Residence Halls

The residence halls on the Texas Woman’s University campus at Denton and at the Houston Center provide a wide range of choices in student living styles. Each residence hall is centrally air conditioned and offers a variety of facilities for students, including study lounges, piano practice areas, living rooms, television lounges, laundry rooms, computer rooms, vending machines, room refrigerators, TV cable hookup, voice mail, and telephones in each student room.

Students are assigned to the halls of their choice to the extent possible.

Nelda C. Stark and John A. Guinn Halls are contemporary, high-rise buildings, 21 and 24 stories respectively, which lend architectural distinction to the Denton skyline. Nelda C. Stark Hall has double-occupancy rooms and two room suites with private baths. John A. Guinn Hall is a residence hall and conference center housing conference/workshop participants and guests as well as students, both single and married, male and female. The double-occupancy rooms offer private baths. In addition, married couples with one child or single parents with a maximum of two children twelve years of age or older may reside in the Guinn Hall rooms and apartments. Traditional rooms and one- and two-bedroom as well as efficiency apartments are available in Guinn Hall.

Reagan Houston Hall has double-occupancy rooms and one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments in a three story building built around two courtyards. The hall has semi-private baths and houses both male and female students, as well as students with families in apartments.

Mary Hufford Hall provides 16 architecturally separate units with courtyard entrances. Housing is provided for 37 families comprising no more than four members. Families may reside in efficiency or two-bedroom apartments.

The Houston Center site provides contemporary residence facilities adjoining the TWU education centers in the medical center complex. The residence hall accommodates female and male undergraduate and graduate students including married couples. A fitness room with exercise equipment, a lounge, and a vending area is provided. Houston Center Hall has double-occupancy rooms with private or semi-private baths.

Meals are served on the Denton campus in the Commons Cafe and in the Student Center in the Garden Room and the Underground. Vending services and a cafeteria are available at the Houston Center residence hall. Denton campus resident students are required to purchase one of several meal plans unless they reside in one of the on-campus apartments. Meals are planned to fulfill the basic nutritional requirements of residents; special diet plans also are available. For further information on meal plan options, contact the Food Services Administrator, Texas Woman’s University, Box 425380, Denton, Texas 76204-5380.

Residence Hall Staff

The residence halls are supervised by a student life coordinator (Houston) and residence directors. These professional staff members have major responsibility for the overall operations of a residence hall and aid residents in their adjustment to university life. Each residence hall has a staff of resident assistants and student office assistants.

Residence Hall Activities

A wide variety of educational, social, and recreational activities take place in the residence halls. Speakers, concerts, study skills groups, intramural athletics, and special events are just a few of the activities offered to residents. Residents are encouraged to be involved in hall activities. Each residence hall elects a hall council or house council whose responsibilities include developing hall policies and planning activities.

Residence Hall Association

The Residence Hall Association is a coordinating body for the residence hall communities and is comprised of voting representatives from each residence hall community. The RHA works with the Housing staff and residents in the development and initiation of residence hall policies, programs, and facility improvements.

Residential Learning Communities

NET (Neighbors Educated Together) is a distinct residential learning community at TWU. This program offers students the unique opportunity to develop an academic peer support group in the residence hall environment during their first year at the University. All students participating in NET will enroll in the same three courses in English, History and University 1000 (Orientation to the University) for the fall semester and English, History, and Women's Studies (Women in Learning Communities) courses in the spring semester.

Clubhouse After School and Summer Recreation Program

The Clubhouse, located in Mary Hufford Hall, is a children's after-school and summer recreation program designed for 5-12 year-old children of TWU students. The Clubhouse is open from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. during the Fall and Spring semesters and from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the summer. Children must be 5 years old by September 1 to enroll in the Clubhouse program. The program is available Monday through Friday. Limited after-school pick-up service is available to bring children to the Clubhouse. For more information call 940/898-3653 or 898-3676.

Residency Requirement

The TWU Board of Regents requires that all full-time, single undergraduates who have not completed 60 credit hours, who are under the age of 21, who are not veterans, and who are not living with parents or legal guardians within commuting distance live in University residence halls.

Room Assignments and Contract

The housing-food services contract guarantees a bed space in a double-occupancy room. Assignments to residence halls are made on a space-available basis, based on the date that the application and deposit are received at the Department of University Housing. Private rooms may be requested at any time and will be confirmed if space is available, based on the date that the application was received. Students have the opportunity to contract for one semester or for two semesters. Students who break their housing-food services contract will lose their deposit and be assessed a $300 contract breakage fee for failure to complete the contract. It is imperative that the terms and conditions of the contract be read carefully.

