Academic Advising and Support Services
The numerous academic options offered by The University of Tulsa, combined with the flexibility to design a personalized program, require careful guidance of students from the first year through preparation for graduation. This guidance is provided by the University’s academic advising system, described in the Academic Policies section of this Bulletin.
Beyond the formal advising structures, however, all students are encouraged to make full use of the academic resources of the University and to seek advice from members of the faculty on specific academic issues in areas of particular interest to them.
Center for Student Academic Support
The Center for Student Academic Support (CSAS) serves as an initial reference point for students who need academic assistance, tutoring, and other kinds of help. Faculty members are encouraged to send students with such problems directly to the Center, where their situations are evaluated and appropriate assistance is given. Center personnel are trained to detect and deal with problems that place students at risk. They also coordinate campus tutoring efforts and act as a liaison with other student services, both academic and personal, on students’ behalf.
Services for Persons with Disabilities
Information concerning special services and facilities for students with disabilities in need of accommodation may be obtained from the Center for Student Academic Support. A copy of the 504/ADA Policy for Students with Disabilities may be obtained here or by calling 918-631-2315.
Math Resource Center
The Math Resource Center, also known as the “Math Lab,” provides math tutoring to students in freshman- and sophomore-level mathematics classes. The Math Lab provides free, walk-in tutoring for individuals or small groups. The Math Lab is located in Keplinger Hall, Room 3265 (NW corner of the upper level). Hours are posted each semester at the Math Lab, or contact the Department of Mathematics at 918-631-3674 for current hours.
Writing Center
Located in McFarlin Library and staffed by the Department of English, the Helen N. Wallace Writing Center provides free consultations on writing projects for the campus community in a relaxed, comfortable, and informal setting. Consultants work with writers in a collaborative effort to foster engagement in the writing process as a whole, from generating ideas to commenting on final drafts. Students may schedule appointments online. Walk-in consultations may also be available, although online booking is the only way to guarantee an appointment. Although copyediting services are not available through the Writing Center, consultants are trained to suggest and demonstrate proofreading strategies. See the Student Guide to The University of Tulsa Writing Program, which is required in every writing course, for more information.
Tutoring
Tutoring is offered by the Center for Student Academic Support and CaneFlix.
McFarlin Library
McFarlin Library, named in honor of the original donors, Mr. and Mrs. Robert McFarlin, serves as the academic heart of the University. Students at The University of Tulsa have direct access to the library’s holdings of more than three million items that include more than 54,000 electronic journals and over 400,000 electronic books. The library collection also includes digitized University of Tulsa dissertations and archival materials, and extensive collections of electronic reference sources and databases, as well as print resources such as books, serials, government documents, microform and maps. The library’s world-class Special Collections are available for graduate and undergraduate research and include extensive collections of manuscripts, historical archives, art objects, photographs and memorabilia in range of subjects that include Modernist literature, Native American history and the American West.
Study Abroad
The University of Tulsa is committed to offering its undergraduate students an opportunity to acquire cross-cultural experience by spending a term studying, interning, or conducting research overseas. The Center for Global Education (CGE) has identified core international programs around the globe for students abroad for a summer, semester, or academic year. CGE also manages TU faculty-led courses abroad. CGE advisors can work one-on-one with TU students to find a program that meets their specific needs and goals.
After meeting study abroad application requirements and with the approval of a student’s College, students may choose to take courses abroad which may satisfy major, minor, block, and elective credit and degree requirements. Students from all disciplines are encouraged to consider applying to participate in a program abroad. Federal financial aid and most TU-sponsored scholarships are portable on approved study abroad programs, keeping the cost for a program abroad relatively close to the same cost as attending TU. A number of competitive study abroad scholarships are available and students are encouraged to apply. For more details on TU’s programs abroad, visit the Center for Global Education.
The Center for Global Education also administers the interdisciplinary Global Scholars Program .
Other Support Services
Career Services
The Office of Career Services provides services for all students and alumni of the University. A major goal is to help all students gain the information and skills needed to select a career and conduct a job search that will lead to desirable employment. The office also assists students with finding public service internships and part-time employment. Each student and alumnus is provided with individual support in developing a career plan and specific strategies that will lead to his or her employment goal.
