Accessibility and Accommodations Office
Administration
Director, Bridget Rose
Assistant Director, Alyssa Snyder
In compliance with the American with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations (OAA) works to ensure that all aspects of a Samford education and campus life are accessible for students with disabilities or chronic health conditions. Applicants and students with disabilities or chronic health conditions that impact their access to programs, activities, or services at Samford are encouraged to learn more about accommodations and the process for registering with the OAA by visiting their website: www.samford.edu/dr. Students who wish to request accommodations should contact the OAA through one of the following methods:
Contact Info:
Office of Accessibility and Accommodations
203 Dwight Beeson Hall
(205) 726-4078
access@samford.edu
www.samford.edu/dr
Inter-Campus Exchange Program - Birmingham Area Consortium for Higher Education (BACHE)
Samford University cooperates with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Miles College, University of Montevallo, and Birmingham-Southern College in a student exchange program known as the Birmingham Area Consortium for Higher Education (BACHE). The program is designed to expand the undergraduate educational opportunities for students at these institutions. This arrangement affords full-time Samford day students the opportunity to enroll in a course at another institution. Through collaboration, consortium members are able to expand education opportunities in critical areas, such as environmental studies and foreign languages.
Credit for work taken at UAB, Miles, Montevallo, or Birmingham-Southern while a student is enrolled for courses during fall or spring semesters at Samford University will be recorded as if earned at Samford University and will be treated as quality credits, not transfer credits. Students who propose to take courses at UAB, Miles, Montevallo, or Birmingham-Southern must obtain approval from the appropriate academic dean and the Office of the Registrar. A student may take only one course in the BACHE program per semester. Registration for this course will be a part of the regular Samford University registration procedure, and students will pay tuition for this course at Samford in the usual manner.
Credit for work taken at UAB, Miles, Montevallo, or Birmingham-Southern during Samford University’s summer terms may be recorded either as exchange credit or as transient credit. Registration for transient credit will be a part of the regular UAB, Miles, Montevallo, or Birmingham Southern registration processes, and students will pay tuition for these courses at either UAB, Miles, Montevallo, or Birmingham-Southern. A Transient Application Form must be completed prior to enrollment. These application forms are available in the Office of the Registrar.
Students receiving Veterans Benefits are not eligible to participate in the BACHE Exchange Program.
Contact Info:
Birmingham Area Consortium for Higher Education (BACHE)
https://www.uab.edu/bache/
At Samford:
Office of the Registrar
(205) 726-2911
Libraries
Samford offers a wealth of library resources featuring extensive print and online collections, as well as multimedia resources that include microfilm, music scores, and audio and video recordings. The online catalog and other electronic resources are available to students 24/7 at https://library.samford.edu/. Other libraries in the Birmingham area cooperate with Samford on a reciprocal basis, increasing the variety of resources directly available to the Samford community.
Samford University Library
Administration
Kimmetha H. Herndon, Dean, University Library
Lori A. Northrup, Associate Dean, University Library
The Samford University Library is the primary library for all students, faculty, and staff. In addition to books, e-books, periodicals, unique collections, and electronic resources, the library houses a large government documents collection-serving as an official repository. The Special Collection houses outstanding research materials with particular strengths in Alabama history, Baptist records, and Samford University Archives. Individualized and group instruction in the use of library resources is provided on a regular basis by librarians.
A computer laboratory, computer classroom, individual and group study rooms, multimedia viewing and listening rooms, meeting rooms with advanced presentation capabilities, and a patron-lounge area are available for patron use. The Alfa Presentation Practice Room on the Library’s second floor allows students to practice and record presentations individually or as a group.
Einstein Bros Bagels, on the library’s first floor, offers the perfect spot for refreshment, studying, and meeting with friends and classmates.
The University Library is home to the Marla Haas Corts Missionary Biography Collection, the Alabama Men’s Hall of Fame, and the Hellenic Scholars’ Library.
Contact Info:
Samford University Library
(205) 726-2748
library@samford.edu
https://library.samford.edu/
Lucille Stewart Beeson Law Library
The Lucille Stewart Beeson Law Library provides extensive legal research and study materials for the Cumberland School of Law and the rest of the Samford community. The library contains 13 conference rooms, 474 study spaces, large carrels with electrical and data connections, and more than 30 computers. Online access to current legal information is provided through computer-assisted legal research systems. The law library collection contains more than 162,000 print book volumes and more than 132,000 digital book volumes, either owned or available through subscription, more than 4100 print serials and more than 7700 digital serials, either owned or available through subscription, and more than 126,000 volumes equivalent in microfiche.
