Michigan Tech Undergraduate Catalog

The University
Student Life

Activities | Athletics | Health Care | Housing | Support Services | Cultural and Educational Resources

 

Activities  www.studentactivities.mtu.edu

Michigan Tech offers opportunities for students to participate in a multitude of activities. University Calendar, an electronic calendar reached from Michigan Tech's homepage, lists University events, including student activities. Students are encouraged to add their own organization's events to this calendar.

Looking to get involved? Well, you found the right place! The Student Activities Office, located in the Memorial Union Building Room 112, offers a variety of activities for you to get involved with on campus and in the community. Stop in and see us, call us at 906-487-1963, or email activities@mtu.edu. We look forward to meeting you!

Student Organizations  www.sa.mtu.edu/stulife/stuorg/

More than 180 student groups are registered on campus, including political, cultural/ethnic, social, special interest, media, honorary, religious, service, leadership, and professional organizations, as well as fraternities, sororities, and club sports groups. Many of these groups become involved in new student orientation, Homecoming, Winter Carnival, and other events.

Undergraduate Student Government (USG) www.usg.mtu.edu/usg

USG is the voice of the student body. This group oversees the disbursement of the revenue collected through the student activity fee and works with students to help resolve issues. The USG office is located on the first floor of the Memorial Union Building.

Tech Traditions

K-Day—At the start of the fall semester, all students are invited to McLain State Park on Lake Superior for a day of fun, sun, music, games, and food. Student organizations sponsor booths so students can learn about the varied opportunities available on Tech's campus. The day is a celebration of the beautiful Keweenaw Peninsula, home to Michigan Tech. Classes are canceled at noon so that students and faculty can celebrate and participate in the activities.

Parade of Nations—The Parade of Nations and Multicultural Festival, held in September, celebrate diversity with a colorful parade, complete with floats, bands, and flag-bearing students, representing our student nations (nearly eighty). Following the parade, students, faculty, and members of the community gather for a celebration with food, culture, music, and dance.

Homecoming—Few homecoming festivities on any campus can rival Michigan Tech’s for zaniness and all-around fun!  In addition to the Homecoming Court and football game, there are also a hobo parade, in which students dress in their worst clothes, a charity canned food drive, a cardboard boat race, and a three-legged race.

Family Weekend—During a designated weekend in the fall semester, parents and families are invited to the Keweenaw Peninsula to explore campus, attend cultural events, cheer the Husky teams to victory, cruise the Keweenaw Waterway, and tour the Copper Country as it shows off its vibrant fall colors. It is a weekend filled with fond memories of Michigan Tech and family fun, and it’s a great opportunity to visit with Tech students.

Winter Carnival—No Michigan Tech tradition can match Winter Carnival for national fame and overall involvement. Winter Carnival started in 1922 and has grown to become one of the largest annual winter festivals in the nation. It features huge, intricate snow statues on campus and in the local area, a home hockey series against a tough WCHA team, men's and women's varsity basketball, skits, broomball and other sports, sleigh rides, a Winter Carnival Queen, and more midwinter fun than you'd think was possible! Winter Carnival is held in early February during a two-day class break.

Spring Fling—On a Friday afternoon late in spring semester, students end the academic year and welcome warmer weather by engaging in activities including pie-throwing at professors, mud volleyball (better know as oozeball), and listening to bands. Various student organizations participate in this light-hearted event with food and entertainment for a campus community eager to relax and have fun before the serious business of final exams begins.

Visual and Performing Arts  www.fa.mtu.edu

The Department of Visual and Performing Arts presents a variety of theatrical and musical performances and art exhibits for the campus and local community throughout the year. Programs offered include:

Students play significant roles as managers, designers, production staff, and performers, working side-by-side with the faculty in art, music, and theatre.

