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Student Development
(Click here to view the Student Development website)
Mission Statement for Student Development
The mission of the Student Development Division is to promote student success through education, programs, and services that address all aspects of a student’s life. The division, in partnership with the academic program, encourages students’ intellectual, emotional, and spiritual growth in preparation to be life-long learners and contributing citizens.
Rules and Regulations
By enrolling in Young Harris College, a student becomes a citizen of the College community, which consists of everyone who works, lives, studies, and learns on the campus, as well as everyone who visits the campus. Each student’s personal life should be conducted in a context of mutual regard for the rights and privileges of others. It is further expected that students will demonstrate respect for the rights of students, faculty members, and other employees. Regulations which govern the lives and conduct of Young Harris College students are found in the student handbook, Guide to Student Life. Individuals should further recognize that group living requires some compromises and that some regulations are necessary in order to protect the individual rights and the welfare of the College.
Student Services
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
Students looking for assistance with personal difficulties or who are attempting to cope with one of life’s ongoing challenges are encouraged to meet with one of the college counselors. Counseling services are free and confidential, and are provided by two national board certified, one licensed professional counselor, and one licensed associate professional counselor. While emergency and crisis situations are given top priority, no problem is too small for consideration. Any student needing assistance beyond the professional capabilities of the counselor’s will be referred to community agencies or private professionals.
The CAPS Center also provides public outreach programs held in residence halls, classrooms, at club meetings, and in other similar settings. The Vice President for Student Development, Assistant Dean of Students, Campus Chaplain, Residence Life Staff, members of the faculty, and other College employees are also available to aid students in making the necessary social and academic adjustments. The CAPS office is located on the lower level of Appleby Center.
Food Services
Through its contracted food service provider, Sodexo, Young Harris College offers a program of nutritious and balanced meals in the Grace Rollins Dining Hall, including late-night dining Sunday-Thursday nights until 1:00 a.m. in addition to regular meal service, special dinners, picnics, and banquets are held throughout the school year. A private dining room may be reserved for special occasions. For groups traveling or planning an off-campus event, arrangements can be made for a sack lunch.
Health and Wellness Services
All students are required to have medical insurance coverage in compliance with the Affordable Care Act. International students are required to purchase an international student medical insurance policy that is effective prior to entering the United States and that remains in effect until the student arrives back in their home country. For questions or more information about medical insurance coverage, contact Student Health Services at 706-379-5057 or smcclure@yhc.edu.
If you are ill or injured, we encourage you to seek medical care with a provider, either locally or at home. Student Health Services will document student illnesses or injuries with the student’s permission and with a note from a provider on printed letterhead. Health Services is not authorized to excuse students from class, but to provide information with the student’s permission to document the absence.
Student Health Services will assist students in obtaining information about local providers and assist with scheduling an appointment, if the student needs help. Student Health Services does not dispense or deliver prescription or over the counter (OTC) medications. All students are encouraged to have a first aid kit on hand that is stocked with basic over the counter needs including adhesive bandages of various sizes, pain reliever, medication for gastrointestinal discomfort and symptoms, antibiotic cream, a means of cleaning minor cuts and scrapes, and any other items that the student may use on regular basis.
The College complies with all legal and ethical obligations to safeguard personal health information. Medical records will only be released or disclosed in a manner that is consistent with ethical and legal obligations to protect the medical privacy of persons who have Personal Health Information (PHI) on file.
Religious Life
Since the founding of the College in 1886 by a Methodist circuit-riding preacher, Rev. Artemas Lester, religious life has been an integral part of Young Harris College experience. Open to the entire campus for persons of every faith or no faith. The Office of Religious Life endeavors to create space, opportunities, and conversations on campus where faith seeking and discernment connects with life inside and outside the classroom. Religious Life programming includes weekly worship services, 10+ Religious Life student groups, student leadership opportunities, Bible studies, retreat and conference participation, and service opportunities for students who are seeking to be engaged and challenged to grow spiritually. Religious Life is directed by the Dean of the Chapel and Chaplain, who also provides pastoral care and counseling to students and other member of the campus community.
Residence Life
The Residence Life staff is committed to providing and maintaining clean and safe living environments conducive to intellectual and personal growth, where students can study and share ideas with peers, faculty, and staff whose culture, lifestyle, and opinions may be very different from their own. The Director of Residence Life manages the overall residential living program, while professional, live-in Residence Life Coordinators (RLCs) and student Resident Assistants (RAs) work with specific residence hall communities. The Residence Life Programming Model offers social and educational programs that provide students with numerous opportunities to become integrated with campus life and culture.
