Student Life

Athletics Policy

Northeastern State University reserves the right to update university policies throughout the academic year.  The following student policies are subject to revisions.  A full list of student policies and current policy versions are available online at www.nsuok.edu/UniversityPolicies.

The athletics program at Northeastern State University is an integral part of the overall educational experience and offers a wide range of Division II intercollegiate sports for men and women. Intercollegiate athletics contests are scheduled with comparable institutions according to policies of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA).  The Director of Athletics administers the athletics program, and the Athletics Committee, which is composed of faculty, staff members and students, considers athletics policies and makes recommendations to the Director of Athletics and the President of the university. 

Career Services plays a significant role as part of the NSU Enrollment Management Team. The primary mission of NSU Career Services, through partnerships with employers, graduate schools, faculty and alumni, is to empower students and alumni to be self-sufficient in utilizing and marketing their education, skills and experiences to achieve life-long career success. Career Services offers assistance to all majors and at all stages of their careers. Staff members build and maintain relationships with alumni and employers who can provide internships, entry level positions and opportunities for experienced professionals. Staff members are dedicated to empowering students as active participants in their own career development. Through career exploration and experiential opportunities, students are motivated to expand their knowledge of themselves and the world of work. By partnering with faculty and colleagues, and recognizing that each individual has unique needs, our staff helps students and alumni make the most of their NSU education through offering support, resources, networking, and employment opportunities.

Career Services promotes student learning and development by assisting and inspiring students and other designated clients in developing, evaluating, and/or implementing career, education, and employment decisions and plans.  This focus supports the mission, academic and experiential programs, and advancement of the institution.

NSU’s College Coach Liaison will work with the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) to assist and support the specified Local Education Agencies’ 7th - 12th-grade students with college preparation and career goals and options.  In addition to working with specified high schools and their students, the College Coach Liaison will work with parents, high school counselors and administrators to inform them of specific college requirements, financial planning, scholarships, and student support services. The GEAR UP College Coach Liaison will work with NSU to identify academic options, choose academic strategies, and help with student enrollment.

Grievances

Northeastern State University has developed procedures for students to pursue grievances within the University community. To ensure that students understand how to appropriately pursue a grievance at Northeastern State University, students are encouraged to seek clarification and advice regarding procedures before initiating a grievance. Although a student may seek such advice from any faculty or staff member, Student Affairs has staff members trained to assist students who have grievances. Students are encouraged to seek assistance from Student Affairs in pursuing any type of grievance. The decision as to which procedure to utilize for a grievance filed by a student shall be made solely by the University and shall be based on the facts of each particular case. Each grievance shall be directed to a specific procedure and shall be afforded only one opportunity to be adjudicated unless the appeal body remands for further review.

Oklahoma state law requires that all students who attend Oklahoma colleges and universities provide proof of immunization for certain diseases.  Students must verify immunizations by providing immunization records or requesting exemption through the NSU Certification of Exemption form.  The requirement does not apply to students enrolled in courses in which classes are not held on University property.  Please contact 918-444-4735 for more information.

Name changes may be made through the Office of Business Affairs or the Office of the Registrar with proper documentation. A copy of an updated Social Security card along with a current photo ID is required for a name change.  Address changes may be made via goNSU, the Office of Business Affairs or the Office of the Registrar. 

Rookie Bridge Camp (RBC) is an extended orientation program for new NSU students. RBC assists new students in transitioning to NSU with a focus on social networking, institutional expectations, and school spirit.

Student Affairs is comprised of committed professionals possessing the knowledge and skill necessary to contribute to a quality co-curricular student experience. We encourage the development of self-authorship and community engagement through the promotion of life-long learning, positive relationships, diversity and a lasting commitment to Northeastern State University. Student Affairs is a partner in the development of programs, services, and resources designed to prepare students for their role as productive citizens in a dynamic, diverse, and global society.

Student Affairs contact information is as follows:

Student Affairs staff, programs and services are a resource for students and the university community. Students who need assistance navigating personal and university issues are encouraged to contact Student Affairs for assistance. Student Affairs encompasses the following programs and services.

Northeastern State University’s Student Conduct Code is designed to set forth standards necessary to provide a learning environment conducive to the preparation of students for success in an increasingly challenging, diverse and global society.  Please see the Student Handbook for complete information.

