The co-curricular program at the University of South Carolina Upstate is committed to the total development of students as individuals. Comprehensive services and activities are provided to complement the students’ academic experience. These activities are organized to promote the holistic development of university students.

The Division of Student Affairs

The Division of Student Affairs is an integral component of the University of South Carolina Upstate. Its programs and services are designed to support the overall mission of the University by enhancing the cognitive, moral, cultural, physical, social, civic and interpersonal development of the institution’s students.

The Division of Student Affairs sponsors programs and services that are designed to:

• assist students in the successful transition to and from college
• help students explore and clarify their values;
• encourage students to develop healthy relationships with others (i.e., parents, peers, faculty and staff)
• create opportunities for students to expand their aesthetic and cultural appreciation
• teach students how to resolve individual and group conflicts
• help students understand, respect and appreciate racial, ethnic, gender and other differences
• provide opportunities for leadership development
• offer programs that provide primary health care for students and encourage healthy living
• provide opportunities for recreation and leisure-time activities
• help retain students in school and promote their intellectual development and academic success
• provide opportunities for students to develop and model responsible citizenship behavior
• enable students to develop realistic educational and career goals
• promote the development of ethical and responsible conduct
• facilitate personal and interpersonal development through an increased capacity to understand one’s self and relate effectively to others
• establish activities and programs that encourage students to reason; organize; plan and execute complex tasks; set goals; solve problems; make sound decisions; analyze complex situations, and manage time and resources effectively
• ensure campus accessibility and protect the safety of all students, faculty and staff

The following offices and functions are included within the Student Affairs division:

Student Affairs Administration

• Division Administrative Compliance
• Overall Fiscal Management
• Student Conduct

Counseling Services

• Individual, Group and Couples Counseling (face-to-face and distance counseling)
• Psychiatric Services (tele-psychiatry)
• Testing Services (fee based)
• Crisis Services (24/7 coverage)
• Consultation
• Community referrals
• Outreach programming
• Miller Analogy Test (MAT) administration

Disability Services

• ADA and Section 504 compliance
• Services and Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
• Campus-wide Accessibility
• Academic Coaching
• Disability Testing Center
• Sign Language Interpreters
• Captioning and Transcription
• Assistive Technology

Director of CARE Management and Strategic Initiatives

• Emergency Financial Resources
• Medical Emergencies
• Class Absences
• Students in Distress
• Financial Planning
• Connecting Students to community partners

Health Services

• Acute care for illness, injuries, and skin concerns
• Primary care including allergies, asthma, and chronic diseases
• Sexual and reproductive health including birth control & STD testing
• Laboratory testing, immunizations, and screening for tuberculosis
• Physical examinations, nutrition and exercise health guidance
• Health education programs and CPR certification

Housing and Residential Life

• Summer Conference Housing
• Resident Advisors Program
• Residence Hall Honor Council (RHCC)
• Residence Hall Association (RHA)
• Tutor rooms
• Computer Lab
• Multimedia room
• Game room
• Facility maintenance of all residential areas
• Activities and Events for residential students
• 24 hour residential front desks

Student Involvement

• Campus Programs
• Volunteer Services
• Intercultural Education & Engagement
• Fraternity & Sorority Life
• Student Organizations
• Leadership Programs
• Homecoming

Campus Recreation

• Intramural Sports
• Sports Clubs
• Aquatics
• Group Fitness Classes
• Outdoor Recreation
• Weight Room
• Exercise Equipment
• Basketball/Racquetball
• 18 Hole Disc Golf Course

Director of Care Management & Strategic Initiatives

The Director of Care Management focuses on assisting students with unanticipated needs as they navigate their academic journey at USC Upstate.  The Director of CARE Management can assist students with unexpected medical issues, death in the family, unexpected illness and class absences, financial planning and accessing the Spartan Emergency Fund, the Spartan Pantry, and connecting students to campus partners.  The Director of CARE is located in the Campus Life Center, Suite 202 and office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Counseling Services

Counseling is available to assist students in reaching personal and educational goals. Counseling is short-term, solution based and provided in an atmosphere focusing on growth and change. The counseling staff includes licensed clinicians, graduate student interns, and Board Certified psychiatric providers. Additional services include couples and group counseling, 24/7 crisis intervention, testing services (fee based), outreach programming, and educational workshops. Counseling is confidential, unlimited and free of charge to currently enrolled students. Services are available in the John M. Rampey Center, Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Fridays from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Services in Greenville are available via distance counseling, tele-psychiatry, or face-to-face appointments. For more information about services, please call 864-503-5195.