Cultural Enrichment

The University sponsors a wide variety of cultural events and activities including art exhibits, dance and theater touring companies, musical ensembles, performing artists, comedians, and lectures by topical (and often controversial) speakers. The beautiful Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts is host to many of these events, allowing our students to broaden their cultural education and enjoy an amazing array of high-quality entertainment. This state-of-the-art facility not only enhances the quality of life on Michigan Tech’s campus and the local community, it also provides our students numerous educational and practical opportunities for hands-on experience in backstage and front-of-house crews.

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Athletics  www.exsci.mtu.edu/

Intercollegiate Athletics (NCAA)  www.athletics.mtu.edu/

Michigan Tech has a thirteen-sport intercollegiate athletic program, highlighted by its Division I men's ice hockey team, a program that has captured three national championships. Other men's programs include football, basketball, cross- country, track and field, tennis, and Nordic skiing. A strong women's program, which participated in nine NCAA tournaments in basketball and five in volleyball in the 1990s, includes cross-country, tennis, Nordic skiing, and track and field.

Intramurals  www.aux.mtu.edu/im/

The Intramural-Recreational Sports Services Department will provide a wide variety of recreational activities that will appeal to the leisure-time pursuits of the students, faculty, and staff.

We encourage participation be fun, fitness, and friendship. We promote and honor individual and team sportsmanship. We provide the opportunity for students to compete against and interact with other students, thus promoting good citizenship and socialization. Student employees develop social and leadership skills that are essential for lifelong learning.    

The Intramural-Recreational Sports Services program is designed to be consistent with the educational objectives of Michigan Technological University

Recreational Facilities  www.exsci.mtu.edu/facilities/

The University owns and operates multiple athletic facilities and recreation areas for the benefit of its students, faculty, and staff. Facilities include the Student Development Complex, the Gates Tennis Center, and numerous other indoor and outdoor facilities, both on and off campus, for team sports, skiing, golf, tennis, and bowling. Mont Ripley, Michigan Tech’s own ski slope and the only ski mountain in the Midwest owned by a university, is convenient to campus and enjoyed by skiers and snowboarders.

Student Development Complex (SDC)—A 235,000-square-foot, indoor sports arena located on the Michigan Tech campus. Students may use the facilities free of charge. The SDC features the following:
Gates Tennis Center—Located near the SDC, features
Other facilities (on and off campus)

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Health Care

The Houghton Community Health Center—Located on the Michigan Tech campus adjacent to the SDC on MacInnes Drive, the Health Center is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM and provides primary medical care for the community and Michigan Tech students, their spouses, and their dependents on a fee-for-service basis. Fees are payable to Portage Health and are not billed by the University (906-483-1860).

An after-hours walk-in clinic and hospital emergency care are provided by Portage Health at 500 Campus Drive, Hancock, (906-483-1000). www.portagehealth.org.

Student Health Insurance—All students are eligible to enroll in a group health insurance plan facilitated by the University. All international students are required to purchase the University health insurance policy unless they provide proof of comparable coverage applicable in the United States. The plan is optional for domestic students, their dependents, and dependents of international students. For more information, see www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/stud%20insurance/index.shtml.

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Housing  www.housing.mtu.edu

Housing Policy—All unmarried students are required to live in University residence halls during their first year of attendance at Michigan Tech. This policy does not include transfer students, graduate students, or commuting students living at home with their parent or guardian.

Students currently living in the residence halls are guaranteed a place as long as they sign up for housing by the end of spring semester. Students should clarify their status with the Office of Housing and Residential Life prior to making an off-campus housing commitment.

Residence Hall Contract—A residence hall application and contract for accommodations will be sent by the Admissions Office when the applicant is accepted for admission. Priority residence hall and roommate preference requests are considered based on the date a completed contract is received.

Residence Halls

Facilities—Douglass Houghton Hall, McNair Hall, and Wadsworth Hall together offer accommodations for more than 2,000 students. Each residence hall has comfortable rooms, large lounges, a dining room, laundry facilities, and recreation areas. Wadsworth Hall has rooms with a private bath. All residence halls are smoke-free environments.

