New Student Orientation

New student orientation is held in August for all new students entering Fall 1 and in January for all new students entering Spring 1. All new students are required to attend orientation to ensure a successful transition to Webster University. Information on the orientation programs will be sent to the student after registration. Call the Associate Dean of Students at 314-968-7105 for additional information.

Some orientation sessions are also offered to freshmen during the summer freshmen registration day programs. Contact Academic Advising for additional information.

Orientation Course for Freshmen

INDZ 1500 - University 101. Prerequisite: first time freshman status. University 101 is designed as an introduction to college life and is intended for first year students. This course will help the first year student make the most of his/her career at Webster University. Using various assessments and exercises, each student will develop a deeper understanding of him/herself and use that understanding to learn adaptation strategies, such as goal setting, values clarification, time management, money management, and stress management skills that will work for each student in and out of the classroom. Each student will also learn how to use the many resources Webster provides to support students in meeting both academic and social challenges. All freshmen are invited but not required to enroll.

Housing

Administered by the associate dean and director of housing and residential life, the residential life program is designed to provide a clean and comfortable living environment in which individual growth and community cooperation are encouraged. Students who live on campus reside in East Hall, West Hall, Loretto Hall, and the Webster Village Apartments. East and West Halls, housing a total of 343 students, opened in Fall 2006. A kitchenette, social lounge, and study lounge are located on each floor. Each building has a laundry room and other common space. West Hall houses a recreation room, multipurpose room, and a classroom. The Webster Village student apartment complex, which opened in Fall 1998, is for any student beyond the freshman year. Apartment options include efficiencies, two-bedroom/two-bath, and four-bedroom/two-bath units, which can accommodate a total of 280 students in 116 units.

Selected upperclassmen on each floor of the halls and in each building of the apartments serve on the residential life staff, as Resident Assistants (RA). Residential life programming includes social, cultural, academic, and recreational events that are planned and conducted jointly by the staff and student residents.

Housing is assigned on a priority basis. Out-of-town freshmen (outside a 35-mile radius) are required to live on campus for their first two academic years and must participate in a meal plan. These out-of-town students are given first priority in the housing assignment process. Students will receive the highest consideration if their housing request and deposit are received by April 1. Students from the metropolitan St. Louis area are also welcome to apply for campus housing.

The University permits residents to have cars on campus. Parking for first-year students living in residence halls is restricted to the parking garage. Vehicles parked on campus must display a valid parking permit purchased from the Business Office.

First-year students who would like to live in the residence halls will be sent information upon receipt of their tuition deposits or they may contact the Residential Life Office directly. Returning undergraduates, transfer, and graduate students may request apartment leasing information by contacting the apartment office. Highest consideration will be given to students whose completed applications and deposits are received by April 1. More detailed information can be obtained by calling the Residential Life Office at 314-241-HOME (4663) or the Webster Village Apartments Leasing Office at 314-246-APTS (2787).

Health Insurance

Webster University requires all resident students and students studying on an F-1 or J-1 visa to have health insurance as a condition of being a student at the University. Students will automatically be enrolled in and billed for the Webster University Student Health Plan; however, U.S. citizens with other health insurance will be allowed to waive their participation in the Webster plan. (Please call 314-968-6922 for an insurance brochure and exemption request.) The deadline for waiving the insurance is 10 days after the first day of the semester or five days after arrival, whichever comes first. All Webster students registered for 3 or more credit hours are eligible for insurance. Beginning in Fall '07, all international students will be automatically enrolled in the Webster Student Health Insurance, with no waivers allowed. Information on insurance rates can be found at:
http://www.webster.edu/studlife/health/healthinsurance.html.

Dining Services

The University's primary dining facility, Marletto's Marketplace, located in Maria Hall, offers food service for three meals a day, Monday through Friday, and two meals a day on weekends. Meal plans available to resident students include Plan A (10 meals per week and 50 points per semester), Plan B (23 meals per week and 25 points per semester), Plan C (180 meals per semester plus 75 points per semester), and Plan D (100 meals plus 175 points per semester). All residents of campus housing (with the exception of non-freshman apartment residents) are required to participate in one of the meal plans. Other students may choose to take any food plan but may change plans only at the beginning of each semester. The University Center Crossroads food court, including a Wow Café and Wingery, Blimpie Subs and Salads, and Freshëns, is open Monday through Friday and offers a variety of wings, tenders, quesadillas, wraps, fajitas, burgers, tenders, chopped salads, shrimp, sides, sandwiches made-to-order, and beverages. Commuting students may use the food service on a per-meal cash basis or may purchase one of the above plans. A Bonus Bucks debit card, offering cashless convenience and a 10% bonus or more, is also available to commuter students. Jazzman's Café, offering upscale coffee, smoothies, sandwiches, and pastries, is open Monday through Friday in the new Emerson Library. Café ala Cart is open weekdays during lunch and evenings in the main lounge of the Sverdrup Business and Technology building.

