WELCOME to the HILLTOP - FOR NEW STUDENTS AT - Birmingham-Southern College
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WELCOME to the HILLTOP FOR NEW STUDENTS AT BIRMINGHAM-SOUTHERN COLLEGE
KEY STEPS WELCOME!
Visit First-Year Experience page (bsc.edu/
We are eagerly preparing for your arrival on the Hilltop and we look
firstyear) for all your new student's needs.
forward to having you join our community of learners. Even before
Check your BSC email
you come to BSC, you’re taking the first steps toward leading a life of
Accept your financial aid
significance by letting us know about your academic interests and
Apply for housing and request a roommate
personal goals. Then, a team of staff and faculty will work to match you
Complete health and other forms at
with the courses, professors, and roommates who will help you rise to
(bsc.edu/importantlinks)
your potential. Once you arrive, you’ll learn more about the incredible
Download the GroupMe app to prepare for
hands-on opportunities you’ll have to explore your passions and
Orientation
develop critical skills.
Get ready for your check-in at BSC!
Pay your bill
You will find out more about the transition to BSC at Orientation.
Meanwhile, we know you’ll have many questions, and we hope this
packet will help answer them. It includes essential steps and deadlines,
along with other important tips and contact information. Please be sure
to contact us if you have any questions. We’re here to help, and we look
forward to seeing you soon.
SOCIAL MEDIA Forward, Ever!
Birmingham-Southern College
Join our FB group BSC Class of 2026
@Birminghamsouthern
@BSCEngage Bradley Caskey
@bscorientation Provost
@fromthehilltop
HASHTAGS:
#SelectedBySouthern #BSC2026
#BSCBound #ForwardEver
2
E-TERM AND SPRING
ORIENTATION
Details for orientation sessions will be emailed to students. For questions
concerning orientation, please email Dana Bekurs at dwbekurs@bsc.edu.
To learn more about E-Term and Spring Orientation, visit
bsc.edu/springorientation
ACADEMICS
Your Spring Courses
We know putting together your first course schedule can be scary—and
that's why we'll take care of the process for you. We will connect you
with Professor Kim Lewis who will ensure you are enrolling in courses
that continue your academic journey towards completion of your
degree. If you have any questions, please contact Professor Lewis at
(205) 226-4769 or klewis@bsc.edu.
3
RESIDENCE LIFE AND CAMPUS RESOURCES
Accessibility, Services & Resources
BSC is committed to providing each student with the resources and support needed to ensure the best opportunity for a healthy and
successful experience on the Hilltop. If you need academic, residential, or dietary accommodations, visit bsc.edu/importantlinks
and click Accessibility and Accommodations for information on the process and recommended documentation. We encourage you
to contact the Office of Accessibility if you would like to request accommodations. This will be helpful as we begin preparing your
schedule for your first term. If you have any questions about the services provided, please contact the Office of Accessibility at
accessibility@bsc.edu or (205) 226-7909.
Residence Life & Housing
Living on campus is a big part of your Hilltop experience, and close to 75 percent of our students choose to live on campus. We’ll
work hard to match you with a roommate so you have a good experience from the beginning. Living in a residence hall helps new
students learn to be a part of the BSC community and to share quarters with someone, often for the first time. First-Year students live
in traditional-style residence halls: double occupancy rooms with common bathrooms on the floor. All buildings have free laundry
facilities, lounges, and wireless internet.
To apply for housing, click the housing application link at bsc.edu/importantlinks and log in with your BSC username and password
(See BSC Email section for more details).
More information is available on the Residence Life website at bsc.edu/reslife. If you have any questions along the way, please contact
the Office of Residence Life & Housing at reslife@bsc.edu or 205-226-4726.
4
DINING SERVICES
Eating with friends, faculty and staff
on campus is an important part of the
BSC college experience. With a pre-paid
meal plan and your student ID, you can
eat the way you choose. All students
must purchase a meal plan each term.
Your residency status (residence hall/
apartment/commuter) determines
the minimum requirement. You’ll be
automatically assigned the minimum
plan and then can make changes from
there. Meal plans do not
roll over or transfer to the next term.
Unused funds are forfeited. Each meal
plan includes a certain number of:
• Unlimited Swipes. These can only
be used in the Norton Campus Center
Dining Hall, a.k.a. “the Caf.”
• Panther Bucks. These can be used at
all food service venues and work as
dollar equivalents.
For residential students:
7-Day All Access: $2,825/term
All-week unlimited swipes + $300
Panther Bucks
Block Plan - apartment residents:
$2,500/term
150 swipes + $750 Panther Bucks
Apartment residents have kitchen
access and often find more Panther
Bucks for Cellar shopping useful.
Commuter Plan: $300/term
$300 Panther Bucks
Commuter Plus Plan: $500/term
25 swipes + $200 Panther Bucks
PANTHER BUCKS Commuter students may choose any
meal plan.
