Student Services
ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT. Academic Advisement is an important part of a student's progress through a chosen program of study at WWU. Academic advisers assist students in their consideration of life goals and in developing an educational plan to meet those goals. Academic advisers provide students with information about career options, academic policy, procedures, resources and programs. Specific attention is given to appropriate placement and satisfactory academic progress. If a student fails to maintain satisfactory academic progress, the academic adviser works with the student to develop a plan to achieve academic success.
All degree seeking undergraduate students are assigned an academic adviser to assist them in making the most of their university experience. Preprofessional students are assigned academic advisers who are familiar with specific professional programs.
Adviser approval is required for class registration. Adviser signatures are required on Change of Registration forms for undergraduate students. In the event of temporary unavailability of the assigned adviser, the student should first consult the department chair/school dean. If the chair/dean is not available, the forms may be signed by the Director of Academic Advisement. It is the student's responsibility to inform the assigned adviser of the action.
CHANGE OF MAJOR/MINOR AND ADVISER. Students who wish to declare or change a major/minor are required to complete a “Change of Major/Adviser” form in the Academic Advisement Office. If the declaration of major requires the selection of a new adviser, the student is required to consult with the Director of Academic Advisement for a new adviser assignment. Students are assigned a secondary adviser for the chosen minor, and the student is expected to consult with the adviser to insure appropriate course selection. Students who are pursuing secondary education certification must consult with the certification officer in the School of Education and Psychology.
INFORMATION SERVICES. Information Services operates computer systems for the use of faculty, staff, and students of WWU. All systems are connected to the internet by a campus-wide wired and wireless computer network. Thus all computer systems are available from any location on campus. To do their classwork, students can use computer labs on campus, desktops in their room or their own laptops connected to the campus wireless network.
A wide variety of software applications are available for the use of faculty, staff, and students. These include popular programs for word processing, spreadsheets, databases, programming languages, graphic design, CAD, communications, and mathematical computation.
VETERAN'S BENEFITS. Walla Walla University is an approved training institution for veterans eligible for educational benefits. The required course load is twelve hours per quarter in order to maintain eligibility to receive maximum benefits. If you have questions about veteran’s policies, please contact the Veteran’s Administration coordinator in the Academic Records Office (509) 527-2491.
Academic Services
Career Counseling. The Career Center provides services that assist students with the process of self assessment to determine a major, investigate potential careers, and develop the skills necessary to secure employment. Assessment tools such as the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and Strong Interest Inventory are used to assess interests and personality at no charge to the student. A Career Values Card Sort is used to identify career values. Students are encouraged to select occupations to explore through job shadow and informational interview experiences. Connections are made through the Career Network database to facilitate the process of exploring careers. The Career Center hosts a Graduate School Fair, a Career and Internship Fair, and other events that give students the opportunity to network with professionals and learn more about potential career paths. The yearly Etiquette Dinner is another opportunity to develop skills and knowledge that will benefit career development. For more information, contact the Career Center at 527-2664.
Placement Services. Each quarter the Career Center coordinates visits from graduate schools and professional programs, providing the opportunity for students to participate in interviews for acceptance to these programs without the necessity of traveling long distances. Students have the opportunity to receive assistance with the job search process by attending workshops presented or hosted by the Career Center. The topics include: resume writing, job search skills, interview techniques, and applying to graduate school.
Cooperative Education. The University provides a cooperative education program that integrates academic learning with a work environment. Students receive academic credit for a pre-arranged work experience. (See listing under specific departments/schools for credit and grading applicable to that major.) Department co-op advisors and students determine an appropriate work site in collaboration with the Cooperative Education Coordinator. The Coordinator then monitors the students' paperwork and progress throughout the quarter. For more information, contact the Career Center at 527-2664.
Service Learning. Many academic courses offer opportunities for students to participate in service work in the community.
COUNSELING AND TESTING. Counseling and Testing Services (CTS) provides counseling and testing services for WWU students.
Counseling Services. The services provided by CTS are designed to help students deal with the pressures of university life. Students can receive help in dealing with personal problems, learning more about themselves, and in planning their future.
The counselors on staff are qualified to discuss a wide variety of issues, including loneliness, depression, stress, time management, test anxiety, study skills, relationship problems, eating disorders, incest and rape survival, dysfunctional family situations, and marital and premarital counseling. Issues may be worked through on an individual basis or in a group setting, and all counseling is strictly confidential.
Testing Services. Counseling and Testing Services is the official testing center for most standardized tests administered on campus. These tests are given on dates specified in advance by the testing companies, and most require advance registration. Many of these tests require a fee to be paid by the student directly to the testing company. Registration materials are available at the CTS Office. Tests administered at CTS include:
ACAT (Art majors)
American College Testing (ACT) Residual Test
College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)
Correspondence/Distance Learning Tests
English Placement Tests and Language Placement Tests
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (subject tests only)
Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
Major Field Test (MFT)
Miller Analogies Test (MAT)
PRAXIS and Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) Test
WEST-E (Education)
Addiction Support Services. Counseling and Testing Services also provides services for students who are dealing with substance-use problems (alcohol, drugs, tobacco, etc.). University policy prohibits the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. Recognizing that not all students make choices consistent with this philosophy, CTS provides individualized assessment, testing, counseling, and referral services as well as a prevention program. Counseling and Testing Services works closely with residence hall deans and the Vice President for Student Life and Mission to insure that students receive adequate help and support to remain substance-free.
Services are also provided for students with other addictive behaviors such as: eating, gambling, computer (internet, gaming, etc.), and relationships.
