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STUDENT AFFAIRS AND ACTIVITIES

Undergraduate Housing
The Office of Residence Life is located in Brookdale Residence Hall (50 East 34th Street between Madison and Park avenues) and is staffed by the director of residence life. The assistant director of residence life is located in Schottenstein Residence Hall (119-121 East 29th Street).

Full-time undergraduate women are housed in Brookdale Residence Hall, Jerome and Geraldine Schottenstein Residence Hall, 36th Street Residence Hall, and independent housing available in two area apartment buildings.

Housing application forms for accommodations are sent to students who have been admitted to the university and who have submitted the required registration fees. Current residents may reapply during the spring semester.

The residence halls are intended to provide an environment that promotes community within the university and enhances the student’s personal growth and development. Staff members of the Office of Residence Life and the Office of Student Affairs offer guidance regarding social and personal adjustment issues.

Residence hall facilities include study halls, fitness centers, laundry rooms, TV lounges, convenience stores, and snack vending machines.

Dining halls, located at 245 Lexington Ave. and 215 Lexington Ave., serve meals cafeteria style. All residential students are enrolled in the University Dining Club. Dining halls are generally open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week when college is in session. They are closed during holidays, the summer, and intersession. Food vending machines, mini-cafs, and convenience stores also are available at various locations on campus.

Shabbat on campus is not to be missed. The Shabbat Enhancement Program, sponsored by the Office of Student Affairs, enables student clubs to offer Shabbat programs. Prominent scholars, YU administrators, and faculty, often with their families, join students for Shabbat on campus - sharing meals, participating in Shabbat programs, and often bringing students from both undergraduate campuses together. The Shabbat Hospitality Program enables students to stay with families in various communities for an alternate Shabbat experience.

Office of Student Affairs
The Office of Student Affairs is located at 245 Lexington Ave., first floor. Student Affairs professionals are available to meet with students on a drop-in basis as well as by appointment. The Office of Student Affairs coordinates the university’s advisement and counseling programs in the following areas:

Counseling and Advisement
Each student’s present well-being and plans for the future are primary concerns of the Student Affairs staff at Yeshiva University. Counseling and advisement services are designed to assist students in exploring personal problems, fulfilling their potential, and achieving a close relationship with members of the university family. Orientation programs help incoming students acclimate to college life and develop skills needed for maximum achievement.

Personal Counseling
Short-term psychological guidance and counseling are available to students who are experiencing emotional difficulties, which may range from problems in adjusting to college life and the academic environment to more serious personal matters. Consultations are confidential. Referrals to licensed mental health practitioners are available upon request or when necessary. Students who wish to discuss questions relating to spiritual values and observance are encouraged to consult the appropriate guidance personnel.

International Student Advisement
The Office of Student Affairs is the coordinating center for international students. The Office of International Student Advisement prepares and issues documents necessary for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and helps in interpreting federal rules and regulations. The office also offers guidance to international students in matters such as adjustment and cultural issues.

First-Time-On-Campus Guidance
To help first-time students make the transition from high school to campus life, the university offers direction and assistance in the form of individual conferences, which are held throughout the course of the year. Appointments are arranged and welcome letters are distributed by Student Affairs.

Any student with concerns regarding disabilities or special needs should contact the Office of Student Affairs at 212-340-7715.

A wide variety of academic advisement, including general academic, pre-health, pre-law, pre-engineering, shaped major, and internship advisement, is available through the Office of the Academic Dean.

Medical Services
Beth Israel Hospital administers the Undergraduate Student Health Program and offers, at no cost to the student, care for episodic illnesses and minor injuries on campus.

The medical director reviews the health forms of entering students. When necessary, corrective measures are taken through the student’s family physician. The Student Health Center is located in Brookdale Residence Hall 2B.

All injuries and accidents to students taking part in an educational or extracurricular activity are reported to the Medical Office and the Office of Student Affairs by the staff member in charge of the activity. Students are required to immediately report any other injury suffered on university premises to the Security Office. A detailed description of the procedure to be followed in case of accident or illness is found in the Resident Handbook, distributed to all students at the beginning of the school year.

