February 9, 2012
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Undergraduate Catalog

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The Campus

Midtown

The Midtown campus, WestConn’s original campus, is located in downtown Danbury. The many recent renovations, additions and new buildings have transformed the Midtown campus into a modern college setting while retaining WestConn’s traditional character. The Midtown campus features:

• ALUMNI HALL - A 8,434-sq.-ft. building that houses a lecture hall, administrative offices and the WCSU Child Care Center.
• BERKSHIRE HALL, HIGGINS HALL and WHITE HALL - These classroom buildings house many specialized education facilities, such as the university Art Gallery, Ives Concert Hall, Berkshire Theatre, the Bill Williams Gymnasium, the Language Lab and The Learning Centers (math, writing, study skills), and the Academic Advisement Center. Other offices include German Studies, ROTC, English – M.F.A. Dept., International Studies and the Office of AccessAbility Services.
• FAIRFIELD, LITCHFIELD and NEWBURY HALLS - These residence halls provide accessible accommodations for 600 students.
• FIFTH AVENUE GARAGE- This new 800-car, student parking garage is located on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Osborne Street.
• OLD MAIN - The original building of the Danbury State Normal School dating back to 1904, Old Main houses the Admissions Office for undergraduate students, the Division of Graduate Studies, and one-stop student services that includes the Financial Aid Office, Registrar’s Office, Cashier’s Office and the WestConnect Card Office.
• RUTH A. HAAS LIBRARY - The Haas Library has over 200,000 volumes and over 400,000 bound periodicals, microforms, government documents, music scores, electronic resources and audio-visual items.
• SCIENCE BUILDING - Opened in fall 2005, this award-winning building houses the university’s biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy and meteorology programs and science laboratories.
• STUDENT CENTER - The student center houses campus dining facilities, game room, the university bookstore, post office, student government and student organization offices, campus ministries, meeting rooms, Echo Office (student newspaper), WXCI (student radio station),the Student Technology Training Center, Career Development Center, AccessAbility Services, the Counseling Center and the Veterans’ Oasis Lounge. 
• UNIVERSITY HALL - A four-level office building that houses administrative offices.
• WARNER HALL - This 34,078-sq.-ft. building houses classrooms, meeting rooms, gallery/lounge and administrative and faculty offices.
• WHITE STREET PARKING GARAGE - This is a three-level, 900-car, accessible parking garage with a covered skywalk crossing White Street. 

Westside

The 364-acre Westside campus features:

• ATHLETIC STADIUM - Facilities include a synthetic field surface, locker rooms, coaches’ offices, press box and concessions area. The Westside campus also has fully lighted intramural, baseball and softball fields.
• CENTENNIAL HALL & PARKING STRUCTURE - This 350-bed dormitory-style residence hall with parking garage complements the existing apartment-style residence halls at Westside.
• CLASSROOM BUILDING - The Westside Classroom Building houses undergraduate and graduate programs in business and many graduate programs in education. It features the Robert S. Young Library, many microcomputer labs, classrooms and faculty offices, as well as the University Police Department Parking Office.
• ELLA GRASSO HALL - An apartment-style residence hall designed to house 260 students.
• PINNEY HALL - A 425 bed, apartment-style residence hall.
• THE CHARLES IVES CENTER FOR THE ARTS - A 40-acre outdoor amphitheater, the center is used for outdoor performances.
• WESTSIDE CAMPUS CENTER - This 49,000-sq.-ft. student center provides a full service dining facility, game/club room, cardio-fitness center, ballroom, meeting and conference rooms, student activity space, a computer center,  lounge areas and related campus-life and student-life facilities.
• WESTSIDE NATURE PRESERVE (WNP)- A 33-acre nature preserve, the WNP is an outdoor laboratory with maintained trails.
• WESTSIDE OBSERVATORY - Newly expanded and renovated, the observatory is outfitted with a 20” Ritchey Chretien Telescope, the largest of its kind in Connecticut.
• WILLIAM A. O’NEILL ATHLETIC AND CONVOCATION CENTER - The center contains a 4,000-seat arena, indoor tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, weight training facility, a swimming pool and the athletic department offices.

WestConn at Waterbury

Western Connecticut State University at Waterbury is located in Founders Hall on the Naugatuck Valley Community College campus, 750 Chase Parkway, Waterbury. In addition to offering bachelor degree-completion programs in nursing and management, WestConn at Waterbury offers selected general education and graduate classes. For more information on these programs, contact WestConn at the Waterbury Dean’s office, Founder’s Hall 129, (203) 596-8777. 