Providing 24/7 access to information through its website and Golden OpporTUnities Handshake online tool, Career Services maintains information on internships and other pre-professional work experiences; hosts job fairs that provide information on potential employers; maintains job vacancy information from a variety of sources; and arranges campus interviews with more than 100 prospective employers. Because employers start very early in their search for talent, students are encouraged to meet with staff members to work on a résumé, schedule a mock interview, and begin the career planning process as soon as they arrive on campus.
Health Services
The Alexander Health Center (AHC) provides medical care to students. The AHC has the capability to perform routine lab work (including pregnancy and STI testing) onsite, immunizations (including the flu vaccine), allergy shots, well-woman exams, and health education. The AHC is staffed by a nurse practitioner as well as a caring team of staff and nurses. Office hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.). Students are encouraged to call the AHC at 918-631-2241 to schedule appointments. While the AHC does its best to accommodate the needs of all students, appointment times do fill up quickly. Careful adherence to the schedule is observed to ensure all students scheduled get adequate time with a provider to address their medical needs. Students should bring their identification and proof of insurance with them to their visit.
The AHC does not provide in-house imaging. Students will be referred out for imaging studies (i.e. X-rays or CT scans), which will be followed up and addressed by the AHC care team. Referrals placed to specialty care may also sometimes be required. The AHC staff do their best to ensure that referrals are placed to an organization covered by the patient’s insurance. All costs incurred at outside facilities (co-pays, procedure fees, etc.), as well as the cost of prescription medications, are the responsibility of the student.
For more information on the student health insurance requirement, see Insurance Requirements in the Tuition and Fees section of this Bulletin.
Immunization Requirements. State law requires that all students who attend Oklahoma colleges and universities provide written documentation of immunization against hepatitis B and measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR). Students who reside in on-campus housing are also required to be immunized against meningococcal disease (meningitis). For more information on health services and immunization requirements, visit the AHC website.
All contacts at the AHC are strictly confidential as protected by law and professional ethics. No information will be released without a separate written consent form signed by the patient.
It is University policy that the AHC does not issue excuses from class for illness. This is a matter between the student and the professor. See the AHC Notification of Medical Illness Policy on the AHC website.
Counseling and Psychological Services
Located in the Alexander Health Center building, the Counseling and Psychological Services Center offers clinical services to all students and a broad range of professional, educational and consultative services to faculty and staff. We are trained to help college students adjust to the changes and transitions of college life as well as to help faculty and staff function more effectively in their roles. The staff is devoted to helping with any concerns that might require psychological assistance.
Speech, Language, and Hearing Testing and Therapy
The University’s program in speech-language pathology provides diagnostic testing in speech, language, and hearing along with therapy services for individuals of all ages. There is a fee for these services and university students and employees receive a 20% discount. Scholarships are also available by application. A free screening clinic is available at the Mary K. Chapman Speech and Hearing Clinic on Fridays, by appointment, to determine if a significant communication problem exists. Although these screenings do not include detailed diagnostic or therapy services, they do include appropriate counseling, recommendations, and referrals. Call the clinic at 918-631-2504 for information.
Office of Student Affairs
The Office of Student Affairs provides programs and services that empower students to realize their educational goals and personal potential. We offer programs to enhance academic endeavors and leadership skills, counsels individual students regarding their problems, offer support and guidance to student organizations, and provide over 150 extracurricular and co-curricular activities that broaden students’ educational experiences. Specific programs, services, and activities include Greek Life, Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, Student Association, Student Activities, Interpersonal Violence Prevention, Leadership Education, and Multicultural Student Programs. This office also handles student disciplinary matters, investigates complaints of sexual harassment or sexual violence/assault, administers the alcohol policy, houses the ombudspersons, and educates the campus community on student policies and procedures.
New Student Programs and New Student Orientation
StartTU Orientation is designed to help new students form new and lasting relationships with faculty, staff and their fellow students; provide an opportunity to become integrated into the TU campus and community; and learn valuable academic skills that will enhance their academic career. The new student orientation program, which occurs the week before fall classes begin, includes programs on campus (educational sessions, a variety of social activities, and the first class sessions of the First Year Experience Course), as well as an overnight off-campus retreat at Dry Gulch USA. StartTU Orientation and other first-year programs are implemented by the Office of New Student Programs and Services.