Your student campus ID card will be your official student ID, meal card,
library card, and can be used to charge items to your account. In addition
During E-Term, students will have an
to your regular meal plan, students can add Panther Bucks to use in all Bon additional meal plan for January.
Appetit Food Service venues in $50 increments. Click Meal Plans at bsc.edu/
importantlinks for more information. For more information about meal plans,
visit bsc.edu/importantlinks.
5
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Scholarships, Grants, Loans, and Work-Study
If you submitted a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you should already have received a financial aid package from
BSC with your personalized information. If you are receiving loans and/or Work-Study, you must accept them in the Self-Service
portal (see the Self-Service section for more details). After logging into Self-Service, select “Accept/Reject my financial aid
awards” and accept any loan awards you wish to use. There is more information about specific requirements in your financial aid
packet. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at finaid@bsc.edu or (205) 226-4688.
Student Accounts: Billing and Payment Information
You will receive two paper statements a year; fall and spring term statements. All other billing is processed electronically via
your BSC Email. Your term statement will list your term charges and completed financial aid. The balance due is the amount
you will need to pay by December 31 unless participating in a payment plan (December 15).
BSC offers a number of ways to pay your tuition, room, board, and other fees. BSC accepts major credit cards, electronic check,
and check payments. Credit and debit card payments are assessed a 2.5% transaction fee and electronic checks are a flat $3.00
fee. You can learn more about payment options under the Student Accounts link at bsc.edu/importantlinks.
Nelnet Campus Commerce Payment Plan
BSC also offers a five-month payment plan in partnership with Nelnet Campus Commerce. You can learn more about the
payment plan through the Nelnet Tuition Payment Plan at the Student Accounts link at bsc.edu/importantlinks. The deadline
to sign up for a monthly plan through Nelnet Campus Commerce is December 15. For those not participating in a payment
plan, all tuition and fees are due December 31. If you have questions regarding payment options, please contact the Bursar’s
Office at studentaccounts@bsc.edu or call (205) 226-7871 or (205) 226-7870.
Self-Service
Self-Service (The Student Information System) is your main information portal at BSC. It allows you to access your class
schedule, accept your financial aid package, view your grades, register for courses, and review your bill. You can access Self-
Service through the “myBSC” section at the top of every page of the BSC website, and log in with the same username and
password as your BSC email.
After logging into Self-Service, you can accept your financial aid package and update your personal information. In order to
receive communication via BSC’s Emergency Notification system on Self-Service, select “Change Personal Information” and
add up to two email addresses and a cell phone number under the “Emergency Notification” section. Also, please make sure to
provide contact information for your designated Emergency Contacts, most likely your parents or guardians.
Person Proxy
A student may grant permission to a parent or guest to access the online portal and make payments through the
BSC Self-Service Portal. Find out more about how to do this under the Student Accounts link at bsc.edu/importantlinks.
6
IMPORTANT FORMS STUDENT-ATHLETES
Students-athletes must complete
FERPA
two health forms. In addition to the
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords certain rights to
enclosed blue form, student-athletes
students concerning the privacy of their education records. Please complete
also have additional medical and health
the FERPA form to indicate if you authorize any third parties, typically parents
information forms to complete, which
or guardians, to have access to your education records. The link to the FERPA
are included in this packet on yellow
form is located under Important Forms at bsc.edu/importantlinks. FERPA
paper. All student-athletes must submit
grants Birmingham-Southern College faculty/staff permission to communicate
this additional documentation directly to
with said third parties via email and telephone. To grant said third parties
the Athletic Training Department, either
online portal access to Self-Service, see the Person Proxy section on page 6. If
by bringing it to Orientation, by emailing
you have any questions, please contact the Office of Student Development at
it to Rachel Morris at rmmorris@bsc.edu,
studev@bsc.edu.
or faxing it to (205) 226-3067. Student-
athletes will complete separate athletic
Health & Medical Insurance Forms
physicals after they arrive at BSC. (Note:
All students must submit completed medical and health insurance forms,
This physical cannot be used in place of
which are included in this packet on light blue paper. These forms cover your
the required Medical Examination noted
personal health data, the results of a physical exam by a doctor (athletic
above.) Extra forms are available for
physicals are separate and cannot be used in place of this exam), and health
download at bsc.edu/importantlinks.
insurance information.
You may bring them with you when you attend Orientation, or you can scan and
submit them to healthservices@bsc.edu or by fax at (205) 226-3084 or mail to:
BSC Health Services, Yvette Spencer
900 Arkadelphia Road
Box 549042
Birmingham, AL 35254
CARS ON CAMPUS
If you plan to have a car on campus, you
We encourage you to check with your insurance carrier or other relevant must buy a decal for your vehicle and
insurance professionals to ensure you have health care coverage in metro register it with Campus Police. You will
Birmingham, particularly if your family’s coverage originates outside of our complete this process online. Directions
area. If you do not have a family health insurance plan, you will need to can be found on the orientation webpage
purchase a personal coverage plan offered by a health insurance company that at bsc.edu/springorientation. You will
covers your needs for Birmingham. receive your decal when you arrive on
campus and the cost of the decal will be
Extra forms are available for download at bsc.edu/importantlinks. If you have
charged to your student account.
questions or need to discuss any medical issues in confidence, please contact
our full-time nurse, Yvette Spencer, at yspencer@bsc.edu or (205) 226-4717.