Parking & Transportation

WCSU has designated parking areas for students, faculty and staff. Commuter student parking is available in a garage on Fifth Avenue and Osborne Street on the Midtown campus. All other surface lots are restricted for faculty and staff parking on the Midtown campus. The White Street garage is designated for midtown residents, staff and faculty parking. Detailed parking information and maps of surface lots for both campuses are available on the website at wcsu.edu/parking. 

Every student, faculty and staff member must display a valid parking permit when parking on university property. Parking permits are available from the University Police Dept. Parking Office on the Westside campus, the Westside Classroom Building, Rm. 247D. Hours of operation are Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call (203) 837-3289. In order to obtain a parking permit, a student must present a valid vehicle registration document from the state in which the vehicle is registered. Each student will be issued only one active parking permit at a time and may register only one primary vehicle at a time. For more information, visit the website at wcsu.edu/parking. Your first permit is free; however, there is a $10 charge for replacement permits.

Visitors to either campus should park in designated visitor lots. If you park in the Old Main lot and know you will be there for more than one hour, you must obtain a visitor permit from the University Police Dept. on Roberts Avenue. For more information, please visit the website at wcsu.edu/parking.

Vehicles that are improperly parked are subject to ticketing and towing at the owner’s expense. All parking areas are clearly identified by signs posted at the entrance to each lot. To avoid having your car towed from an authorized area, please read and obey the signs. All persons parking on state property are obligated to know and obey the university parking regulations which are available at the University Police Dept. Parking Office on the Westside campus, the university police department on Roberts Avenue or on-line at the police department’s homepage, wcsu.edu/police. University parking regulations and Connecticut motor vehicle laws are subject to enforcement by the university police department and violation may result in the issuance of a state court summons or an arrest.

WCSU is a very active community for both vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Please use caution when traveling on campus. Pedestrians are asked to use the crosswalk or the covered skyway when crossing White Street. Accidents should be reported to the university police at (203) 837-9300; emergencies can be reported by dialing 911 from any on-campus phone. Calls for assistance with vehicle problems may also be made to the university police.

For more information please contact the University Police Department at (203) 837-9300, the Police Department Parking Office at (203)-837-3289 or the community services unit at (203) 837-9319. 

Campus Transportation

When classes are in session, the university offers a free shuttle bus service between the Westside and Midtown campuses. This service links the two campuses for curricular as well as co-curricular activities. Arrival and departure times, as well as shuttle stop locations is available on our website at wcsu.edu/shuttle.  Flyers with the schedule and other pertinent information are available from the display racks at each shuttle stop and each residence hall.   For further information, please email Shuttle@wcsu.edu.

Student ID Cards

Student IDs/Access & Security WestConnect Card Office, 013 Old Main Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m . - 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 - 4 p.m. Phone: (203) 837-9311 wcsu.edu/westconnect *Check website for extended hours*

Student ID (WestConnect ID Card) The university’s student identification card is required in order to:

• Access university facilities
• Enter 5th Ave Garage Parking
• Attend events
• Borrow library books
• Use the 24-hour computer labs
• Access shuttle bus service
• Use meal plan
• Make purchases with CONNect Cash

To Receive your WestConnect ID Card Present a valid photo ID and a copy of your class schedule at the WestConnect Card Office.

Lost, Stolen or Vandalized ID Cards Vandalized cards include cards that are broken, bent, chipped, cracked or damaged in some way. Cards that have been lost, stolen or vandalized will be replaced for a $15 fee charged to your student account.

Cards that are no longer functional due to wear and tear, data error or card malfunction will be replaced at no charge, if the current failed card is presented at the WestConnect Office.

CONNect Cash Money placed in your WestConnect card account can be used at food service, laundry and bookstore locations. A minimum deposit of $20 can be made on-line or at the Cashier’s Office, first floor of Old Main. For more information, visit wcsu.edu/westconnect.

Door Access Student Access to the 24-hour computer labs is obtained by registering a 4-digit Pin number with the WestConnect Card Office. Additional door access is granted by department chair approval only.

For more information on any of the above services, please call the WestConnect Card Office at (203)837-9311 or access our website at wcsu.edu/westconnect.

Childcare at WestConn

The WCSU Child Care Center, operated by Education Connection and accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, offers childcare in its facility in Alumni Hall on the Midtown campus. The Center provides a developmentally appropriate early childhood program as well as a safe environment for children ages 3-5. To register your child, or for further information, visit the Center or call (203) 837-8733.