SUPPORT SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES

RESIDENCE LIFE

RESIDENCE HALLS

The Department of Residence Life operates over thirty residence halls or housing units, including three apartment units for upperclassmen and families. The newest resident hall, Sam Houston Village, scheduled to open in Fall 2004, accommodates 500 freshmen and offers private bedrooms and a kitchenette. A housing brochure which provides complete details of the residence life program at Sam Houston State University, including information regarding specific residence halls, applicable rates, an application, and policies, is available upon request from the Department of Residence Life, Sam Houston State University, Box 2416, Huntsville, Texas 77341. Additional information may be obtained by calling (936) 294-1812 or by visiting the Residence Life website.

A student is required to be enrolled in the University each semester, including summer, in which the student resides in University housing. Either a spouse or head of household must be enrolled in the University while living in family apartments.

A housing application form is included with the housing brochure and may be filed in person, by mail, or by fax. A deposit of $200 is required with the application for housing. Assignments are made on a space-available basis according to the date of deposit. Prior to the beginning of a semester, the student will be mailed a residence hall or apartment assignment, the appropriate arrival and check-in hours, and other pertinent information. The housing contract will be in effect and must be adhered to for the academic year.

Should a student become unable to fulfill a reservation, a refund may be made under certain conditions. Please refer to the Housing Application/Contract for specific details regarding refunds which are determined by the date the cancellation is received.

Payment for housing may be made in full at registration or in an installment arrangement. Payment of rent and/or deposit may be made via MasterCard or VISA, if desired. A late fee of $10 is charged on all payments received after established deadlines. Information on specific dates of payments and amounts due may be obtained from the Department of Residence Life.

University residence halls are closed during the Thanksgiving holiday, academic breaks between semesters, and during spring recess.

BEARKAT VILLAGE APPARTMENTS

The University maintains two-bedroom, fully furnished apartments for upperclassmen. The apartments are located on Montgomery Road across from Bowers Stadium. All residents must be enrolled in the University.

SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY COLONY APARTMENTS

The University maintains two-bedroom, unfurnished apartments for upperclassmen. The apartments are located on Bobby K. Marks Drive (formerly Avenue H) across from the University Theatre Center. All residents must be enrolled in the University.

UNIVERSITY FAMILY APARTMENTS

The University maintains two-bedroom apartments for families with a spouse or head of household who is a student of Sam Houston State University. A family is defined as: a legally married couple with both spouses in residence; a single parent with one or more dependents in residence; or the head of household with one or more dependents in residence. The apartments are furnished with the exception of living room furniture.

FRESHMEN REQUIRED HOUSING AND MEAL PLAN POLICY

All freshmen students are required to reside in University housing and to purchase a meal plan for their freshman year, which will normally include the fall and spring semesters. Anyone signing an academic year housing/meal plan contract will be required to fulfill the terms of that contract. Exceptions to the Freshman Required Housing and Meal Plan Policy may be made by the Department of Residence Life if:

1. Residence in University housing will impose a significant hardship, financial or otherwise; or
2. the student is married and living with his/her spouse; or
3. the student commutes from the home of his/her parents, grandparents, or a brother or sister; or
4. the student graduated (from high school) at least one year prior to attending Sam Houston State University; or
5. the student is a veteran of military service.

Sufficient evidence to warrant consideration for a waiver of this requirement must be submitted to the Department of Residence Life prior to registration. Registration for classes will be permitted only after the necessary arrangements for the housing/meal plan are made or approval of waiver of this requirement is obtained. A denial of this request may be appealed to the Assistant Director of Residence Life. Charges for both services will be added to the student’s account until approval is obtained. Any student that does not comply with the above policy will be subject to disciplinary action as specified by the Code of Student Conduct as published in Student Guidelines.