Website: https://www.samford.edu/cumberlandlaw/library/
S.A.M. Suite
The S.A.M. Suite is dedicated space in the College of Health Sciences (CHS building 1, 4th floor, CHS Room 1433) for faculty, staff, and students to fulfill many school and university activities. The S.A.M. Suite is available during normal CHS business hours (Monday thru Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm) and can be used for: faculty collaborating on research, grants, scholarship, or service; faculty mentoring students; faculty meeting with students to address academics; student leaders having small group discussions; and interprofessional educational activities. The S.A.M. Suite houses textbooks that are required in the pharmacy curriculum plus other resources identified to be important for student education. In the spirit of allowing access to these references/resources for the benefit of all faculty and students, these items cannot be checked out and leave the area.
Website: https://www.samford.edu/pharmacy/drug-information-resources
Education Learning Commons
The Education Learning Commons is located on the third floor of the Orlean Beeson School of Education. Its primary function is to provide current resources, media, and services to the School of Education students, faculty, and staff as they design and utilize instructional materials for the P-12 classroom. Resources include an Education Library, a Make-and-Take Lab for the creation of curriculum materials, and an Instructional Technology Lab, which consists of computers and instructional software to facilitate learning in the field of education. The center is staffed to provide technical services and assistance to teacher education students as required by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
Website: https://www.samford.edu/education/curriculum-materials-and-technology-center
Global Center
The Global Center, located in the Beeson School of Divinity, features interactive resources that include world population and demographic databases as well as foreign language news broadcasts that assist students as they prepare for service throughout the world.
Website: https://www.beesondivinity.com/global-center/
Pre-Health Professions Advising
Administration
Kristin Hawthorne, Pre-Health Advising, Academic Success Center
Advising Areas
All Pre-Health areas such as, but not limited to:
| Pre-Dental |
Pre-AT |
| Pre-Medical |
Pre-Audiology |
| Pre-Optometry |
Pre-Chiropractic |
| Pre-Veterinary |
Pre-Occupational Therapy |
| |
Pre-Podiatry |
Samford’s pre-health advisor serves as supplemental advisor to a student’s primary advisor. The pre-health advisor mentors and guides students looking to pursue a career that requires them to attend a graduate health profession program. The pre-health advisor will work with students interested in pursuing a career in a health profession by discussing the different requirements needed by those programs as well as how to become a well-rounded, competitive applicant to their respective program.
The quality of pre-professional training for the health sciences is important in establishing a firm base for the professional school curriculum and providing an intensive cultural background for a full and satisfying life. The health-oriented professional schools, consequently, urge students to get as broad a general education as possible at the undergraduate level. The liberal arts university continues to be the overwhelming preference of the professional schools for the preparation of students for careers in health professions. Samford University has a long tradition of preparing students for careers as physicians, dentists, optometrists, and veterinarians; alumni serve with distinction in every area of health care.
It should be noted that the professional schools have no preferred major; science majors have no advantage over humanities majors in gaining admission to professional school. Therefore, students are encouraged to pursue a degree in an area they prefer and might use in the future if their career plans change. However, certain minimum math and science requirements must be completed to be competitive in the professional school selection process. Additional advanced science courses will improve students’ competitive edge and readiness for graduate study.
Entrance requirements vary among professional schools, but the basic required science courses are similar. While making progress toward completing the general education curriculum (including the University core) and major requirements, students also must take additional prerequisite courses dependent on their desired field. The pre-health advisor can assist students with identifying which courses fulfill the minimum prerequisites for their desired program as well as which courses will help them stand out to admissions committees and be successful in their desired graduate program.
These minimal courses should be completed during the first three years of study to be prepared for professional school admission tests, such as the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), the Dental Admission Test (DAT), the Optometry Admission Test (OAT), or the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE).
The pre-health advisor works with students at all stages of their undergraduate career, aids in course selection, professional school preparation, and the application process. The pre-health advisor is also in regular contact with regional professional schools and their admissions directors. Students are strongly advised to contact the pre-health advisor early in their academic career and regularly update the advisor on their progress and plans. This frequent contact is crucial to ensure the student is staying on track for being a competitive applicant to graduate school. Also, this contact ensures that the student does not miss opportunities such as internship announcements, the committee letter process, or other unique opportunities for pre-health students on campus. There are many health professions-related activities throughout each academic year, including visits by professional school admission personnel and practicing health care professionals, and students are encouraged to make the most of these opportunities. Contact the pre-health advisor for more information.
Contact Info:
Kristin Hawthorne
Pre-Health Advisor
203 Dwight Beeson Hall
(205) 726-2803
Writing Center
Administration
Timothy J. Sutton, Director
The Writing Center is a place for all Samford students to receive free assistance with writing, speaking, and critical reading. From brainstorming to presentation or final draft, students work with trained peer tutors to improve as writers, speakers, and critical readers. In addition to individual tutoring sessions, the Writing Center periodically offers workshops on major style manuals as well as various aspects of oral and written communication.
The Writing Center also serves faculty, offering workshops and handouts on assigning and assessing oral and written communication.
Contact Info:
Writing Center
222 Brooks Hall
crc@samford.edu
www.samford.edu/departments/communication-resource-center/
Other Departments and Program Offerings
