Student Life and Athletics
Student activities are a vital and integral part of the total educational environment at the College of Southern Maryland. Through planning and participating in extracurricular activities, a student can develop and expand skills in areas such as leadership, interpersonal communication, time management, goal setting, and decision making. Activities are also a way to meet new people, explore interests, and have fun.
Activities sponsored by student clubs and organizations are under the direction and supervision of the Student Life and Athletics Department as well as the Student Government Association (SGA). Student-sponsored activities are primarily funded through a percentage of the combined fee. The SGA allocates funds to support a wide variety of activities, services, and events.
Intercollegiate athletic activities are also supervised by the Student Life and Athletics Department. The college offers opportunities to compete with other colleges in eight different sports.
The Student Life and Athletics Department provides direction and coordination in the development of a diverse series of extracurricular activities and programs. The department also offers many resources and services to student organizations including leadership development, programming, financial management, overall procedural operation, and advisement. In addition, the office publishes the Student Handbook.
Intercollegiate Athletics
The college has intercollegiate athletics programs for both men and women. Men’s intercollegiate sports include basketball, baseball, golf, and soccer. Women’s intercollegiate sports include basketball, soccer, softball, and volleyball. The college is a charter member of the Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference (JUCO), Region XX, and the National Junior College Athletic Association. All on-campus team activities take place on the La Plata Campus.
Student Government Association
The Student Government Association (SGA) exists to give CSM students a voice in the administrative affairs of the college, particularly in those areas that affect the students’ academics and social programs. The SGA, aided by the vice president of Student and Instructional Support Services, has principal responsibility for overseeing the Student Associations (SA) on all three campuses, as well as establishing policies and regulations for the allocation of student activities funds collected through the combined fee.
Student Associations
The Student Associations (SA) give CSM students a voice on their individual campuses. The SA provides opportunities for the co-curricular education and personal development of students and provides a diverse program of activities and services at the La Plata, Leonardtown, and Prince Frederick campuses.
The voting membership of the SA is made up of an executive board (consisting of president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer), campus representatives, and club presidents. However, all registered students are members of the SA.
Students wishing to run for office or to find out more about the SA should visit the SA office located on the campus nearest you or the Student Life and Athletics Department located in the CC Building on the La Plata Campus.
Student Handbook
The Student Handbook is published annually and contains information on matters of interest to enrolled students as well as policies important to student success. All enrolled students are expected to obtain a copy of the handbook. Copies are available from several locations on all campuses and online.
Student Organizations
Student organizations at the College of Southern Maryland serve a valuable educational function, offering students the opportunity to join together around governmental, cultural, political, and special-interest issues and to assume various leadership roles in carrying out group programs and activities. The Student Handbook includes a list of current student organizations and outlines the academic responsibilities of participating students.
The SGA and other student organizations sponsor a wide variety of activities and programs throughout the year. The SAs coordinate programs and activities at each of the college’s campuses. Information concerning these activities can be found in the Student Handbook and the Student Life web site at www.csmd.edu/StudentLife.
Food Services
Campus dining is available at each of the College of Southern Maryland’s campuses. On the La Plata Campus, students can find several food options at the CSM Café, the Hawks’ Hideaway Snack Shop, or through an extensive vending program. The CSM Café, located in the Center for Business and Industry (BI), offers hot entrees, daily breakfast and lunch specials, grilled sandwiches, pizza, salads, grab-and-go items, and snacks. The Hawks’ Hideaway Snack Shop, located in the Bookstore (BK) Building, serves items such as sandwiches, wraps, pretzels, nachos, ice cream, coffee, and cold beverages.
Food carts are operated at both the Leonardtown and Prince Frederick campuses. CSM’s Café a la Cartes offer a variety of grab-and-go items, as well as coffee, cold beverages, and snacks to students hoping to grab a bite to eat on their way to or from class. The food carts are open later in the evening to accommodate students’ schedules. The CSM Café a la Carte at the Leonardtown Campus is located in Building B and is located at the Prince Frederick Campus near the CSM College Store.
