CUGA Handbook: University Departments
Admissions
Admission to Clemson University is very competitive. Applications become available the first half of August. The decision notification date is February 15th. To receive word by February 15th, you must apply by December 1st. Transcripts and scores mustbe sent by February 1st. We ask students to indicate a first and second choice of major, as some colleges are more competitive than others are. There are not minimum SAT or ACT scores. Admission is based on SAT or ACT scores, high school grades, and class rank. Most accepted students have over 1200 on the SAT and were ranked in the top 10% of their class. Please encourage visitors to stop by the Admissions Office. They are always available to answer questions and feel that the personal attention is one of the strong points of potential student's visits.
Athletics
Clemson University supports an athletic program which includes eight men’s and seven women’s intercollegiate sports as well a 25 sport intramural program available to all students. Clemson’s athletic program is supported by the IPTAY (I Pay Ten Per Year) organization, one of the nations largest athletic booster clubs in the nation, with contributions used for athletic scholarships in all fifteen sports. Students can start their support of Athletics early by joining the IPTAY Collegiate Club. Athletic tickets are FREE for full-time undergraduate students.
Calhoun Honors College
Calhoun College, the Honors Program of Clemson University, strives to enrich the educational experience of highly motivated, intellectually curious undergraduates. Participation in the program is by invitation to entering freshmen that present SAT scores of 1350 and above and rank within the top 3 percent of their high school graduating class. Honors students are required to complete one course for Honors each semester and maintain a cumulative GPR of 3.4 or higher. A student may join the Calhoun Honors College later in his/her college career.
The Honors curriculum consists of two parts, General Honors and Departmental Honors. General Honors requires the completion of at least six Honors courses. Most of the courses applied toward General Honors are 100 and 200 level courses that satisfy General Education requirements. Requirements for Departmental Honors are set by the department of the student’s academic major and typically engage the student in independent study and research. In addition to the intellectual challenge of Honors, some of the advantages of membership in Calhoun College are: priority course scheduling and registration, option of honors designated housing, extended library loan
privileges, and the opportunity to attend special Honors sponsored lectures and cultural events at no charge.
Campus Recreation
The Department of Campus Recreation is the center of on-campus recreational activities for the students, faculty and staff at Clemson University. The department is housed in Fike Recreation Center on west campus across the street from Memorial Stadium. Fike’s facilities include dressing rooms for men and women, six multi-use gymnasiums, ten racquetball courts, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, weight rooms, swimming pool and diving tank, indoor climbing wall, outdoor playing fields, and two beach/picnic areas on Lake Hartwell. The department administers a wide range of programs in 49 club sports and 14 intramural sports as well as providing opportunities for informal exercise in aerobics, dance, table tennis, strength/conditioning and jogging/running. Membership is open to all students, with full-time undergraduate and graduate students able to use the facility at no charge. For information about membership to the recreational facilities, go to the Fike Recreation Center.
Campus Safety
How safe is Clemson campus? While the campus does have crime, our campus is reasonably safe. Clemson University has a professional police department with state-of-the-art programs. Clemson University provides information to our campus community on campus crime, crime prevention, and responds swiftly to our constituents needs. Please refer visitors to the Safety and Security website.
Cooperative Education
The cooperative education program enables students to alternate semesters of work and study in order to gain practical experience in their chosen field while pursuing their educational goals. A basic goal of the program is to help bridge the gap between the academic community and the world of work. Cooperative education, as the term implies, represents a partnership between the University and various participation between industry, business and government organizations. It is not a summer job program. Three work periods are required to obtain the minimum 12 months of experience need to qualify for the Cooperative Education Certificate, warded with the degree at graduation. Students classified as juniors or above may participate in the co-op program for a minimum of two work terms, but they will not earn the certificate unless they complete work terms, which total at least 12 months.
Dining Services
Choice, flexibility, and quality are the heart of the philosophy at Clemson Dining Service. Freshmen are required to choose either the Seven Day Meal Plan, the Five Day Meal Plan, The Any Fifteen Plan, or the Any Ten Plan; unless they live in Calhoun Courts, Clemson House Apartments, Thornhill Village, or Lightsey Bridge Apartments.
Six meal plans are available to everyone:
- The Unlimited Access Plan gives students the ability to enter the meal plan cafeterias, Harcombe and Schiletter, as often during the day as they desire.
- The Any 15 Plan allows students to choose any 15 of the 21 meals served during the week.
- The Five Day Plan allows students breakfast, lunch and dinner, Monday through Friday.
