Student Programs and Support

Resources and Services

Academic Development Center

Dr. Eric Gumm, Director
ACU Box 29104; Abilene, Texas 79699-9104
Hardin Administration Building, Room 305

Phone: 325-674-6400
              800-677-8684
Fax: 325-674-6735
Email: adc@acu.edu
Web: www.acu.edu/adc

The Academic Development Center provides services that equip students to accomplish their academic, career and life goals. Our staff pro-actively identifies, supports and empowers undergraduate students to help them accomplish their academic and life goals.

Foundations for Success Course

Foundations for Success (UNIV 111 ) is a comprehensive course designed to enhance academic proficiency, career planning skills, financial literacy and life management skills useful for helping students experience academic and personal success. This course is available to both incoming students and current freshmen and sophomore students who want to be better prepared for the academic rigor of their college-level courses and offers 3 elective credit hours towards a degree.

Learning Strategies Course

Learning Strategies (UNIV 011 ) is an academic course designed to help students evaluate and develop academic goals, strengths, and skills, and then to consistently apply those elements to all other courses they are taking. This course is typically a requirement for conditionally admitted students and freshmen on academic probation, but does not satisfy any degree requirements.

Academic Coaching Program

Academic Coaching is designed to help students plan for success by identifying individual academic strengths and weaknesses.

The student/coach relationship seeks to build confidence, instill motivation, and increase self-reliance through individualizing the academic process. Additionally, undergraduate student midterm grades are evaluated, and corresponding emails are sent to offer assistance for grade recovery. For more information, visit www.acu.edu/academiccoaching.

Academic Coaching:

• Assesses individual academic strengths and weaknesses
• Cultivates individual goals and identifies steps to completion
• Utilizes effective learning strategies
• Integrates time-management skills and organizational strategies
• Educates students about additional campus services which may meet specific identified needs

Academic Probation Program

We provide support for all students who are placed on academic probation after at least one semester at ACU. Each student’s situation is unique, therefore an individual counselor is assigned to assist the student throughout the semester. For more information, see www.acu.edu/academicprobation.

Interventions to assist students may include:

• Probation contract defining standards and strategies to provide support
• Meeting individually with an academic counselor at least twice a semester
• Completing and discussing the results of the Learning and Study Skills Inventory
• Enrolling in a Learning Strategies Course
• Participation in the Alpha Scholars Program

Alpha Scholars Program

Liz Brown, LMSW, Director, ADA Compliance Officer
ACU Box 29204; Abilene, Texas 79699
Hardin Administration Building, Room 118

Phone: 325-674-2667
Email: liz.brown@acu.edu

The Alpha Scholars Program is the university’s Disability Support Services (DSS). Alpha offers assistance with academic accommodations to students with documented disabilities. Alpha students receive assessment of their individual learning styles and study habits and assistance in adapting study strategies to their unique learning characteristics. Qualifications are based on disability documentation and/or a history of limitations to daily life activities. Disability documentation must be current (within 5 years) and include assessment data. These services are provided at no additional cost to the student.

Disability Appeals Processes

In situations where a student does not agree with a decision made in light of a disability, there are specific processes that apply. For appeals that are not directly related to disability (change of grade, exceptions to university policy, etc.), the student should refer to the relevant section of the catalog or the Abilene Christian University Student Handbook.

1. Determination of Accommodations

The ADA and other regulations require the university to consider requests for accommodation related to disability on a case-by-case basis. If a student requests an accommodation that is not approved, and wishes to appeal that decision, the student (not the parent) may appeal in the following order:

• Ask the compliance officer to reconsider - any additional documentation supporting the request should be submitted, along with additional information related to performance, precedent, and conditions relating to the disability.
• Ask for a review by committee - the disabilities compliance officer will convene an ad hoc committee to review all pertinent documentation and review the request for accommodations.
• Ask for a review by the Provost’s Office - the disabilities compliance officer will forward all documentation related to the student’s disability and the review committee findings to the Provost’s Office, where the final decision will be made.

2. Appropriate Delivery of Accommodations

If a student believes that an accommodation is not being delivered in an effective manner, the student may wish to appeal the delivery of the accommodation. The student (not the parent) may appeal in the following order:

• Discuss failure of delivery with faculty teaching the course - the most common way these conflicts are managed is with this first step.
• Notify the Disabilities Compliance Officer - the compliance officer will determine whether there has been a failure to accommodate, and negotiate between the student and faculty to find an acceptable delivery method.
• Ask for a review by the Provost’s Office - the disabilities compliance officer will forward all documentation related to the student’s disability and findings to the Provost’s Office, where the final decision will be made.

3. Academic Exceptions

Some students with disabilities wish to appeal for changes in course requirements and/or degree plan requirements. If a student (not the parent) wishes to appeal the course requirements or the degree-plan requirements, he/she must follow the process described in the Abilene Christian University Student Handbook.

1. Request the exception with the faculty member (in the case of a course exception) or degree plan advisor (in the case of a degree plan exception).
2. Appeal to the dean of the college responsible for the course or the degree plan
3. Appeal to the Provost’s Office - a student may request that her/his disability documentation be reviewed at this level, in which case the disabilities compliance officer will forward all documentation related to the student’s disability and findings to the Provost’s Office, where the final decision will be made.

