Participation at all levels of college operation is an important part of the student experience at Canisius. This involvement is valuable to the student as part of the learning process, and to the college as a whole as well, enabling the institution to draw upon the creativity, innovation, and leadership of its students in its efforts to serve them better.

Students discover that education takes place outside the classroom as well as inside. In keeping with the Jesuit ideal of educating the whole person, students learn and develop a total sense of self through participation in such experiences as life in the residence halls, co-curricular activities, organizational membership and leadership, social involvement in the community, and membership on the various college committees.

It is hoped that through such involvement a student’s years at Canisius will be a time of intellectual growth, advancement in self knowledge, and an improved knowledge of others.

Division of Student Affairs

The Vice President for Student Affairs, and the Dean of Students, with the aid of staff and committees, determine all student affairs policies and procedures for the college, subject to the approval of the President.

Assistance to students is provided by the following offices:

• Residence Life
• Student Activities
• Intercollegiate Athletics
• Intramural Athletics
• Multicultural Programs
• Student Health Center
• Counseling Center
• Public Safety
• International Student Programs
• Community Relations
• Disability Support Services
• Student Center
• Student Development

Athletics

Canisius College conducts an extensive program of athletics for both men and women, including varsity sports (NCAA Division I), athletic clubs, and intramurals.

Varsity Sports: Men–baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, track; women–basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, synchronized swimming, tennis, track, volleyball; co-ed: rifle.

Athletic Clubs: Men–rugby, volleyball; co-ed: bowling, cheerleading, skiing, scuba and crew.

Intramurals: Men–basketball, football, indoor soccer, softball; women–basketball, softball; co-ed: racquetball, volleyball, floor hockey, tennis.

Health and Accident Insurance

All Canisius College students need to have health insurance to prevent the financial burdens associated with health care. Students must have their own coverage or purchase a sickness plan offered by the college. Information about eligibility, cost, and enrollment periods in the sickness plan is available in the Student Health Center. Canisius College provides accident insurance for all full-time undergraduates.

All students must carry proof of their health insurance coverage while on campus. Most health insurance companies issue a health insurance card for that purpose. To prevent confusion, it is also recommended that all students know how their health insurance program is administered, in the event a need for health care arises while at school. This is especially important for those students covered by a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), or those needing their physican’s authorization prior to receiving health care by another provider.

Canisius College is not responsible for payment of medical expenses incurred by students.

Student Health Center

The Student Health Center is a nurse-directed health service, providing nursing assessment, and care for the minor health problems students encounter. A physician is available on campus by appointment, two afternoons each week, during the academic year. All visits are confidential. Located in the tunnel of Frisch Hall, the center has nurses available Monday through Friday when classes are in session, September to May.

Counseling Center

The mission of the Canisius College Counseling Center is to promote development of the whole person by helping students effectively transform life’s challenges into opportunities for personal growth. As an integral service within the division of Student Affairs, the Counseling Center actively supports the educational mission of the college. Counseling is available to assist students with their personal growth and development. Counseling services are available to all registered students, free of charge, from a staff of professionally qualified counselors. Students are assured confidentiality, unless it is apparent that the student may do harm to him/herself, or others. Information disclosed does not become part of any official record and is protected by the ethical and legal standards of the American Counseling Association (ACA).

In addition to individual counseling, support groups are formed as needed. The Counseling Center staff is also available to conduct workshops on a variety of issues and topics. Referrals to community resources are also available through the Counseling Center.

The Counseling Center is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. For emergency assistance after business hours, please call Public Safety at 888-2330.

Please visit our website at www.canisius.edu/counseling.

Living Accommodations

On-campus residence is strongly recommended for both out-of-town and local students. Canisius College believes that the experience of living on- campus contributes to the development of a mature, concerned, and well-informed graduate. Several research studies conducted by the college have suggested that students who live in the residence halls develop important social values which enable them to better know themselves, their classmates, and their instructors.