Catering services are available at all the campuses for college events. Catering includes a choice of delivery or pick-up service. Vending machines are available throughout the buildings, as well as the bookstores at the La Plata, Leonardtown, and Prince Frederick campuses.
Questions about campus dining should be directed to the Scheduling, Food, and Conference Services office at 301-934-7743. Questions about vending should be directed to the College Store on the campus.
Housing Assistance
The college provides a housing referral service for students who are looking for housing in the tri-county area. Housing information notebooks, which list possible rental opportunities in the tri-county area, are available in the Student Life and Athletics Department at the La Plata Campus and in the main offices of the Prince Frederick and Leonardtown campuses. Apartment owners or those who wish to share an apartment or house may leave their name and telephone number with the Student Life Department for listing in these notebooks. This is an information service only; all rental arrangements must be made by individuals on their own. Rental information can also be found in local newspapers and on campus bulletin boards. Bulletin board notices must be signed and dated by the college before they are posted. Copies of the local newspapers are available in the college library or in local public libraries.
Personal Counseling Services
College can be a time of stress and difficulty. Trying to multi-task with various school, work, social, and family responsibilities can get overwhelming to the point of frustration and exasperation. CSM now offers personal counseling services. The Counseling Office is located in the Advisement and Career Services Department on the La Plata Campus, Administrative (AD) Building, Room 101, but office hours are also available at the other campuses. Counseling is available to all currently enrolled CSM students. The approach is short-term (two to seven sessions per semester) and is solution-focused—to find a solution to immediate problems. For further questions or to make an appointment, contact Advisement and Career Services at 301-934-7577.
Safe Communities Center
The Safe Communities Center (SAF) provides programs, information, and resources to increase awareness of factors associated with the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs including related health and safety issues. This resource center is open to students and the community. SAF is the home of Maryland Strategic Prevention Framework (MSPF) for the Charles County Substance Abuse Advisory Coalition (The Coalition). Building partnerships to address underage drinking and binge drinking for alcohol are the primary focus of the MSPF and The Coalition.
Transportation Assistance
There are three options available to students who do not have a car and need transportation to a college campus:
- For those interested in a ride-share service who need a ride to class or are willing to drive other students to campus, please contact the Student Life office. A bulletin board posting can be done for exchange of information between drivers and riders who live in the same area.
- The local governments offer transportation to the La Plata, Prince Frederick, and Leonardtown campuses for students in need of transportation assistance. There is a small fare for the service.
- The Regional Ride share of Southern Maryland assists tri-county area residents and commuters in organizing carpools. The Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland provides a free computerized matchlist to applicants as well as transportation information, schedules, rates, and services for Southern Maryland.
Wellness, Fitness, and Aquatics
CSM encourages both its students and employees to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Wellness and fitness activities are available at the La Plata, Leonardtown, and Prince Frederick campuses to assist individuals in making decisions relative to reaching and maintaining optimal levels of health and well being. CSM offers positive lifestyle courses, learning seminars, health screenings, personal training, Group Ex-Passport, and information on a variety of health-related topics. All three campuses have fitness centers that house circuit training equipment, free weights, exercise bikes, treadmills and a variety of strength training equipment.
The aquatic centers on the La Plata and Leonardtown campuses provide group aquatic classes, American Red Cross swim classes for youth of all ages and adults, aquatic reconditioning and strengthening classes, aquatic certifications, open swim hours, and a variety of swimming options.
Credit students enrolled with a minimum of three (3) credit hours or continuing education students enrolled in a minimum of 45 hours of instruction are welcome to take advantage of open hours in CSM’s fitness and aquatic centers. Students not meeting the course hour requirements can get fit by purchasing our GroupEx Passport at www.csmd.edu/passport. |
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