New student orientation is held in August for all new students entering Fall 1. All new students are required to attend orientation to ensure a successful transition to Webster University. The first class sessions of the First Year Seminars are held during New Student Orientation. Information on the orientation programs will be sent to the student after registration. Call the Director of First-Year Experience at 314-968-7105 for additional information.
Some mini-orientation sessions are also offered to freshmen during the summer freshmen registration day programs. Contact Academic Advising for additional information.
Extended Orientation Course for Freshmen
INDZ 1500 – Webster 101. Prerequisite: first time freshman status. Webster101 is designed as an introduction to college life and is intended for first year students. This course will help the first year student make the most of his/her career at Webster University. Using various assessments and exercises, each student will develop a deeper understanding of him/herself and use that understanding to learn adaptation strategies, such as goal setting, values clarification, time management, money management, and stress management skills that will work for each student in and out of the classroom. Each student will also learn how to use the many resources Webster provides to support students in meeting both academic and social challenges. All freshmen are invited, but not required, to enroll.
University Housing
Student housing on-campus includes 725 beds in modern, fully furnished, air-conditioned, suite-style residence halls and apartments. From individual bedrooms, all residents have direct Internet connectivity and can watch television on their computers. The residence halls also have wireless Internet access. Residents may apply for a particular type of hall or apartment; however, if a first choice is not available, staff will make the best arrangements based on resident requests and space availability.
Options for First-Time Freshmen
For the 201213 academic year, housing options for first-time freshmen include West Hall and selected floors in Maria Hall. Completely remodeled in 2008, Maria Hall houses a total of 108 students in double room one-bath suites. West Hall, which opened in 2006, houses 231 students in similar room configurations as Maria Hall. Each floor in West and Maria Halls includes a social lounge, kitchenette area, and a study lounge. A full laundry room, mail room, and check-in desk are located on the ground floor of each building. Meal plans are required of all resident freshmen. Marletto’s Marketplace is located directly beneath Maria Hall.
Options for Sophomores and Beyond
Students in their sophomore year and beyond (including graduate students) can choose to live in selected floors of Maria Hall (described above), East Hall or in the Webster Village Apartments (WVA).
East Hall rooms are available in four-person or six person suite configurations, with each suite containing two full bathrooms. Floors in East Hall also include a social lounge, kitchenette area, and a study lounge. A full laundry room, mail room, and check-in desk are located on the ground floor. Meal plans are required for East Hall residents. The WVA offers fully furnished apartments in 2-bed/2bath, 4-bed/2 bath and efficiency/1 bath configurations. The WVA complex also includes a clubhouse area with large-screen TV and an outdoor pool and hot tub, as well as onsite parking (as available). Leases may be extended in the WVA for summer months, which will include a summer rate. Students beyond the freshman year who reside in the apartments are not required to take a meal plan, although they may elect to do so.
New Freshmen
All new freshmen flat-fee students (those taking 13-18 credit hours) enrolling in classes at the Webster Groves campus will be required to live on-campus for the duration of their first two years, unless they plan to commute from the home of their parents or legal guardian, providing that this home is within a commutable distance (approximately 35 miles). After the completion of the second year of studies at the Webster Groves campus, they may choose to move off-campus.
New International Students
All new international students, both undergraduate and graduate, enrolling in classes at the Webster Groves campus will be required to live on campus for the duration of their first year. New freshmen have a two-year on campus living requirement. After the completion of the first year of studies at the Webster Groves campus, students other than new freshmen may choose to move off campus. An exception will be granted for international graduate students, if they have already been living in the St. Louis area in the year prior to their admission to Webster, or if they have come to St. Louis primarily for full-time employment. This will be handled by request for exemption sent by the International Admissions staff to the Department of Housing and Residential Life.
World Traveler Students
All World Traveler participants, both undergraduate and graduate, enrolling in classes at the Webster Groves campus will be required to live on campus for the duration of their study abroad experience. If they choose to permanently transfer to the Webster Groves campus, they may choose to move off campus after the completion of their first year of studies at the Webster Groves campus.
All housing contracts/leases include utilities (local phone, electricity, cable TV). Laundry facilities (washers and dryers) are available free of charge for all residence hall and apartment residents. All housing and meal contracts/leases are for the full academic year, or if the student assumes residence during the year, for the remainder of the academic year. A deposit of $175 must accompany the housing request for space.
All housing charges are based on the 16-week undergraduate class schedule. The Department of Housing and Residence Life may approve additional weeks at a per-week rate. Residence halls open with new student orientation and close the afternoon of commencement. The residence halls are closed during the semester break, and meals are not served on campus during that time. The WVA remains open during all breaks. The housing charges for the residence halls do not cover vacation periods.
Webster University requires all resident students and students studying on an F-1 or J-1 visa to have health insurance as a condition of being a student at the University. Students will automatically be enrolled in and billed for the Webster University Student Health Plan; however, U.S. citizens with other health insurance will be allowed to waive their participation in the Webster plan. (Please call 314-968-6922 for an insurance brochure and exemption request.)
