Category: Student Support Services

Financial Aid

The Financial Aid Office is responsible for administering all federal, state, institutional and private sources of financial assistance. This includes:

  • Counseling current and prospective students on the availability and terms of aid programs and assisting them in calculating their yearly out of pocket expense
  • Determining eligibility for need-based programs based on the results of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  • Applying scholarships awarded by CCS through the admissions process, competitions, sponsored projects in the classroom, and from third party donors
  • Processing student loan funds available through government and private sources and providing counseling regarding the rights and responsibilities of borrowers
  • Recalculating aid amounts based on changes to enrollment level, such as half-time or less than half-time enrollment
  • Coordinating the work-study/student employee program

Faculty are encouraged to direct students to the Financial Aid Office when they express financial concerns, or to contact the office directly if they feel the situation is of special concern that may recommend the student for additional assistance.

Some specific circumstances for which students should be directed to the Financial Aid Office are:

  • If they are considering dropping classes or doing a complete withdrawal
  • They will be enrolled less than half-time
  • They are experiencing financial difficulties and/or there has been a change in the family’s financial circumstances
  • They need advice on applying for loans to supplement their financial aid package

Admissions

The Admissions Office is responsible for recruiting new students through various activities such as high school visits, campus visits, campus events, college fairs, National Portfolio Days, international recruitment fairs, direct mail, email, and telephone campaigns. In addition to the full-time staff, a team of Admissions Student Ambassadors assists with tele-counseling, campus tours, and various Admissions events.

Department chairs and faculty play an important role in the student recruitment process. Chairs and faculty may be asked to participate in a variety of activities including, but not limited to: National Portfolio days, information sessions, high school visits, college fairs, portfolio reviews and the placement of transfer credit, and phone calls to inquirers, applicants and accepted students on a case by case basis.

In addition to the activities above, Chairs may be asked to participate in annual features and benefits meetings, art educators breakfasts, workshops for prospective students, and other events.

Residence Life

CCS offers students the option to live on campus in the Taubman Center and on the Ford Campus in the Art Centre Building. Approximately 480 students live on campus each year in the two buildings. The Director of Residence Life and the Residence Life Coordinator oversee the operation and management of the residence life program and 18 student staff members work as Resident Assistants in the buildings. The Residence Life staff works to maintain a safe and welcoming environment in the residence halls. Staff are trained in educational programming, crisis response, conflict mediation, and similar skills to enable them to help students make the most out of their learning environment. Students must abide by both the CCS Code of Conduct as well as the CCS Housing Policies and Regulations in addition to being full-time students to live on campus.

Student Affairs

The Office of Student Affairs is overseen by the Dean of Students and includes Student Life, Residence Life, the Wellness Center, and Multicultural Affairs. The purpose of Student Affairs is to enhance the CCS educational environment through co-curricular programming and initiatives to engage the student body in learning and growth outside of the classroom.

Student Concerns Committee

The Student Concerns Committee (SCC) is an avenue for early communication for faculty and staff to raise concerns about College for Creative Studies students in a confidential environment. The information shared during the course of the SCC meetings is considered sensitive and is used as one tool to determine if, when, and how further intervention will take place with a student. This committee is an information gathering body that is used to help maintain a safe and caring environment for all community members.

A cross section of personnel from the College serves on the committee to gather the broadest picture possible of a student of concern. At a minimum, representatives from Student Affairs, Campus Safety, Academic Advising and Registration, Financial Aid, Personal Counseling, Residence Life, and Academic Affairs will participate in the SCC meetings with additional staff being invited as seen fit. The members of the SCC are encouraged to share information both personally collected and those concerns reported to them by other CCS personnel.

Some examples of concerns would be unusually withdrawn behavior, a dramatic change in mood, the student expressing loneliness or depression, or a recent and significant decrease in academic performance. Please keep in mind that the Student Concerns Committee is not an emergency response team. If an emergency arises please call Campus Safety. Information reported to the committee is considered highly sensitive and will be shared only with those individuals at CCS who would be responding to the situation. To make a referral to the SCC, you can email either the Dean of Students or the Director of Wellness & Counseling Services

Center for Tutoring and Writing

The Center for Tutoring and Writing (CTW) provides academic support for all students. It is staffed by full-time higher education professionals as well as departmental tutors who are Juniors or Seniors in their major. CTW services include one-on-one tutorial assistance tailored to each individual’s learning style and academic needs.

CTW services are free to all students and offer the possibility to boost classroom performance, develop better learning strategies, and hone study, writing and time management skills. Workshops highlighting these types of topics are conducted throughout each semester at lunchtime. As an alternate computer lab, students have access to software specific to their majors in the CTW. Writing assistance is also available for any type of assignment, including research papers, essays, artist’s statements, and resumes. International students can receive assistance specific to their needs as English Language learners.

Students come to the CTW on a voluntary basis, but may be encouraged by faculty to utilize this resource. If a student is struggling in the classroom for any one of a multitude of reasons including absenteeism, missing assignments, poor academic performance or social issues, faculty can contact the CTW with questions as well as refer the student directly. You may use the form available on Blackboard in the Content Collection under Center for Tutoring and Writing or just email or phone to discuss. CTW personnel work closely with faculty, Academic Advising & Registration staff and other Student Affairs departments to build a network of support for students challenged by their workload. Communication between these various parties aids significantly in students’ success.

In addition, if you are allowing a student to make up a test, the CTW can work with you to provide time for that student to come and take the test in the CTW.

Goals

CCS strives to engage students in an active learning environment that challenges them to grow as artists and designers while providing the support network for them to succeed. The programs and services offered through various student support offices and programs are intended to help students develop into successful and civically engaged artists and designers. Student success and persistence to graduation are the overarching goals for these offices.

International Student Services

The International Student Services Office (ISSO) is staffed by the Director, an Academic Advisor, and a part-time Coordinator. The ISSO is responsible for academic advising for undergraduate international students and all graduate student international exchange partnerships and student advising, as well as advising for all F-1 Visa and J-1 Visa International Students. The ISSO maintains (SEVI) Student and Exchange Visitor records and SEVP certification for the College and its students and offers programming.

On-campus programming includes orientation sessions for new international students, International Education Week activities; Student Ambassador Program, Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT) information sessions; and other meetings/training for students when necessary.

The ISSO maintains and grows international partnerships with CCS including advising study abroad outgoing and incoming students. The office also assists with Faculty-Led Global Programs and the student Global Club.

The ISSO maintains the College’s international travel registry, as well as several related policies including Protecting CCS Students Abroad and the International High Risk Destination Travel Policy.

The ISSO is responsible for reviewing international student satisfaction surveys and developing strategies to address the needs revealed by those surveys as well as providing ongoing support services.

Please  find all policies for International Services and Study Abroad on the following pages: