Services, Activities, and Programming

Archives

The Mission of the Seton Hill University Archives is to collect, preserve, and make available institutional records of enduring value. The Archives serves as the institutional repository of Seton Hill University for the following purposes:

• To acquire, preserve, and make available primary source materials that document the history of Seton Hill University.
• To preserve and make available works that reflect the heritage, mission, and values of the institution as a Catholic university founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill.
• To support the learning, teaching, and/or research needs of Seton Hill University students, faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as other researchers.

The Seton Hill University Archives strives to represent the mission of the University itself which reflects the tradition of Elizabeth Ann Seton to educate students to think and act critically, creatively, and ethically as productive members of society committed to transforming the world.

The Archives is located on the ground floor of Brownlee Hall.

Athletics

Seton Hill is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). The athletic programs at Seton Hill University allow students to participate in intercollegiate and recreational sports throughout the academic year. Seton Hill offers women’s athletic programs and men’s athletic programs at the intercollegiate level. During the fall semester, Seton Hill competes in football, men’s and women’s cross country, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s tennis, women’s golf, and women’s equestrian events. Intercollegiate sports during the winter season include wrestling and men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s and women’s indoor track and field, while the spring semester offers baseball, softball, men’s and women’s track and field, men’s and women’s lacrosse, women’s tennis, and women’s golf, and equestrian events.  A co-ed ESports team competes in both the spring and fall semesters.  Intramural sports occur throughout the academic year in flag football, basketball, volleyball, soccer, yard games and other indoor and outdoor activities.

The McKenna Center includes a gymnasium, coaches’ offices, training rooms, weight room, locker rooms, and an indoor running track. Outdoor amenities include two multi-sport turf fields. A field house overlooks the fields and houses a training room, weight room, and locker rooms for home and visiting teams. There are also a softball field and a practice field available to all students. Sullivan Hall is utilized for additional athletic activities.

Bookstore

Textbooks, supplies, clothing, and sundries may be purchased at the bookstore on campus. The bookstore accepts cash, personal checks (with a current driver’s license or state identification card), VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. The website for the Seton Hill Bookstore is www.setonhill.bkstr.com.

Campus Ministry

Campus Ministry, while Catholic in orientation, provides opportunities for students of all denominations to enrich their university experience by participation in prayer and worship, community service, social responsibility, and, in general, sharing the gifts of faith with the entire university community. The Campus Ministry staff welcomes diverse sensibilities and encourages a range of religious and spiritual expressions in an environment rooted in ecumenical and inter-faith dialogue. All students are invited to participate in Campus Ministry.

Campus Police

To ensure the utmost protection for students, Seton Hill University maintains a Department of Public Safety. As an essential part of the total university security, a campus-wide communication network is available to students via any campus phone. The security phones located throughout the campus filter into the network system. When needed, a police officer can be dispatched to any location within a matter of seconds. A 24-hour on-call staff person is available seven days per week. Security policies and procedures and crime statistics are available in accordance with PA Act 173 and the Student Right to Know Act.  Please visit the Campus Safety page and the Institutional Health and Safety Policies on PolicyTech for additional Information.

Career and Professional Development Center

The Career and Professional Development Center provides assistance to students to enhance their liberal arts education by developing the skills needed to be marketable for employment or pursuing graduate-level education. Seton Hill University is one of a select number of colleges and universities nationally that integrates the development of career readiness skills as part of the University’s curriculum. The Career and Professional Development Center reinforces career readiness skill development by partnering with local and regional employers who value and encourage career development in the internship and employment opportunities they offer to students.

Career development begins when a student enters the University and continues as a lifelong career management process. This process promotes a high level of self-knowledge, career competency through self-assessment, career exploration, and decision-making, and job-search skill development.

Services provided by the Career and Professional Development Center include:

• major and career exploration
• resume and career document development
• interviewing preparation
• networking guidance
• internship and job search strategies and resources
• graduate and professional school planning

Child Development Center

The Child Development Center is a preschool dedicated to providing an excellent education for children ages three to five and their families as well as serving as a learning laboratory for future teachers and social scientists.

The Child Development Center has been accredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs since 1994. The Academy is a division of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), an organization that establishes guidelines for excellence in Early Childhood Programs. Additionally, the center is licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as a Private Academic School.

Community Service

Students are encouraged to study peace and justice issues at Seton Hill and to think about how they can have a creative effect on the world. The Office of Service Experience provides opportunities for students to train for, participate in, and reflect upon meaningful service to the community. These include aiding the very young and the elderly, the unemployed and economically disadvantaged, the homeless, and the handicapped. Students enrich their own lives while helping others in the search for justice and liberation.

