Student Life
Community Life Statement. Living in Community. When Jesus Christ summed up the way His followers were to treat each other, He said, “love one another as I have loved you” and “love your neighbor as yourself.” On a college campus, this kind of love must take into consideration the relationship between learning and community.
Affirming the qualities of this relationship is vital. As students, staff, and professors learn to live together, we recognize the dual manifestations of love in justice and mercy. We attempt to work out what it means to live justly and mercifully in common agreements such as this one. We understand that life in a college will give priority and honor to the wise development of the mind. Given this focus, our social and intellectual growth needs freedom for exploration, complemented by a commitment to good will and graciousness. Personal discipline is also required. For example, civility is basic to all types of community, while academic honesty and respect for education are fundamental to an instructional environment.
Learning depends on truth-centered attitudes. It thrives in an atmosphere of discriminating openness to ideas, a condition that is characterized by a measure of modesty toward one’s own views, the desire to affirm the true, and the courage to examine the unfamiliar. As convictions are expressed, one enters into the “great conversation” of collegiate life, a task best approached with a willingness to confront and be confronted with sound thinking.
Community is built upon other-centered practices. It flourishes in a place where love for God and neighbor is cultivated and nurtured. It grows strong when members practice integrity, confession, and forgiveness, attempt to live in reconciled relationships, accept responsibility for their actions and words, and submit to biblical instructions for communal life.
Scripture supports these attitudes and principles. It promotes relationships based on the ideals of trust, compassion, and forbearance, and praises actions that manifest sacrificial giving and sincere faith. Scripture also forbids attitudes such as pride and jealousy, and prohibits such actions as drunkenness, sexual promiscuity, and dishonesty. In keeping with these standards, the Westmont community has agreed to certain guidelines in the Student, Staff, and Faculty Handbooks.
Desiring to implement the teachings of Christ, Westmont encourages true fellowship, in the whole body of Christ, including the local church, for when we love each other we imitate Christ’s love for us. As we seek to follow God in truth, certain choices make for greater peace: a respect for others as they make decisions contrary to ours, a readiness to listen carefully to those who represent situations or cultures unfamiliar to us, and a concern for how our preferences affect the lives of those around us.
We are committed to inquiry as well as pronouncement, rigorous study as well as kindred friendship, challenging teaching as well as reflective learning. Sometimes these tensions will lead to conflict. To live in unity, we must set ourselves to the practical task of discerning daily how to love well, how to inflesh the biblical call to justice and mercy. As we do so, our life together at Westmont will begin to resemble the community God has envisioned for us.
Behavioral Expectations. The Westmont community chooses, freely and willingly, to impose upon itself rules for behavior which serve both the long-range interests of the institution and the immediate good of its individual members. While we do not view these expectations as an index to maturity in Christ, we do regard violations as a serious breach of integrity within the community because each member has voluntarily chosen to associate with it and to accept its standards.
The College establishes the following specific expectations for the trustees, administration, faculty, staff, and students of the Westmont community:
1. The College will not condone practices which Scripture forbids. Such activities include occult practices, sexual relations outside of marriage, homosexual practice, drunkenness, theft, profanity, and dishonesty. Westmont also recognizes that Scripture condemns “sins of the spirit” such as covetousness, jealousy, pride, and lust. By their very nature, these sins are more difficult to discern. Because they lie at the heart of the relationship between the individual and God they are of central concern to the Westmont community.
2. The College upholds integrity as a core value of the community. Members are expected to take responsibility for their own violations of all behavioral guidelines and demonstrate commitment to the value of integrity in word and deed.
3. The College is committed to providing a learning and work environment free of harassment.
4. The college upholds the laws of the local community, the nation, and the state of California. Such laws include prohibitions against possession or use of illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia, against purchasing or consuming alcoholic beverages by persons under the age of 21, public intoxication, and driving under the influence of alcohol.
5. The College expects our members who choose to marry to abide by the commitment to lifelong heterosexual marriage, and whether single or married, to strive to maintain healthy family relationships.
6. The College recognizes that the use of tobacco products and alcoholic beverages presents a danger to personal health. It condemns the abuse, and raises questions about the use, of tobacco and alcohol. Under no circumstances shall any member of the community use or possess the products on campus or when attending a college-related student activity.
The College will establish other rules and regulations necessary for orderly community life and will list them in appropriate handbooks.
Campus Pastor’s Office. Believing that the worship of God is at the heart of all that we are and all that we do, the Campus Pastor’s Office leads Chapel/Convocation services to bring the Westmont community together to love and glorify God through prayer, music, and teaching from the Word of God. The Campus Pastor’s Office schedules outstanding speakers throughout the year to expose Westmont to God’s work in the world. Westmont College views Chapel as an integral part of the liberal arts educational experience; therefore, Chapel attendance is mandatory. Chapel is held three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:30-11:20 a.m.
The Campus Pastor seeks to provide spiritual nurturing and pastoral presence to the college. He offers spiritual guidance in both formal and informal settings to the entire Westmont community, as well as overseeing the Chapel program.