Police Department
The Young Harris College Police Department is a certified police agency recognized by the State of Georgia. The department is staffed by certified officers with full police powers authorized to enforce College polices as well as all local, state, and federal laws. The campus is patrolled and an officer is on duty 24-hours a day, seven days a week, year-round. In addition to general safety and law enforcements services, the Police Department maintains campus crime statistics and reports, conducts educational programs, issues parking decals and enforces campus parking policies, provides safety escorts, lock-out assistance, and security and traffic/parking assistance for athletic and campus-wide events. The Police Department office is located adjacent to the common room in Manget residence hall.
Intramurals
The YHC Intramurals program provides students, faculty and staff the opportunity to participate in a variety of team and individual activities. Leagues and day tournaments provide opportunities to stay active, increase physical fitness and promote emotional well-being while competing in a structured and friendly atmosphere. Our intramural sports programming strives to provide a positive environment where students are encouraged to explore healthy ways to hone their social skills, strengthen their abilities and sharpen their mental aptitude. We aim to continue expanding our program by offering new and interesting sports and activities to a broad range of participants.
For additional information on intramural sports at Young Harris College, contact the Recreation and Fitness Center or visit http://www.yhc.edu/student-life/recreation/center/intramurals.
Student Involvement
The mission of the Office of Student Involvement is to provide Young Harris College students with opportunities to engage in co-curricular experiences, both on and off campus, that are designed to enhance the development of the whole person. The office supports the College’s academic programs and complements the overall educational experiences of students through development of, exposure to, and participation in social and cultural events. Many of the programs offered through the Campus Activities office are planned and implemented by the student-led Campus Activities Board (CAB). The office also supports the activities of approximately 60 other student organizations that welcome student participation, energy, and leadership. With honorary and service organizations, religious fellowship groups, club sports, fraternities and sororities, and special interest clubs, there are activities and organizations that appeal to every student’s interests.
New Student Orientation
New Student Orientation is a three-phase collaborative effort by Academic Affairs, the Academic Success Center, Admissions, and Student Development. The program is designed to provide important and relevant information to families and students and to support a smooth transition into the Young Harris College learning environment. New Student Orientation is required for all new students, both first year and transfer. The three phases include:
- Summer START-Students and families attend a one-day session that provides basic information needed during the summer prior to attending as a full time student. Students receive their academic schedules, attend sessions regarding opportunities and obligations, and meet some of their peers.
- Welcome Weekend-New students move into their residence halls and attend a three-day program that is designed to provide tips and tools needed for a successful beginning. From technology training, meeting their faculty, to social events with their peer, Welcome Weekend supports the success through intellectual and social engagement with other students attending YHC for the first time.
- First Year Foundations-FYF is a semester-long, 2 credit course taught by a faculty member and supported by a peer mentor. The weekly lab, coordinated by Student Development, delivers sessions each week on topics relevant to college students.
Common Reading Program
YHC’s Common Reading Program is a first year experience initiative that brings together the campus community by requiring all first year students to read a common book in the weeks prior to their first semester of enrollment. The program allows new students to participate in a shared experience which encourages community dialogue and personal reflection with their peers as well as faculty and staff. Each year a book is chosen by the campus community and the themes of that book are integrated into a number of activities both inside and outside of the classroom throughout the academic year.
Student Conduct Council
The Student Conduct Council recommends policy and procedural changes, sanctions students for student conduct violations (excluding Title IX related issues), and populates the Hearing Board and students for the Traffic Appeals Board. The Council is comprised of students selected from the student body through an application process. The Director of Student conduct and community standards manages the student conduct system and serves as the adviser to the
Student conduct Council.
Intercollegiate Athletics
Young Harris College is a member of the NCAA Division II and the prestigious Peach Belt Conference for all sports except lacrosse. YHC is an associate member of the Gulf South Conference for women’s lacrosse.
Young Harris College believes that participation in intercollegiate athletics is inherently beneficial and promotes values, cooperation, responsibility, fair play, loyalty, tolerance, and respect for authority, which will have a positive influence on the student athlete during the collegiate experience and throughout life. YHC fields intercollegiate teams in men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, men’s golf, women’s golf, men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, softball, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and competitive cheerleading.
The athletics teams at YHC have had a rich history of success while a junior college with several teams winning National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) regional championships and the women’s soccer team winning a NJCAA National Championship in 2006. Several student-athletes have been drafted by professional leagues and have had success as professional athletes.
