Navigating Student Life at FSU: A Guide to Central Services

Florida State University (FSU) is committed to providing a supportive and challenging environment where students can maximize their learning and achieve success. This commitment extends beyond the classroom, encompassing a wide range of central services designed to foster student growth in various aspects of life, including social awareness, physical well-being, intellectual expansion, and spiritual and moral development. This article provides an overview of the key central services available to FSU students, empowering them to navigate their academic journey and make the most of their university experience.

myFSU Student Central: Your Online Hub

myFSU Student Central serves as the central online platform for managing your academic life at FSU. This comprehensive system offers a variety of tools to help students plan their future, manage their time, and access important information.

Key Features of myFSU Student Central

Mobile Accessibility: The myFSU Mobile app allows students to search for and enroll in classes from any mobile device. The app simplifies the process of managing your shopping cart and adding, dropping, or swapping classes.
Simplified Terminology: The platform uses clear and consistent terminology. For example, "Enrollment" and "Registration" are used interchangeably, as are "Units" and "Hours." An "Enrollment Appointment" is the same as a "Registration Window," and "Career" refers to your status as an undergraduate, graduate, law, medicine, or non-degree seeking student.

Division of Student Affairs: Empowering Student Success

The Florida State University Division of Student Affairs is dedicated to empowering and supporting all students in achieving their full potential. The division believes in the transformative power of the student experience and strives to develop graduates who will positively impact the world. The leadership of the Division of Student Affairs includes the Vice President for Student Affairs, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, and Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs.

Academic Support Services

FSU offers a comprehensive array of academic support services to help students thrive in their studies. Detailed information on these services can be found in the “Academic Advising and Academic Support Services” chapter of the General Bulletin.

Campus Recreation: Find What Moves You

Campus Recreation provides numerous opportunities for students to engage in physical activity and enhance their well-being. With two fitness facilities, the Dr. Bobby E. Leach Student Recreation Center and the Fitness and Movement Clinic, students have access to a wide range of fitness and wellness services. Access to all Campus Recreation facilities is free for students.

Read also: Navigating Student Central

Fitness Facilities and Programs

Leach Student Recreation Center: This facility offers cardiovascular and strength training equipment, free weights, an indoor jogging track, basketball and racquetball courts, and a fresh shake and on-the-go food bar. Patrons can also enjoy the sixteen-lane lap pool, whirlpool spas, steam rooms, and dry sauna.
Group Fitness Classes: Nearly one hundred group fitness classes are offered each week, led by nationally certified staff. Fitness assessments and personal training services are also available.

Lakefront Park and Retreat Center

Located just five minutes from campus, FSU's Lakefront Park and Retreat Center is a seventy-three-acre facility on Lake Bradford. Students enjoy free entry to the park and can participate in activities such as kayaking, canoeing, sailing, and stand-up paddle boarding. Other amenities include sunning areas, swimming, sand volleyball, disc golf, a climbing wall, and picnic pavilions. The lakeside retreat center is available for rent by student organizations, university programs, and other community groups for meetings and events. The park also features high and low challenge (ropes) courses, which are used for teambuilding and leadership development events led by the FSU Challenge Program.

Intramural Sports and Sport Clubs

The Intramural Sports and Sport Club programs offer competitive and recreational sports opportunities for students of all skill levels.

Intramural Sports: Over forty intramural sports leagues and events are offered each year, including flag football, soccer, basketball, and kickball. Opportunities are available for men's, women's, and co-ed teams in various divisions, catering to both competitive players and those seeking a more casual experience. Most IM sports are free for students.
Sport Clubs: Over 2,000 students participate in more than 40 sport clubs. These student-led clubs provide instructional, recreational, and competitive opportunities for dedicated athletes.
Outdoor Facilities: Students can enjoy pick-up games at FSU's outdoor sports facilities, including the Rec SportsPlex, the Main Campus Fields, and Westside Courts.

Career Center: Preparing for Career Success

The Florida State University Career Center is nationally recognized for its comprehensive career services. The center provides students and alumni with the resources and support they need to achieve career success.