Multicultural Student Programs
The Office of Multicultural Student Programs provides individual counseling and support for African, Asian, Hispanic, Native American, bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender students; advises student organizations related to these cultural groups; encourages involvement of students in these groups in all aspects of University life; and provides cross-cultural activities to promote understanding among students of all groups. Multicultural Student Programs include academic study groups, peer mentoring, and a wide variety of celebrations, seminars, and activities that focus on different cultures.
International Student Services
The Office of International Student Services coordinates undergraduate admission; issues government immigration documents; supports, counsels and advocates for students on academic and personal matters; works to ensure student retention; assists international faculty; oversees the English Institute and the International Student Success Center; and offers various programming activities throughout the year. All University of Tulsa students and faculty who are not U.S. citizens are required to register with this office.
The English Institute offers programs in the instruction of reading, writing, speaking, and understanding the English language for international students. The primary objective of EIIS is to provide international students with a sufficient command of English to function in a University of Tulsa classroom. The Institute’s Intensive English Program is accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA). For information about applying to the English Institute, see English Institute Admission in the Admission Section of this Bulletin.
The International Student Success Center offers English language support and workshops on various academic topics. Students who visit the International Student Success Center have the opportunity to build connections with fellow students in an inviting and culturally diverse atmosphere. The core International Student Success Center staff hold advanced degrees in linguistics, teaching English as a second language, or related fields.
Residence Directors
Live-in professional staff members and student assistants work with student hall governments and staff to schedule programs and activities each semester and are available for general information, counseling, and referral assistance.
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) is responsible for the administration of all externally-funded research and sponsored program activity. Faculty, students, and staff at The University of Tulsa engage in a wide variety of research activities, participating in both externally-funded and University-funded scholarship. ORSP subscribes to a service which provides assistance in identifying sources of external support. In addition, ORSP provides information on program guidelines, assists in proposal development, and administers grants and contracts once they have been funded. ORSP also has programs to provide internal funding to faculty and students.
As a federally funded research institution, TU must comply with federal regulations regarding the conduct of research. For example, any research project involving human subjects must be submitted to ORSP for approval by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). When animals are to be used in research, prior approval must be obtained from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). A listing of many of these compliance issues may be found on the ORSP website along with further guidance on internal funding opportunities and services provided by ORSP.
Information Technology
The Information Technology (IT) department provides all students, staff and faculty with an individual TUNetID that gives access to such services as high speed internet, the wireless network, the intranet portal, email, and file storage. Residential students have access to wireless connectivity in University-owned apartments and residence halls. For a complete overview of IT supported services at the University, visit the IT webpage.
IT maintains computer labs at the Pauline M. Walter Academic Technology Center located in McFarlin Library. These labs are open 24 hours a day while classes are in session. The labs support high speed printers and an extensive array of software to facilitate teaching, learning, and research. The University of Tulsa also maintains numerous specialized teaching labs located across the campus.
For admitted and enrolled students, information technology help may be obtained by visiting the IT webpage. The page contains helpful information on user account setup and reset. Select “Portal Login” under helpful links at the right-hand side of the page to login to Portal. Once logged in to Portal, select “Offices” then “Information Technology” to find additonal “how to” documents and resources. Personal assistance may be obtained by emailing it-desk@utulsa.edu. IT service is available Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Graduate Programs
Through its Graduate School, The University of Tulsa offers more than 45 master’s and 14 doctoral programs in a variety of disciplines in the arts, humanities, business, sciences, and engineering, and cooperates with the College of Law in offering several joint J.D./master’s degrees. Accelerated master’s degree programs are available in select academic programs. These accelerated degree programs offer undergraduates the opportunity to begin taking graduate courses while finishing an undergraduate degree and completing a master’s degree in as little as one year of study beyond the bachelor’s degree. The University’s graduate programs, which enroll more than 700 students, are described in the Graduate Bulletin.
Although graduate work is not offered in every discipline, graduate education at The University of Tulsa strengthens the undergraduate mission in several ways. It enables the University to recruit and retain faculty with distinguished records of scholarship. All members of the graduate faculty teach undergraduates and participate in undergraduate curriculum design. Graduate assistants help provide a research environment that allows the faculty to go forward with their scholarship and often to include undergraduates in selected research projects. Graduate teaching assistants enable the University to offer many small, high quality courses across campus. Graduate assistants in the Writing Center, the Mathematics Lab, and other areas provide undergraduates with individualized tutorial assistance. Finally, the presence of graduate programs compels greater breadth and depth of the library resources, computer facilities, and scientific instrumentation used by undergraduates.