Housing applications and/or further information may be obtained by contacting the Department of University Housing, Texas Woman’s University, Box 425380, Denton, Texas 76204-5380.

Costs Associated with Housing

Texas Woman’s University keeps student costs at a minimum. Rates available through the Department of University Housing are for the regular fall and spring semesters which are approximately four and one-half months long, and the summer terms which are five and one-half weeks. A three-payment installment plan is available for housing and food services charges for the Fall and Spring semesters.

Minimal charges for post office box rental and residence hall dues, for programs and activities, should be included in the resident student’s budget. All mail to the Denton campus is delivered to a U.S. Post Office located in the Student Center. Mail for the Houston Center residents is delivered to mail boxes in the residence hall.

Student Government

On the Denton campus and at the Dallas and Houston Centers, all registered students are members of their respective Student Government Associations. Student Government allows students the opportunity to participate in a large variety of all-campus activities and to work with University faculty and administration in developing University policies and programs of special interest to the student body.

Orientation

The orientation experience is designed to inform students of the many academic and social opportunities available to them at TWU. Mandatory freshman orientation is a two-day program held several times during the summer, which includes placement tests, advising and registration. Special population orientations are one-day programs designed for the specific needs of graduate, transfer, non-traditional and international students and are held prior to the beginning of the fall semester. A mini-orientation for new students is held at the beginning of the spring semester and all three summer sessions.

Campus Activities Board (CAB)

The Campus Activities Board (CAB) is a student-run organization responsible for providing activities and programs for the student body and the university community. CAB also provides valuable experiences and opportunities for students to develop personal and professional skills (leadership, time and stress management, group dynamics, etc.), through involvement in the organization. Chair positions and committee membership are open to all students. Additional information is available on the Denton campus in the CAB office in room 101 of the Student Center, or by calling (940) 898-3609. At the Dallas and Houston campuses, activities are sponsored through the student life coordinators.

Students are encouraged to participate in all campus activities. Programs, such as lectures, dances, speakers, movies, picnics and special events are open to all students. A few of the traditional activities are Family Weekend, South of the Border Fiesta, Black History Month, Homecoming, and the Redbud Awards Festival. Day and weekend trips are available at minimal cost to students and their families. These activities include trips such as rockclimbing, camping, horseback riding, skiing, white water rafting, area museums, zoos, amusement parks and major shopping centers.

Office of the Director of the Student Center

The Student Center is named for Mary Eleanor Brackenridge, president of the Texas Woman Suffrage Association. In 1924, Ms. Brackenridge was one of two women appointed as a member of a Texas Board of Regents, and she remains an example of the important roles women have assumed in the life of the university.

The Student Center provides facilities and services intended to meet the needs of a diverse University community. The Student Center Advisory Board and the Student Center Activities Team provide students the opportunity to develop leadership skills that provide a foundation for service within and beyond their University experience.

The office of the Student Center Director on the Denton Campus is located in room 209. Other offices include: Intercultural Services; the Center for Student Development; the United Student Association; the Campus Activity Board (CAB) and the office of the Vice President and Assistant Vice President for Student Life.

Meeting rooms are available for campus organizatoins, students, and conference groups. Additoinal information is available on the web at http://www.twu.edu/o-sl/stucenter.html, or call 940-898-3641.

Center for Student Development

The Center for Student Development serves students, staff, and faculty within the TWU community. The Center for Student Development facilitates students' interpersonal development; promotes leadership development opportunities through seminars, workshops, programs, and retreats; promotes student involvement by educating students about the benefits of group participation, and provides services for commuter students.

Students at TWU are encouraged to take advantage of both the formal leadership development programs and the informal opportunities to develop personal and professional skills. This approach to leadership ensures that students can tailor their own program around their individual needs. The Leadership Program provides a strong basis so that students can easily make transitions from the university to the work force. The Leadership Development Program can be an integral part of a student's college experience. The Leadership Development Program consists of an Emerging Leaders Program, Collegiate Leadership Denton, and a Leadership Series.

The Center for Student Development maintains resource information to assist communting students in locating individuals who are interested in carpooling, living arrangements, and child care. Emergency contact service is available for communting students who need to be contacted in the event of an emergecy.

Student Organizations

Student organizations such as the United Student Association, University honor societies, departmental honor societies and professional groups, national and local sororities, and various student interest groups are vital parts of the educational experience at Texas Woman’s University. Opportunities to participate and assume leadership in a wide variety of group activities are important in each student’s intellectual and professional development.

Student organizations must be registered with the Center for Student Development in order to use University facilities and services. Student organizations must submit registration forms each fall semester.

Academic and social standards for members and officers of student organizations are stipulated in the respective constitutions and bylaws. In some cases, organizational requirements may be above the University requirements.

In order to qualify for elected or appointed posts, a student must be in good standing with the University, be currently enrolled at TWU, and have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher.

Student Publications and Media

The Lasso, produced through the Mass Communications program, provides students with valuable experience in writing, editing, typography, advertising, and photography. Editorial guidance is provided by a faculty advisor in journalism who serves on the Faculty-Student Board for Campus Publications. Members of the board are appointed by and report directly to the president of the University.

Intercollegiate Athletics

Texas Woman’s University continues to be a leader in founding and developing programs for women’s athletics in the United States. Texas Woman’s University teams have won state, regional and national championships; individual athletes have set national records, achieved All-America honors, won medals in the Olympics, and participated on Pan American and national teams representing the United States. As members of the NCAA and the Lone Star Conference, students are provided with the opportunity to compete in an extensive schedule of home and away events as well as invitational, state, regional, and national tournaments. Sports available are basketball, gymnastics, softball, tennis, and volleyball.

For additional information concerning TWU athletics programs, contact the Director, Intercollegiate Athletics, Texas Woman’s University, Box 425349 Denton, Texas 76204-5349 or call 940/898-2378.
 

Services to Students

Counseling Center services are an integral part of the efforts of Texas Woman’s University to accomplish its goal of making the advantages and opportunities of an excellent university education available to its students. TWU’s counseling services emanate from the belief that individuals possess an inherent desire and capacity to make choices which further their personal development, advance their professional goals, and culminate in living full and meaningful lives.

The needs and concerns of TWU students vary with life experiences. These experiences include those of recent high school graduates and extend to those individuals seasoned by numerous responsibilities of adult life. Counseling Center services in Denton, Dallas, and Houston provide assistance to all students who have unique personal, educational, and career concerns. In addition to individual and group counseling, workshops are offered which focus on specific needs typically encountered by university students at various stages of life experiences. Crisis counseling is available during business hours by walk-in. After business hours, crisis counseling is available by contacting the TWU Department of Public Safety and asking to speak with the counselor on call (except when the University is closed for University holidays).

Counseling services are confidential and are provided without cost. A small fee is charged for some test scoring.

Information about services and appointments is easily obtained by telephone, by a personal visit to the center, or from the Center's web site: http://www.twu.edu/o-sl/councent.html. In addition to the usual daytime hours, counseling services are available some weekday evenings during the fall and spring semesters.

TWU Counseling Center staff members are highly trained, experienced psychologists and counselors and advanced students in training for master’s and doctoral degrees. TWU’s commitment to excellence is supported by its careful selection of professionals who are sensitive to student needs and knowledgeable about effective counseling methods. The highest quality of professional and ethical behavior is maintained. The counseling service on each campus encourages requests for additional information.

Denton: West Jones Hall; 940/898-3801
Dallas: 116 Parkland, 16 Presbyterian; 214/689-6655
Houston: North Residence Hall; 713/794-2059
 

Student Health Services

The mission of the Student Health Services (SHS) of Texas Woman’s University is to provide quality basic health care and preventive services to the students of our university. The Student Health Service offers weekday clinics for the diagnosis and treatment of illness or injury. Patient care is provided by physicians and nurse practitioners. The clinic operates during the Fall and Spring semesters from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm from Monday through Thursday, and from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm on Fridays. During the Summer semesters the Student Health Service clinic is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm from Monday through Friday.

Fees are assessed for office visits, lab services, medications, and medical equipment or supplies. All x-rays are referred to off-campus facilities, and students are responsible for all charges. The University maintains a pharmaceutical service with a part-time pharmacist on duty to fill prescriptions from the Health Service or from private physicians.

Houston Center

The University provides access to medical care for students in Houston through the University of Texas Health Science Center Student/Employee Health Services. For information on location and hours of operation, contact the UT clinic at 713/500-3267 or the Student Life Coordinator at 713/794-2158.

Dallas Center

The University provides access to medical care for students on the Parkland and Presbyterian campuses through the Corporate Health Management Clinic in Dallas. For information on location and hours of operation, contact the Corporate Health Clinic at 214/361-5432 or the Student Life Coordinator in Dallas at 214/689-6696.