Student Disability Services

Student Disability Services provides academic support to students who have qualified disabilities as outlined by the American with Disabilities Act. Services are based upon individual student needs. Please contact 918-444-2042 for more information.

Educational Talent Search

The Educational Talent Search Program (ETS) provides services to more than 600 sixth through twelfth grade students in ten area schools. Junior high and high school students qualify for the program by meeting defined criteria of low income and first generation status, as well as potential to pursue a post-secondary education. ETS is a guidance program that helps students recognize educational opportunities and motivates them to set and pursue future goals. Funding is provided by the United States Department of Education and services are free to participating students. Services may include career exploration, college preparation, and life/academic skills.

Student Support Services

Funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education,  the Student Support Services project provides services to 175 NSU students who are accepted into the program by predefined criteria of low-income, first generation and have an academic need. Services focus on providing opportunities for academic development, assisting students with basic college requirements, and motivating students toward the successful completion of a bachelor’s degree. The SSS services are free to participants and include: tutoring; assistance in course selection; information/assistance in completing financial aid applications; education/counseling to improve the participants’ financial and economic literacy; and assist in applying for admission to graduate/professional programs.

Auxiliary Services contributes to the overall educational experience of NSU students by providing a positive environment that enhances the cultural, social and intellectual opportunities of the university setting. Housing and Residential Life, Sodexo Campus Dining, the University Center, the University Center Bookstore (Riverhawk Shoppe), Conferences & Scheduling, Fitness Center, ID Services, JD Young Mail, Copy and Print Services, and Motor Pool offer quality services and experiences for NSU students, provide a nurturing environment for them to grow, and promote life skills necessary to meet the challenges of the future with confidence and hope.

The Office of Conferences & Scheduling offers assistance in all phases of planning a successful and enjoyable event. Reservations for use of the University Center, the Branscum Alumni Center and the Webb Building are made in this office, located in the UC administrative offices on the 3rd floor. Meeting rooms can accommodate groups from 10 to 1,000 with access to staging, sound and lighting systems, audio-visual equipment, and a full complement of catering services.

On the Broken Arrow and Muskogee campuses, Conferences and Scheduling is coordinated through the dean’s offices.  A variety of summer conferences held on all NSU campuses are coordinated through these offices.

Located on the Tahlequah campus and opened in the fall of 2015, the Fitness Center provides NSU students, faculty and staff with expanded opportunities for recreation and fitness. It contains two regulation length basketball courts, an elevated track, weight room, cardio equipment, outdoor sand volleyball courts, lockers, showers, dressing and restroom facilities, competition-size swimming pool, and staff offices. Memberships are included for all active students, faculty and staff.  Memberships may also be purchased by the local community. 

All on-campus residents are required to purchase a meal plan. A large variety of meal plans are offered for on-campus students. The NSU meal plans are based on a per-meal system with primary food service being offered at the Market Cafe in the University Center. All other food service venues accept meal flex-points or cash as payment for any food purchases. Meals in the Market Cafe are buffet style and all-you-care-to-eat. Food service in all other venues is ala carte, or priced-by-item. Meal plans and options are available at https://offices.nsuok.edu/housing

On-campus housing offers a variety of residence halls, staffed with highly qualified professionals. Family housing apartments are available for students who are married or have dependent children.

Housing Policy

Because it is the University’s philosophy that on-campus living is essential to the success of undergraduate students who have completed less than 30 credit hours, students who have not completed 30 hours prior to the beginning of fall term will be required to live on campus for the academic year.

Exceptions to this policy may be granted for the following reasons: (a) students living locally with parents; (b) married students; (c) students with dependent children; (d) students who are 21 years of age prior to the first day of the fall term; (e) students who live within a reasonable commuting distance and choose to live at home and (f) students with medical or ADA needs that the university is unable to accommodate in on-campus housing. Students seeking exemption from the policy must make a written request to Housing & Residence Life prior to enrollment of the fall semester.

Single students who are under 21, have completed less than 30 hours, live outside reasonable commuting distance (approx. 30 mile radius) from Tahlequah and plan to live off-campus will not be permitted to enroll for classes at NSU until their housing status has been determined and approved by Housing & Residence Life. Housing status can be cleared at the Housing & Residence Life Office in Leoser Center. Any subsequent change in housing arrangements or housing status must have prior approval from Housing & Residence Life.