LIFESTYLE OPTIONS—Unique living options include the Community Governed Area, alcohol-free housing areas, and the Learning Communities.

Dining Services—All residents must choose a meal plan. The Platinum, Gold, and Silver Meal Plans offer anytime-dining (unlimited access) during regular hours of operation. Platinum has $240 in Dining Dollars each semester,   Gold has $120 in Dining Dollars each semester, and Silver has no Dining Dollars. Dining Dollars allow students to eat at other times or at campus retail locations other than residence dining halls.

Residence Life Staff—Residence hall professional staff live in each hall and maintain regular office hours. They provide information, guidance, and aid in dealing with academic or personal issues. Residents are encouraged to seek their assistance with any questions.

Michigan Tech Apartments  www.housing.mtu.edu

The University maintains 348 one- and two-bedroom apartments at Daniell Heights. The apartments overlook campus and are convenient to both the campus and the Student Development Complex. Rates depend upon the type of contract and occupancy. All utilities, except for telephone, cable, and internet, are provided. Residents who sign up for local phone service receive domestic long-distance service free. Every apartment is furnished, including an electric stove and refrigerator. Each building of six to eight apartments shares a free washer and dryer.
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Picnic tables and children's play areas are located throughout the apartment area. Other amenities include a basketball court, sand volleyball court, high-speed computer access, an activity room, bike storage, and free bus service from the apartments to and from the main campus during the regular academic year.

Off-Campus Housing  www.aux.mtu.edu/usghousing/

Many students choose to continue to live in residence halls beyond their first year, while others elect to live off campus in apartments, homes, or with Greek organizations. In order to assist those students interested in locating off-campus housing, Undergraduate Student Government (USG) maintains a list of off-campus householders renting to students, available from the USG Office, room 106, Memorial Union Building.

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Support Services

Career Center  www.career.mtu.edu

The University Career Center is designed to meet the career planning, preparation, and placement needs of all undergraduate and graduate students and alumni of Michigan Tech. Services include seminars, a one-credit career development course, career fairs, a career resource center, individual advising, resume writing and critiquing, mock interviewing, on-campus interviewing, corporate speakers, and a career guidance software program. All services are free to Michigan Tech students and alumni.

Students are encouraged to visit the Career Center early in their academic career. By participating in co-op or summer internship work experience, learning interview skills, and being introduced to the corporate world, students will be well prepared for permanent employment upon graduation.

Students are also encouraged to attend semiannual on-campus job fairs sponsored by Michigan Tech. Job fairs are one of the most effective opportunities for students to obtain co-op, summer internship, and permanent employment positions.

Visit the Career Center's website at www.career.mtu.edu for a complete description of the numerous services and benefits that are available.

Child Care

The newly opened Little Huskies Child Development Center, located on campus between the SDC tennis courts and the Forestry Complex on MacInnes Drive, encourages and supports the growth and development of young children, from infants to kindergartners, in a caring and nurturing environment. The center helps to attract and support world-class faculty, staff, and students. The center is one of the many people-focused work/life initiatives intended to provide an outstanding educational and work environment for Michigan Tech students, faculty, and staff.

The Little Huskies Child Development Center gives priority to children whose parents or legal guardians are students or employees of Michigan Tech, although children from the community are welcome and may be admitted at an increased tuition rate. For more information, please contact center director Eva-Marie Hatfield at 906-487-3528.

Counseling and Wellness Services  www.counseling.mtu.edu

Counseling and Wellness Services provides student-centered services and programs. Our goal is to help students deal with life’s everyday challenges and problems by giving professional support. We also offer various wellness programs that focus on helping students create a healthier lifestyle and positive self-image.

Counseling and Wellness Services provides personal and academic counseling. Students may meet individually with a counselor to address any concerns or problems they have, including depression, anxiety and stress, adjustment to college, eating disorders, date rape, pregnancy, relationship or family problems, sexuality, self-esteem, substance abuse, or others.  Counselors can also assist students in improving time management and study skills and interpersonal communication skills.