Health Insurance

An optional health insurance plan is available to TWU students. Although the University Health Service is equipped to handle routine medical problems when a student is on campus, major illnesses or accidents, on or off campus, may require special medical attention or hospitalization not provided by the University Health Service. The University sponsored insurance program covers service on or off campus for a semester or for a twelve month period. Students and/or their parents are urged to consider the insurance program. Further information may be obtained from the Health Service at 940/898-3826.

Health Insurance and Tuberculosis Screening forInternational Students

As a condition of admission, Texas Woman’s University requires all international students to maintain medical and hospitalization insurance for the entire period of their enrollment at TWU. The University sponsors a health insurance program which would assist the student, within the parameters of the program, in covering the cost of medical care in the event of illness or injury. The program offers options for each student to add health care coverage for their spouses and children. Students who initially purchase the University endorsed insurance plan, then find it necessary to withdraw from the University, may be eligible to convert their coverage to a private policy or to receive a partial refund of their payments.

The student insurance fee is automatically added to the student’s tuition and fees bill each semester unless proof of sufficient alternate coverage is provided and an insurance waiver form is completed. Alternate coverage is defined as being comparable to the current policy endorsed by the University (at least a $50,000.00 major medical benefit, $10,000.00 repatriation benefit, and a $25,000.00 medical evaluation benefit.)

Students who serve as Graduate Research Assistants, Graduate Teaching Assistants, or Graduate Assistants, if eligible for university staff insurance, are automatically waived from the student policy each semester, with the exception of a supplemental policy for repatriation and medical evacuation benefits, which the university staff insurance plan does not provide (cost: approximately $25./year). This fee for repatriation and medical evacuation will automatically be added to tuition and fees.

International students are encouraged to provide proof of alternate insurance coverage prior to registration to prevent registration delays. Insurance fee waiver forms can be obtained through the TWU Student Health Service. Please call 940/898-3826 if you have any questions regarding insurance policies.

Tuberculosis Screening

All new students who have lived in areas of the world where tuberculosis is highly prevalent are required to be screened for tuberculosis at the Student Health Service on the Denton campus (or at a subcontracting clinic site in Dallas or Houston). This screening for tuberculosis shall be initiated prior to the first day of class attendance on the Denton, Dallas, or Houston campuses. If you have any questions regarding this policy, or if you require any other additional information, please contact Student Health Services, Texas Woman’s University, P.O. Box 425467, Denton, Texas 76204 (telephone: 940/898-3826).

Child Development Center

The Child Development Center (CDC) operates two programs: the full-day Child Care Program and the Nursery School. It is located at 1900 Cherrywood which is across University Drive (Hwy. 380), adjacent to the Denton campus.

The CDC provides a safe and nurturing environment that promotes the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of young children while responding to the needs of their families. The program creates a learning environment that is designed to meet the unique needs of each age group. Special consideration is given to each child’s individual growth patterns, strengths, interests, and experiences. University students from many academic departments observe and participate in the Child Care Center and the Nursery School.

The Child Care Program give priority to children of TWU students, staff, faculty, and alumni. The Center serves children from the general community after all other slots are filled. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday. Children are accepted between the ages of 18 months through Pre-K.

The Nursery School is open to anyone, regardless of University affiliation. Children who are ages 3 or 4 are eligible. The school operates two separate three-hour programs, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

The Child Care Center is closed when TWU offices are closed, approximately three weeks per year. The Nursery School follows the University class schedule, beginning on the first day of class each semester and ending on the last day of finals week.

Information and application forms may be requested from the Child Development Center, Texas Woman’s University, P.O. Box 425769, Denton, TX 76204-5769, or call 940/898-2321, or fax 940/898-2268. There is a waiting list for both programs, so it is important that interested parents contact the CDC at their earliest convenience.
 

Career Services

Career Services provides a number of programs to assist students with obtaining career counseling, career information, part-time employment while attending school, and full-time career employment upon graduating from the University. See our Web page at http://www.twu.edu/o-cs/. Career Services includes the following programs:

Career Education

Career counseling is available to all students. Individual appointments may be made by calling Career Services at 940/898-2950. Career planning sessions may include interest appraisals, the SIGI computerized career guidance system, and professional career counseling.

Seminars and workshops are presented each semester on a variety of career and work-related issues, including interview techniques, resume writing, and job-search strategies. Seminars also may be scheduled by classes, clubs, or residence halls.

Special events are scheduled to provide students with more specific career and job information. Career Information Days bring employers to campus to talk with students individually or in groups about careers, companies, and job requirements.

Career Library

A comprehensive career resource library is available. Materials available to students include career information books, pamphlets, cassettes and video tapes; occupational values, abilities and interest appraisals; how-to books on job-search strategies, resume preparation, and interviewing skills; employer reference materials; and computers for Internet job searching.

