Welcome to Bluffton University!
The Bluffton experience is defined as much by our special “people qualities” as it is by a beautiful campus situated amidst the trees and tranquility of the Little Riley Creek. Here you will find a faculty and staff who will shape and guide your classroom and student life experiences, and who will help you build bridges to future careers.
In Bluffton’s residential community you will have opportunity to make some of the best friends you ever will have—friendships that will often last a lifetime. If you are in one of Bluffton’s cohort-based programs, you will also develop close relationships and professional connections with colleagues.
Whatever your point of entry to Bluffton University, I invite you to participate richly and fully as a valued member of this community of learning.
Try out your leadership skills in a whole range of student life and academic program activities. Don’t miss out--participate in clubs, student government, music, athletics, theatre, intramurals, publications, and in religious life activities. Make the most of these special years in your life.
At Bluffton, we work hard to create a “community of respect” on our campus. This handbook is designed as a reference to outline expectations and standards of conduct for which each student is accountable.
Thank you for choosing Bluffton, and I wish you the best in your time here as you encounter Bluffton’s enduring values of discovery, community, respect and service.
James M. Harder
President
WELCOME FROM THE STUDENT SENATE PRESIDENT
Have you ever seen one of those bumper stickers that says “It’s a Jeep thing...you wouldn’t understand.”? What it implies is that you really can’t explain the experience of owning a Jeep to someone who has never owned one. Or you might also be familiar with the saying “For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.” I would contend that either of these statements could be used to sum up one’s experience as a member of the Bluffton family.
On behalf of the Bluffton University Student Senate, I would like to welcome you to Bluffton for the 2007-08 school year. Whether you are getting ready for your first year on campus or your last (or somewhere in between), it is my sincere hope that you fall in love with this community as so many people before you have. Bluffton means many things to many different people, but to all people it means something. It might be the professors, it might be the classmates, or it might be the water; but there’s something about this community that you have to be a part of to understand.
Bluffton is a place of rich traditions and values. It is a place where discovery, community, respect and service are held as core values and not just given lip service. It is a place that will stretch you to see the big picture. Perhaps most important though, is that it is a place in which you get to decide how much you get out of it.
So, I just have one simple challenge for you: get involved. What this means is up to you. Maybe it means becoming a member of one of 40 student-led organizations on campus. It might mean staying a few minutes after class to discuss the course material or get to you know professor better. Or it might just mean introducing yourself to the people across the hall. Whatever it means to you, I urge you to get involved to get the most out of what Bluffton has to offer.
Before you know it, your time here on campus will come to an end. And before you know it, people will be asking you what you thought of your time here on this small campus in Northwest Ohio. It is in times like that when you just smile, shake your head and say “It’s a Bluffton thing...you wouldn’t understand.”
Sincerely,
Scott DeArmond ’08
Student Senate president
MISSION STATEMENT OF BLUFFTON UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS’ RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
COMMUNITY OF RESPECT
OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTATIONS
HONOR SYSTEM
STANDARDS AND POLICIES
SALESPERSONS ON CAMPUS
CAMPUS JUDICIAL SYSTEM
SECURITY
PARKING AND TRAFFIC REGULATIONS
STUDENT SERVICES
BOOKSTORE AND DUPLICATING
BUSINESS OFFICE
CAMPUS PASTOR
CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTER
COUNSELING SERVICES
CURRICULUM RESOURCE CENTER
STUDENT LIFE OFFICE
FINANCIAL AID
DINING SERVICE
HEALTH CENTER
LEARNING RESOURCE CENTER
LIBRARY
MARBECK CENTER
MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS
MUSIC FACILITIES
STUDENT LIFE OFFICE
TECHNOLOGY CENTER
WRITING CENTER
OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVOLVEMENT
ACTIVITY FEE
CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES
FUND-RAISING POLICIES
PROCEDURES FOR REGISTERING A STUDENT ORGANIZATION
STUDENT GOVERNANCE
STUDENT PUBLICATIONS
SPIRITUAL LIFE ACTIVITIES
MUSICAL ACTIVITIES
COMMUNICATION AND THEATRE ACTIVITIES
DEPARTMENTAL CLUBS
SPECIAL INTEREST ORGANIZATIONS
ATHLETICS
TRADITIONS, SPECIAL EVENTS AND FACTS