Additionally, Counseling and Wellness Services offers group counseling. Small groups of students may meet to discuss and deal with issues such as eating disorders; grief; substance abuse; recovering from rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment; or any other area of need.

Counseling and Wellness Services also offers wellness education resources.  HOWL (Healthy Options for a Wellness Lifestyle) students provide workshops, presentations, and programming related to several health and wellness topics. Any group of students on campus can request a presentation or workshop in any area of interest.  Just contact us and let us know what you are looking for.

Counseling and Wellness Services is located in the Hamar House—the white house next to Fisher Hall. All services are confidential and free of charge for students. To make an appointment, call 487-2538 during regular business hours. To request a workshop or presentation, call 487-2538 or email wellness@mtu.edu.

International Programs and Services (IPS)  www.ips.mtu.edu

The Office of International Programs and Services (IPS) is the key resource for international initiatives and programs at Michigan Tech. IPS offers information and services to students interested and involved in study-abroad opportunities. IPS identifies foreign partner institutions and facilitates the development of student, faculty, and research international exchange agreements. In addition, the IPS serves as a home away from home for over eight hundred international students at Michigan Tech and provides visa and immigration counseling, advocacy and support services. Immigration and support services to international scholars on J-1 visa are also offered. IPS significantly contributes to the internationalization of Michigan Tech and Upper Peninsula communities by offering multiple cultural and educational programs. These include Intercultural Mentorship Program, Parade of Nations, International Ambassador Program, New International Student Orientation and informational workshops. IPS also offers intercultural communication training for the campus community.           

Educational Opportunity (EdOpp)  www.edopp.mtu.edu/

The Educational Opportunity Department, working with other Michigan Tech departments, provides academic, professional, and personal educational opportunities for students. Partnerships with industry, community colleges, and secondary schools provide resources for many of our programs. The EdOpp Youth Programs, ExSEL Programs, and Outreach and MultiEthnic Programs support the recruitment and retention of a diverse student body. The department programs primarily focus on topics that address the needs of precollege, female, minority, and other underrepresented students. EdOpp also coordinates campus and community multicultural activities, Elderhostels, National Student Exchange, and other lifelong learning programs. EdOpp is the focal point for diversity and precollege information and assistance.

The department hires and trains a large number of undergraduate and graduate students to work in a variety of academic, diversity, and youth programs throughout the year.

Michigan Tech is active in the following organizations through the EdOpp Department:

Information Technology (IT)   www.oit.mtu.edu/

IT provides the foundation for Michigan Tech's computing environment and manages the network, data, telephone, video, applications, and systems infrastructure needed to support the University's education, research, and community service missions. Specific academic computing resources are offered by individual schools and college departments.

Student Affairs Office    www.studentaffairs.mtu.edu

The Student Affairs Office provides support to students in cocurricular and extracurricular areas, enriching and supporting the academic experience of students. Its goal is to create the best possible environment for the professional and personal growth and development of students. The student affairs staff also helps students resolve issues and problems.

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Cultural and Educational Resources

Library  www.lib.mtu.edu

The J. R. Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library contains more than 800,000 volumes and regularly receives approximately 10,000 serials and periodicals. It is a designated depository for US government documents. The library archives maintain a collection of original materials concerning the history of the Keweenaw region, including the records of various copper mining companies.

A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum  www.museum.mtu.edu

The A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum is one of North America’s great mineral museums and The Mineral Museum of Michigan. The world’s finest collection of Keweenaw Copper District minerals, Lake Superior Iron District minerals, and Michigan Basin minerals are on exhibit together with a comprehensive suite of gems, minerals, and meteorites from around the world. Come explore and enjoy nature’s mineral masterpieces.  The museum is located on the fifth floor of the Electrical Energy Resources Center (EERC). Free admission; donations appreciated. Open all year, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Also open Saturdays and Sundays, July through September, noon to 4:30 PM.

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