Student Government
Both Stern College and Sy Syms School of Business have a Student Council, the chief body dealing with student, faculty, and administrative matters as well as the planning of extracurricular activities on campus. All students are part of the Torah Activities Council, which plans lectures, volunteer activities, holiday events, and outreach programs. In matters concerning more than one school, the councils involved cooperate with one another. The Student Life Committee works to enhance student experience on campus. This committee comprises student leaders, college administration, and supporting service administration.
In addition, Sy Syms School of Business and Stern College have student-faculty senates that discuss issues of academic concern.

Students in all schools are represented on important school and departmental committees and actively participate in decisions regarding the educational and administrative aspects of their schools.

Extracurricular Activities
Despite the heavy undergraduate course load, extracurricular activities are an important aspect of college life and encourage the integration of all aspects of the student’s education. All full-time students who are not on probation are eligible to participate in these activities. The university encourages students to take advantage of the unequaled cultural and recreational facilities of New York to further their particular interests, whether in the theater, music, art, sports, etc.

Athletics
The Beren Campus offers an array of athletic opportunities for undergraduate women through its intercollegiate and intramural programs and through its numerous recreation/fitness activities. The Beren Campus has three intercollegiate athletic teams that compete against other colleges throughout the Northeast. The program includes teams in basketball, fencing, and tennis, which are open to all students with the interest, talent, and commitment to participate. The university offers no athletic scholarships; its teams generally compete only against other non-scholarship teams.

The student-run intramural athletics program utilizes the gymnasium in the college building and rented athletic facilities. The university takes advantage of the location of its Beren Campus by making use of commercial athletic facilities to supplement its own. Students compete against other Yeshiva University students at intramural athletic events in such sports as basketball, swimming, and volleyball.

For those students interested in staying or getting in good physical condition, fully equipped fitness centers are located in the Brookdale, Schottenstein, and 36th Street residence halls, as well as at the 245 Lexington Ave. building. Fitness facilities are available from the early morning through late-night hours.

Clubs
A wide variety of Student Council clubs, many inspired by academic interests, meet regularly during the school year. Several national honor societies have chapters at the undergraduate colleges, including Psi Chi’s chapter in psychology; Tau Kappa Alpha’s chapter, in debating; New York Zeta chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta, in pre-medical studies; Sigma Delta Rho, in science research; and Chi Pi Chapter of Alpha Psi Omega, in dramatics. The Dramatics Society’s presentations afford an opportunity for theatrical expression. Women interested in music enjoy participating in the choral groups and chamber music ensembles.

Clubs host speakers and symposia on topics of interest in various fields. Student councils, individual classes, and clubs cosponsor events. Radio Station WYUR, a student-operated member of the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System, transmits programs of interest to student on all campuses.

At Sy Syms School of Business, the Mildred Schlessberg Accounting Society, American Marketing Association, International Business Club, Max Investment Club, Information Systems Society, and Joint Business Society offer a full range of activities, including forums with guest speakers, social affairs, and tutoring services. The annual awards dinner is the yearly highlight.

All posters and notices announcing events must carry the name of a sponsoring student council and club; those that do not will be removed. Clubs or student activities that are antithetical to the values and ideals of the institution will be neither recognized nor supported.

Publications
Student clubs and interest groups at the Beren Campus produce a wide array of publications. These include Bina Yeteira, Besamim, Derech Ha Tevah, Perspectives in Psychology, Sigma Delta Rho, Speech Communications, and Shivim Panim, to name a few.

Students publish the Observer, the official student newspaper, and co-publish Hamevaser, a magazine with emphasis on Jewish studies. Students at Sy Syms School publish the Exchange. The Stern College yearbook is titled Kochaviah. All publications are edited and published by the students themselves.

Outreach Programs
Undergraduates may take part in a number of community outreach programs, including the Adopt-a-Bubbe program, Visiting the Sick, and community learning programs coordinated by the Torah Activities Council.