Priority for assignment to available university housing is given to students who are currently residing in or assigned to university housing.

All students must have an identification card which includes their name, NSU ID number, and picture.  The NSU ID Card is the campus community’s key to participate in the full range of services and activities available throughout NSU’s campuses. The card can be used for door access, library privileges, purchases at the bookstore, and will also allow free admission to regular home athletic events.  In addition, if a student purchases a meal plan, the NSU ID Card may be used to redeem meals at food service centers on campus. ID cards can be made on both the Broken Arrow and Tahlequah campuses. Students must provide an alternate form of photo identification and have their photo taken before an ID will be printed. 

JD Young provides a full-service print, copy and mail operation in the lower level of the University Center. Mail services are offered to the entire campus community. Print and copy services are available to both on and off-campus patrons.

The NSU Motor Pool operates a fleet of vehicles for use by university faculty, staff and student populations for university business. The fleet consists of sedans, vans and miniature buses. For more information, please visit https://offices.nsuok.edu/motorpool

In addition to textbooks, the Riverhawk Shoppe, NSU’s bookstore managed by Barnes and Noble, stocks a complete line of sportswear, unique gifts and jewelry, greeting cards, trade books, computer software, and office and school supplies. The bookstore is located on the main level of the University Center in Tahlequah and in the Administrative Services building in Broken Arrow. At the end of each semester, the bookstore sponsors a buy-back giving students the opportunity to sell back many textbooks they choose not to keep.

As the hub of Tahlequah campus activity, the University Center (UC) houses a variety of services and programs important to campus life.  These services include conference services for meetings as well as dining services for student organizations, university departments, and external clients.  Similar services for conferences, meetings, and dining are available on the Muskogee and Broken Arrow campuses by contacting the campus dean’s office.

The UC in Tahlequah also houses the University Bookstore (Riverhawk Shoppe), complete postal, mailing and printing services, the Office of Conferences & Scheduling, spaces for student organizations, and the Office of Student Engagement. 

Food service and catering on all campuses is offered through NSU’s partnership with Sodexo Campus Services. In Tahlequah dining locations in the UC are the River’s Edge coffee shop (serving Starbucks) and Market Cafe on the main level and the Food Court which includes Chick-Fil-A on the lower level. Also available is the Essentials Convenience and Pizza Hut Express in the Leoser housing complex. Sodexo’s catering office is also located in the UC on the main level.  On the Broken Arrow campus, the Hawk’s Nest provides drinks including specialty coffees, soups, sandwiches, and snacks. Food service for the Muskogee campus are by special arrangement.

The UC Lower Level offers recreational experiences for the NSU community in a secure setting. While the lower level’s primary audience is the NSU student body, it also serves a variety of community groups. Located on the lower level of the University Center, there are billiards tables, ping pong tables, charging stations, computer stations, cable television access, a wide variety of food service options, student government and student programming offices. The area may also be utilized for events or programs.

The NSU Department of Public Safety is responsible for the safety and protection of the students, employees, and property of Northeastern State University on all three campuses.   Police officers are state certified and empowered to enforce all state and federal laws as well as university regulations. Services provided include bike and student patrols, Operation I.D., escort service, and safety awareness programs.

The NSU Department of Public Safety main office is located in the lower level of the Administration Building in Tahlequah. Officers are on duty seven days a week, 24 hours a day. For assistance, call extension 2468 or (918)458-2111 or 458-7153.

Parking Services

NSU’s Parking Services office provides an orderly, convenient parking system for faculty, staff, students and visitors on campus as well as facilitates the safe operation of all motor vehicles on property owned or controlled by the university. All vehicles, including motorcycles, parked on university property must be registered with the NSU Parking Office, except for campus visitors who may park in designated visitor areas. Faculty, staff, and students may purchase annual permits from the Parking Office. Guests on campus are encouraged to obtain a free visitor, temporary parking permit. A brochure containing parking rules and regulations is available at the Parking Office in the lower level of the University Center or on the Parking Service website, https://offices.nsuok.edu/publicsafety/Parking-Services. 

Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act

In compliance with Title I, the Student Right to Know Act, information regarding graduation rates is available in the Registrar’s office.