7
BSC EMAIL
It is critical that you begin to check
your BSC email regularly—we suggest
daily. Your BSC email is the college’s
main way of communicating with you.
You can access your BSC email
through the “myBSC” section at the
top of every page of the BSC website.
By now, you should have received
your username and password from
Admissions. A typical username is
your first initial + middle initial + up to
the first six letters of your last name,
and your email address will be your
username + @bsc.edu. For example:
Name: Rowdy T. Panther
Username: rtpanthe
TECHNOLOGY Email: rtpanthe@bsc.edu
Information Technology Your password is initially set as the
initial of your first name + last four
You may have questions about computer needs and requirements, internet
digits of your BSC ID + the initial of
access, cable connections, and other technology-related items. To help you
your last name + an exclamation point.
understand what works best with BSC’s systems, please click on Technology
(Your student ID number was sent
at bsc.edu/importantlinks. You may also find out about the services provided
to you by mail from the Admissions
through our technology partner, Apogee, including how to get wireless
Office). For example:
access when you arrive, and on our partnerships with Dell and Apple to offer
discounts to BSC students purchasing computers. If you have any questions, Password: r1234p!
please contact our IT department at helpdesk@bsc.edu or at
(205) 226-3033, option 2.
MEDIA OPT OUT
We may use your photograph or video images for promotional photos
online, in publications, in advertisements, and elsewhere electronically
and in print. If you prefer not to be included, you must visit the Office of
Communications during business hours when you come to campus to fill
out a form and have your photograph taken so we can identify those opting
out. This office can be found on the ground floor of the Stockham Building.
If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Communications at
communications@bsc.edu.
9
2022 IMPORTANT DATES
Exploration Term 2022
Monday, January 3 First Day of Exploration Term; All Projects Meet at 1 p.m.
Wednesday, January 5 Last Day to Drop without a Grade or Add an Exploration-Term Project*
Thursday, January 13 Last Day to Drop Exploration-Term Project with Grade of “W”*
Monday, January 17 Martin Luther King Jr. Day (No Classes)
Friday, January 28 Last Day of Exploration Term
Saturday, January 29 – Monday, January 31 Winter Break
Friday, February 4 Professors Report Exploration-Term Grades
Tuesday, February 8 Exploration-Term Grades Available
Spring Term 2022
Tuesday, February 1 First Day of Spring-Term Classes
Tuesday, February 15 Last Day for Enrolled Students to Add a Course, to Select "S"/"U"Option, and to
Change a Course from Grade to Audit
Tuesday, February 22 Last Day to Withdraw from BSC with Tuition Adjustment*
Tuesday, March 1 Last Day to Drop a Course without a Grade
Wednesday, March 16 Professors Report Mid-Term Assessments
Thursday, March 17 Mid-Term Assessments Available
Saturday, March 19 - Sunday, March 27 Spring Break
Tuesday, March 29 Last Day to Drop a Course with Grade of "W" 1010
1010Friday, April 15 Good Friday (No Classes)
Thursday, May 5 Honors Day
Monday, May 9 Last Day of Classes
Tuesday, May 10; Reading Days
Saturday, May 14;
Sunday, May 15
Wednesday, May 11 - Friday, May 13; Final Examinations
Monday, May 16 - Tuesday, May 17
Wednesday, May 18 by 9:00 a.m. Professors Report Grades of Seniors
Friday, May 20 Commencement
Wednesday, May 25 Professors Report Spring-Term Grades of
First-Year Students, Sophomores, and Juniors
Thursday, May 26 Spring-Term Grades Available
Monday, May 30 Memorial Day Holiday
*A student dropping all courses must complete a Withdrawal Form available in the
Provost’s Office.
ll dates are subject to change.
IMPORTANT CONTACTS
Academic Affairs mstevens@bsc.edu 205-226-4648
Accommodations accessibility@bsc.edu 205-226-7909
Admissions admiss@bsc.edu 205-226-4696
Course Selection klewis@bsc.edu 205-226-4769
Financial Aid finaid@bsc.edu 205-226-4688
Health Services healthservices@bsc.edu 205-226-4717
Orientation/Student Development dwbekurs@bsc.edu 205-226-4725
Residence Life reslife@bsc.edu 205-226-4726
Student Accounts/Bursar studentaccounts@bsc.edu 205-226-7871
Student-Athletes rmmorris@bsc.edu 205-226-4946
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