DINING SERVICE

Four meal plans are currently available. The 20, 15 or 5 meal plans offer the given number of meals per week (Monday through Sunday). The fourth option provides for “any 160” meals during the semester. Students who purchase the 5, 20, or “any 160” meal plans receive 100 “Bonus Points” toward the Bearkat Express. Students who purchase the 15 meal plan will receive 155 “Bonus Points” toward the Bearkat Express. The Bearkat Express is a declining balance account in which a minimum of $25 is deposited and the cash price of food purchases is deducted from the balance. Bearkat Express funds are non refundable. Bearkat Express is welcome at any ARAMARK managed campus dining facility. The 5 meal plan is an ideal choice for commuters. Rates and additional information are available from the Department of Residence Life.

SUMMER HOUSING

Summer accommodations vary from year to year because of renovation and maintenance schedules; however, facilities are offered to both single students and families. Rooms in residence halls and efficiency apartments for single students and apartments for families are usually open for summer school students. Assignments are made according to date of deposit.

ADMISSIONS VISITOR CENTER

In order to provide assistance in educational planning to various high schools and community colleges, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions furnishes information on the programs and facilities offered at Sam Houston State University. Additionally, programs are planned by this office to enhance the individual student’s academic and social growth upon enrollment as a beginning student. In marketing the University, this office assembles descriptive departmental brochures for individuals and groups. Prospective college students or interested groups are encouraged to contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to obtain additional information. Telephone: (936) 294-1844. Website.

NEWTON GRESHAM LIBRARY

The Library contains more than 1.3 million books, bound periodicals, and government documents and a variety of formats, including multimedia, microforms, microfiche, phonograph records, videotape, and newspapers. The library subscribes to over 2,200 periodicals, an increasing number of which are available electronically. As a depository for selected federal and state government publications in a separate collection of over 230,000 print and non-print documents, the library also serves the citizens of five adjacent counties. The Library’s Thomason Room houses over 12,000 rare books and other materials on Texas, the Southwest, Mark Twain, Gertrude Stein, the Civil War, Library Science, Criminal Justice, and other topics. Other groups of materials housed in the Newton Gresham Library include paperbacks for recreational reading, current periodical issues, new books, and a children’s literature collection. A multimedia lab, music listening room, study carrels, a small lounge area furnished with vending machines, and a copy center, including a public fax machine are provided for the convenience of students and faculty. Library holdings information may be electronically accessed through an online catalog from hundreds of library and campus computer workstations, as well as remotely via the Internet.

The campus network may be used to search electronic periodical or other databases for citations and information. The library maintains database licenses for important databases such as ERIC, Sociological Abstracts, PsycINFO, CJ Abstracts, NCJRS, Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, and Biological Abstracts and ScienceDirect. OCLC’s FirstSearch makes databases such as WorldCat, AGRICOLA, PAIS, and Business and Management Practices available to SHSU students. TexShare, the statewide electronic resource-sharing program, provides access to a variety of electronic databases and thousands of full-text journal articles. A complete list of the electronic databases and electronic journals can be viewed online.

These resources are available from home, campus offices and computer labs. Access to online catalogs of libraries throughout the United States, including nearby university libraries such as the University of Houston, Texas A&M University and the University of Texas is available via the Internet. Books, articles, documents, and other items which are not available locally may be requested through the OCLC interlibrary loan system, a database of over 35 million bibliographic records to the world’s literature.

Sixteen librarians, twenty-six support staff, and a number of student assistants provide reference, interlibrary loan, circulation, acquisitions, and other library services to the faculty, staff and students of the University, as well as to visiting scholars and off campus users. The University Archives, located on the 4th floor of the Library preserves the history of the campus, as well as a collection of faculty monographic publications. A multimedia lab and classroom, staffed by Computer Services department, is available during regular library hours. The seventy networked workstations in this multimedia area may be used to access the periodical and information databases, as well as the library’s multimedia (CD-ROM) collection of over 500 library-use-only CD-ROMs. This multimedia collection is listed in the online catalog and is available to all library users. To assist library users in utilizing library material and services, over fifty printed guides and bibliographies have been developed by library faculty and staff. They are available in print format in the reference area, and are accessible electronically from the library’s home page. The home page also provides access to information on the library’s services for off-campus and distance education students (online).