Settling in at YSU

Climate

Youngstown's climate is variable. Summers are warm and humid, sometimes hot; winters are cold and often snowy. Spring and fall are mild. There is no season of particularly heavy rainfall; precipitation averages 3" per month. Summer temperatures average around 68F/20C. Winter temperatures average 28F/-1C, although the weather can also be quite cold (-10F/-24C) and snowy.

Campus Life

There are a variety of activities available to YSU students. Among the 120 student organizations are many whose purpose is to provide cultural interaction and awareness among various nationalities and ethnicities. Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars is very active in providing a forum for international issues, and there are several foreign language clubs and ethnic organizations. YSU offers many other avenues for involvement for all students, including music ensembles and choruses, theatre productions and special events planning.

Students enjoy a wide range of intra-University sports activities, including volleyball and soccer, plus an athletics program that pits YSU against other universities in American football, basketball, track and a number of other sports. There are teams for both men and women, and some intramural activities are coeducational. YSU's many recreational facilities, including Olympic-sized pool, track, and handball and tennis courts, are open to all enrolled students.

YSU is a cultural center of the Youngstown area, offering music and theatre productions year-round, as well as a number of lecture series that bring internationally known speakers to campus for classroom and public presentations.

Services such as banking, postal service, grocery stores, health clinics and dental care are available either on campus or within walking distance of the University.

Public Transportation consists of bus service throughout the city and to surrounding areas. Bus stops are close to campus. Air transportation is readily available, with flights from the local airports to Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago and other nearby cities. Both Cleveland and Pittsburgh offer international flights, as well as connections to major U.S. cities.

Religious Life is varied in the Youngstown area, with the world's major religions represented by local congregations.

International Student and Scholar Programs

The Center for International Studies and Programs at YSU provides information and services to international students, including instructions for class registration and assistance in making housing arrangements, complying with U.S. laws (especially immigration regulations), dealing with University procedures, resolving financial problems, and resolving other special problems encountered by international students.

Orientation and Check-In Schedule

You are required to check in with the CISP upon arrival. You are advised to arrive at least one week before the beginning of the semester. Early arrival and check in will help assure that there is sufficient time for orientation, testing, and scheduling.

International Student Orientation is required. Failure to participate in orientation will block you from registration until you are fully oriented.

Housing

YSU owns and operates five housing facilities with a capacity of approximately 890 students: Kilcawley House, located on University Plaza; Lyden House and Cafaro House on Madison Avenue; and the Wick and Weller Houses on Wick Avenue. On-campus options for students range from traditional residence hall-type facilities to apartment-style housing. This housing is available to international students.

On-campus living provides students many advantages and opportunities. University housing facilities are structured environments. Each is a small community, and as such, has procedures and regulations addressing such things as noise, safety, guests and security. University Houses have full-time professional and part-time student staff that oversee the operation of the Houses and assist students with the problems of daily college life. Each facility has state-of-the-art building security systems. On-campus living is a good place to get to know many students in a short period of time. Sharing bathrooms, lounge space, and corridors with a group means you can't help but make friends quickly. Being on campus also means that classes, the library, the student center and the computer center are never very far away.

Other housing arrangements may be made in privately owned residence halls close to campus, apartments or private homes.

Student Health Clinic

A clinic for health services is available on campus. First Aid, Sick Care and Well Care are provided by provided by licensed physicians and registered nursing staff. For serious conditions, referrals are provided to nearby hospital facilities. Students are seen by the physicians on an appointment basis. Nurses are available daily, year-round. All services provided for students are strictly confidential.

Affirmative Action Program

Youngstown State University is committed to a campus environment that values all individuals and groups, and to non-discrimination and equal opportunity for all persons without regard to sex, race, religion, color, age, national origin, sexual orientation, handicap/disability, or identification as a disabled and/or Vietnam Era veteran. The University is also committed to the principles of affirmative action and acts in accordance with state and federal laws.

Although the ultimate responsibility for maintaining a viable and effective affirmative action program rests with the President of the University, the key role in its execution is delegated to the Director, The Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, who periodically reviews the program, discusses grievances and charges of discrimination, if any, and makes recommendations toward the program's effectiveness. An Affirmative Action Committee serves in an advisory capacity.

The University uses all normal means of communication to make known its policies of affirmative action and equal opportunity employment.

Disability Services

The Office of Disability Services provides students, faculty, and staff with assistance and information regarding accommodations for people with disabilities. Compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 involves providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. These accommodations are provided in order to ensure equal access to people with disabilities regarding educational opportunities, programs, and activities.

Common accommodations include providing extra time to take exams in a quiet location; scribing for exams; tape recordinging class lectures; arranging sign-language interpreters; special seating and early registration; and providing note takers, readers, and adaptive computers. Equipment loans of tape recorders and personal amplification devices are also available. A resource library provides information on various disability issues. Books, tapes, and literature are available for use by the campus community.

To inquire about receiving disability services, please contact the office at 330.941.1372 (voice), 330.941.1564 (TDD), or 330.941.7470 (fax). A confidential appointment will be set up to discuss your accommodation needs. Your self-referral is the only indication of your interest in these services. The Office of Disability Services is located in The Beeghly College of Education, Room 3310.

Payment of Fees

When applying for admission for undergraduate courses at Youngstown State University, it is necessary for you to submit an application fee of $30.00. If you are submitting this fee from a non-U.S. bank, it must contain the U.S. banking code numbers on the bottom of the check (see sample #1 below) and it must be payable from a U.S. bank (see sample #2 below). If your check does not meet these criteria, it will be returned to you. Your application will not be fully processed until the corrected check has been received. Thank you for your attention to this detail.