Through programs initiated by the Office of Residence Life and the Residence Halls Association (the resident-student government), students are encouraged to enhance their social and interpersonal skills while strengthening their ethical values. These programs include lectures, workshops, volunteer experiences, and social activities.

There are several housing options available to resident students. Bosch and Frisch, the traditional residence halls for freshman students, are newly renovated. They include double rooms, suites, and a social lounge. A computer lab for Bosch and Frisch residents is located in the Palisano Pavilion. The first-floor study lounge is a computer room. Campion Hall houses undergraduate students in one-, two-, and three-person suites with private baths. Two-and three-person apartments are available to upperclass students in Griffin Hall. They include living rooms, baths, and full-size kitchens. Main/ Delavan and Main/Humboldt have four-person apartments with two bedrooms and two baths each for upperclass students. The college also owns several houses that students occupy in the neighborhood adjacent to the campus. In the Fall of 1996, the college opened the Village Townhouses, four- and five-bedroom apartments, and is opening the Delavan Townhouse Complex with all single bedrooms in the Fall of 2001.

Residence-hall staff members live on the floors and in the apartment buildings to respond to student needs. The resident assistants (R.A.) are upperclass men and women students who are trained to handle personal, disciplinary, academic, and social concerns of students. There are also Jesuit and professional hall directors living in Bosch, Frisch, Griffin, Campion, Main/Humboldt, and the new Village and Delavan Townhouses. The residence hall facilities include recreation and study lounges, laundry room, snack bar, pool tables, vending machines, and kitchen facilities.

The Public Safety Office is centrally positioned in the basement of Bosch Hall. The Office of Residence Life is located on the first floor of Bosch Hall.

For further information on costs, services, and application procedures, students should contact the Office of Admissions.

Student Activities

Over 90 student clubs and organizations operate at Canisius under the supervision of the Undergraduate Student Association and the Office of Student Activities. These organizations provide students with an opportunity to explore an academic subject informally yet deeply, gain familiarity with the arts or with differing cultures, provide service to the college or to the community, develop a wide range of leadership skills or simply socialize with other students. In addition, the various honor societies give recognition to student excellence in numerous areas, and the student-run media on campus, such as the college newspaper (The Griffin), the campus radio station (WCCG), and the college’s yearbook (Azuwur), provide students with opportunities to explore the communications media and keep the college community informed and entertained. Further, Greek social organizations provide students with the opportunity to interact with each other in a unique context. A variety of club sports enhance the recreational opportunities for students. Many special events concerts, comedians, lectures, etc. are also scheduled.

The Undergraduate Student Association is comprised of the total student body and is represented by an elected group, the Student Senate. The purpose of the Senate is to assist, finance, and integrate the student organizations and to represent the views of the student body to the college administration.

Services for Students with Disabilities

Canisius College is committed to providing assistance to students with disabilities to insure that their performance is measured by their ability, not their disability. The following are some of the services available for students with disabilities:

1. Guide to the campus: Maps are available describing accessibility via the tunnels, elevators, and ramps.

2. Parking: Specially marked parking spaces are available for students with both a Canisius College parking permit and a handicapped parking permit.

3. Transportation: A college-operated van equipped with a wheelchair lift provides transportation to temporarily or permanently disabled. Personal assistants are no longer handled through the office.

4. Physical Recreation, Therapy, Athletics: Physical Recreation, Therapy, Athletics: The Koessler Athletic Center, within its resources, makes available adaptive physical education courses and physical therapy as the need arises.

5. Personal Assistants: Students in need of assistants will be helped to identify appropriate personnel. The college can not take responsibility for hiring, training, or paying such personnel.

The Director of Disability Support Services serves as the college’s advocate for students with disabilities and is responsible for arranging necessary support. Any student who needs special services should contact the Director (888-3748) before the semester begins when possible, since ample lead time is required to plan for appropriate on-campus services.

