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Student Services

Please click on the department below to read a brief overview:

Academic Advising

For students in traditional programs:  To help students make informed decisions regarding their educational and career goals, Concordia provides faculty advising and peer advising services. New students are assigned a faculty advisor based on indicated interests or intended academic major. Students are required to meet with their faculty advisor upon initial entry to the university, and at least once a semester thereafter. Faculty advisors will discuss career goals, choice of major, course selection, class scheduling, degree requirements and other academic concerns.  Peer advisors are assigned to First Year Seminar classes (FYS) and to incoming transfer students. They are available in the academic advising office to assist with pre-planning and academic program implementation.  For more information about faculty advising in the traditional programs, contact Rosie Braun, director of academic advising, (651) 641-8708.

For students in cohort and graduate programs: Students enrolled in cohort based graduate and undergraduate programs are assigned an academic advisor to help them determine how they will meet their academic requirements and reach their educational goals.  Advisors are assigned based on the student's current program.  They help students navigate various university processes, familiarize them with university policies and procedures, and advise and encourage them during their higher education journey.  For more information about academic advising in the cohort programs, contact Gretchen Walther, lead advisor, (651) 603-6271.

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BEAR Center

The Business, Enrollment, Advising, and Registration Center or The B.E.A.R. Center            
The name comes from the University's athletic teams who are called the Golden Bears.  The BEAR Center has all the resources you need to answer any of your financial aid, payment plan, enrollment, or registration questions in a one-stop shop.  On the web's Bear Path, you will be able to check on your financial aid, your student account, your transcript, and register with your ID number and PIN number.  Visit the BEAR Center on the web.

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Career Services

Career Services at Concordia University is committed to preparing individuals to make thoughtful and informed choices about their vocation, to integrating career planning with academic and life experience, and to teaching skills that contribute to successful career management.  A career counselor is on staff to assist students in connecting their academic studies to the world of work, to explore interests and values, and to learn strategies for marketing themselves to prospective employers. Books and web resources targeted to assist students in investigating different careers, internships, and job opportunities are available. Part- and full-time job positing and internship listings are available for viewing both in the office and online. Coordination of student participation in the annual job and internship fairs is also provided.

Career courses are also available and include:

• Career Exploration and Assessment (SSS150): Students relate self-understanding, life-style choices, personality inventory results, and career information to decisions about their own careers. Students will apply new insights about themselves to their investigation of career options and future life plans.
  

For those students unsure of a career direction, career assessment and counseling are available to help in career planning and decision-making. Contact: Diana Sukut, Career Specialist, (651)603-6241 or sukut@csp.edu, or visit Career Services. 

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Counseling Services

Students sometimes experience stress, problems in their relationships with others, confusion about their life plans or career goals, or other kinds of emotional distress. These problems frequently interfere with academic success. Concordia Counseling Services can provide support for students experiencing such problems, and assist them in their process of self-understanding and problem resolution. When additional resources are necessary, Counseling Services can also provide information about other helping services in the Twin Cities area. Contact counselors at (651)641-8252 for an individual appointment.  See also Counseling.

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Disability Services

Concordia University is committed to providing an accessible education to students who have disabilities.  Enrolled students who have a disability that significantly limits one or more major life activities (e.g. walking, talking, hearing, seeing, and in some cases, learning) are eligible for services. Appropriate  documentation from a medical practitioner who specializes in the area of the disability is required for services.  If students are unsure if they have a learning disability, screenings can be arranged, but additional referrals may be required before accommodations can be provided. Temporary disabilities and medical conditions will be reviewed on a case by case basis.  Concordia University-St. Paul reserves the right to obtain additional information from practitioners when appropriate.

Reasonable accommodations that reduce barriers to the learning environment are determined in accordance with state and federal laws.  Confidentiality of medical and diagnostic information is maintained; however, faculty and staff may have "need to know" regarding academic information.  In order to provide accommodations for their courses, faculty must be involved in the accommodation process along with the student.  Additionally, Disability Services has no authority to impose any sanction or provide waivers for students regarding attendance issues.  Disability Services can work with students to help them address attendance issues with faculty. 

Students who would like further information or believe they will be in need of accommodations should contact the Director of Disability Services at (651)641-8272 (v/tty).  Students who already have accommodation plans but need services arranged should contact the Disability Accommodations Specialist at (651)603-6318.   Information is also available at there Disability Services website.

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Health Services

Health Services is supervised by a registered nurse, who works in conjunction with local health care providers.
State law requires that all students be immunized and that Health Services has a record of these immunizations on file.  Please provide this information to the Health Services prior to the start of classes.

All students with special health needs and/or chronic illness should contact the health center nurse. Together, the student and the nurse will formulate a plan to meet those needs while the student is at Concordia.

All care and counseling received at Health Services is confidential. No information is released without written permission of the client.
Health Insurance

All students are urged to have health and hospitalization insurance. Concordia offers a plan for students at a competitive price. Students who contemplate any university-related activity deemed to include higher than normal risk must certify satisfactory coverage, or they will be prohibited from participating. Students should carefully check their individual or parents' insurance plans and verify that coverage is provided, given the student's age and location. The university does not accept responsibility for the payment of medical bills or any other damages.

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Learning Services

Learning Services is designed to assist students in learning skills and strategies that help them become independent and active learners and to achieve academic and personal success. Learning assistance is provided through individual academic counseling or through one of the several courses offered. Handouts and brochures on study skills such as time management, test anxiety, and note taking are also available by request. To schedule a time to meet one-on-one for individual assessment and instruction, contact Jan Baumgart at (651) 641-8769 or Baumgart@csp.edu, or visit the Learning Services website. 
Learning Services courses include:

• College Foundations (SSS100):  Covers skill-building for achieving educational goals in college. Includes study skills such as textbook reading, note taking, test preparation, test taking, and research skills. Life skills such as communication skills, time management, stress management, and memory and concentration strategies are also important components.
•  College Reading (SSS110):  Focuses on the types of reading that students will encounter in various academic disciplines. The course begins with general reading instruction and progresses toward the application of reading skills for different disciplines within the core curriculum. Instructions and practice on vocabulary development and speed-reading are also key elements of this class.
• College Turning Points (SSS120):  Designed to teach students on academic alert or probation successful strategies, learning techniques, and practical knowledge for success in college. Personal ideas and decision-making is reflected upon and written about in journals as well as discussed with peers in a similar academic situation.

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Service-Learning

Service-Learning at Concordia is defined as an experiential approach to teaching and learning that intentionally combines meaningful community or public service with an academic application, development of civic responsibility and personal growth.  Service-learning opportunities are ones that are mutually beneficial.  Service-learning opportunities can be either curricular, that is tied to a class, or co-curricular, and these opportunities may involve direct service, indirect service, advocacy, or research.  In addition to several course offerings, the Service-Learning Office also offers a variety of other opportunities for students to engage, including (but not limited to) a student club around homelessness issues, National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week and National Environmental Awareness Week, social justice Immersion trips over winter and spring breaks, and tutoring/mentoring at the PLUS Time after-school program.  For more information, contact the Service-Learning Coordinator at (651)603-6318 or check out the website at the Service Learning website. 

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Tutoring Services

Tutoring is available free of charge to Concordia students to help them achieve academic success and independence, and improve their study skills. Students who would like to improve their grades from B's to A's as well as students who might be struggling in classes may request services. Tutoring Services allows students to explore their learning styles and discover appropriate study skills and learning methods which best match their styles.
Students who excel in subjects may apply to become Learning Consultants (a.k.a tutors). This position provides students with the opportunity to explore their interests, connect with others, practice workplace skills, and enjoy the additional benefits of increasing their understanding of a subject.
Contact Theresa Leko, Tutoring Coordinator, at leko@csp.edu or 651-603-6318 for more information. 

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Writing Center

Students are encouraged to use the Writing Center, located in Administration 200, at any stage during the writing process. Writing Center tutors, who include students, staff, and faculty, are trained to assist writers with focus, content, clarity, grammar, and mechanics in their works-in-progress. Students not only receive help on their writing projects, but also learn how to improve their writing skills. Some of these skills may include prewriting, planning, drafting, using sources, revising, and editing. Students may sign up for a half-or full-hour appointment by stopping by the Center or calling (651) 603-6233.

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