- The Any 10 Plan allows students to choose any 10 of the 21 meals served per week.
- The Plus Any 15 Plan and Plus Any 10 Plan allows students to choose any 15 of 21, or any 10 of 21 meals respectively, served during the week, plus "Paw Points " which can be used in lieu of cash at any of the other Dining Services operations.
Harcombe is the largest of the board cafeterias, serving approximately 5,000 people per day. At Harcombe and Schilletter, the second largest cafeteria, seconds are unlimited and choices are endless. There are hot entrees and vegetables, a 60-item salad and soup bar, soft serve ice cream, and a bread bar everyday.
Throughout the year, the board plan offers special events like Christmas buffet, Carnival night, and Mardi Gras. Once a week, there is a different treat, like nacho bars, make your own sundae, or giant birthday cakes.
Besides Harcombe and Schilletter, there are other dining locations: the Clemson House, Canteen, East Side Food Court and the Fernow Street Café that serves fast food, like Chic-fil-A. These are cash and Tiger stripe operations. The Clemson House is a contemporary cafeteria with made to order selections like grilled burgers and steaks. You can use your meal plan at the Clemson House as cash equivalency.
Financial Aid Office
Student Financial Aid is located on the ground floor of Sikes Hall. Walk-in visitors are welcome, but for an in-depth conference with a counselor, appointments are encouraged. Applications will be available in January for the coming school year. The earliest deadline is February 1, so students are urged to apply early. Student Financial Aid is extremely busy during the summer. Try to complete the application process early in the spring to avoid being caught in the peak processing time. It usually takes twelve to sixteen weeks to process an application for financial aid.
Housing
Decisions, decisions, “should I live on or off campus?” Relax, the University Housing Department can help you with that decision, because here at Clemson we require unmarried first-year students to live in University Housing. The reason is simple. The University Housing Office wants you to successfully complete the degree you seek and studies have proven that the best way to do this is to live on campus. University Housing has accommodations for nearly 7,000 single students in 21 residence halls, four apartment complexes and the Clemson House, all of which is within easy walking distance of any classroom or dining hall. To insure your housing reservations, you should apply for housing even before you are accepted to Clemson. When your housing packet arrives, send it back as soon as possible. If visitors have any further questions, encourage them to pay the University Housing Office a visit Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon or 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
ROTC
Army and Air Force ROTC cadets are able to complete requirements for a college degree and a military commission. Clemson’s Voluntary Army and Air Force ROTC programs offer exciting leadership training, and an opportunity to earn scholarships that are awarded to serving applicants on the basis of merit, regardless of financial need.
Student Development
Through the programs and services offered, the Office of Student Development works to create a positive environment full of enriching co-curricular experiences for all students. Two of the goals are to assist students with learning beyond classroom instruction, and to encourage individual development. The Student Development Office advises the five student media organizations: TAPS, the yearbook; The Tiger, the newspaper; Chronicle, the literary magazine; WSBF, the radio station, and CCN, the student television organization, 22 fraternities and ten (10) sororities, and both graduate and undergraduate student government.
Student Development Services
The Student Development Services provides coordination of accommodations for students with disabilities. This includes students with learning disabilities, ADHD, physical and emotional disabilities. The Summer Orientation program and campus leadership programs are based out of this office.
Student Health Services
Student Health Services are coordinated through the Redfern Health Center. Redfern is comprised of three divisions: Medical Services Counseling and Psychological Services, and Health Education/Alcohol and Drug Education in the Peer Health Education Program.
University Union and Hendrix Student Center
The University Union and Hendrix Student Center’s mission is to provide cultural, social, recreational, and educational programs and services for members of the Clemson University community. While many programs are designed to appeal primarily to students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in all of the programs and use all facilities. University Union programs programs are planned by student-led and student-composed committees. The Union Underground offers a large game room for recreation. There is a bowling alley, video game room and a billiards room. The Union also has a student pub, Edgar’s, where every Clemson student is welcome. Edgar’s serves
beer and wine to those who are of legal age. There are alternative non-alcoholic drinks for students under twenty-one. The bar has live music or other entertainment throughout the week.
The Hendrix Student Center is home to the University bookstore, a coffee and bagel shop, the Michelin Career Center, WSBF 88.1, The Tiger, TAPS, The Tiger Town Observer, Semantics, the 163-seat McKissick Movie Theatre, Clemson’s home made ice-cream and blue cheese, and a Corner Convenience Store. The information desks at each facility provides many services from selling tickets to various events to registering students/faculty/staff for short courses, trips, and other events.