4. Process Guidelines

1. It is not appropriate or effective to appeal to campus offices outside the processes described above. While other offices may try to help, this avenue can ultimately result in further delays in reaching a final decision.
2. The Provost’s Office serves as the final decision center for all academic issues on the Abilene Christian University campus. A student with questions about her/his rights through these appeals processes can consult with the compliance officer.

For more information visit our web page at www.acu.edu/alpha

Bridge Program

Liz Brown, LMSW, Director
ACU Box 29204; Abilene, Texas 79699
Hardin Administration Building, Room 118

Phone: 325-674-2667
Email: liz.brown@acu.edu

ACU’s Bridge Program is a pathway developmental education program designed to matriculate students to full-time degree-seeking status. Students who are denied admission to the university, and are offered admission to the Bridge Program, take a semi-structured sequence of courses in the fall semester. Bridge students are provided with intensive academic, financial, and social support resources and are required to participate in programming activities. Students may receive ongoing Bridge scholarships if they obtain a particular GPA during the spring semester of their freshman year.

Excel Tutoring

Naoemi Sanchez, Associate Director of Academic Support Services
ACU Box 29204; Abilene, Texas 79699
Hardin Administration Building, Room 124G

Phone: 325-674-2517
Email: nls12a@acu.edu

Excel Tutoring provides academic assistance to any student in any class. Services include one-on-one assistance in any content/subject area, help with time/task management, or help in managing projects for classes. Appointments last 30 minutes, may be in-person or online, and tutoring services for any enrolled students seeking assistance in general education courses are free. Tutoring in upper level courses may incur a fee of $5 per 30 minutes, or be referred back to the department if no tutors are available. Additionally, tutoring services are free to students enrolled in Alpha Scholars. Excel Tutoring is located in Suite 124 of the Hardin Administration Building.

Institute of Intensive English (IIE)

Kayla Hewitt, Director of ESL
ACU Box 29002; Abilene, Texas 79699
Wildcat Central, McGlothlin Campus Center, Room 122J

Phone: 325-674-6754
Email: kayla.hewitt@acu.edu

Note: Due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, no new students will be admitted to the Institute of Intensive English for the 2020-2021 academic year.

The Institute of Intensive English (IIE) provides semester-long English as a Second Language (ESL) courses at the low-intermediate, high-intermediate and advanced levels. The IIE curriculum is designed to prepare students for ACU credit courses and consists of grammar, reading, composition and oral/aural communication courses at each of the three levels.

The low-intermediate and high-intermediate blocks consist of 16 credit hours per semester (20 class hours per week). The advanced ESL block consists of 12 credit hours per semester (15 class hours per week) plus enrollment in one non-ESL undergraduate class. ESL students must enroll in all courses included in their assigned block of courses (one of the three levels listed) according to incoming ESL placement exam results at ACU. Students advance from their initial block by achieving passing grades in all courses of that block and achieving an acceptable score on the AccuPlacer English exam. Students earning a failing grade in even a single course of a given block must repeat that entire block. Permission to enroll in full-time developmental and non-ESL undergraduate courses is granted upon successful completion of the advanced ESL block and achieving an acceptable score on the AccuPlacer English exam. A particular TOEFL score is not required for ESL students who move from the ESL block into undergraduate courses upon completion of the advanced level. However, students wishing to enter graduate work must meet additional requirements, including a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 80 (or commensurate score on the IELTS, IEKEN, PTE Academic, or CAE).

IIE Course Descriptions

Please see the Course Descriptions  section of this catalog. ESL courses include those with the following designation: FLEN.

ESL course offerings include the following groupings:

• Low-Intermediate ESL Block: FLEN 021, 023, 027, 029.
• High-Intermediate ESL Block: FLEN 031, 033, 037, 039.
• Advanced ESL Block: FLEN 041, 047, 049.

NOTE: Courses numbered 000-099 do not count toward the minimum hours required for a bachelor’s degree, nor do they affect the cumulative GPA.

Supplemental Instruction

TBD, Coordinator
ACU Box 29204; Abilene, Texas 79699
Hardin Administration Building, Room 124E

Phone: 325-674-2919

ACU’s Supplemental Instruction program provides course-specific structured academic support embedded into challenging courses across the university.  Students in courses with supplemental instruction may attend guided study sessions and instructional support from peer-mentors.  Peer mentors meet regularly with faculty to tailor supplemental instruction sessions to the learning outcomes for the course, and provide at least two sessions of supplemental instruction per week.