Services and Resources

Career Advising: Career advisors, liaisons, and staff assist students with choosing a major, researching occupations and potential employers, identifying internship opportunities, exploring post-graduate study, and developing job search strategies. No appointment is necessary to meet with a career advisor or liaison.
Career Development Course: For students who want to design their career plans with the help of an instructor, the Career Center offers a one to three-credit hour course, SDS 3340 Introduction to Career Development.
Employer Connections: The Career Center connects students directly with employers through career fairs, on-campus interviewing, job shadowing, a mentorship program, and a powerful network of Florida State alumni and friends of the University. These programs and services allow students to network with employers and apply for full-time, part-time, and internship positions, as well as other career-related work experience such as cooperative education, externships, or volunteer opportunities through NoleNetwork, an extensive online jobs database.
Experience Recognition Program (ERP): FSU students can stand out from the competition by taking advantage of the Experience Recognition Program (ERP). ERP enables students participating in an internship, research, creative experience, or significant community service engagement to earn recognition on their résumé through either a certificate or transcript notation.

Center for Global Engagement (CGE): Fostering Global Understanding

The mission of the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) is to foster global understanding and awareness within the FSU community. The CGE is committed to enhancing FSU's internationalization initiatives by offering academic classes and several certificate programs designed to help develop a more intercultural and competent campus community.

Programs and Services

Global Citizenship Certificate Program: This program helps prepare undergraduate students for today's global society through a combination of curricular and co-curricular programs.
Global Partner Certificate Program: This program provides training and workshops to increase intercultural competence for faculty and staff.
Co-curricular Opportunities: The CGE offers enriching co-curricular opportunities for all FSU students to explore other cultures and current global issues through intercultural programs, the Engage Your World Intercultural Dialogue Series, International Coffee Hour, and Global Café.
FSU Global Exchange Program: The CGE manages the FSU Global Exchange Program with 45 international partners in over 20 countries.
International Student and Scholar Services: The CGE ensures FSU's compliance with federal immigration law and provides immigration advising and ongoing support to over 2,060 international students in F-1 and J-1 status and to over 100 international Visiting Scholars each year.

The Center for Global Engagement is located in the Global and Multicultural Engagement Building (The Globe) at 110 S. Woodward Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32306.

Read also: Your Academic Journey at UKZN

Center for Leadership & Service: Transforming Lives Through Engagement

The Center for Leadership & Service transforms lives through leadership education, community service, and self-exploration, helping students develop skills and knowledge to become more effective leaders and engage responsibly with communities. The center offers more than 20 programs that foster opportunities to create positive, sustainable change on campus, in our communities, and around the world. For more information, contact the Center for Leadership & Service, Division of Student Affairs, Dunlap Student Success Center, 100 S. Woodward Avenue.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): Supporting Emotional Well-being

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), a department in the Division of Student Affairs, provides counseling services and programs to help students resolve psychological issues and personal concerns that interfere with academic progress, social development, and emotional well-being.

Services Offered

Counseling Services: CAPS offers individual and group counseling services provided by licensed psychologists, licensed mental health counselors, licensed clinical social workers, and trainees. Because student fees cover these services, there is no out-of-pocket expense for any visit for all currently enrolled FSU Students.
Outreach Presentations: Outreach presentations on mental-health topics and life skills are available to students, residence halls, student organizations, faculty, and staff.
RENEW (Realizing Everyone's Need for Emotional Wellness): CAPS sponsors RENEW, a peer-educator student organization whose mission is the promotion of emotional health and coping skills to FSU students.
Walk-in Services: Enrolled students may initiate counseling services by walking in to Counseling and Psychological Services during regular office hours and requesting to speak with a clinician. The clinician will determine the best plan for meeting the individual student's mental health needs.
After-Hours Crisis Support: Students experiencing a mental health crisis outside of CAPS' regular office hours can call the after-hours service at 850-644-TALK (8255) and immediately speak with a clinician.
Confidentiality: Records of visits to CAPS, as well as after-hours crisis calls, are strictly confidential and are not included in the student's University records.
Referrals: Students who are aware that they will require longer-term treatment are encouraged to plan for private care in the community before entering the University. However, if necessary, the Counseling and Psychological Services staff will make referrals for ongoing treatment in the Tallahassee community.

CAPS is open on weekdays (Monday through Friday).

