August 2023
Dear UST Student:
Welcome to the 2023-2024 academic year at the University of St. Thomas! College provides an opportunity for students to grow in knowledge and to refine their beliefs and values. I encourage you to participate in campus life. By doing so, you will develop new relationships and enrich your college experience leading to new opportunities for personal growth. The Student Handbook and Planner provides the dates for a wide variety of campus events and activities, important deadlines of which you should be aware, and contact information for offices that serve students.
The Mendenhall Achievement Center, on the second floor of Crooker Center, houses offices that can help you succeed at the University of St. Thomas -- the Academic Advising Center, the Career Services and Testing Center, Counseling and Wellness Services, Tutorial Services and Student Success in the Office of the Dean of Students. The University Athletic Director is also located on the second floor of Crooker Center, as is the International Students Office. You will find workshops, events, and athletic competitions organized by these offices listed in the Handbook and Planner. The Student Activities office is on the first floor of Crooker Center, as are the offices of the campus student leaders. These offices provide events and programs that will enrich your student experience. I hope you will use your planner to schedule your class assignments, projects, and tests, but also to schedule the out-of-class activities that help to integrate you into our community.
As the Vice President for Student Affairs, one of my primary functions is to promote community standards which are grounded in our institution’s Catholic mission. These standards, which provide the basis for the Code of Student Conduct and the policies included in this handbook, allow us to create an atmosphere on campus that supports and enhances your academic and co-curricular success. We strive at all times to act in accordance with our core values of Goodness, Discipline, Knowledge, and Community.
There are many opportunities for students to be involved in campus life. I hope the Student Handbook and Planner will help you organize your schedule so that you can join a club, become a student leader, enrich your spiritual life, participate in recreational sports, or attend athletic events, drama productions, concerts and lectures.
I wish you a very successful year and invite your input and feedback regarding student life at UST. You can reach the Office of Student Affairs by calling (713) 525-3570 or emailing studentaffairs@stthom.edu.
Sincerely,
Arthur Ortiz