TRIO Services

Liz Brown, LMSW, Director
ACU Box 29204; Abilene, Texas 79699
Hardin Administration Building, Room 118

Phone: 325-674-2667
Fax: 325-674-6731
Email: liz.brown@acu.edu

ACU receives grants from the U.S. Department of Education to fund programs designed to help underrepresented and disadvantaged students succeed academically in middle school through graduate school. The three programs and their purposes include the following:

• Talent Search serves students in the Abilene Independent School District in grades 6-12. This program provides enrichment activities to disadvantaged students in these grades to encourage their completion of high school as well as entrance and success in higher education. This program serves 525 students per academic year.
• Upward Bound serves 55 high school students in the Abilene Independent School District students in grades 9-12. This program provides tutoring and college preparatory advising throughout the school year. During the summer, students participate in an intense, six week college going experience on-campus. The purpose of the program is to increase the rate at which participants complete high school and enroll in and graduate from institutions of post-secondary education.
• McNair Scholars Program is housed in the ACU Honors College and serves approximately 27 undergraduate students at ACU who are first-generation, low-income, or are ethnically underrepresented in their chosen field of study. The purpose of the program is to provide participants unique opportunities for developing high-level academic and research skills needed for successful admission to and completion of master’s and doctoral programs.

For more information about TRIO Services, contact the following people:

MCNAIR SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Dr. Steven Moore, Director • ACU Box 29205 • 325-674-2830
sxm00b@acu.edu • www.acu.edu/mcnair

TALENT SEARCH
Gayla Herrington, Director • ACU Box 29207 • 325-677-1444 ext. 8074
• gayla.herrington@acu.edu • www.acu.edu/talentsearch

UPWARD BOUND
D’Angelo Sands, Director • ACU Box 29206 • 325-674-2448
dvs03a@acu.edu • www.acu.edu/upward

University Testing Center

Naoemi Sanchez, Associate Director of Academic Support Programs
ACU Box 29204; Abilene, Texas 79699
Hardin Administration Building, Room 124G

Phone: 325-674-2517
800-677-8684
Fax: 325-674-6847
Email: acutesting@acu.edu
Web: www.acu.edu/testing

The University Testing Center offers a wide range of standardized testing and proctoring services. We administer the HESI for those entering our School of Nursing. CLEP tests and course challenges are available in a variety of subjects for students who wish to earn course credit by examination. In addition, we administer placement exams, MAT exams for students entering graduate school, and offer professional proctoring services for distance learners.

Career Center

ACU Box 27914; Abilene, Texas 79699-7914
Brown Library, Center For Careers & Experiential Learning
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-12 p.m., 1 p.m.-5 p.m.

Phone: 325-674-2473
Email: careers@acu.edu

Maximize your potential by working with our office.

The ACU Career Center exists to help students honor God by engaging in the exploration and preparation to achieve “good-fit” career goals. We are here to assist you with a variety of topics including: résumé and cover letter assistance, interview preparation, internship and job search strategies, and more.

For more information about our services or to schedule an appointment visit:www.acu.edu/careercenter or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Library Resources

Mr. James Wiser, Dean of Library Services and Educational Technology
ACU Box 29208
Abilene, Texas 79699

Phone: 325-674-2316
Email: ask@acu.libanswers.com
Web: www.acu.edu/library

The Margarett and Herman Brown Library provides resources, instruction, and research assistance to support teaching, learning, and scholarship at ACU. Students have Internet access to the library’s catalog of more than one million volumes and one million microforms held by ACU and other members of the Abilene Library Consortium. Students can also access more than 50,000 full-text electronic journals.

The Library serves students and faculty by participating in TexShare, the statewide information network, which supports database searching and document delivery throughout the state of Texas. ACU is also a full member of the OCLC network and participates in the interlibrary loan program with libraries in the United States and around the world. Specialized collections at ACU include a selective depository for U.S. Government Publications, archives and rare books, and the Center for Heritage and Renewal in Spirituality (CHARIS) which facilitates the study of Churches of Christ and related theological movements. The Gaines B. Stanley Sr. Theological Reading Room provides study space and resources for students enrolled in biblical studies and related disciplines.

Students working on class projects make use of the Learning Commons and Innovation Foundry, an energized environment that brings together collaborative learning spaces with professional assistance in research, writing, printing, and support for solving real-world and challenge-based problems through technology. The Learning Commons also features comfortable seating and a café that serves Starbucks Coffee. The third floor of the Library is an extension of the Learning Commons, with additional collaboration spaces and the Dr. Barry and Diane Packer Forum, a state-of-the-art conference center and gathering space incorporating the Donald G. Davis and John Mark Tucker Conference Room and the Innovation Foundry, a teamwork and technology hub in the Library, inspiring collaborative innovation through support for challenge-based projects and other social ventures.

The Nancy and Ray Hansen Reading Commons hosts frequent literary and academic events for students, such as poetry slams, recitations, and hosting well-known authors. The Reading Commons also contains a collection of relevant and recent reference books and new books to broaden and deepen students’ literary awareness and reading.

The AT&T Learning Studio assists with public speaking and multi-media creation, and houses Library Media Collections. The Studio features collaboration rooms and recording facilities where students work together and acquire the skills for crafting messages for the world of digital media.

The ACU Maker Lab is an 8,000 square-foot design studio and prototyping shop that concentrates on do-it-yourself design and fabrication of innovative products. The lab focuses on a “constructionist” approach to teaching and learning that emphasizes the importance of student making and manipulation of learning objects. The lab is equipped with the latest technology including 3D scanners and printers, laser cutters, and CNC routers.