Fees and Scheduling. Most services offered by Counseling and Testing Services are free to students, with the exception of a few tests. Students requesting counseling services are asked to complete a short information form before a session is scheduled. The forms are available at CTS on the main floor of Meske Hall or at the CTS web site. If students have any questions they are free to call CTS at 527-2147 during office hours.
KGTS/POSITIVE LIFE RADIO is federally licensed as an educational, community-service station. At Positive Life Radio our mission is to be a community of believers promoting positive values through Christian music radio. We accomplish by; 1. Stirring listeners toward a deeper relationship with Christ, 2. Equipping WWU students to impact their community through broadcast training, 3. Serving the Pacific Northwest through 5 partner stations and 13 translators. Owned by Walla Walla University and operated as an Academic Support department the station serves the Communications and Languages Department and others by training students in broadcasting, management, audio production, sales and development, engineering and research. KGTS/Positive Life Radio is funded primarily by listeners and local businesses with support from WWU.
The Positive Life Radio Network serves other Northwest radio stations with Christian music and programs 24 hours each day. Students receive practical experience in network programming and management.
LIBRARIES. The combined WWU libraries contain over 180,000 items, including books, videos, DVDs, e-books, and journals. Access to thousands of journal articles is provided through full-text databases.
Research starts on the WWU Libraries home page (library.wallawalla.edu). The online catalog, along with over 98 article databases to which the Library subscribes, can be searched here. Links to web pages at the Portland and Montana campuses are also available.
Books and Media. Using the online catalog, students can search collections of books, media, e-books, and journals at the Peterson Memorial Library, Curriculum Library, Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory, Montana MSW sites, and the branch Nursing Library in Portland, Oregon.
Summit borrowing, made available through membership in the Orbis Cascade Alliance, offers direct access to over 28 million books, sound recordings, films, and video tapes held by 36 other academic libraries in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. College Place and Portland students, faculty and staff may request items directly through the Summit Catalog (summit.orbiscascade.org). Materials may be requested for pickup at the Peterson or Portland libraries and are delivered within three to four days. Presently, the Summit service is not available to the Montana MSW sites.
Articles and Indexes. Online databases selected to support the university's curriculum are available through the WWU Libraries home page, under the Articles tab of the main search box. Example databases include:
- Academic Search Premier
- ProQuest
- CINAHL
- PsychArticles
- SocIndex with Full Text
- Computer and Applied Sciences Complete
- JSTOR Arts and Sciences
- E.G. White Writings online
- SDA Periodical Index
Subscriptions for many of the library's databases are made possible by membership in library consortia such as the Adventist Library Information Cooperative (ALICE) and the Orbis Cascade Alliance.
Peterson Memorial Library. Located on our College Place campus, this main library for the Walla Walla University community houses the majority of the libraries' print collections. A variety of individual and group study areas are available, including the library board room which may be reserved for group meetings or study sessions. Microform readers make microfilm material accessible and TV/VCR/DVD units located throughout the library provide viewing points for media. A PC lab with computers, a scanner, and a printer allow students to do research and write papers all at one location.
Curriculum Library. Located in Smith Hall, this library contains professional literature on education, K-12 textbooks, children's literature, magazines, standardized tests, math and science manipulatives, games, and curriculum guides.
Portland School of Nursing Library. This facility serves nursing students and faculty on WWU's Portland, Oregon campus.
Montana Libraries. Small site collections are available in Billings and Missoula to meet the immediate needs of students enrolled in the MSW program at those locations.
Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory. A small collection of books is located at the marine laboratory. It provides basic resources to students enrolled in summer biology classes.
Campus Health and Wellness
Main Campus
An on-campus University clinic with a highly qualified staff provides acute and some chronic care services for students requiring medical attention. Referrals for other chronic or emergency conditions will be made to the local clinics and hospitals; however, the student is responsible for charges incurred. Campus Health and Wellness bills only WWU related insurances; personnel will assist with insurance billing questions when needed.
Portland School of Nursing
The Adventist Health Ventura Park Clinic provides health care for students on the Portland campus. This clinic accepts students with WWU student insurance or most other insurance providers. If a condition warrants, the student may be referred to a specialist. If referred, the student is responsible for making financial arrangements with the provider.
Teaching Learning Center
The Teaching Learning Center (TLC) offers drop-in tutoring free of charge and private tutoring for a minimal fee to all students enrolled at Walla Walla University. Tutoring is offered to students taking classes in the areas of business, mathematics, engineering, languages, science, and writing. Tutoring in additional areas is available upon sufficient demand. The writing center helps students with papers assigned for any class, and reading and study skills classes are offered to improve those specific academic skills. Disability support services are available for students with documented disabilities.
Disability Support Services
The policy of Walla Walla University is to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, regarding students and applicants with disabilities. The University is committed to providing access to programs and services to qualified individuals who have a documented disability. To receive assistance, students must submit formal documentation to the Disability Support Services (DSS) Coordinator and request an appointment to determine appropriate accommodations. Since accommodations are not retroactive, it is in the student's best interest to submit documentation as soon as possible. Documentation guidelines are available through the University website (see below) or by calling a request copy.
The staff works with students to arrange needed accommodations based on their documentation and individual needs. Examples of accommodations are: exam accommodations, books and other print material in alternate format, equipment and technology access, classroom relocation, notetakers, accessible housing, and other services.
The DSS office is located in the lower level of Village Hall. For more information contact: Disability Support Services, Walla Walla University, 204 S. College Ave., College Place, WA 99324. Phone: 509-527-2366. Web: www.wallawalla.edu/resources/student-support-services/disability-support-services