Employment Assistance

This service functions to assist students and alumni with obtaining full-time employment and to assist employers in locating qualified candidates. Job opportunities that come into the office are recorded on a Job Hot-Line which can be accessed by any touch tone phone 24-hours-a-day. Seminars are held each semester to teach seniors how to find jobs and career information days are held on each campus to bring students and employers together to discuss job opportunities. A Resume Referral Service is available for students who register for this service. Resumes that meet the employer’s requirements will be provided to the employer.

Further information is available from Career Services, Texas Woman’s University, P.O. Box 425619, Denton, Texas 76204 or by calling 940/898-2950. See our webpage at http://www.twu.edu/o-cs/.

Student Employment

Student Employment serves as a centralized information center for part-time temporary employment for on-campus as well as off-campus part-time opportunities. On the Denton campus, job vacancies are listed in three locations: on the job information board in the Student Center, Career Services on the second floor of Jones Hall and on the Career Services webpage.

Students are referred to jobs by Career Services and when hired must obtain an employment permit. The permit must be returned to Career Services to be processed for payroll.

At the Dallas and Houston Centers, students also will need to complete an employment permit. Students in Dallas obtain their permits in the Office of the Administrative Coordinator in DED 024 on the Parkland Campus. Students at the Houston Center obtain their permits in the office of payroll and personnel HMJ 924 on that campus.

Position listings change continuously with a wide variety of opportunities available to students. Student employment provides financial assistance in addition to valuable work experience. For further information contact Career Services at 940/898-2950.

Cooperative Education

Cooperative Education is a program of learning which combines classroom study with paid practical work experience outside the formal academic setting. Many academic programs at TWU provide undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to participate in such activities. Upon graduation, the student will have both a degree and work experience in his/her chosen field.

Cooperative Education provides paid employment in supervised learning situations in business, industry, government, or service enterprises in order to supplement and enhance classroom learning and career development. Employers select students for a position on the basis of individual merit and qualifications. During the co-op work experience, the student will work as a regular paid employee while receiving professional supervision by the work supervisor, faculty member, and Co-op coordinator.

Admission Requirements

To participate in the Cooperative Education program, students can apply to the program through the Office of Career Services or call 898-2950. Co-op coordinators will assist with the job search and placement process. The following qualifications apply:

1. The recommendation of her major or minor department.
2. A minimum cumulative grade point average determined by the academic department.
3. Be available to work the number of hours per week specified for credit.
4. Be an undergraduate or graduate student at TWU.

Cooperative Education students may elect alternate or parallel plans subject to the needs of the students and employers. Students participating in the alternating plan work full time for a semester and attend the University as full time students the next semester. The parallel plan allows the students to participate in part-time work while registered for on-campus classes. Students participate in one or more work periods. Each work period is of such duration that it provides sufficient opportunity to gain in-depth experience in an area related to the students’ academic or career goals.

Academic Credit

Academic credit may be given for work in positions related to the students’ major or minor area of study. Also, it is possible to receive Cooperative Education credit if the student already is employed and the current position meets the standards of the Cooperative Education program.

All qualified Cooperative Education programs must meet certain requirements. The program at TWU is based on the following requirements:

1. A Cooperative Education experience is offered as a credit course by the academic department and under the guidance of a faculty member. A student must register and pay tuition for the appropriate course.
2. The work experience must be of sufficient duration to be a meaningful part of the student’s academic program, generally the regular semester schedule.
3. Minimum standards of work performance must be maintained by the university and by the employer. The student’s work must be evaluated periodically by the student, the employer and the faculty member. The credit and grade for the course is based on evaluation of the student’s performance and assigned by a faculty member in the academic department.

Cooperative work-study arrangements are made between the University and business, industry, or selected institutions appropriate to the particular academic program. Potential job assignments are developed on the basis of student interests, skills, and degree program. The student will apply the ideas and processes learned in other courses to practical experience under cooperative supervision. Cooperative planning and evaluation are essential elements in the course.

Undergraduate Courses

4951. Cooperative Education. One hour credit, 8-12 hours of work a week.

4953. Cooperative Education. Three hours credit, 15-20 hours of work a week.

4956. Cooperative Education. Six hours credit, 30-40 hours of work a week.

TWU Wellness Services

TWU Wellness Services serves the University and the Denton community by providing access to two activity locations: the Jones Hall Wellness Center and Pioneer Hall.

In the Jones Hall Wellness Center, a wide variety of services are available including the Wellness Center