Writing Center

Dr. Cole Bennett, Director
ACU Box 28252; Abilene, Texas 79699-8252

Phone: 325-674-4833
Email: writingcenter@acu.edu
Web: www.acu.edu/writingcenter

The Writing Center is located in the Brown Library Learning Commons, next to Starbucks. Any student in any class who wishes to discuss his or her writing assignment with an experienced and trained tutor can go to http://www.acu.edu/writingcenter to schedule an appointment and receive personalized, one-on-one assistance. All services are free.

Speaking Center

Sheryl Thomas, Director
ACU Box 28252; Abilene, Texas 79699-8252

Phone: 325-674-2136
Web: blogs.acu.edu/speakingcenter/

The Communication and Sociology Department staffs and operates the ACU Speaking Center housed in the Learning Studio on the top floor of the Brown Library. It provides expertise in all aspects of the creation and delivery of presentations. The services are available to all students, faculty, staff, and community members.

Study Abroad

Stephen Shewmaker, Executive Director
Center for Experiential Learning
Brown Library
ACU Box 28226; Abilene, Texas 79699-8226

Phone: 325-674-2317
Fax: 325-674-2966
Email: studyabroad@groupmail.acu.edu
Web: http://www.acu.edu/studyabroad

Through the ACU Study Abroad programs, the university offers many opportunities for students to have a transformative global experience as they prepare for Christian service and leadership throughout the world. In addition to semester programs in England, Germany and Uruguay; the university also offers programs in these and other countries in the summer. Students engage with and learn about the culture, history, literature and languages of the host countries. They also study education, healthcare, journalism, management, government, and religion. ACU Study Abroad offers students of all majors an opportunity to learn about the host country through life experience as well as through dynamic academic course work. Students with an interest in cultural aspects of a society see for themselves how the literature, music, art, and history of a people influence their politics and economics. Students do more than read about unusual geographical features or significant landmarks; they see them and place them in relationship to the land and culture that have influenced them throughout their history. As a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, ACU students are also eligible to participate in semester-long programs in Uganda, Australia, Costa Rica, Northern Ireland, and the Middle East.

Students with majors such as global studies may fulfill their international experience requirements by participating in an ACU Study Abroad program. However, all students can fulfill university requirements, and often major requirements, with courses offered in ACU Study Abroad programs.

Wildcat Central

(Academic Advising and Student Administrative Services)
ACU Box 27940; Abilene, TX 79699

Phone: 1-888-588-6083 (toll-free) or (325) 674-2300
Email: wildcatcentral@acu.edu
Web: www.acu.edu/wildcatcentral

Your one-stop shop for your student service needs, Wildcat Central combines some of the most-requested student services from various offices on campus into one central location in the McGlothlin Campus Center. Wildcat Central is convenient and staffed by friendly professionals ready to help you complete the necessary details of being a university student.

Some of the services available to you through the Wildcat Central include:

• Financial Aid Counseling
• Academic Advising
• Billing and Payment Plans
• Meal Plans
• Campus Cash
• ID Cards
• Parking Permits
• Notary Public Service

Current students may access most of these services through myACU.

Student Life

Dr. Tamara Long, Interim Vice President for Student Life
ACU Box 29004, Abilene, TX 79699-9004
McGlothlin Campus Center, Room 44

Phone: 325-674-2067
Fax: 325-674-4831
Web: https://www.acu.edu/student-life.html

Student Life strives to create a safe and welcoming Christ-centered community that engages students through authentic personal relationships and provides meaningful opportunities for students to grow holistically, live faithfully, and connect their unique God-given talents and passions to service and calling.

The Student Life team reports to the Vice President for Student Life and consists of the following areas: Career Center, Counseling Center, Intramural Sports, Dean of Students, Leadership Camps, Medical Clinic, Ministry and Service, Office of Multicultural Affairs, Residence Life, Spiritual Formation, Student Organizations and Activities, Student Productions, Student Recreation and Wellness Center, and Student Retention and Services.

Residence Life

Shannon Kaczmarek, Director of Residence Life
ACU Box 29004; Abilene, Texas79699-9004
McGlothlin Campus Center, Room 43

Phone: 325-674-6321
Fax: 325-674-6475
Email: reslife@acu.edu
Web: www.acu.edu/residencelife

Welcome to Residence Life!

Students arrive at ACU from every state and from over 60 nations world-wide, providing a diverse and radical life-altering experience.  At its best, living in community encourages the collision of new ideas, student development, dialogues, and personal growth.  Each ACU student is challenged daily to balance their personal heritages, life stories, experiences, and beliefs with those of other individuals and the greater community.  It is here that students are pushed, stretched, moved, inspired, and called to the transformative life of following Christ in community.  We take residential living and learning seriously: learning to respond to conflict with humility and maturity, developing integrity and taking responsibility for ones actions, balancing the strenuous demands of university life with inherent responsibilities from God, family, friends, and life, and through faith, overcoming adversity.

