Student Services

Career Development

The Office of Career Development provides assistance to all students and alumni in career planning, job placement and graduate school preparation. Career planning is a holistic process that involves a variety of programs and principles. Students are encouraged to seek God’s direction throughout their career and life planning process. Since this is an on-going process, students should begin their career exploration during their first year with evaluation/assessment and ending in their final year with the transition into the employment or graduate school arena. The Office of Career Development is located on the first floor of the Lassiter Student Center. Appointments can be made by calling 561-803-2060.

Consumer Information Report

Annually, by September 1, Palm Beach Atlantic University prepares, publishes, and distributes, upon request to employees, currently enrolled students, and prospective employees and students, its Annual Consumer Information Report. This report contains information required by the U.S. Department of Education of schools participating in Title IV programs, such as general consumer information (financial assistance, refund policies, etc.), the annual campus security report, drug-free workplace information, drug and alcohol abuse prevention information, student and parental rights under Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), various information related to PBA’s participation in athletic programs, availability of employees to disseminate consumer information, etc. Information requirements are based upon the school’s specific Title IV program participation.

Campus Security Report

As part of the Annual Consumer Information Report, Palm Beach Atlantic University provides a campus security report containing:

1. Statistical data on the occurrences of, as well as the number of arrests resulting from, certain criminal activities on campus. This report may be found at http://www.pba.edu/campus-safety. PBA will provide a paper copy upon request. If you would like a copy of this report, you may call ext. 32500 or 803-2500 from off-campus.
2. Current policy and procedure statements. This report is prepared by Campus Safety and Security.

Drug-Free Campus

In keeping with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 and the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendment of 1989, the unlawful manufacture, distribution, possession, or use of a controlled substance is strictly prohibited within the bounds of the Palm Beach Atlantic University campus or any properties leased or controlled by Palm Beach Atlantic University as well as at any PBA-sponsored activities or events.

Reasonable Accommodation Policy (Americans with Disabilities Act)

The University seeks to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as well as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 by affording reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Students who have questions about their entitlement to benefits or who have grievances under these statutes should contact The Student Success Center, 2nd Floor of Lassiter Student Center. Call 561.803.2663, for an appointment with the Coordinator for Disability Services.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is considered to be a serious breach of proper conduct. Engaging in sexual harassment of employees or students is a violation of Title VII, Section 703 of the Civil Rights Act. Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other physical and expressive behavior of a sexual nature in which:

• Submission to such conduct becomes a term or condition of an individual’s employment or education;
• Submission to such conduct becomes a basis for academic or employment evaluation; or
• The conduct creates a hostile or demeaning employment or educational environment.

All students, staff, and faculty are responsible for helping to assure that the University is kept free of workplace harassment. Faculty or staff experiencing or witnessing workplace harassment should immediately notify the Director of Human Resources. If any faculty or staff member believes that he or she is being harassed by the Director of Human Resources, the complaint should be brought to the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Students should immediately notify the Student Development office if they are experiencing or witnessing harassment. If any student believes that he or she is being harassed by a faculty or staff member, the complaint should be brought to the office of Human Resources.

Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against anyone found to have violated this policy. Persons reporting incidents of sexual harassment, assault, or violence will be treated with care, concern, and confidentiality. Support, assistance, and counseling are available.

Dining Services

A University life is about the life of the mind and soul. And a whole lot more. Our Dining service offers an atmosphere where you can socialize, relax and enjoy dining at the Fresh Food Company (FFC) in Fraser Dining Hall. FFC provides for a variety of tastes from traditional home-style favorites to pasta, vegetarian and vegan options. The grill station, Mongolian Asian Grill, Red Hot Chef station, and the vegetarian station offer made-to-order options. And the produce and salad bar station, as well as the soups, fresh bread, deli, and dessert stations offer self-serve options. FFC is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

For your convenience, ARAMARK offers several meal plan options for both residents and commuters; the All Access 5 and All Access 7 meal plans allow students to come into FFC as many times per day as needed, for either five or seven days a week. Block meal plans allow students to pre-purchase a block of meals. Both types of plans may include declining balance funds to use in Einstein’s, Chick-fil-A and the POD, in addition to the FCC. Our priority is to satisfy you by providing a safe, nutritious, fun, and exciting dining program. A Meal Plan is required for students who live in PBA residence halls. Money can be added to your ID card for convenient cashless transactions, and with a meal plan you also have Declining Balance cash you can use at any location. Catering is also available for students, and a Budget Series Menu is in the planning for students and faculty and staff. Please visit the page for detailed meal plan information.

