STUDENT LIFE

Mark Heidrich, Acting Dean of Students
Campus Center 143, 240-895-4208

The acting dean of students is the administrative official responsible for all non-academic student-related matters.  The acting dean oversees the following offices and services: Counseling Center, Health Services, Judicial Affairs, Multicultural Affairs, Residence Life, and Student Activities. For a problem that cannot be resolved by these offices, contact the acting dean of students for assistance.

Athletics and Recreation

Scott Devine, Director
Athletics and Recreation Center, 240-895-HAWK (4295)

Competitive and recreational sport is an essential component of a liberal arts education, and development of the total person through a broad range of experiences is one of the goals at SMCM.  Students have found that they can succeed in their primary academic pursuits while also participating actively in intercollegiate sports and recreational activities.  Athletics and intellectual training are known to significantly complement and support one another in a small college community, and the College promotes these efforts.  St. Mary’s supports activities on various levels: 15 varsity athletic teams, 14 club sports, 17 intramural activities, physical education skill courses, and open recreation.

The new, state-of-the-art Athletics and Recreation Center, exercise and weight rooms, sports fields, eight-lane all-weather track, lighted tennis courts, and waterfront provide ample opportunity for individual and informal group recreation.  The facilities are generally available on demand except during physical education classes, athletic events, or other special activities.  Students need their student ID in order to check out athletic or waterfront equipment.

Career Services

Kathy Grimes, Assistant Vice President of Lifelong Learning and Professional Development
White House, 240-895-4203

Preparation for post-college career goals should begin soon after setting foot on campus.  If a student’s goals are not yet defined, the Career Services Office can help him/her figure out where to go with life after SMCM and how to get there.

The Career Services Office offers a wide range of services: career exploration, on- and off-campus job search assistance, and graduate/professional school planning.  Students are encouraged to use many resources in the Career Library.  Students should also stop by to receive help in writing a professional résumé for internships, summer or full-time jobs, and for employment referrals.

Counseling Services

Hieu Dovan, Ph.D., Director
Ethel Chance Hall, 240-895-4289

Transition and change characterize everyone’s life, and talking with someone can help.  The College counseling center is staffed by professionally trained counselors eager to help, whether the issue is interpersonal relationships, stress or depression, confusion over life goals, alcohol/drug use, sexuality, family/parental difficulties, test anxiety, or some other personal, academic, or college life concern.  Individual and group counseling, special topic workshops, and consultation services are available.

The counselors are on hand for individual counseling by appointment, and the staff is trained to help with crises that arise at other times.  The counselors can also coordinate with therapists or medical doctors back home. All counseling services are free of charge to students, and all matters discussed in counseling are confidential.

Health Services

Dwight Schafer, CRNP, Director
Ethel Chance Hall, 240-895-4289

The Health Center offers medical care for minor injuries and illnesses to all full-time students who have submitted a completed health form.  A member of the American College Health Association, the center is staffed by a full-time nurse practitioner and registered nurse, as well as by a part-time physician.  Consultation and referral assistance are provided.  Students are seen by appointment and on a walk-in basis as scheduling permits. Strict confidentiality of all records and information is maintained at all times. 

Emergency and after-hours care are provided through local urgent-care clinics and area hospitals.  Students are strongly advised to carry an individual health insurance policy for laboratory, x-ray, emergency services, and hospitalization, none of which are covered by student fees.

The Health Center is a resource for health and wellness information.  The Center’s goal is to provide information and support that will help in making healthy lifestyle, low-risk lifestyle choices. 

Multicultural Programs

Terell Lasane, Assistant Dean of Students for Diversity
201-G Anne Arundel, 240-895-4448

Multicultural Programs provides personal and academic support through counseling and workshops.  It also works with various offices to provide a welcoming environment for students.  Multicultural Programs aims to familiarize ethnic minority students with academic programs and policy; provide information about support services; assist with academic and social adjustment; and introduce students to faculty, staff, and other students who are traditionally under-represented.  Multicultural Programs also sponsors cultural opportunities that convey the wealth of experiences of traditionally under-represented populations to the SMCM community.

Residence Life

Joanne Goldwater, Associate Dean of Students
102 Anne Arundel Hall, 240-895-4207

The purpose of the Office of Residence Life is to support the mission of the College by creating caring living-and-learning communities that are conducive to sleeping, studying, and socializing.  The residence life staff cultivate student leaders and serve and educate the residents.

The staff in the Office of Residence Life manages the day-to-day operations of student housing.  The department works to improve the quality of life in campus residence halls, suites, apartments, and townhouses and to promote personal development through community living experiences.  The office, through its student staff of residence hall coordinators and resident assistants, can address a variety of concerns, ranging from roommate difficulties to the physical condition of the room.  The staff also provides residents with a wide range of recreational, educational, and cultural programs to enrich their residential experience. Administrative functions, such as housing assignments, coordinating the after-hours “On-Call Professional” (OCP) system, and managing openings and closings, are also handled by Residence Life. 

Student Activities

Kelly Schroeder, Assistant Dean of Students
Campus Center 143, 240-895-4209

The Office of Student Activities provides opportunities for students’ personal growth through exposure to multicultural experiences and engagement in leadership development and active citizenship.  These out-of-classroom experiences complement the academic program and enhance the educational experience, through leadership, service, social, intellectual, cultural, recreational, and governance programs.  Students who become involved on campus are able to develop life skills through active participation in clubs and co-curricular activities.  Opportunities exist for making significant contributions to student life at SMCM through the more than 70 recognized clubs and organizations.  The Office of Student Activities advises the student governing bodies, programming committees, and media of the Student Government Association (SGA).  It also serves as a resource for the College’s clubs and organizations.

Students who live off-campus and commute to classes may feel isolated from the daily activities and social interactions that resident students enjoy.  Involvement in SGA, participation in campus events, and taking advantage of services for commuters help make St. Mary’s College a home away from home. In the Campus Center, lockers are available for storing books and valuables, and bulletin boards provide up-to-date information about on-campus events.  Students choosing to bring their own food can use the microwave in the café.   A commuter meal plan can be purchased from the Business Office in Margaret Brent Hall.  Additional services include the off-campus housing list, coordinated by the Office of Residence Life.  This service works closely with area realtors and landlords to find reasonable housing for commuter students.

The Service and Social Change Program in the Office of Student Activities was formed in response to student interest in volunteerism, service, and social and environmental activism.  While the foundation of the Service and Social Change Program is in student clubs and projects, service-learning courses are offered in the curriculum, and faculty members advise and mentor students interested in the five areas of specialization within the program – education and youth development; environmental awareness and advocacy; human and health services; poverty and economic justice; and equality and social justice.