Commuter Student Resources

Commuter students have access to all campus services and are encouraged to participate in campus organizations and activities. Commuter students have access to a commuter specific lounge in Maura Hall, which hosts commuter lockers that are free to rent. There are several meal plan options available for commuter students that are designed to meet their unique needs. Additionally, commuters may request mailboxes on campus as well.

Counseling

Professional counselors are available to provide services that enable students to learn more about themselves and their relationships, develop goals, and access their potential. Counseling activities focus on conducting individual and group sessions, crisis support services, and providing referrals to professional services in the community.  Common concerns addressed through Counseling services include anxiety, depression, substance use, social or relationship concerns, identity development, and sexuality. All services are confidential
and free.

Beyond clinical services, counselors provide outreach and education to the campus community aimed at reducing stigma and increasing awareness of mental health needs and support.  Counseling center staff also administer substance abuse prevention education individually and in groups, using evidence-based methods and materials to encourage all students to make informed decisions about their health and well-being.

Disability Services

The Office of Disability Services (ODS) is staffed by the Director of Disability Services and the Accommodation Specialist. Any student with a diagnosed disability who is interested in supportive services and accommodations must provide the Director with current documentation of the disability. Documentation should include a diagnosis and the functional limitations or impact that the diagnosis has on the student. To ensure that the necessisary information is submitted successfully, please email disabilityservices@setonhill.edu for any needed forms and information.  Students seeking support should then schedule to meet with the Director to review the documentation and, if eligible, participate in the development of an accommodation plan.

Upon acceptance to Seton Hill, it is strongly recommended that students make contact to learn the process for seeking accommodations and identifying documentation that is needed.   Deposited students who wish to register with the ODS for accommodations for the first time should ideally meet with the Director at least 60 days before the start of the semester in order to provide sufficient time to submit the necessary documentation, have it reviewed and learn about the differences in the accommodation processes at college vs. K-12. Once eligibility for accommodations is established, students will need to meet with the Director or Accommodation Specialist at the start of each semester to discuss the accommodations that are needed for each of their courses that semester.  All services are confidential, individually derived, and documentation-driven.  Please note that accommodations are not retroactive, so early contact is encouraged.

Groups and Organizations

With over sixty (60) registered student organizations at Seton Hill, there is almost certainly a group for everyone.  Whether focused on academics, faith, identity, social or professionalism, all of our student organizations contribute to create the community we have at the Hill.  You can find information on student groups and organizations at Seton Hill by visiting SHINE: Seton Hill’s Internal Network for Engagement at setonhill.campuslabs.com.  Students who are interested in starting a new organization can reach out to the Office of Student Leadership & Involvement by emailing studentinvolvement@setonhill.edu.

Health Services

Health Services is staffed by a Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner and two Registered Nurses. Comprehensive, evidence-based, and confidential health care is provided to all part-time and full-time undergraduate and graduate students. Services include point-of-care testing; laboratory/phlebotomy services; acute illness management; injury care; allergy injections and specialized injections; Tuberculosis (TB) screening by PPD skin test; health education; and referrals to other disciplines. All incoming and transfer students are required to upload documentation of university required immunizations  and a picture of their insurance card to The Wellness Portal; in addition, they must complete the on-line Health History and TB Risk Assessment Forms.

Library (Reeves Memorial Library at Reeves Learning Commons)

At the center of the Seton Hill campus is Reeves Learning Commons at Reeves Hall. Located in the Commons, Reeves Memorial Library serves as the information center of the campus for students, faculty, and staff alike. The library makes available an extensive collection of print books, ebooks, periodicals (mainly electronic journal subscriptions), research databases, streaming video and music, DVDs, and CDs. Most resources and services are accessible online via the library’s website.

The library offers quiet study areas in the Reading Room and the O’Hara Room, both of which are located on the lower level of the building. The in-house collection of monographs is housed in state-of-the-art compact shelving units to free up additional space for patron use. With the addition of new furniture all spaces are open and inviting. To retain the charm and history of the previous incarnations of Reeves Memorial Library some of the older furniture has been refinished and integrated throughout the Commons. The main floor has been transformed into an area for collaborative work while also offering rooms that can be reserved for individual and group study.

Among the online products offered are: EBSCOhost (25 databases), ProQuest Ebook Central, D&B Hoovers, JSTOR, Nexis Uni, Academic Video Online, Naxos Music Library, Grove Music Online, ProQuest Healthcare Administration Database, and ProQuest Political Science Database. These resources offer thousands of scholarly journal articles, magazine and newspaper articles, ebooks, abstracts, and legal and medical information sources, many of which are available in full text.

