and groups.

For more information, please visit https://www.etown.edu/bowers-center/group-fitness/index.aspx.

Health Promotion

Health Promotion strives to promote a healthier campus community through prevention programs and educational activities. Our Student Wellness Advocates focus on the eight dimensions of wellness to assist students in achieving individual well-being by making health choices based on their developing values. Health Promotion also offers The WELL, a resource room located in the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-Being that provides free over-the-counter medications and wellness resources to students. 

For more information please visit https://www.etown.edu/bowers-center/health-promotion/index.aspx.

Campus Safety

The Department of Campus Safety is a multi-service agency that provides safety, security, fire prevention, crime prevention, and emergency management on the Elizabethtown College campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Campus Safetystaff are non-sworn personnel employed through a third part provider - Allied Universal Security Services. The department works closely and cooperatively with federal, state, and local agencies, as well as all on-campus offices, regarding problems of mutual concern. Campus Safety also serves a variety of other functions including responding to all medical emergencies, alarms, parking enforcement, access control, and providing information to college guests and visitors.

The Campus Saftey office is located at 605 South Mount Joy Street.. For more information, please visit www.etown.edu/offices/security.

Career Development Center

The Career Development Center assists students with all aspects of the career development process, from choosing a career or major, developing application materials, searching for internships, and implementing their post-graduate plans. Students are encouraged to connect in their first year with Career Services to develop goals that will integrate their passions, skills, and values as they pursue curricular and co-curricular activities.

Signature programs include:

Career Pathway courses provide students with the opportunity to engage in 1-credit classes. Topics include exploring career options, mapping your career plan, developing professional skills, and implementing your post-graduate plans.

Job Shadowing and Informational Interviews enable students to experience “a day in the life of” a professional related to their field of interest. Students have the opportunity to reflect on their interests and gain an insider’s perspective of a possible career options.

Wings of Success Internship Program supports a student’s internship search and the development of skills such as teamwork, written communication, time and project management, problem solving, and relating to a supervisor.

Networking and Employer Connections help students reach their career goals. These connections are facilitated through career fairs, on-campus recruiting, career panels and presentations, employer site visits, mentoring, networking sessions, and the use of Handshake (our online job posting system).

For more information, please visit www.etown.edu/offices/career.