Disability Services

Disability Services works to ensure that University programs, facilities, and services are accessible to all persons in the campus community. In accordance with the university’s commitment to diversity, equality, the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 guidelines, the office provides access based on individual and community-wide needs. Examples of possible individual accommodations include: interpreting services for the deaf or hard of hearing, extended time for tests, note-taking services, print media converted into electronic or Braille format and other accommodations as deemed appropriate on a case-by-case basis. For information about services, please call (864) 503-5199 or visit the Campus Life Center, Suite 107. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. Additional extended hours are available for scheduled tests by advance appointment.

Health Services

Health Services provides students with quality individualized health care, as well as information to help students stay healthy. Care is provided by a team of nurses and nurse practitioners with consultation and referral to area physicians as needed. Services for students are confidential and either free or a minimal fee (physicals, laboratory tests, flu shots and other vaccines, CPR, etc.). For more information about services, visit our website at www.uscupstate.edu/campus-life/health-and-safety/health-services. To contact us directly, call (864) 503-5191 or visit Health Services located at the corner of University Way and Valley Falls Road, or in the Rampey Education Complex next to the residence halls. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday-Friday.

Housing and Residential Life

Housing and Residential life provides on-campus housing options for all students at USC Upstate. Options include suite style rooms (single and double room options) as well as on-campus apartments.  Resident Advisors are assigned throughout the residential area to provide support, resources, and activities for students.  Students living on campus are encouraged to get to know their roommates as well as others living on their floor or in their building by participating in campus activities and seeking leadership opportunities through the Residence Hall Honor Council and/or the Residence Hall Association. The Housing and Residential Life Office is located on the bottom floor of the Palmetto House and is open 8:30-5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday. Contact Housing and Residential Life by email, HRL@uscupstate.edu, or by phone, 864-503-5422.

Campus Recreation and the Spartan Recreation Center

Welcome to the Spartan Recreation Center at the University of South Carolina Upstate, which opened in February 2009. The Spartan Recreation Center is located within the 150,000 square foot Health Education Complex, a facility developed to impact the health, wellness and economic development of the Upstate.

The mission of the Spartan Recreation Center is to provide a safe and accommodating environment for the students, faculty and staff of the University of South Carolina Upstate. We encourage the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle to enhance the academic and personal development of the student through physical activity and employment.

This 60,000 square foot facility, a vision of former students, is the home to the Department of Campus Recreation, which offers activities such as Intramural Sports, Outdoor Recreation, Group Fitness, Aquatics, and Sport Clubs. Our knowledgeable staff can help you with any questions you have concerning the facility, programs, etc., so please contact us for more information.  

The Spartan Recreation Center offers an eight-lane, 25-yard recreational swimming pool for lap swimming.  The pool can also be used for innertube water polo or basketball, dive-in movies, and water aerobics.  We also provide the latest in cardio and strength equipment as well as various group fitness classes such as pilates, yoga and kickboxing.

Student Employment

We encourage students who are interested in working at Campus Recreation or other Departments across Student Affairs to browse uscjobs.sc.edu and search student jobs for various employment opportunities we have available each semester.  We have positions available throughout the facility including lifeguards, weight room attendants, facility supervisors and facility attendants.  We also hire student sports officials to officiate our intramural games.

Student Memberships

Most students taking one or more semester hours automatically become Spartan Recreation Center Members when they register and pay their fees.  For information on all of our programs please visit our website at www.uscupstate.edu/campus-life/wellness-and-recreation.  You may also contact us at our Front Desk at 864-503-5080 or e-mail at campusrecreation@uscupstate.edu.

The Office of Leadership and Service

Service Programs

The Office of Leadership and Service (OLS) offers programs to support the development of leadership skills in students and to support their involvement in leadership experiences on campus.  A variety of leadership programs are available and include:

• Freshman Leadership Experience (FLEX)-  A program designed to introduce freshman students to the basic concepts of leadership through teambuilding activities, self-reflection, and skills-building.  A retreat and a series of leadership sessions are held throughout the year.  Each student is also matched with an upperclass leadership mentor.
• Women in Leadership Development (WiLD)- A program that serves upperclass (sophomore through senior) women who are interested in further developing their leadership skills.  On and off-campus leadership sessions are provided.
• LEAD (Leadership Exploration and Development) Programs- A variety of one-time and/or sequential leadership sessions designed to enhance the leadership skills of students are offered throughout the year.