The Office of Campus Life. Cultivating the willingness and ability for our students to both lead and learn in all areas of life is central to the college’s mission. Along those lines, the Student Life division has created the Office of Campus Life. The Office includes the areas of First-Year Experience, Special Programs, and Student Organizations.
The Office is a kind of hub of opportunity for our students. It exists to help students negotiate change, embrace diversity and foster character development as individuals and as a community.
To that end, the Office is responsible to help our students navigate their beginnings at Westmont through the First-Year Experience. The fall orientation helps our students become familiar with our campus community and culminates in our beginning of semester orientation experiences.
Those involved with the Office are also responsible to advise, mentor, empower and support many of our student leaders. The groups they represent include the Westmont College Student Association (WCSA), the Westmont Activities and Clubs Council (WACC), the Spring talent extravaganza (Spring Sing), Westmont Student Ministries (WSM), the Orientation Team leaders (O-Team), the Potter’s Clay spring break missions trip to Mexico (PC), Spring Break in the City mission trips to urban Los Angeles and San Francisco (SBIC) and the international summer missions teams (Emmaus Road).
Intercultural Programs. Our Vision is that Westmont be the kind of place where we can share the fullness of our experiences and are supported, validated and encouraged in our journey of faith and life. Our Mission is to provide resources to cultivate open dialogue, and to encourage healthy debate and deepen relationships surrounding the challenges and realities that come with living in an increasingly diverse campus, society and world. Our Goals are to foster an environment in which students, staff and faculty live out their faith while impacting our global society, to create opportunities to share and express our own unique and individual backgrounds, to encourage students to embrace their cultural heritage while accepting others and to build God’s global kingdom for God’s glory.
Why Diversity? Diversity is Biblical—we believe that the call to be a diverse community is rooted in scripture and evident in God’s creation. Diversity is Communal—we believe that diversity is best expressed in community where we are sharing our different gifts, experiences and perspectives. Diversity is practical—we believe that we most effectively contribute to and benefit from a globalized society by learning skills that allow us to work, worship and live well and wisely in a more diverse world.
At Westmont, we have a Diversity Learning Standard for all students. Our desire is that students have the understanding and skills to engage people unlike themselves, to affirm each person as created in God’s image, to approach others respectfully in thought, word and deed, to respond to differences through personal reflection, communal discussion and academic analysis, to avoid stereotyping that vilify, romanticize or victimize persons and groups.
The office of Intercultural Programs contributes to this standard through support, education and celebration.
Support—we support and promote the social and academic success of our students of color, international, and third-culture students for leadership and service. We encourage all students to explore and share their own cultural and ethnic heritages. We support intercultural student clubs, e.g. Armenian Student Association, Asian Student Association, Black Student Union, Cuori per Cristo (Italian American Club), Hawaii Club, Latino Cultural Organization and Nomads (for international and third-culture students).
Educate—We educate our campus on the historical and current challenges that come with diversity through workshops, seminars, conferences, book groups and speakers. We advise and support the student-led Racial Equality and Justice (REJ) group, which gathers weekly to learn about past and current race relations and racial and social justice. During spring break, REJ travels to Mississippi and Alabama for a service-learning project with the John M. Perkins Foundation.
Celebrate—we organize and attend campus and local events such as dances, festivals, theater, films, music, and special meals. We often partner with student groups, faculty, residence life and other departments or events and activities.
Residence Life. As a residential college, students have many opportunities to reflect on decision-making and issues that result in growth in Christ. The residence experience also contributes to an appreciation for differing points of view and an understanding of one’s contribution to the immediate community and society at large.
The residence life staff at Westmont is committed to fostering an environment that helps students continue maturing as adults. This is an important time for students to increase their knowledge and understanding of themselves and to learn how to cope with stress and the demands of academic life in a healthy way. It is also important that students learn to develop and sustain fulfilling interpersonal relationships.
Residence halls at Westmont are designed to be challenging, fun, and healthy places to live. Students are encouraged to participate actively in their living group and to engage fully in creating an environment that is conducive to personal, spiritual, and academic growth.
Every Westmont student must have an approved housing assignment from the Housing Office in order to attend the college. This is important because our local off-campus commuter population is limited by a conditional use permit with Santa Barbara County. Since these limited off-campus “spots” are usually reserved by returning seniors and juniors, living off-campus locally and commuting to campus cannot be guaranteed. While this is unique, so is Westmont’s commitment to provide on-campus housing to every student who requests it. College-owned housing accommodates about 85% of the student body in Santa Barbara.
Housing. The Housing Office provides services related to both on and off-campus housing, meal plans, and student parking permits. Incoming students are matched personally and prayerfully in collaboration with Residence Life and in consideration of stated preferences on the housing application. Returning students choose their room and roommates in the annual housing selection.
The Housing Office is responsible for all residence hall furnishings and works closely with Residence Life and the Physical Plant to insure a comfortable and secure living environment. Lounge settings and study tables, kitchen appliances, laundry machines and recreational equipment are provided in each hall.
Office of Life Planning: Resources for Direction, Transition, and Calling. The Office of Life Planning provides educational programs and a variety of services intended to produce Westmont graduates who understand their uniqueness, make good decisions, set goals, and have the life planning skills necessary to reach their goals.