The library staff works in collaboration with Seton Hill’s faculty to provide a comprehensive information fluency instruction program. Each major program and element of the Liberal Arts Curriculum offers opportunities for research and critical thinking to broaden students’ capabilities in gathering, evaluating, synthesizing, and applying information. The librarians also provide numerous LibGuides to help students locate information on a wide range of subjects, and for specific course assignments.

As part of the growing world of information, the library offers its patrons interlibrary loan service for books and journal articles. Reciprocal borrowing privileges are also in place through an agreement with libraries at the following institutions in Westmoreland County: St. Vincent College; the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg; and Westmoreland County Community College. Seton Hill students, faculty, and staff must have a valid Seton Hill ID to borrow items from these libraries.

National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education

Seton Hill University established its National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education (NCCHE) on the anniversary of Kristallnacht (November 9), 1987, in response to the urging of Pope John Paul II to recognize the significance of the Holocaust (Shoah), and to “promote the necessary historical and religious studies on the event which concerns the whole of humanity today” (Letter to Archbishop John L. May, 1987).

The mission of the Center is to counter anti-Semitism and to foster Catholic-Jewish relations by making fruits of Holocaust scholarship accessible to educators at every level, especially in Catholic colleges and universities throughout the United States. To this end, the Center sustains a vital cooperative program with Yad Vashem in Israel and designs events to assist educators in shaping appropriate curricular responses for students.

Nowhere has the Center’s impact been felt more directly than at Seton Hill itself. Twenty-three Seton Hill faculty and staff members have participated in the Center’s premiere program, the Catholic Institute for Holocaust Studies, a graduate-level summer institute in Israel. Consequently, faculty have developed a program in Genocide and Holocaust Studies consisting of two components, an undergraduate minor and a graduate certificate program, offered completely online. Not only does this program support the mission of the Center and the University, but it also serves as a valuable resource for teachers, professors, students - anyone interested in the causes and consequences of genocide.

The Center is deeply concerned with the rise of antisemitism, racism, and other forms of hatred in the United States and around the world. Its programs are designed to raise awareness of these issues, and provide educators with resources that are effective in teaching students about these vital topics.

The work of the Center is greatly enhanced by generous grants from Ethel LeFrak and from Hans and Leslie Fleischner.

The NCCHE provides Seton Hill students with many programs and resources including the following.

• Annual Kristallnacht Remembrance Service (fall semester);
• Annual Yom HaShoah - Westmoreland Interfaith Holocaust Remembrance Program (spring semester);
• Special exhibits, plays, and concerts in cooperation with academic departments;
• Triennial Ethel LeFrak Holocaust Education conference;
• The Eva Fleischner Lecture Series;
• Internship opportunities with the Center;
• Genocide and Holocaust Collection including the Karen Rachel Hurwitz Collection of Children’s Holocaust Literature;
• Permanent exhibit of archival photographs depicting women and children in the Holocaust.

In summary, the NCCHE seeks to eradicate prejudice and to promote peace, truth, and justice. We welcome students to participate in the Center’s programs and events.

New Student Orientation

Traditional Students:

New Student Orientation initiatives are meant to welcome students (traditional new students and transfer students) into the Seton Hill community. New traditional students and transfer students are required to attend a Setonian Orientation Day before their first semester on campus, to begin the transition to Seton Hill and to be registered for the first semester. Welcome Weekend is the next part of orientation that is required for all incoming traditional and transfer students. Welcome Weekend is held during the weekend before classes start in the Fall Semester. Various activities and events are planned to help new students make connections with each other, with upper-class students, as well as with various faculty and staff members. Highlights of Welcome Weekend include: Mass on the Grass; Playfair, an activity where all of the incoming students have a chance to meet one another in a fun and high energy environment; the annual Class Photograph; First-Year Seminar and Transfer Seminar class lessons; and fireworks.  Orientation Leaders (OLs) are upper-class students that assist new students throughout Welcome Weekend and in the days following. Each new student is assigned to an OL that provides assistance with the adjustment to college life on the hill.

Online and Graduate Students:

All learners, whether taking classes online or on campus, are welcomed and oriented to Seton Hill University. In-person orientation is held prior to the start of each semester for those who are more local. An online orientation is offered through Canvas and is continuously available as a resource.