Residence Life believes in these five pillars of community:

• Advocacy - We commit to treat people with respect and equality and ensure that each individual receives the same basic rights and is celebrated for their unique identity free from discrimination of any kind.
• Safety - We commit to providing living conditions that exceed resident expectations and provide exceptional living spaces for community, self care, and learning.
• Intentionality - We strive to provide an experience that is thoughtful, relevant and aware of the residents living in these spaces, which includes how we program events, write policy, and equip residential spaces.
• Belonging - We believe that every student living in our halls should be known and have a place at the table. We believe no student should ever be alone or without support, and in everything we do as a community, we are inclusive of each member.
• Spirituality - We believe in demonstrating the love of Christ and upholding His commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. As a residential community, we work to hold one another accountable for the way we love one another and we strive to humble ourselves to learn from those who are different from us.

Spiritual Formation

Cyrus Eaton, Director of Spiritual Formation and Campus Chaplain
ACU Box 27867; Abilene, Texas 79699-7867
McGlothlin Campus Center, Room 32

Phone: 325-674-2867
Web: www.acu.edu/community/student-life/student-development-office/spiritual/overview.html

Spiritual Formation Events: Developing as a Christ-centered servant and leader is inherent in the ACU mission. ACU students have the opportunity to select from a broad menu of spiritually-formative activities designed to draw them into closer connection with God, to help them strengthen their practices of spiritual disciplines, to deepen their commitment to Christian community, and to allow their faith to take action in service to others. Each student manages his/her own spiritual development through accessing daily chapel opportunities and/or various spiritual formation events that allow for connecting in small groups with peers, seeking mentoring opportunities with faculty/staff members, and plugging in to local faith communities.

Development: ACU students have access to a broad range of opportunities to serve locally, to participate in intentional communities, and to lead their peers as a first step to influencing the world. They serve in local and global initiatives each year. They positively impact numerous non-profits, churches, schools, and individuals. When partnered with training and reflection, participation in ministry and community service broadens students’ world view, strengthens their commitment to Christ-centered living, and prepares them for a lifestyle of leadership and service.

Student Organizations

ACU Box 27867; Abilene, Texas 79699
McGlothlin Campus Center, Lower Level

Phone: 325-674-2069
Fax: 325-674-6475
Web: www.acu.edu/studentorganizations

A variety of student clubs and organizations provide avenues for the expression of a wide range of student interests: social, musical, academic, geographical and service. The following clubs and organizations have been officially recognized. For more information, refer to the Student Life web page at http://www.acu.edu/community/student-life.html.

Campus Activities

Campus Activities Board (CAB), FilmFest, Freshman Follies, Homecoming Committees, Sing Song, Wildcat Week Committees

Social Clubs (Men)

Frater Sodalis, Galaxy, Gamma Sigma Phi, Nu Kappa Psi, Pi Kappa, Sub T-16, Trojans

Social Clubs (Women)

Alpha Kai Omega, Delta Theta, GATA, Ko Jo Kai, Sigma Theta Chi, Tri Kappa Gamma, Zeta Rho

Multicultural Student Affairs

Ryan Bowman, Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs
ACU Box 29004; Abilene, Texas 79699-9004
McGlothlin Campus Center, Room 22

Phone: 325-674-6562
Fax: 325-674-6475
Web: www.acu.edu/oma

Abilene Christian University’s attention to a multicultural environment enriches the personal, social, and spiritual growth of all members of the ACU community and improves the university’s capacity to achieve its mission. A culturally diverse community includes faculty, staff, and students with differing cultural identities who bring the richness of their backgrounds and experiences into the learning environment. Cultural diversity, presented correctly in a college setting, can stimulate discussions, foster rewarding relationships and cultivate fuller worldviews.

The programs, activities, and services offered by the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) foster constructive and frequent opportunities for students with different backgrounds and perspectives to engage in meaningful dialogue and reflection. Research shows that learning outcomes and social development are enhanced when students encounter perspectives that depart from their own worldview and past experiences, causing them to think actively and to reassess long-held, and often unexamined assumptions.

OMA serves students at ACU by maintaining an open door policy, advising student organizations, engaging in one-on-one encouragement, and fostering the growth and development of students by implementing educational, social, and cultural programming. The aim is to assist students in achieving their educational goals and to encourage student involvement in the academic and social systems of college life. OMA is designed to positively influence the quality of life and effectiveness of the ACU experience for all students.

Student Recreation and Wellness Center

Joel Swedlund, Executive Director
ACU Box 27842, Abilene, TX 79699-7842
Student Rec and Wellness Center, Room 253

Phone: 325-674-2271
Fax: 325-674-6788
Web: www.acu.edu/srwc

The Student Recreation and Wellness Center (SRWC) is committed to making participation an essential part of the ACU experience. With innovative programming, world-class facilities, and an enthusiastic staff, we are focused on providing a wide variety of leisure services that pique the interests of ACU students. It’s our goal to create an environment that fosters positive social interaction, enhances the overall educational experience, provides opportunities to develop a healthy lifestyle, and meets the overall mission of ACU.

A wide range of wellness options are available at the SRWC including weight lifting, cardio machines, two swimming pools, a bouldering wall, group exercise classes, gymnasiums, racquetball courts, locker rooms, and a smoothie bar.

Services offered at the SRWC include personal training, group exercise classes, nutritional counseling, towel service, locker rental, and outdoor equipment rentals. Visit our Member Services Desk or check out our web page to learn more about our programs and services.

The SRWC also employs a large number of ACU students including member services personnel, lifeguards, group exercise instructors, personal trainers, along with game supervisors and officials for intramural sports. Training and mentoring are an important part in each of these staff-to-student partnerships.

Intramural and Club Sports

ACU Box 27842; Abilene, TX 79699-8204
Student Recreation and Wellness Center, Room 142

Phone: 325-674-2511
Web: www.acu.edu/intramurals

Intramural and Club Sports contribute significantly to the student experience at ACU. With over twenty sports competitions each year, intramural sports are driven by student demand and include flag football, basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, inner-tube water polo and many others. A variety of leagues are offered to enable students to find their preferred level of competition. Registration for participation is online, as are the season’s schedules and current intramural standings. Come be a part of the fun, challenging, and community enhancing experience of intramural sports!

In addition to over twenty intramural sports, there are five Club Sport teams, golf, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, and rugby which represent the university as they travel across the state of Texas and the country competing against other universities in their respective sports. With over 100 student-athletes and 50 competitions a year, club sports offer a more competitive alternative to intramural sports for the students who want to continue playing the sports they love at a high level.

Medical and Counseling Care Clinic (MACCC)

The ACU Medical and Counseling Care Center (MACCC) offers students excellent medical and counseling services. The MACCC is conveniently located on the northwest corner of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center between Moody Coliseum and the Teague Special Events Center. Our professional staff strives to meet the physical, mental, and emotional needs of our students by promoting the overall wellness that is needed for academic success.

Medical Clinic

Cindy Gravitt, Practice Manager
ACU Box 28154, Abilene, TX 79699-8154
849 Coliseum Way

Phone: 325-674-2625
Fax: 325-674-6998
Web: www.acu.edu/medical
Email: medical@acu.edu

The ACU Medical Clinic provides care for minor illnesses and injuries, and will refer patients to local providers for care of chronic conditions. Patients may schedule appointments on the Medical Clinic Patient Portal, accessible through myACU quicklinks, or by calling 325-674-2625.  Walk-in services are available on a limited basis, but usually require an increased wait time. A psychiatrist is also available to treat patients with ADD/ADHD and mental health concerns.

A flat fee is charged for each clinic visit. There are additional fees for labs, testing and injections. The ACU Medical Clinic does not bill insurance. However, students should carry their insurance card in the event outside medical services are required such as x-rays, lab work, or a referral to a specialist.

We are proud to introduce Wildcat Care, a telemedicine option available 24/7, 365 days a year. Wildcat Care is available via your smartphone, tablet or computer.

Students may also sign up to have their prescriptions delivered to the ACU Medical Clinic by James McCoy’s Drugstore, a local pharmacy.

Counseling Center

Tyson Alexander, Director of Counseling Care Center
ACU Box 28083, Abilene, TX 796099-8083
849 Coliseum Way

Phone: 325-674-2626
Fax: 325-674-6998
Web: www.acu.edu/counseling

The goal of the Counseling Center is to promote mental health and well-being among our students, staff, and faculty. We recognize that mental health affects academic success, social relationships, physical health, and spiritual well-being. All ACU students may seek professional, confidential counseling services at the Counseling Center. Our professional staff is available to assist with students in dealing with the daily stress that arises from college life, as well as more serious mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. This is done primarily through individual counseling and consultations. However, we also utilize a number of workshops on anxiety, mindfulness, and depression to help equip students with tools for life.

The Counseling Center is able to provide additional services, such as medication management, in partnership with the Medical Clinic staff and part-time psychiatrist. When necessary, students may be referred to a specialist in the Abilene community or care may be coordinated with mental health professionals in a student’s hometown. Our staff is also able to advise parents, faculty/staff, or peers in their efforts to offer support regarding possible mental health concerns.

Student Conduct

Abilene Christian University maintains an intentionally Christian identity, seeking to maintain and promote a way of life that reflects the teachings of Jesus Christ. This Christian identity informs and shapes how members of the ACU community conduct themselves in their personal lives, and in their interactions with others. Community standards reflect biblical principles and Christian teaching, and encourage students, staff and faculty to live lives of holiness, honesty, decency and civility. By enrolling in the university, students signify their willingness to observe Christian standards of honesty, ethics, and morality. They agree to respect the personal and property rights of others. They agree to fulfill their responsibilities under all published university regulations and to obey local, state, and federal laws. Information about student conduct and regulations can be found in the Student Handbook at http://www.acu.edu/community/offices/administrative/dean-of-students/policies/general-university-policies.html.

The Student Handbook is published at the beginning of each school year, and it details various important provisions that each student should read and understand. The Student Handbook determines the current regulations and policies that impact campus life. On reasonable notice to the students, the Student Handbook may be amended. Regulations such as those below, and others, are included in the Student Handbook.

• Possession, use or sale of illegal drugs may result in suspension from the university.
• Underage possession or use of alcohol is subject to strict disciplinary measures.
• Students must conform to the current dress code.
• Chapel attendance is required for all undergraduate students that are enrolled full-time and are under the age of 25.
• Hazing is prohibited and will result in disciplinary action from the university, and criminal penalties from the state of Texas.

