PHILOSOPHY
The belief of each member of the Student Services staff at Calhoun Community College is that every student should have the opportunity to reach his or her maximum potential. Dedicated to this belief are the functions which comprise Student Services: Admissions and Records, Advising, Career Services and Cooperative Education, Freshman Orientation, Judicial Services, Recruitment, Retention Services, Service Learning, Services for Persons with Disabilities, Student Success Center, Student Support Services, Student Financial Aid, Student Activities, Testing Services, and Athletics.
The message from the Student Services Division to students and area residents is,"Calhoun cares about you." Included below is information related to programs and services not already described in other sections of this handbook.
ACADEMIC TESTING AND ASSESSMENT CENTER
Calhoun Community College Testing and Assessment Centers are open Monday-Friday. For more information and hours of availability, please contact 256-306-2522 (Decatur) or 256-890-4792 (Huntsville). In addition to assisting Calhoun academic faculty in providing academic credit testing and distance learning exams for Calhoun courses, the Testing Centers offer fee-based testing appointments for a variety of programs and services including WorkKeys assessments, the HESI A2 , CLEP exams, and many other employment and occupational certifications.
ADVISING CENTERS
Advising Centers staffed by advisors are open and operational on the Decatur and Huntsville Campus. The advising staff will assist students to set academic goals, plan their course schedules, plan their program of study, and register for classes. All new, first-time freshmen will meet with an advisor prior to their first semester. Advisors will remain available to the student for any assistance they may need throughout their time at Calhoun Community College.
CAREER SERVICES
The Career Services Department provides career information to Calhoun Community College students, alumni, and community members through the following services:
· Focus 2 career interest inventory
· Career advising
· Local and national career information
· Mock interviews
· Resume reviews
· HireCalhoun career portal
· Job fairs
Additionally, Calhoun Community College's cooperative education program is available to students in a wide variety of major emphases and programs. The co-op program provides students with experience in their chosen fields and allows employers to connect with their future workforce. Students are welcome to make an appointment to meet with a career services representative from the link on the career services webpage.
COUNSELING SERVICES
Counseling is available for ALL students. Call or stop by the office of Student Disability Services/ADA to schedule an appointment.
EMERGENCIES
In case of medical emergencies, the College's Security/Police Department arrange for the student, at his/her expense, to be transported by ambulance to a nearby emergency room for treatment.
FINANCIAL AID
Financial aid is available at Calhoun Community College in a variety of forms. Students needing assistance with college expenses should communicate with personnel in the Office of Student Financial Services at the following address:
Office of Student Financial Services
Calhoun Community College
P.O.Box 2216
Decatur, AL 35609-2216
FINANCIAL AID PROGRAMS AVAILABLE at Calhoun Community College include the following:
- Alabama Student Assistance Grants
- Federal Work-Study
- Federal Pell Grants
- Federal Direct Student Loan
- Dorothy B. Johnson Loan Fund
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants
- Veterans', Service Members', and their Dependents' Benefits
- Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
- Scholarships
- Academic
- Calhoun Foundation
- Fine Arts
- Senior Adult Program
- Scholarships for Disadvantaged Nursing Students (SDS)
GRADUATION
It's so easy to apply for graduation at Calhoun. Even if you plan on transferring to pursue another degree, receiving your Associate's Degree from Calhoun Community College is valuable and a great start to your academic career. To apply for graduation, you simply complete the graduation application and survey, which can be found at our website, www.calhoun.edu, under Admissions and "other forms." You can also come into the Admissions and Records Office in either location and we can help you fill out the forms.
INTRAMURAL SPORTS
An Intramural Sports program is offered through the Physical Education Department during the fall and spring semesters. Students currently enrolled in the College are eligible to participate. For more information, Coach Bart Stephenson (bart.stephenson@calhoun.edu) in the Physical Education Department.
MUSE
Muse, an annual journal that highlights student poetry, prose, art, photography, and student opinions, is a project of the Language Arts Department. The chairperson of the Humanities Division appoints a committee to oversee the product. Funding for Muse is provided through the Language Arts budget.
