Answers to common questions about life on ACU's campus

Can students have a computer in their room?

Yes! Each residence hall room is wired for Internet/ACU "ResNet" network access via an Ethernet connection. Many students choose to bring or buy their own computer for personal/study use. Students also can use the computer lab in each residence hall, featuring IBM-compatible PCs and/or Macintoshes with Microsoft Office software and Internet capabilities. Residence hall computer labs are available to students 24 hours a day, except when they're being used as computer classrooms. There are other labs on campus, too. About 700 computers are available for student use!

Before you buy a new computer for college, call computer sales in The Campus Store (325-674-2842) in ACU's McGlothlin Campus Center for special educational discounts on new Macs, PCs and related hardware/software.

You also should check out the Team 55 page on our Web site (www.acu.edu/team55) for information about minimum computer system requirements when using your computer on ACU's network. Team 55 is an innovative support staff to answer computing questions and help ACU students solve their technology problems.

Is telephone service available in residence hall rooms?

Each residence hall room on campus is equipped with a telephone connection, its own telephone number, and voice mail.

Students must bring their own telephone, though.

Each student can arrange with the university for a personal long distance access code for use on his or her residence hall phone, and will be responsible for payment of all long distance calls. Bills for long distance service are issued monthly and can be paid by cash, check or credit card. University long distance rates are usually lower than those available through Bell, AT&T, Sprint or MCI.

Is email available?

Each student has email privileges and can access this feature from his or her residence hall room or from computer labs across campus.

ACU professors often send and receive homework via email.

What about cable television service?

Each residence hall room has basic cable service, but a student needs to bring his or her own television and VCRs.

Can students cook in their rooms?

Appliances with heating elements are not allowed. Students are welcome to bring microwaves, pop-up toasters, coffee pots and hot air corn poppers. Refrigerators are limited to a storage capacity of 4.3 cubic feet or less.

Where do students get their mail?

Students are assigned a mailbox in the McGlothlin Campus Center. U.S. Mail and shipments from the other major package carriers are delivered to these mailboxes. The times that the mail and shipments will be boxed is posted in the mailbox lobby. Mail Servicesí window offers almost all U.S. Postal Service products and services. Drop boxes for outgoing FedEx and UPS Air shipments are located in the mailbox lobby. Stamp vending machines are also located in the mailbox lobby.

Is health care available on campus?

ACU's University Counseling Center and Medical Clinic are located on campus in the in McKinzie Hall.

A full-time physician and two nurses operate an outpatient clinic for treatment of minor illnesses, care of injuries and referrals to local specialists for all students. Student health insurance is available for purchase through the ACU Billing Office.

The University Counseling Center provides help to students whenever they encounter difficulty adjusting to the changes encountered in college life. ACU staff in the counseling center keep all files and information in strictest confidence and are ready to help at any time.

What type of intercollegiate athletics does ACU offer?

Abilene Christian University is a member of NCAA Division II and the Lone Star Conference. It fields teams for men in football, cross country, basketball, indoor and outdoor track and field, tennis, golf, and baseball, and teams for women in cross country, volleyball, softball, basketball, indoor and outdoor track and field, and tennis.

ACU has finished in the top three in competition for the Sears Directors' Cup four of the last last five years, recognizing the best all-around sports program in NCAA Division II.

The Wildcats have won national team championships in five sports. ACU is the only in NCAA history to win both indoor and outdoor national championships in men's and women's track and field.

Wildcat student-athletes regularly earn academic and athletic all-America honors, and have received NCAA post-graduate scholarships, won Olympic medals and starred in professional sports.

ACU students receive free admission to all regular-season athletic events held at home.

What about entertainment on campus?

The ACU Campus Activities Board keeps the campus hopping with a variety of events designed to make weekends as fun as possible. Features include movies, concerts, top-name speakers, talent shows, poetry reading, comedy club, spades tournaments, and road trips Great effort is made to create activities of interest to everyone.

What if students need to travel by plane or bus?

Abilene Regional Airport - five miles southeast of campus - is serviced by American Eagle (American Airlines) and Continental Express commuter jets, and a Greyhound bus station is located downtown.

What is University Seminar?

All entering freshmen take a class during their first semester called University Seminar. It's an introduction to university life and covers principles for Christian learning and living and tips for being a successful student.

What is Freshman Follies and when is it?

Freshman Follies is a great opportunity for first-year students to display their talents and abilities in a musical revue show during Parents Weekend (usually in late September or October). Each fall, hundreds of freshmen volunteer for a variety of roles and produce a first-class production that sells out several performances in Cullen Auditorium.

Is there a student government organization?

Yes, every ACU student is automatically a member of the Students' Association. Elected SA officers govern the student body, plan activities to enhance the spiritual and social life of the campus, and give ACU students a voice in many important matters.

Each year, students elect a president, vice president, treasurer and class officers to represent them in the SA's weekly meetings. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors also elect officers to oversee their class activities.

Can freshmen keep cars on campus?

Every student at ACU may have a car, as long as it is registered with the campus security police and displays a valid parking sticker. Unlike many other universities, Abilene Christian has ample room for students to park on campus, and each residence hall has adjacent parking lots reserved for student use.

Can students live off campus?

To be eligible to live off-campus, ACU students must have either lived four semesters (fall and/or spring) in residence halls or must be 21 years of age before the fall semester begins. Students living with their parents also are eligible to live off-campus. Students who have been out of high school for at least two years may be granted permission to live off-campus.

What is Passport?

Passport is a two-day summer orientation program for new students and their parents. Students receive academic advising, register for classes and learn important information about starting their journey at ACU.

What is Welcome Week?

We reserve our campus for new students during the week before classes begin. Welcome Week is a special time for new students at ACU to get to know each other and learn about college life.

Welcome Week activities range from academic forums, interaction groups and devotionals to intramural sports tournaments, concerts and service projects.

ACU upperclassmen lead the way during Welcome Week, beginning with helping new students move into their residence hall. Many upperclassmen volunteer their time during this important week to listen to new students' questions and provide advice based upon their experiences adjusting to college life.

Welcome Week develops friendships to build upon for the next four years and beyond. Becasue of the important things they learn and the incredible people they meet, all new students are required to attend Welcome Week.

What is Sing Song?

Thousands of ACU students participate in Sing Song, a mainly student-produced musical extravaganza performed each February.

A popular event with ACU alumni and friends for more than 40 years, Sing Song gives each academic class (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors) and the men's and women's social clubs an opportunity to show off their talents in front of a full house at Moody Coliseum.

The classes and clubs each create an act complete with lyrics, choreography and costumes. The fun, fast-paced, exciting show is one of the high points of the spring semester and involves practically everyone on campus.