Career Center

Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions a person will make. Obtaining a college education and planning one’s future occupation are activities closely bound to each other. For this reason, Canisius College provides a number of programs and services through the Career Center designed to help students define their career goals and make the preparation needed to ensure a successful transition from student life to the world of work. Available services include:

Career Counseling: Individual sessions with a career counselor are always available. Students make appointments to discuss career interests, assess skills and interests, determine the best matches between academic major and post-graduate career, review resumes, and develop career strategies.

Career Assessment: All students will have access to self-assessment tools including the Sigiplus computerized guidance program to assist them in determining the areas of their occupational interests.

Career Library: An extensive collection of career research resources and self-help career-related materials is available to students and alumni.

Workshops: The Career Center with with Residence Life, Student Activities and other divisions of the college to provide workshops on career-related topics such as interview skills, resume writing, job search strategies, etc.

Graduate/Professional Schools Fair: This annual Fall semester event provides access to representatives of graduate and professional programs locally, regionally, and nationwide from a variety of academic disciplines.

Career Bulletin: A biweekly publication of job openings lists full- and part-time positions, internships, and seasonal and volunteer assignments.

On-Campus Recruiting, Job Fairs, Career Days: Regularly scheduled events provide access to employers from public, private and non-profit organizations.

Students usually discover that career services are best used early during one’s college years. Freshmen and sophomores will find the Career Center an excellent source of information on occupations and majors. Juniors can use the services offered to identify specific career paths. Seniors can take advantage of a variety of programs intended to assist them in obtaining their first career positions.

International Students

Canisius College welcomes international students and appreciates the cultural diversity they offer our student body. Currently our international students are from approximately 31 countries including areas as diverse as Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, South America, and Australia. The Office of International Student Programs advises international students and assists them with their adjustment to Canisius College and American culture by organizing educational and social programs. To further encourage cultural understanding within the Canisius community, the International Student Programs Office also arranges host families for our international students and organizes an annual International Fest, a week-long celebration of cultural diversity on
campus. Other services for international students include an extensive orientation for new students, assistance with immigration regulations, and special tutorial help in English. The Global Horizons Association, a student organization for American and international students, plans additional activities to promote cultural awareness on campus.

All international students studying on a F1 or J1 Visa are required by the college to purchase a health insurance plan offered by Canisius College. This plan is designed and written specifically for the health care needs of international students studying in the United States. Information about the required health insurance plan is available in the International Student Programs Office.

Office of Multicultural Programs

A genuine, pluralistically diverse campus fosters freedom of expression, tolerance, equality, mutual respect and understanding of other people. Such a community recognizes the interdependence of diverse groups and the integrity of each individual, where all individuals feel a sense of being participants in the college’s mission and activities.

The Office of Multicultural Programs assists the college in enhancing services for African American, Asian-American, Latino/a-American, and Native American (ALANA) students while educating the entire student population regarding cultural diversity. The office assists students regarding racial issues, self-concept interests and participatory involvements within the frame-work of the college. Although services provided are primarily co-curricular, the office also serves as a referral and support unit regarding academic and other collegiate matters.

The Director of the Office of Multicultural Programs meets informally with all students and invites members of the student body to special multicultural events on campus and in the Buffalo community. This frequent interaction helps students to feel comfortable articulating their concerns on such challenging topics as racism, cross-cultural communication and relationships, as well as discussing academic, financial and personal concerns from a multicultural perspective.

Student Development

Jesuit education aims at preparing intelligent, moral and committed men and women for others who can infuse civil society with true human values. Action and reflection are essential components in the process of integrating values into one’s education. The Office of Student Development was created to help accomplish this task. We provide the opportunities for students to become involved in values, issues, service, learning, and civic responsibility through participation and reflection. Speakers, discussion groups, workshops, neighborhood clean-ups and assistance, service opportunities are some of theses ways. For more information, please drop in any time at our office, located in the Student Activities Complex on the lower level of the Student Center, or call 888-3194.