SERVICE LEARNING
The Office of Student Services is responsible for the administration and implementation of Calhoun's Service Learning Program. The College has established partnerships with many community agencies for the purpose of placing Calhoun students in service learning project assignments on a semester-by-semester basis. A listing of these agencies is available on the website. The Service Learning Coordinator serves as the liaison between the College and all community agencies. The Coordinator is the primary person responsible for developing and maintaining agency agreements, along with faculty participation in the Service Learning Program.
Should you have questions about the program, please contact the Service Learning Coordinator at 256-306-2870.
SERVICES FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
Calhoun Community College provides environmental and programmatic access for persons with documented disabilities as defined in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (as amended). Any student who requires information or needs academic adjustments or accommodations should contact a staff member.
STUDENT DISABILITY SERVICES
Dr. Brandon Brown
Director, Student Disability Services/ADA
Chasteen Student Services Center, Room 220
(256) 306-2637
brandon.brown2@calhoun.edu
Chasteen Student Services Center, Room 220
(256) 306-2630
Nia Witt, ADA Secretary
Huntsville, Sparkman Building, Room 101Ec
(256) 890-4756
nia.witt@calhoun.edu
Hours of operation are:
HUNTSVILLE
Monday -Thursday (9:00 am - 5:00 pm)
Appointments outside regular schedule can be arranged in advance.
DECATUR
Monday-Thursday (7:45 am - 5:15 pm)
Friday (7:45-11:45 am)
Appointments outside regular schedule can be arranged in advance.
STUDENT ADVOCATE
The Student Advocate Office was created to help students and potential students solve college-related problems by providing individual attention to each issue. It is important that these problems be handled in a direct, expeditious, and friendly manner. If a student or potential student has tried without success to resolve a problem on campus, he or she should contact the Student Advocate Office at 256-306-2870 or email stadvocate@calhoun.edu. For more information, visit https://calhoun.edu/student-services/student-advocate-office/ .
STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER - STAR INSTITUTE
The Student Tutoring and Academic Resource (STAR) Institute is a comprehensive one-stop shop for academic support services on campus. These include, but are not limited to: tutoring, academic coaching, workshops on topics related to academic skills and behaviors, and college success strategies seminars. Scheduled and drop in appointments for tutoring are available in most subject areas. Tutoring sessions are offered both in person and online. Computers and print stations are available for student use. All STAR Institute programs and services are free, with the exception of printing costs, to all students at Calhoun Community College. The STAR Institute is located in Room 230 on the 2nd floor of the Chasteen Student Services Center at the Decatur Campus and Room 206 in the Sparkman Building on the Huntsville campus. Check the STAR Institute page on the Calhoun website for hours of operation of all locations. The front desk number in Decatur is 256-306-2594 and the front desk number in Huntsville is 256-713-4882.
For more information on any of the services provided by STAR Institute, please visit https://calhoun.edu/tutoring/.
FITNESS & WELLNESS CENTER
The Fitness & Wellness Center offers a variety of cardiovascular machines: computerized treadmills, stationary and recumbent bicycles, elliptical machines, etc. The center also offers a a variety of strength training equipment. Full dressing rooms and shower facilities are available.
All currently enrolled Calhoun students have a $10 Access/Wellness fee each semester which entitles all students access to the Fitness & Wellness Center in Kelley Gymnasium (K-126, K-128, and K-118) and the Fitness & Wellness Center in Huntsville (Sparkman Building, Room 26). Students must be dressed in athletic attire, present a Calhoun I.D. and complete a medical release form in order to utilize the Wellness Center.
Decatur campus hours of operation are Monday – Thursday, 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM and Fridays, 7:30 AM – 11:30 AM. Contact the Decatur Fitness & Wellness Center at 256-306-2792 for additional information.
The hours of operation for our Fitness and Wellness Center in Huntsville are Monday – Thursday, 9:00 AM – 7:30 PM. Contact the Huntsville Fitness and Wellness Center for additional information: 256- 890-4988.