Service Programs

The Office of Leadership and Service offers a variety of programs and services designed to facilitate the connection between students and the community through service opportunities. These service programs include:

• IMPACT - The student community service organization sponsors bi-monthly service opportunities and special events such as the Angel Tree, Spartan Day of Service, MLK Day of Service, and Food Recovery Network.
• Alternative Breaks - A student-led organization plans and sponsors service trips throughout the southeast during fall and spring breaks.
• Volunteer Service - Students interested in becoming involved in community service activities can access information about a wide variety of service opportunities through the office. Assistance can also be provided to identify and plan community service projects.  
• Service-Learning - The OLS supports this method of teaching and learning that integrates participation in community service activities into credit-bearing courses by assisting faculty members in finding community partners and assisting students in identifying service-learning courses.

Code of Academic Integrity

It shall be the responsibility of every student at USC Upstate to obey and to support the enforcement of the Academic Integrity Code, which prohibits lying, cheating or stealing. For details of the Honor Code, procedures for handling academic integrity complaints, and penalties for violations, consult page 35 of the Code of Student Conduct.

Code of Student Behavior

It is also the responsibility of every student at USC Upstate to abide by the Code of Student Behavior, to conduct oneself so as not to impair significantly the welfare or the educational opportunities of others in the university community. All non-academic conduct that infringes upon the rights and welfare of others is thus embodied in the Campus Disciplinary Code. Violations are handled in the same manner as violations of the Academic Integrity Code. Consult the USC Upstate Code of Student Conduct for details.

USC Upstate English Fluency Grievance Policy

Students who feel that they are unable to understand the spoken and/or written English of an instructor at USC Upstate shall schedule a meeting with the dean of the respective school and make their concerns known. The dean will conduct an investigation and report to the complaining students his/her finding within 10 working days of the complaint. In the event student charges are substantiated, the dean and the vice chancellor for academic affairs will take immediate action to rectify the problem. Such action may take the form of replacement of the instructor immediately, intensive remediation of the problem, or any other solution that protects the due process rights of faculty and students. Refer questions to the Academic Affairs Office.

Policy for Non-Academic Grievances/Complaints

Students may file a non-academic complaint when they believe a condition or behavior is unjust or is creating an unnecessary hardship.  Similarly, students may file a general complaint about any action, practice or decision within the control of the University that the student believes should be changed to improve the overall educational experience.  Please find the non-academic and general complaint form at https://www.uscupstate.edu/current-students/grievances-and-complaints/.

Any student experiencing potential discriminatory treatment or conduct based on race, sex, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, genetics, veteran status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions should seek our Title IX Coordinator at titleix@uscupstate.edu or by visiting https://www.uscupstate.edu/diversity/title-ix/.

If a student is experiencing an accessibility barrier that is preventing full access to educational programs, services or activities at the University, please contact Disability Services in CLC 107, https://www.uscupstate.edu/campus-life/disability-services/, and report the barrier to access.   

General Regulations

Alcohol Policy

USC Upstate enforces a strong alcohol policy in order to respect the academic environment and protect the welfare of individuals accessing the campus.  The University complies with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendment of 1989 in establishing and enforcing alcohol and drug policy.  Consult the USC Upstate Student Handbook for a current copy of the Alcohol Policy.

Tobacco-Free Campus Policy

The University of South Carolina Upstate is concerned about the toll that smoking and tobacco use has on the health and well-being of the University community.  As a public institution of higher education with departments that have interest in and treat the effects of smoking, second-hand smoke, and other tobacco use, USC Upstate believes it has an obligation to exercise leadership by promoting a healthy tobacco-free and smoke-free environment for its students, faculty, staff, and visitors.  As part of a global wellness initiative for the University, USC Upstate shall become a completely tobacco-free and smoke-free campus.  The policy expands the 2011 smoke-free/tobacco-free policy to include the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) of any kind (either prescribed or non-prescribed electronic nicotine delivery devices).  Civility and respect are expected by all members of the University community as we make this transition.  For a full review of the policy, please reference the USC Upstate website (www.uscupstate.edu/smokefree).