As a four year institution, YHC has achieved tremendous success by winning the Peach Belt Conference Championships in men’s soccer for the past three (3) years and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Men’s golf, women’s softball and men’s tennis have also advanced to their NCAA Tournament. Also, women’s lacrosse won the Gulf South Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships.
The Department of Athletics Staff seeks to instill in athletes the realization that they are indeed fortunate to possess the abilities of mind, body, and spirit that allow them to attend college and participate in athletics. We believe that athletics benefits the student-athlete, the College, and the surrounding community. Ability-based scholarships give student-athletes an opportunity to receive a quality education, grow and develop as a young adult and to fulfill their dreams of participating in collegiate sports and to enter doors to future endeavors both on and off the field. Young Harris College students, faculty, and staff benefit from interaction with athletics. The teams also offer the local community an opportunity to see quality athletic competition at a minimal cost and attract many visitors to the College.
Buildings and Grounds
(Click here to view the Building and Grounds website)
The main campus of Young Harris College comprises approximately 485 acres, containing 25 major buildings in the core campus. The College owns more than 200 additional acres of wooded mountain land adjoining the main campus. A trail, known as the Old Wagon Trail, runs from the campus to the top of Brasstown Bald, the highest mountain in Georgia.
Academic
The Adams-Galloway House, located on Highway 76, houses faculty offices for the Department of Mathematics. Mathematics classrooms are located close by in the building formerly known as the “Old Brown Store,” which was renovated to include four classrooms, faculty offices, a conference room, and a student work area.
The Beetle Lab houses space for scientific research and beetle rearing that supports the YHC Hemlock Project’s mission to counteract destruction of hemlock trees in north Georgia by the Hemlock Wooly Adegid parasite.
The Campus Gate Art Gallery is a beautifully restored building that hosts exhibitions and installations by professional artists throughout the year as well as the annual student juried art exhibition.
The Center for Appalachian Studies and Community Engagement leads initiatives centered on Appalachian studies, community engagement, social justice and sustainability. The facility also provides faculty offices for the Department of Religion and Philosophy, office and work space for student leaders, and space for meetings and seminars.
Previously the home of the College’s presidents from 1930 to 1960, the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) engages the academic community with the purpose of providing students with a successful college experience. The CETL hosts an ongoing forum on effective teaching and learning in a higher education environment, including individual guidance through instructional materials and training on advanced educational equipment.
The Center for Writing and Speaking features writing and speaking labs equipped with a variety of communication tools and resources and staffed with tutors to help students with written and spoken communication.
The Charles R. Clegg Fine Arts Building, completed in 1965, is named in honor of a former president of the College. The Clegg Fine Arts Building contains the Hilda D. Glenn Auditorium with a seating capacity of 1,060 and a large stage and orchestra pit for theatre and music presentations. The Clegg Fine Arts Building also houses studios, practice rooms, a choral rehearsal room, and classrooms for the Division of Fine Arts.
Offices for faculty within the Department of Communication Studies are housed in the building between the Center for Writing and Speaking and the Pruitt-Barrett Building.
The Fine Arts Annex, located across the street from the main campus, houses renovated classrooms and media-specific studio space, including a painting studio, a drawing studio and a 3-D sculpture studio. The facility also houses faculty offices for the Department of Art, which include individual studio spaces.
The Goolsby Center for Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences, completed in 1993, is named in honor of G. Milton, ‘16, and Ophelia Roberts Goolsby, ‘16. This 40,000-square-foot building provides 12 classrooms and 20 offices for humanities and social and behavioral sciences faculty. In addition, the Goolsby Center contains a conference room, the 158-seat Wilson Lecture Hall, and Dobbs Theatre, a “black-box” style performance venue.
The Maxwell Center for Mathematics and Sciences, completed 1979, is named for Alva Maxwell, ‘14, and Edna Stephens Maxwell, who gave many years of devoted service to the College. Mr. Maxwell served on the College’s Board of Trustees for 63 years, and, for 16 of those years, he served as chairman. The history of the family of Mrs. Maxwell is intertwined with that of Young Harris College. Her grandmother, Mrs. Nancy Louise Haynes Stephens Sanderson Robertson, gave the original parcel of land upon which the College was established. This multipurpose classroom building houses the physical and biological sciences, mathematics and the O. Wayne Rollins Planetarium.
The Observatory, located on the campus of Brasstown Valley Resort just a few minutes from campus, benefits from its high elevation and access to the wonderful dark skies of northern Georgia. In addition to the main telescope housed in a 15-foot dome, the facility also contains piers which mount two 8-inch scopes. The observatory has a number of other telescopes that can be used on the site as well. The main telescope is a Meade 16-inch reflector with Schmidt Cassegrain optical design. The observatory is located at an elevation of over 2000 feet on the flanks of Brasstown Bald, the tallest peak in Georgia. The high elevation, combined with the relatively low light pollution in the area, make for excellent viewing conditions on clear star-filled nights.
