The Division of Student Affairs is dedicated to the development of all students and to facilitating their cultural, social, emotional, physical, ethical and intellectual development so they may become responsible, respectful and effective individuals.   

Below are some recent highlights from the Division of Student Affairs. 

  • Student Health Services continues to partner with the Medical University of South Carolina to improve quality of care and ease of access for CofC students. Students have free access to virtual care through MUSC 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Student Health Services is also partnering with the Counseling Center to improve access for students to mental health medications. 
  • The Upward Bound program will be presenting to Charleston County School District eighth grade parents throughout the spring to discuss not only what the program offers, but to provide valuable information on how to help their child transition successfully from middle school to high school and start working on college-bound strategies and expectations.  
  • The Counseling Center has provided over 3,300 appointments, serving 1,331 students this academic year. The average wait time for an initial appointment at the Counseling Center is three business days. However, the center also offer same-day appointments for urgent concerns. Students who are in crisis don’t need an appointment and should walk in during regular business hours for immediate support. After-hours support is available by calling 843-953-5640 and choosing menu option three to connect to a counselor.    
  • The Gender & Sexuality Equity Center  (GSEC) recently welcomed Naomi Simmons as the center’s first full-time director. The GSEC office and the new Campus Pride Center are located at 9 ½ Glebe St. The Gender & Sexuality Equity Center hosted the campus’s first Trans Awareness + Empowerment Week and has received a grant from the Alliance for Full Acceptance to enhance programming for Gender Equity Week featuring Moss the Doula. Safe Zone Training is now (Q)nversations. GSEC staff continue to provide facilitated conversations around building inclusive communities with a focus on the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ members of campus. 
  • The Office of Student Wellness and Well-being (OSWW) continues to focus on highlighting the Dimensions of Wellness Initiative and how different offices and programs on campus (e.g., Multicultural Student Programs and Services, the Office of Sustainability and Campus Recreation Services, etc.) can serve as resources. Students 4 Support, our peer counseling program, has restarted drop-in sessions and has seen a 100% increase of in-person participation.  
  • The Center for Civic Engagement hosted events highlighting land preservation efforts, climate change and agriculture to help students connect with Gullah history, culture and cuisine. Students learned about the cultural significance of marsh areas, examined how economic development impacts marsh preservation and considered how their roles as individuals, consumers and student leaders can influence peers and local policy that impact the Gullah community.  
  • Charlane Dwight has been named associate director of the Office of Victim Services (OVS).  She joined OVS in late 2010 as a certified victim service provider. Dwight has served as the coordinator of the Safe Campus Outreach, Prevention, and Education (S.C.O.P.E.) peer team and will continue developing this program and mentoring S.C.O.P.E. students.   
  • The Collegiate Recovery Program continues to welcome new students and is honored to have three freshmen with over a year of sobriety. Academic Support Specialist Hilary John has made a big impact on the program. Students have shared their stories of addiction and recovery with local middle and high schoolers. 
  • 21 Chapters of the Higdon Center for Student Leadership & Greek Life raised $19,658 and donated 800 food & hygiene items for the Cougar Pantry at the annual Pep Supper event last fall. 
  • Career Center staff have been managing the 13,500 companies actively recruiting students for internships and jobs in Handshake.  This helped us “sell out” the Charleston Gaillard Center for the spring Career Expo on March 29, 2023, with more than 140 companies registered to recruit students at the event.   
  • The Office of Multicultural Student Programs and Services (MSPS) and the Office of Student Life opened the Cougar Cutz Barbershop in September 2022, which aims to specifically support minority students who may not be able to travel far from campus to get a haircut. “Cuts and Conversations” is designed to help with the retention of male minority students. The Alliance for Full Acceptance (AFFA) Small Grants Program awarded MSPS $3,000 for CofC’s Safe Zone Program. AALANA fall 2022 graduates were recognized and celebrated during the Multicultural Graduation Celebration Walk-Thru, with photo-ops with CofC President Andrew Hsu and Alicia Caudill, executive vice president of student affairs.
  • The Office of the Dean of Students has been working to change the perception of the office’s mission from the place a student goes when they are in trouble to the place a student goes when they are in need of support.  The Office of the Dean of Students (ODOS) collaborates with faculty and staff to assist students through the Student of Concern Committee and through overall care and support via the FAST reports that are routed to both ODOS and the Center of Academic Performance and Persistence.  In addition, ODOS assists in helping students apply for the Student Affairs Emergency Fund, as well as the College of Charleston Student Food/Temporary Housing Assistance Program. Finally, honor code and student code of conduct cases are also resolved through an educational, well-being lens.  
  • The Student Achievement, Involvement and Leadership (S.A.I.L.) Awards will be held on April 20, 2023. The S.A.I.L. Awards program includes the highest awards for exceptional student leadership through the Division of Student Affairs, Residence Life, Campus Recreation, Student Life, and the Higdon Center for Student Leadership & Fraternity & Sorority Life. Among the awards presented at S.A.I.L. are the Presidential Award for Scholarship, Leadership, and Service, the Ted Stern Cup, and the Alexander Chambliss Connelley Award.