University Bookstore

The University Bookstore, located in the Garden Park Plaza, stocks textbooks and supplies used in courses, as well as a variety of University clothing and accessories.

Financial Services

The Business Office provides a check-cashing service for students. Short-term emergency loans are available to degree-seeking students on a "funds available" basis. The Office of Student Affairs administers these emergency loan funds. There is a maximum of $300 per student available each year. The Money for Textbooks program is also available to students with financial aid who meet certain criteria. This program provides an advance on an expected refund so that students can purchase their textbooks in a timely fashion.

Student Activities and Organizations

The following includes clubs and organizations sanctioned by the Student Government Association as well as other activities. If a student's particular interest is not represented, the University Center and Student Activities staff will help in forming a specific group.

• Alpha Lamda Pi (Accounting Club)
• American Institute of Graphic Artists (AIGA)
• Amnesty International
• Anime Society
• Arrested Development Fan Club
• Association for African-American Collegians
• Audio Engineering Society (AES)
• Behavioral and Social Science Club
• Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Campus Activities
• Campus Crusade for Christ (CREW)
• Chain Leak Theatre and Improv
• Cheerleaders
• Chinese Students Association
• Club of History, International Relations and Politics (CHIRP)
• College Democrats
• College Republicans
• Computer Club
• Council for Exceptional Children
• Dance Club
• Danceline
• Future Business Leaders of America
• Forensics and Debate Team
• Generation on the Move
• Gorlok Television
• Gospel Choir
• Habitat for Humanity
• The HRC Conglomerate
• International Dance Team
• International Student Association (ISA)
• Japanese Student Association (JSA)
• The Journal (student newspaper)
• Latin American Student Association
• Literature Club
• Marketing Communications Club (MCC)
• Martial Arts Club
• Media Association
• Missouri National Association of Music Education (MENC)
• Missouri National Education Association (MNEA)
• National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH)
• Nurse Anesthesia Resident Association
• Peer Education Zeitgeist (PEZ)
• Potterheads Anonymous
• Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA)
• Radio Television News Directors Association
• Residential Housing Association (RHA)
• Society for Biological Sciences
• Society of International Languages and Cultures
• Socceroos
• The Spark
• Student Alumni Association
• Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)
• Students for Gender Equality
• Student Government Association (SGA)
• Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE)
• Ultimate Frisbee Club
• US Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT)
• Vietnamese Student Association
• Webster Art Coalition
• Webster Film and Video Society
• Webster Inline Hockey
• Webster LGBTQ Alliance
• WebsterLEADS
• Webster Outdoors Club
• Webster Undefined
• Webster University Lions Club
• Women in Media
• Yoga & Pilates

Student Media

The Journal is Webster's award-winning, weekly student newspaper. All students are encouraged to participate in production of The Journal . The Publications Board, composed of students, staff, and faculty, oversees the publication of the newspaper, hires managerial staff, develops policy, and addresses any issues related to the newspaper.

Gorlok Television (GTV) is the student-inspired campus TV station, available for viewing by on-campus residents and in campus buildings. GTV is operated in the School of Communications, and GTV classes can be taken for academic credit. The station also receives some of its funding from the Student Government Association. Students are encouraged to get involved in the various aspects of television production.

The Ampersand is the student-produced magazine of Webster University. What began in 2002 as an effort to revive the Webster College Non-Yearbook evolved into The Ampersand , Webster University's student-produced magazine. The first issue debuted in the spring of 2003, and the staff continues to produce an issue a semester. One thousand issues of The Ampersand are printed each semester and distributed free to students, faculty, and staff at Webster. In addition to work produced by The Ampersand staff, the magazine contains original work by Webster students to provide an outlet for sharing creativity and success on campus. The magazine serves as a reminder of each semester and a published memory as students leave Webster.

Intercollegiate Athletics Program

The Webster University award-winning intercollegiate athletics program is a competitive NCAA Division III program that sponsors the following varsity-level sports: women's cross country, soccer, volleyball, basketball, tennis, and softball; and men's soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, and golf. In Fall 2008, men's cross country and men's and women's track and field will be added. These teams participate against other NCAA Division III institutions and also compete in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) championships. Webster University has won the SLIAC All-Sports Trophy in seven of the last eight years as the top overall competitor in the conference. Participation is encouraged from full-time undergraduate students or graduate students who meet the eligibility requirements of the NCAA and Webster University.

Other Programs

The following services, programs, and facilities are available to Webster University students. A more detailed description can be found in the Student Handbook and Calendar or online:

• Career Services
• Student Health Services
• Information Center
• International Student Advisor
• Multicultural Center and International Student Affairs
• Recreation and Intramurals Program
• Student Government
• WebsterLEADS: Student Leadership Development Program
• University Center and Student Activities
• Counseling and Life Development
• Alcohol/Drug Education and Prevention
• Campus Ministry