The O. Wayne Rollins Planetarium, located in the Maxwell Center for Mathematics and Science, was made possible through the philanthropy of Wayne and Grace Rollins. With seating for 109 people under a 40-foot dome, the planetarium features a GOTO “Chronos” star projector and a Sky-Skan definiti fulldome digital projection system.
The Outdoor Leadership Center serves as the home base for outdoor leadership classes and programs. The center includes three faculty offices, a large classroom space, common area, full-size kitchen, reading and computer work stations, and land and water equipment storage. A large green space in front of the facility and a wooded area behind the building are readily used as outdoor classrooms.
Administration
The Office of Alumni Services is the office space for members of the alumni services staff.
The Pruitt-Barrett Building was constructed in 1949 and was renovated and expanded in 1986 and 2000. The building is named in honor of two benefactors of the College, J. C. Pruitt and Guy Barrett. The Pruitt-Barrett Building houses the offices of Academic Affairs, Business, Finance and Administration, Financial Aid, Human Resources, Information Technology, and the Registrar.
Sharp Hall, built in 1912, is the second oldest building on campus. Last renovated in 2009, Sharp Hall houses the Office of the President, Office of Advancement, Office of Planning and Research, and the YHC Bookstore.
Athletics
The Department of Athletics relocated to the acquired motel space across the street from campus in 2012. This space houses almost all YHC coaches and the athletic administration. Another new addition to this property is a dedicated strength and conditioning space for YHC athletics teams located in the former Mary Ann’s restaurant in front of the motel. The area boasts 2,000 square feet of equipment tailored to the effective training and preparation of student-athletes. Additional space for training and locker rooms is available in the building across from the Recreation and Fitness Center.
The Berry Tennis Center is named in honor of Irene Hackney Berry and was given to the College as a part of the estate of Irene Hackney Berry. This facility serves as the home to a pro shop, locker rooms and offices for the tennis, golf, and cross country programs.
The Cross Country Trail utilizes the immediate campus and surrounding area and is one of the most scenic and challenging in the state. Approximately two miles in length with a compacted gravel surface, the course incorporates a variety of challenges for runners, traversing mountainous and flat terrain, crossing bridges and short stretches of pavement. The course includes switch-back portions and connecting loops making it possible to easily add to the length of a meet.
The Soccer and Lacrosse Field is used for men’s and women’s intercollegiate soccer and lacrosse. The field features a state-of-the-art Daktronics scoreboard and AstroTurf® outlined in “YHC purple” that features the mountain lion logo at center field with the NCAA and PBC logos displayed on either side.
The E. D. Rivers Softball Field, named in honor of alumnus, Governor E. D. Rivers, is used for intercollegiate women’s softball.
The 57,000-square foot Recreation and Fitness Center opened in 2010. This state-of-the-art facility features a first-class, fully equipped weight room and fitness center, an impressive 37-foot-high rock climbing wall, an elevated indoor jogging track surrounding the facility and a state-of-the-art 1,100-purple-seat, NCAA-regulation arena that serves as the home of Mountain Lions basketball. The center also boasts multipurpose classrooms for yoga, dance and aerobics, office space and locker rooms for the athletic department, and wide expanses of windows to enjoy the surrounding mountain-landscape views. YHC was awarded LEED Certification for the Recreation and Fitness Center by the Green Building Certification Institute.
The Bob and Gayle Nichols Tennis Complex, built in 2010, is located on Highway 76 and is home to the College’s men’s and women’s tennis teams. The 12 lighted courts provide the College with the facilities to host intercollegiate tournaments and events.
The Zell B. Miller Field, named in honor of former Georgia Governor and U.S. Senator Zell B. Miller, ‘51, is used for intercollegiate baseball.
The Frances Wood Wilson Practice Field and Intramural Fields are located near the Nichols Tennis Complex and are utilized by intercollegiate teams and student-led intramural teams.
Residence Life
Young Harris College has many styles of residence halls to meet a variety of student needs and preferences. There is a mix of standard double occupancy rooms, suite-style rooms and apartments. Each building has wireless internet access, cable hook-ups and a laundry room that allows students to check online to see machine availability and receive a text message when their laundry is finished.