The deadline for waiving the insurance is 10 days after the first day of the semester or five days after arrival, whichever comes first. All Webster students registered for 3 or more credit hours are eligible for insurance. All international students will be automatically enrolled in the Webster Student Health Insurance, with no waivers allowed. Information on insurance rates can be found at:
http://www.webster.edu/students/health/insurance.shtml.
The University’s all-you-care-to-eat dining facility, Marletto’s Marketplace, located in Maria Hall, offers food service for three meals a day, Monday through Friday, and two meals a day on weekends. Meal plans available to resident students include Plan A (7 meals per week and 220 points per semester), Plan B (19 meals per week and 50 points per semester), Plan C (180 meals per semester plus 75 points per semester), and Plan D (100 meals plus 175 points per semester). All residents of campus housing (with the exception of non-freshman apartment residents) are required to participate in one of the meal plans. Other students may choose to take any food plan but may change plans only at the beginning of each semester. The University Center Crossroads food court, including a Wow Café and Wingery, Blimpie Subs and Salads, and Freshëns, is open Monday through Friday and offers a variety of wings, tenders, quesadillas, wraps, fajitas, burgers, tenders, chopped salads, shrimp, sides, sandwiches made-to-order, and beverages. Commuting students may use the food service on a per-meal cash basis or may purchase one of the above plans. A Bonus Bucks declining balance plan, offering cashless convenience and a 10% bonus or more, is also available to commuter students. The Library Café featuring Kaldi’s, offering upscale coffee, smoothies, sandwiches, and pastries, is open Monday through Friday in the Emerson Library. Simply-T0-Go Units are open weekdays during lunch and evenings in the main lounge of the Sverdrup Business and Technology building and on the second floor of East Academic Hall.
The University Bookstore, located in the Garden Park Plaza, stocks textbooks and supplies used in courses, as well as a variety of University clothing and accessories.
The Business Office provides a check-cashing service for students. Short-term emergency loans are available to degree-seeking students on a “funds available” basis. The Office of Student Affairs administers these emergency loan funds. There is a maximum of $300 per student available each year. The Money for Textbooks program is also available to St. Louis and on-line students with financial aid who meet certain criteria. This program provides an advance on an expected refund so that students can purchase their textbooks in a timely fashion. The application for Money for Textbooks, which must be submitted on line, can be found at: http://www.webster.edu/studlife/StuA/cheques.htm.
Student Activities and Organizations
A current list of approximately 60 clubs and organizations sanctioned by the Student Government Association, as well as other activities, may be found at http://involved.webster.edu/organizations.
If a student’s particular interest is not represented, the University Center and Student Activities staff will help the student in forming a specific group.
The Journal is Webster’s award-winning, weekly student newspaper. All students are encouraged to participate in production of The Journal. The Publications Board, composed of students, staff, and faculty, oversees the publication of the newspaper, hires managerial staff, develops policy, and addresses any issues related to the newspaper.
Gorlok Television (GTV) is the student-produced campus TV station, available for viewing by on-campus residents and in campus buildings. GTV is operated in the School of Communications, and GTV classes can be taken for academic credit. The station also receives some of its funding from the Student Government Association. Students are encouraged to get involved in the various aspects of television production.
The Ampersand is the student-produced magazine of Webster University. What began in 2002 as an effort to revive the Webster College Non-Yearbook evolved into The Ampersand , Webster University’s student-produced magazine. The first issue debuted in the spring of 2003, and the staff continues to produce an issue a semester. One thousand issues of The Ampersand are printed each semester and distributed free to students, faculty, and staff at Webster. In addition to work produced by The Ampersand staff, the magazine contains original work by Webster students to provide an outlet for sharing creativity and success on campus. The magazine serves as a reminder of each semester and a published memory as students leave Webster.
Intercollegiate Athletics Program
The Webster University award-winning intercollegiate athletics program is a competitive NCAA Division III program that sponsors the following varsity-level sports: women’s cross country, track and field, soccer, volleyball, basketball, tennis, and softball; and men’s cross country, track and field, soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, and golf. These teams participate against other NCAA Division III institutions and also compete in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) championships. Webster University has won the SLIAC All-Sports Trophy in eleven of the last twelve years as the top overall competitor in the conference. Participation is encouraged from full-time undergraduate students or graduate students who meet the eligibility requirements of the NCAA and Webster University.
The following services, programs, and facilities are available to Webster University students. A more detailed description can be found in the Student Handbook and Calendar or online:
- Career Services and Student Employment
- Student Health Services
- Information Center in the University Center
- International Student Advisor
- Multicultural Center and International Student Affairs
- Recreation and Intramurals Program
- Student Government
- WebsterLEADS: Student Leadership Development Program
- University Center and Student Activities
- Counseling and Life Development
- Alcohol/Drug Education and Prevention
- Campus Ministry
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