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, codified at 20 USC 1092 (f) as a part of the Higher Education Act of 1965, is a federal law that requires colleges and universities to disclose certain timely and annual information about campus crime and security policies. NSU publishes an annual report by October 1st that contains 3 years’ worth of campus crime statistics and certain security policy statements including sexual assault policies which assure basic victims’ rights, the law enforcement authority of campus police and where students should go to report crimes. The report is to be made available automatically to all current students and employees while prospective students and employees are to be notified of its existence and afforded an opportunity to request a copy. NSU annual report is available online at http://offices.nsuok.edu/publicsafety/CLERYReporting.aspx, paper copies are available upon request through the Department of Student Affairs.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

Individuals enrolled at Northeastern State University have certain rights with respect to their education records as defined by FERPA. The following policies and procedures outline Northeastern State University’s commitment to managing and maintaining student records.

It is the policy of Northeastern State University that current and former students and parents of students, where appropriate, have the right to review educational records maintained about them by the institution, except for material to which the student has waived right of access or for material specifically determined to be confidential by law. Students shall be informed of their rights each year.

Disclosure of Educational Records

Information contained in educational records is confidential but may be reviewed by “school officials” who have a “legitimate educational interest” in the student without prior consent of the student. “School official” is defined by the Department of Education as the following:

Person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff);

Person or company with whom the University has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using University employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent);

Person serving on the Board of Trustees; and/or

Student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks

A school official has a “legitimate educational interest” if a review of a student’s record is necessary to fulfill the official’s professional responsibilities to the University. School officials may have legitimate educational interests both in students who are currently enrolled and in those no longer enrolled. 

Directory information may be released without prior consent of the student unless the student formally requests that such information be kept confidential. Such requests for confidentiality of directory information remain in effect until revoked by the student and apply to all categories of directory information, i.e., students may not specify that only some of the items be kept confidential. Only identifiers that are acceptable under FERPA will be used to identify students whose records are released.

A student may be provided access to his or her own educational record.

Correction of Educational Records

A student may challenge the content of the educational record if such records are believed to be inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the privacy or other rights of the student.

Requests from off-campus parties for information from educational records shall be handled through the University General Counsel.

NSU will use methods that are in compliance with FERPA to identify and authenticate the identity of students, parents, school officials, and other parties to whom personally identifiable information from education records is released.

If a significant threat to the health or safety of a student or other individual is determined, university personnel may disclose information from education records to any person, including parents, whose knowledge of the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals. University personnel must maintain a record of the significant threat that formed the rational basis for the disclosure.

Each year, the University, through Student Affairs, shall publicly notify students of their right to review their own educational records, and students seeking access to their own educational records should submit their request in writing to the appropriate record’s custodian/official office. Positive identification will be expected.

Types, Locations, and Custodians of Educational Records 

The appropriate records custodian will satisfy himself or herself that the student is the student to whom the records pertain;

The appropriate records custodian will review the educational record file and remove any material to which the student does not have the right of access or may request that the student make an appointment to review the record, with such appointment being within the legal maximum period of forty-five (45) days. No reason for the delay needs to be given; and

The student shall review the record in the office under the supervision of the office staff, and under no circumstances shall the student remove or alter any part of the record.

Public Directory Information

“Directory information” consists of the following information and is subject to change provided the change is effective only at the subsequent year (i.e., fall term) and provided the change(s) is/are appropriately publicized.

 1.   Student’s name, local and permanent address, and telephone number
 2.   Date of birth
 3.   Classification and enrollment status
 4.   Major field of study
 5.   Dates of attendance at Northeastern State University
 6.   Most recent previous school attended
 7.   Degrees, honors and awards received
 8.   Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
 9.   Weight and height of athletic team members
 10. E-mail address assigned/provided by the institution or provided to the university by the student

Northeastern State University assumes consent for disclosure of directory information unless the student specifically requests the withholding of directory information. Students who want directory information kept confidential shall elect to withhold directory information through the goNSU student portal.

A student who wants information contained in their educational record shared with a 3rd party, shall make such request in writing utilizing the FERPA release form to the official responsible for maintaining the record. The request shall clearly identify what information is to be disclosed or shared and time frame for permission to share records.

When a student challenges the content of the educational record, the following steps will be used:

The student will submit a written request to the official responsible for maintaining the record, with such request specifying the content being challenged, the grounds for the challenge, and the exact action being sought;

Appeals will be conducted according to the NSU grievance procedure.