Many activities are expressly listed in the Student Handbook as prohibited and are subject to disciplinary sanctions, including: smoking or other use of tobacco on campus, violation of residence hall visitation policies, falsification of university records, cheating, theft, sexual immorality, vandalism, and possession of firearms.

Athletics

Allen Ward, Director of Athletics
ACU Box 27916; Abilene, Texas 79699-7916
Teague Special Events Center

Phone: 325-674-2353
Fax: 325-674-6831
Email: athleticdirector@acu.edu
Web: www.acusports.com

On July 1, 2013, Abilene Christian University re-joined the Southland Conference as the athletics department made the move to NCAA Division I affiliation for the first time in university history. The move to the Southland Conference is a return “home” of sorts as ACU is back in the league it helped to found in 1963. After playing a limited league schedule in 2013-14, the 2020-21 athletics year will mark ACU’s eighth season at the NCAA Division I level and fourth year eligible for all conference and NCAA postseason tournaments.

As a member of the Southland Conference, ACU competes in the men’s sports of baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, tennis, and indoor and outdoor track and field, and in the women’s sports of basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, and volleyball (beach and indoor).

Though shortened by the Coronavirus pandemic, the 2019-20 athletics year still provided many exceptional moments.

Football defeated McNeese, 17-10, for the first time in their series rivalry as running back Tracy James scored the go-ahead touchdown with 13 seconds left in regulation. The team later rattled off a three-game winning streak, highlighted by back-to-back overtime wins vs. Stephen F. Austin (31-24) and 15th-ranked Nichols (37-31).

James led the Southland Conference with 20 touchdowns and was one of two Wildcats voted First Team All-Southland Conference along with senior linebacker Jeremiah Chambers. Three football publications (Phil Steele, STATS, HERO Sports) named Chambers to their FCS All-America Teams, while CoSIDA Academic All-America honors went to junior Jack Gibbens and senior Josh Fink.   

Soccer reached its Southland Conference postseason tournament for the third consecutive season after finishing with overall and league records of 12-5-2 and 8-2-1. The Wildcats played to a 1-1 tie at home vs. 22nd-ranked Baylor, and later had three of their players (Shay Johnson, Christina Arteaga and Michelle Mulrooney) make the United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region team. ACU also made Southland Conference history by having student-athletes voted Freshman of the Year in four consecutive seasons: Natalie Jones (2019), Alyssia Anuat (2018), Arteaga (2017) and Johnson (2016).

Men’s and women’s basketball each were about to defend their Southland Conference Championship titles when the NCAA athletic season was suspended in mid-March.

Men’s basketball registered its second straight 20-win season (20-11, 15-5 Southland) thanks to All-Southland Conference honorees Payten Ricks and Joe Pleasant. A senior, Ricks was named First Team NABC All-District 22 after setting career-highs in points (14.3) and steals per game (2.3). He also set a pair of single-season program records for 3-pointers made (83) and steals (70). Pleasant, a sophomore, averaged 11 points per game and scored a career-high 20 points at SMU while recorded a double-double at UNLV.

Senior and four-year starter Breanna Wright was awarded the Southland Conference’s Player and Student-Athlete of the Year awards after leading women’s basketball to a 24-5 record (16-4 Southland) that included 16 league wins plus non-conference victories vs. Wright State, Portland, Tulsa and New Mexico State. Wright averaged 18.1 points per game with 147 assists to receive First Team All-Conference honors along with classmate Dominique Golightly (15.4 ppg and 6.1 rebounds per game).

Four-year track and field head coach Lance Bingham announced his resignation in early March to take the same position at Liberty University a few days removed from his men’s and women’s teams each placing third at the Southland Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships. Longtime associate head coach Jerrod Cook, who has overseen ACU’s throwers for 14 seasons, took Bingham’s place on June 1, 2020.

This March, Annina Brandenburg and Tyler Richardson swept the conference shot put event. Brandenburg broke her own school record with a first-place throw of 53-feet, 7 inches, and Richardson was awarded Freshman of the Year honors after hitting a winning distance of 56-1.75. ACU’s men’s 4x400-meter relay of Blaze Brownlow, Ryan Linton, and Avery and Jared Williams also came home with gold for the fourth consecutive conference meet after finishing the race in 3:10.41.

Buoyed by its new on-campus Byron Nelson Clubhouse, ACU Golf won its first spring tournament in dominant fashion with a 44-under 820 – 13 strokes ahead of runner-up Central Arkansas. Junior Alex Clouse earned medalist honors with La Tour Intercollegiate with a three-round score of 14-under 202 for his first collegiate tournament victory. Golf played only one other tournament this spring before its season was suspended due to COVID-19.

Tennis senior Jonathan Sheehy was well on his way to having one of the best seasons in program history when the Wildcats’ spring came to an unexpected halt on March 12. Sheehy was nationally ranked by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) on four occasions during the 2019-20 season, including a career high 77th on Nov. 13. He won the ITA Summer Circuit National Summer Championship singles and doubles titles in August 2019. Then to start the fall season, he reached the semifinals of the Midland Racquet Club Collegiate Invitational and scored a signature win over Ohio State’s Kyle Seelig, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (3) at the ITA All-America Championships. Sheehy this spring counted wins over opposition from Rice, Tennessee and Texas Tech.