- The Appleby Complex, named for alumnus and trustee Scott B. Appleby (Class of 1895), was first occupied in 1961 and is composed of two units: Center and West. Both sections are arranged in two-room suites with a connecting bath. Center has space for 116 students; West has space for 44 students. Each division has a common room and West also has a kitchen. Outside Center is a large porch area ideal for social gathering or outdoor study space. Appleby is located near the heart of campus.
- Enotah Hall, completed in 2010, is a state-of-the-art, LEED Silver-Certified facility that accommodates 200 students. The hall’s 50 residential suites are each composed of two double-occupancy rooms with two baths, a living room and a kitchenette. The building contains study rooms and four soundproof Wenger music practice rooms. Located behind Enotah Hall is an amphitheater that serves as a versatile space used for plays, lectures, concerts and religious life gatherings. It is steps away from the Recreation & Fitness Center.
- Hillgrove Hall, completed in the fall of 2002, contains 48 rooms and accommodates 96 students. Each room has its own bathroom. Also within the hall is a TV lounge and a computer room. Hillgrove is the closest residence hall to the Rollins Campus Center and the front doors open into the middle of the lawn in the middle of campus.
- Manget Hall, completed in 1956 with funds given to the College by Mr. Scott B. Appleby (Class of 1895), honors the memory of Mr. John Manget. The building includes 11 units and accommodates 67 students. Each unit has three two-person rooms with two baths and a living room. Manget has a common room for the building and also a porch area outside of each room. It is steps away from the Recreation & Fitness Center. Offices for the YHC Police Department are also in Manget.
- Rollins Hall, completed in 1986, honors the late O. Wayne Rollins, who served as a loyal trustee of the College for 21 years prior to his death in 1991. The building includes 11 units and accommodates 88 students. Each unit has four two-person rooms, two baths and a large living room. Rollins also has a common room for the building with a full kitchen, table and flat screen TV. There is grilling area outside the building with nearby seating.
- The Towers, which opened in Fall 2013, is a unique housing community for first-year students. Centered near the heart of campus, this LEED-certified facility is made up of three separate buildings connected through a shared central building. The Towers are configured in “pods,” or small communities consisting of students living in different sizes and styles of rooms surrounding a common area with couches and gathering spaces. There is green space in front and back of the building with tables and chairs.
- The Village opened in 2011 and is a LEED-certified apartment-style housing community for upperclassmen. Configured in apartments of four private bedrooms, the complex features 248 beds. In addition, each apartment includes a living area, kitchen, and washer and dryer. The “village” atmosphere is facilitated by expansive porches, designated areas for grilling and abundant green space surrounding the apartments.
Student Life
The $41 million, 121,000-square-foot Rollins Campus Center houses four distinct areas: a 60,000-square-foot, multi-purpose student center; the 40,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Zell and Shirley Miller Library; Grace Rollins Dining Hall; and a 350-seat, versatile Charles Suber Banquet Hall. Some highlights include space for student organizations in the Mary Warren Student Organization Loft, a game room and multimedia theatre with stadium seating for 25, a Chick-fil-A Express, and a Starbucks coffee shop. The facility houses the Student Success Center and offices of Admissions, Student Development, and Religious Life. The facility was recently awarded LEED Gold certification-the first facility on the YHC campus to receive this status.
The Susan B. Harris Chapel, a memorial to the wife of Young L. G. Harris, was built in 1892. Last updated in 2009, the Chapel is used as a general assembly hall for vespers, concerts and lectures. The Chapel is the oldest building on campus and is more closely associated with the traditions of the College than any of the other buildings.
Miscellaneous
Sharp Memorial United Methodist Church, constructed in 1949, is a memorial to a former president of the College, Joseph Astor Sharp.
J. Lon Duckworth Hall was named for a distinguished alumnus who graduated from YHC in 1920 and became an attorney and later served as chairman of YHC’s Board of Trustees. He and his wife, Ruth had one daughter, Margaret Duckworth Sewell, who also became an attorney and served as chairman of the Democratic Party of Georgia and as chief counsel of the Life Insurance Company of Georgia. This building was formerly the College’s library. Space in front of Duckworth Hall houses administrative offices for YHC’s Move On When Ready Program, space for the Honors Program and classrooms for the Institute for Continuing Learning.
The J. William and Elizabeth Robinson Building is named in honor of John William Robinson and his wife, Elizabeth. Robinson was a long-time member and past chairman of YHC’s Board of Trustees as well as board chairman and CEO for the John H. Harland Company. He also served as head of several charitable foundations, including the Piedmont Charitable Foundation and the J. William and Elizabeth S. Robinson Foundation. This building formerly housed the College’s dining hall.
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