Graduates with a liberal arts and sciences degree have many choices and opportunities and, therefore, benefit by taking advantage of life planning services throughout their education. The resource center can help them understand their own strengths, make wise decisions about majors, and begin to explore vocational alternatives. As juniors and seniors, students can participate in senior workshops (job search strategies, resume writing, and interviewing skills), graduate school investigation and personalized consultation.
Students may meet individually with a counselor at any time to assess their values, interests, personality style, and skills relative to vocational choice. The assessment services include an interactive, computer-based guidance system that helps students weigh personal values, interests, and skills against educational and career choices, using up-to-date information.
The Office of Life Planning maintains an active job posting system for full-time, part-time, off-campus, work-study, and summer employment opportunities.
The Resource Center, on the upper level of the library, contains a variety of resources for students to use in making effective decisions. They can gain information about specific vocation options, employment projections, company descriptions, graduate school guides, life planning materials, and job search resources. Students can also pick up handouts addressing many of their life planning needs and access information through the internet.
College officials encourage students to use life planning services even if they feel certain about the vocation they wish to pursue. The program helps students gain the most from their education, make informed choices that integrate their goals for life and work, and develop a vision for contributing to society.
Student Health Center. A mandatory health fee provides each student with an accident and sickness insurance plan. This health fee allows students access to services provided by the health care team which consists of a full time doctor, a part time registered nurse, physician assistant and a nurse practitioner. We are a full service primary care clinic, providing care to students who are ill. We also make referrals should a medical specialist be needed. The Health Center staff all have a special interest and training in dealing with health care needs unique to the college student population. We strive to teach students to partner with health care professionals in taking responsibility for their own health care needs. The Health Center is open weekdays during Fall and Spring semesters and during Mayterm for limited hours.
Counseling Center. Professional counseling services are available to students at no charge. The counselors are professionally trained, licensed, and caring individuals who have a deep commitment to their Christian faith. They treat each student with respect and dignity, upholding the professional ethic regarding confidentiality.
A variety of student concerns may be addressed in counseling, including the following: self-esteem, parent and family issues, separation/transition issues, spiritual concerns, dating relationships, premarital counseling, loneliness, loss and grief, stress and anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, issues related to sexuality, sexual assault, pregnancy, eating issues, communication skills, shyness, assertiveness training, decision making, and other mental health concerns.
Counselors provide individual counseling and couples counseling (for dating, engaged and married couples). They are aware of community resources and consult with other professionals, referring students as necessary. The Center also has a self-help library with books, pamphlets, and audiotapes. More information can be found on the Counseling Center webpages on Westmont’s website.
Student Activities. Student Government. The Westmont College Student Association (WCSA) is made up of the elected student representatives for the college community. WCSA is the student body voice to the Westmont community as a whole and actively pursues change in response to the expressed interests of our students. WCSA seeks to utilize a responsible leadership structure with an emphasis on academic, communal and spiritual growth. The Office of Campus Life advises WCSA.
Student Activities and Clubs. The Westmont Activities and Clubs Council (WACC) is the student organization responsible for all social events and club sponsorship for the college. WACC sponsors concerts, movies, talent shows, speakers and many other exciting campus-wide events as well as student-initiated clubs that rally around particular commonalities. The Office of Campus Life advises WACC.
Student Ministries. Westmont Student Ministries (WSM) oversees, encourages, facilitates and serves the student-led ministries at Westmont. They provide funding, accountability and the opportunity to participate in a larger vision of service to these ministries at the college. The Office of Campus Life advises WSM.
Athletics. The Warrior athletic program is a vital component in fulfilling Westmont’s commitment to a strong liberal arts and sciences education. The College provides intercollegiate competition that combines a national level of excellence with a perspective that reflects and interacts with the person and precepts of Jesus Christ. This provides a unique experience for the athlete. Westmont is a charter member of the Golden State Athletic Conference which includes the strongest athletic teams in the Far West Region of the N.A.I.A. (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics). Outstanding programs exist for both men and women in cross-country, track and field, soccer, tennis, and basketball. In addition, the College offers baseball for men and volleyball for women.
In all programs, determined student-athletes and dedicated coaches have worked together to achieve an outstanding record of success—measured not merely by win-loss records, but chiefly by the positive impact on the lives of the participants. Over the years, several teams have experienced the pride of being nationally ranked or the excitement of winning a championship. Yet it is often the overall personal growth of a Westmont athlete which is most dramatic.
Westmont athletics provide other opportunities for growth. Many athletes use their competitive experience to participate in international tours and short-term ministries such as Athletes in Action and Sports Ambassadors. In some instances, Westmont athletes have had the opportunity to enter professional athletics after graduating.
Westmont athletic teams have a long history and tradition of success. Warrior Sports will always be a strong part of the College’s educational program.
Westmont Intramural Program. The intramural department offers a well-rounded program of wholesome recreational services. The wide variety of activities range from pickleball to flag football. Intramurals promote social interaction among students and provides an opportunity for physical activity in an organized setting. An average of 650 entries per year demonstrates the wide popularity of the Westmont intramural program.