With the construction of Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium, the men’s and women’s track and field team was displaced from its longtime home: Elmer Gray Stadium. But the new Elmer Gray Stadium hosted its first event on April 11, 2015, when TCU and Texas Tech joined ACU at the new stadium for the second Wes Kittley Invitational. That meet has become an annual event on the ACU outdoor track and field schedule. The Wildcats were to have hosted their first Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships in May 2020, but because of this spring’s coronavirus-related cancelations, their hosting duties have been pushed back to 2022.

Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium served as the football program’s home for the third season. The Wildcats started the year with a four-game home winning streak, beating Arizona Christian, McNeese, Houston Baptist and Stephen F. Austin on Homecoming. ACU has won its last two Homecoming contests, starting with a 28-12 win over then 11th-ranked Nicholls on Oct. 13, 2018.

Just to the north of the new Elmer Gray Stadium is a state-of-the-art track and field complex that houses coaches’ offices, locker rooms, and team rooms for both the men’s and women’s track and field programs.

The university enjoys the luxury of fine athletics facilities with a 4,500-seat gymnasium (Moody Coliseum) that serves as the home court for ACU basketball and volleyball, and the adjoining Royce and Pam Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center. A state-of-the-art video board, eye-level scoreboards, and accompanying LED scorer’s table were installed in November 2019.

ACU also plays in one of the best collegiate baseball facilities in the country in 4,000-seat Crutcher Scott Field. With a clubhouse, modern press box, and indoor hitting facility, ACU baseball players enjoy a facility that is on par with those at NCAA Division I programs across the county. During the winter of 2015-16, the stadium underwent a massive facelift that included the installation of a full field AstroTurf surface, new padded outfield and side walls, and a new bullpen beyond right field. Prior to the start of the 2019 season, the clubhouse was completely renovated, opening up the space, adding new lockers and lighting and giving the team much-needed meeting space.

The ACU softball program calls Wells Field home, and it, too, has a full-field AstroTurf surface that was installed prior to the 2016 season. The stadium - built prior to the inaugural 1997 season - seats around 700 fans. Prior to the start of the 2019 season, a new indoor hitting facility was constructed down the left field line, giving the program a place to practice in the event of poor weather.

The men’s and women’s tennis teams compete at one of the finest tennis facilities in the nation in the Eager Tennis Center. The Judi and Cecil Eager Tennis Pavilion was added to the complex in 2002, and the center underwent more extensive renovations in the summer of 2007, adding more courts and lighting, recovering the existing courts with new surfacing, and adding new wind screens. In the winter of 2019, the new John “T.L.” Jones Tennis Building opened to give the tennis program its first permanent home. Built just east of the main courts, the building serves as the hub for the men’s and women’s tennis programs. It houses coaches’ offices, locker rooms and team meeting rooms for both programs and is named for the father of longtime ACU head coach Hutton Jones.

The Soccer/Softball Complex, which is located just south of Wells Field in between the ACU softball field and Elmer Gray Stadium, houses coaches’ offices, locker rooms, and team rooms for both the women’s soccer and softball programs. The facility also houses a large sports medicine room that serves both programs along with an indoor batting facility for the women’s softball team to use during times of inclement weather. The complex also includes restrooms and a concession stand that serves fans for soccer matches, track and field meets, and softball games.

The two newest venues for ACU Athletics are for the men’s golf program: a short-game practice facility called “The Jim,” and the Byron Nelson Clubhouse. The Jim – named in recognition of Jim Anthony and Jim Oliver, the fathers of lead donors Mark Anthony and Eric Oliver – was designed by PGA pro by D.A. Weibring and the Golf Resource Group Team. The venue is a four-green complex featuring a large serpentine-shaped green surrounded by four bunkers and unique chipping area. The other three greens are shaped in the other corners of the four-acre property, providing players many different angles to practice from 130 yards out to a player’s chosen target. The short-game area features approximately 28,000 square feet of greens, 6,000 square feet of sand in nine bunkers, new trees, and a complete irrigation and drainage system along with four acres of maintained turf.

The Byron Nelson Clubhouse – which will sit just north of The Jim – features a team room, two locker rooms, coaches offices, meeting space, indoor and outdoor hitting bays and a garage to park the ACU Golf van. The clubhouse opened its doors in February 2020.

The remarkable success of ACU Wildcat student-athletes over the years is a tribute to the student-athletes, the coaches, and the tradition of winning that permeates the program. ACU recruits its student-athletes for their academic and spiritual qualities, as well as their athletic abilities. We desire for our staff, coaches, and student-athletes to meet our mission, which is to honor Christ through excellence in academics and athletics. Our vision is clear, and it is to win at the highest level by providing the most Christ-centered student-athlete experience in collegiate athletics. We want to continue winning both on the field and in the classroom, demonstrating excellence in everything we do.

In addition to 64 national team championships, hundreds of student-athletes have won individual national championships, earned all-America honors and been named academic all-America. In addition, several ACU student-athletes have been named to various halls of fame around the country.

The 57 NCAA team national championships that ACU has won is fifth in NCAA history behind only UCLA, Stanford, USC, and Kenyon College.