University School
The University School at The University of Tulsa was established to offer the city of Tulsa and the state of Oklahoma leadership and service in the field of gifted education. The mission of the school is to serve as a national model of excellence in pre-college education for students with high academic potential. A by-product of this service and leadership has been local, national, and international recognition for The University of Tulsa. Paralleling the goals of The University of Tulsa to provide excellence in education for academically able adults, the University School serves as a model of excellence in education for academically able children. In 2014, the University School was designated a Confucius Classroom for its exemplary Chinese language program.
The University of Tulsa provides University School as a service to the community to demonstrate the high value it places on academic excellence and to provide an alternative educational option for gifted children. All students from three-year-olds through eighth-graders study music, Spanish, Chinese, art, math, computers, physical education, library, language arts, and social studies. There is a very low pupil-to-teacher ratio, about 40 adults for 235 students.
Gilcrease Museum: An American Experience
In October, 2007, the City of Tulsa and TU agreed to an historic public-private partnership under which TU manages operations at The Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, commonly known as the Gilcrease Museum, one of the country’s best facilities for the preservation and study of American art and history. The museum houses the world’s largest, most comprehensive collection of art and artifacts of the American West, including an unparalleled collection of Native American art and material. The partnership, which formally began on July 1, 2008, has resulted in numerous strategic opportunities for the museum, including streamlining its management structure, advancing and preserving the collection, and providing unparalleled opportunities for academic research of the museum’s extensive holdings. The Gilcrease partnership allows TU to leverage its nationally recognized academic resources in western American history, art history, anthropology, and archaeology to create a better understanding of the museum collection. The Helmerich Center for American Research, which opened in 2014, enhances scholarly opportunities at the Gilcrease Museum.
Honor Societies
The University of Tulsa supports chapters of national honor societies.
Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest American honorary society, founded at the College of William and Mary in 1776. The University of Tulsa chapter, Beta of Oklahoma, was chartered in 1989. The chapter annually elects to membership students with exceptionally strong records in the liberal arts and sciences. Election to membership in Phi Beta Kappa is one of the highest academic honors and is almost universally regarded as evidence of superior scholarly attainment.
Candidates for membership must be in their junior or senior year, must have attended The University of Tulsa for a minimum of three semesters of full-time work, and must be enrolled in a fourth semester of full-time work at TU. In addition, students must have taken at least 90 hours of liberal arts courses (other than professional and applied courses), demonstrating breadth as well as depth of course study. Other factors influencing selection into membership include a high grade point average, two years of a foreign language and a minimum math requirement of MATH 1103 Basic Calculus , or two courses consisting of MATH 1163 Pre-calculus Mathematics and another math or statistics course at an equivalent level of difficulty.
The culmination of the year’s activities is the annual Initiation Ceremony, normally held the evening before spring commencement. During this ceremony new student members (“Members in Course”) and distinguished Alumni/ae and Honorary Members are inducted in a formal and memorable ceremony that publicly recognizes and honors each inductee. For additional information, contact Dr. Jennifer Airey.
Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 as the Lambda Sigma Eta Society at the University of Maine. In 1900, the society added chapters at the Pennsylvania State College (now Pennsylvania State University) and the University of Tennessee and was renamed Phi Kappa Phi. The University of Tulsa chapter, chartered in 1990, is one of over 250 chapters in the United States.
Phi Kappa Phi elects members from all recognized branches of academic endeavor. Members are selected on the basis of high academic achievement and good character. Juniors must have completed at least 72 credit hours, with at least 24 semester hours at their current institution, and rank in the top 7.5 percent of their class. Seniors must have completed at least 90 credit hours, with at least 24 semester hours at their current institution, and rank in the top 10 percent of their class. Graduate students must have completed at least 18 graduate hours or the equivalent at their institution and rank in the top 10 percent of their class. Faculty, professional staff and alumni who achieve scholarly distinction may also be eligible. For additional information, contact Dr. Mark Buchheim.
TU students may also join honor societies for specific fields of study, class or other criteria. A partial list may be found here.
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