Department of Student Support and Transitions (DSST): Navigating the University Experience

The Department of Student Support and Transitions (DSST) provides services and resources for all students at Florida State University through creative problem-solving accessibility and an emphasis on personal accountability. DSST aspires to create welcoming and inclusive environments by helping students navigate the University, develop resilience, and make meaning of their unique experiences.

Key Services

Case Management Services: Case Management Services works with students to provide emotional support, brief crisis counseling, identifying immediate needs and making appropriate referrals to campus/community resources. Cases are monitored, as needed, to ensure individuals receive the support necessary to improve their life situation. Case Managers may also assist in sending crisis notification letters to faculty. Case management is available to assist with questions and to take referrals from any faculty, staff, family, friend, or community member concerned about an individual's well-being.
Office of Accessibility Services (OAS): The Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) is committed to ensuring universal access for each Florida State University student. Through the provision of academic, housing and dining accommodations, testing support, facilitation of equal access to programs and services, assistive technologies, and a welcoming space for students to feel part of the FSU community, the OAS creates an environment of success. In addition to the OAS Testing Center, the OAS maintains the Theodore and Vivian Johnson Adaptive Technology Lab, a facility that houses computers and adaptive equipment, which supports students with disabilities as they navigate their academic programs.
Food for Thought Pantry: The Food for Thought Pantry provides free food for currently enrolled FSU students in need. It is our mission to ease the problem of hunger, promote proper nutrition, and provide FSU students with every opportunity to succeed. Limits are provided on specific items for each visit, but a student may visit as many days as necessary in a week.
Victim Advocate Program: The Victim Advocate Program provides free confidential support services to victims of crime. A staff member is on-call twenty-four hours a day to respond to Florida State University students faculty and staff who are victimized and to any person victimized on Florida State University's campus or by a member of the FSU community. The services offered include emotional support, evaluation of legal or medical options, crisis intervention, instructor notification, academic support, referrals to campus and community partners, and educational programming for the campus community.
Withdrawal Services: The Withdrawal Services staff provides support to students and their families when a student's enrollment is unexpectedly interrupted for personal, medical, or mental health reasons, and/or other crises. The Withdrawal Advisor explains the withdrawal application process and its various stages, evaluates grade liability for completed coursework, refers students to their Academic Dean and offers other University support services as needed, notifies each student of the final decision, and maintains a University record of the completed withdrawal. Before meeting with the Withdrawal Advisor, students should meet with their Academic Dean to discuss the implications of withdrawing, the viability of their withdrawal application, and any alternative academic options that may exist. Academic Deans and their staff evaluate applications and make a final determination to approve or deny student withdrawals from a semester of enrollment.
Office of Investigations and Assessment: The Office of Investigations and Assessment reviews reports of student organization misconduct that are not of a criminal or Title IX nature to review for possible violations of the Student Conduct Code or Student Organization Conduct Code. The Office of Investigations and Assessment investigates reports of possible misconduct and provides a report to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards for follow up. Additionally, I&A provides University and departmental decision-makers with timely, relevant data on trends in student and organization behaviors.
Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life: The Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life advises and speaks for the more than 6500 students involved with fraternities and sororities. These organizations are divided into the following governing councils: the Interfraternity Council (IFC), the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC), the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), and the Panhellenic Council (PHC).

CARE: Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement

Florida State University and the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE) are committed to recruiting, retaining, and graduating students traditionally underrepresented in higher education, with particular focus on first-generation and students with limited income at FSU. CARE is a multifaceted department that provides preparation, orientation, and academic support programming for students who face unique challenges in college because of economic and educational circumstances.

CARE Program Units

Student Access: Student Access focuses on pathways to college, collaborations with K-12 partners, and assisting students with navigating financial barriers to college. Programs and services within Student Access include the Summer Bridge Program, Upward Bound Programs, and Financial Wellness advising.
Student Learning: Student Learning focuses on academic skill-building, peer learning, learning communities, and experiential learning opportunities. Programs and services within Student Learning include FGEN Noles Living Learning Community, Illuminate Scholars and Enrichment Program, QUEST Scholars Program, Student Networks, Transitional Colloquium/ Seminar Courses, and Tutoring.
Student Development: Student Development supports students in understanding and navigating academic expectations for degree completion and provides intentional, case management style support to influence student success.

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