Office of Diversity, Inclusion and International Services

The Office provides services to assist Seton Hill University students so that they can be successful at Seton Hill University. The staff assists students with personal and social matters.  The staff serve as liaisons between all international students (graduate and undergraduate) and the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, to assure compliance with relevant regulations. Additionally, the staff provides cultural and educational programming for the campus community.  The staff also advises these student organizations: Black Student Union (BSU), PRIDE, and Queens.org.

Post Office

The Post Office, located on the ground floor passage between the Administration Building and Maura Hall, receives mail from the U.S. Postal Service daily and distributes it each morning. Intra-university mail is distributed to campus boxes throughout the day. Resident students are automatically assigned mailboxes with their housing information. Commuting students are assigned mailboxes upon request through the Office of Residence Life. All students are expected to check their mailboxes weekly.

Residence Life

For students living on campus, the Residence Life Staff plays a vital role. The staff strives to create an environment that is conducive to living and learning both in and out of the classroom. The staff works closely with campus residents to promote a positive sense of community through encouraging personal and professional growth, building interpersonal and intercultural relationships, instilling accountability, creating opportunities for leadership, and preparing students to be fit for the world in which they live.  For information on Seton Hill Residence Life Policies, please click here.

Student Involvement

There is no shortage of opportunities for students to get involved on campus through campus programming, trips, intramural sports and fitness programs, and student leadership development. 

The Seton Hill Programming Board (SHPB) collaborates with the Office of Student Leadership & Involvement to host a variety of events both on and off campus. Programs include social events like monthly karaoke and campus carnivals, expressive events like Drink ‘n Doodle led by fellow Seton Hill students, and make and take events. SHPB also plans trips away from campus where students can explore all that southwestern Pennsylvania has to offer through cultural, athletic, artistic, and educational trips. The Mystery Trip every spring allows students to sign up for a trip and not learn where they’re going until they get on the bus that day. 

Intramural sports are offered regularly and give students an opportunity to compete against others on campus in a fun and friendly atmosphere. There is also a game room called the Griffin’s Lounge in Sullivan Hall where students can plan poll, ping pong and air hockey when the building is open. Fitness programs like yoga and dance fitness classes allow students to exercise in group situations and focus on their physical well-being.

Students who are looking to further their leadership development can get involved with student governance, the Student Affairs marketing team or simply attend student leadership programming hosted regularly throughout the year by the Office of Student Leadership & Involvement.

Technology

Mobile Learning @ the Hill

Seton Hill’s Mobile Learning @ the Hill program provides our students and faculty with the best in mobile technology and everything they need to use it with ease, from a robust campus-wide wireless network to specially-trained technical support.

Other Technologies

To complement mobility, Seton Hill makes use of many web-enabled products. Products and services include a student/faculty/staff information system coupled with course management which encourages interactive communication, Canvas, Gmail and Google Docs.

Most classrooms are equipped with multimedia podiums. 

Specialized studios that support media production are located in the Reeves Memorial Library Learning Commons:

• The Media Studio and Sound Booth: The Media Studio is a fully-functional media recording studio. Equipped with a green screen and recording equipment such as video cameras, portable lighting, microphones, etc., the Media Studio supports learners in the creative development of multimedia projects and presentations. An editing hub equipped with iMac computers and video-editing software/hardware provides learners with the ability to edit their presentations for a professionally finished product.
• The Podcasting Studios: Two podcasting studios are also available to the learning community. Each studio is equipped with a 27” iMac computer, boom microphone, and Primacoustic London Studio Kit. The podcasting studios provide learners with the soundproof space and necessary tools to leverage the medium of podcasting in their learning activities. Using state-of-the-art microphones, laptops, and recording software, students are able to create and publish podcasts on a variety of topics depending on their interests and needs. The podcasting studios also serve as audio and video editing suites where learners may develop and produce media projects.

The Wukich Center for Entrepreneurial Opportunities

The Wukich Center for Entrepreneurial Opportunities was established to create a competitive niche for Seton Hill University as a leader in entrepreneurial education and increase visibility across Seton Hill’s undergraduate and graduate programs. The services provided by the Wukich Center complement and further enhance the entrepreneurship curriculum offered by the undergraduate and graduate Seton Hill University programs. The Wukich Center focuses on helping students and alumni transform their business ideas into fully operating businesses by utilizing the guidance of experienced, successful entrepreneurs via the Entrepreneur-in-Resident (EIR) program. Additionally, the Wukich Venture Fund was established to help finance student start-up businesses. The Center also employs a Wukich Scholar to support faculty research as well as support various events and activities out of the Center such as our Entrepreneurs Club, Elevator Pitch Competition, Business Model Competition, and leadership lectures series.