DWU - Catalog

Gallup StrengthsFinder	Campus Ministry
Student Support Services	Student Discipline

Campus Life Website
At DWU, college life is about more than taking tests and reading books; the development of the whole person is an essential part of a college education. Student activities, or cocurricular activities, give students the chance to learn important life skills outside of the classroom. Through a variety of activities, individuals can explore their interests, make new friends and learn more about themselves. Cocurricular activities are important in developing a student’s full potential in college. Students develop and apply leadership skills, such as the ability to analyze, organize and communicate, in activities outside the classroom. These experiences are also important in career preparation, as future employers often check on student involvement during college.

Under the direction of the vice president for campus life, all programs and services are offered as a cooperative venture by students, faculty and staff. Student participation is encouraged in planning and evaluating programs and services in the Student Association Senate and through student participation in faculty/administrative committees. Campus life offices are in Prather Hall.

Opportunities for involvement include:

For more information about any of these services, see the DWU Student Handbook at www.dwu.edu/handbook.

Intercollegiate Athletics
As a member of the Great Plains Athletic Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, DWU offers the following varsity sports:

Men’s baseball
Men’s football
Men’s wrestling
Men’s and women’s basketball
Men’s and women’s cross country
Men’s and women’s golf
Men’s and women’s soccer
Men’s and women’s track and field
Women’s softball
Women’s volleyball

Over 350 students participate in DWU intercollegiate athletics. The team nickname is the Tigers and the school colors are royal blue and white.

Great Plains Athletic Conference
The GPAC is an alliance of 13 private, faith-based liberal arts colleges and universities located in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. Its mission is to provide an intercollegiate athletic experience for its student-athletes, consistent with the purpose of Christian higher education. The GPAC is an affiliated conference of the NAIA.

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The NAIA currently administers programs of intercollegiate athletics at more than 330 fully accredited colleges and universities of moderate enrollment. The fundamental tenet of the NAIA is that intercollegiate athletics is an integral part of the total educational program of the institution. As the country’s oldest collegiate sports governing body, the NAIA has been a leader in addressing important issues such as racial integration, women’s sports championship programs and improved academic eligibility requirements.

Champions of Character
All DWU student-athletes and their coaches take a pledge to become Champions of Character. This initiative of the NAIA brings formal emphasis to character development through respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship. By taking the pledge, DWU athletes and coaches agree to follow a code of ethics established by the NAIA and adopted to fit DWU.

Gallup StrengthsFinder®
Individuals are always stronger when they have their successes and strengths clearly in mind. To help students achieve success and an understanding of their personal talents and strengths, Dakota Wesleyan University has students complete the Gallup StrengthsFinder® inventory. Staff and faculty will work with students to help them use the results of the inventory. The insights gained from the StrengthsFinder® inventory may help students choose a career path, select extracurricular activities and develop strategies to deal with the challenges of daily life.

Campus Ministry
Campus ministry at Dakota Wesleyan University supports the university’s mission and serves as a link to the United Methodist Church.

Campus ministry is open to all members of the campus community. The office, historically served by a United Methodist pastor of the Dakotas Conference of the United Methodist Church, seeks to offer an ecumenical ministry by affirming the diversity of faith experiences, understandings and backgrounds while maintaining a grounding in the biblical witness and heritage of the Christian faith. The office provides ministry opportunities for the university, often in partnership with Student Ministry Council and other aspects of campus life. The campus pastor oversees the SMC; is available to the DWU community for spiritual leadership, guidance and care; and regularly teaches courses in the religion department.

TRiO Student Support Services (SSS)
Developed for the express purpose of giving students the best possible chance to succeed in college, Student Support Services incorporates a combination of specially selected academic advisers, carefully planned curriculums with specific course load limits, scheduled supplemental instruction times, academic seminars, access to tutoring services, and regular progress and attendance reviews.

Funded through a federal TRiO grant, Student Support Services provides eligible students tutoring, mentoring, counseling, disability services, multicultural activities, educational seminars, career and graduate school planning, and other resources designed to enhance students’ education and enable them to achieve a postsecondary degree.

Tutoring services are available in all disciplines through group or individual tutoring sessions. Assistance with proofreading of written assignments is also available through the writing center.

Our peer-to-peer mentoring program offers students the opportunity to be matched with a junior/senior student. A mentor serves to provide a student with direction and guidance on many issues that new students face. Mentors share their experience to help our new students succeed.

Counseling is available for short-term needs. Individual and group counseling services provided by the campus counselor include support in coping with the pressures and problems of college life, group educational sessions and individual counseling.

Specialized assistance for students with physical impairments or learning disabilities is provided through facilitation of appropriate resources.

Multicultural activities support education and celebration of diverse backgrounds. Adapting to a new community or environment can be a struggle, so we offer activities and programs that encourage respect, understanding and support of cultural diversity.

Academic and career advising is available to assist with goal setting and exploration. Students will use career assessments and other diagnostic and learning tools to understand strengths, motivation and abilities. Students can explore career options and research graduate school possibilities.

Eligibility is based on first-generation status (neither parent graduated from college with a baccalaureate degree); income through federally stated guidelines; and/or a physical or learning disability. Staff members determine eligibility after conducting an intake interview meeting with the student. Students who are ineligible to receive services through the federal TRiO grant may still receive services through the campus life department.

Student Discipline
The university aims to provide an educational environment that allows each student and faculty member to develop his/her abilities to the fullest. Discipline in an educational setting is not meant to be punitive, but part of the educational process.

In cases where action by a student or group of students prevents other members of the campus community from realizing their objectives, it is the duty of the community to respond in an appropriate manner. Due process is established and followed in all cases. Students should know the policies and procedures outlined in the DWU Student Handbook.

With respect to particular personal matters, students electing to attend DWU must assume specific responsibility. In any connection with the university, the student is expected to refrain from illegal use of alcoholic beverages or drugs, gambling or any other behavior adverse to the atmosphere of the university.