Other dining options at PBA include:

• POD (our convenience store), has a lot to offer for on–the-go items: salads, sandwiches, a panini grill to press and heat your sandwich, snacks, including gluten free snacks, and plenty more.
• Einstein’s in the Warren Library offers breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late night snacks with a variety of bagels, signature salads, coffee, pastries, and much more.
• Chick-fil-A (CFA) is located in the Green Complex and offers CFA chicken sandwiches, salads, lemonade, and milk shakes. CFA is open for breakfast, serving a variety of items for your choosing such as Mini Chicken Biscuits, coffee, and hash browns. CFA is also open for lunch and dinner, as well as scheduled games for the Sports Center.

For more information, please see our site at www.sailfishdining.com for additional information, or you may contact us at 561.803-2875 for questions about our program.

Residence Life

Living in a Christian community is one of the most rewarding and important facets of the PBA educational experience. Residential living will provide many opportunities for you to better connect to PBA and establish life-long relationships. The residence hall environment will offer needed support as you transition from living at home to living on your own after PBA. The convenience of having everything you need within walking distance cannot be beat! Plus, you will have numerous opportunities for activities, retreats, Workship, student leadership, and late night conversations.

Every residence hall has a full-time professional staff member called a Resident Director (RD) that supervises a specially selected and trained student staff consisting of Assistant Resident Directors (ARDs) and Resident Assistants (RAs). It is this team of the professional and student staff that ensures the hall atmosphere is conducive to the students’ academic, spiritual, emotional and social growth. Resident students, residents’ guests, and non-residential visitors are subject to the policies and procedures in the Navigator and Residence Life Handbook.

Residency Requirements: As part of the University admissions process, each student is required to indicate his/her intended housing status. All daytime undergraduate students are required to live in campus housing, unless he/she meets one or more of the following criteria at the beginning of the academic year:

1. Student is age 20 or older at the beginning the academic year in which he/she attends. A student may not break the contract with the University even if he/she turns 20 within the academic year.
2. The student resides with immediate family and commutes to class (immediate family for this purpose is defined as parent[s], legal guardian, grandparent[s], brother or sister if over 25 years of age). 
3. The student is enrolled part-time with no more than 11 hours of academic work at the beginning of the academic year. If a student drops below 12 credit hours during the academic year, he/she is still held responsible for the housing contract.
4. The student is employed and housing is a critical part of the job function. (Students must provide confirmation from the employer and written permission from the student’s parents must be on file in the Residence Life Office).
5. The student is married (A copy of the marriage certificate must be provided).

A student who meets any of the criteria listed and wishes to live off campus must submit written notification to the Residence Life Office confirming why he/she is eligible for exemption from the residency requirement.

Students under age 20 who do NOT meet any of the above criteria may secure off-campus housing only by first petitioning the Residence Life Office. Students must submit a Housing Exemption/Release Form to the Residence Life Office in order for their request to be considered, and in the case of a minor must be accompanied by written permission from the student’s parents.

Students 20 years of age or older are encouraged to live in University housing, although they are not required to do so.

Housing Cancellations: Housing contracts are in effect for the entire academic year. A student who decides not to live on campus after having signed the housing contract must communicate this in writing to the Residence Life Office no later than June 1 (fax: 561.803.2547 or e-mail: reslife@pba.edu).

Cancellations made by the June 1 deadline will result in a refund of the $200 housing security deposit. Cancellations made after the June 1 deadline will result in automatic forfeiture of the $200 housing security deposit plus an additional $300 penalty.

Once the academic year has commenced, the student must remain in the residence halls during those semesters that the student is enrolled. NO REFUND shall be granted if a student moves out of the residence hall during the academic year.

Housing Security Deposit Refunds: Students are given a full refund of their $200 housing security deposit when they move out of the residence halls at the end of the contract term, pending no charges are assessed for room damages or improper check-out. Students must request a housing security deposit refund in writing within one year of the final checkout date.

Refunds will only be generated after all keys have been returned and any damage charges have been assessed. Refunds are processed by the Office of Student Accounts and are either credited to the student’s account balance or mailed to the student’s permanent home address in the form of a check.

Student Residence Halls

Baxter Hall is a four-story residence hall located just northwest of the library building. This hall contains 120 suite-style rooms and houses 240 students. Baxter Hall provides lounge areas, computer labs, laundry facilities on each floor, meeting rooms, a study room, and a bicycle storage room.

Campus Apartments are located south of the main campus. This area contains private apartments and houses married, non-traditional, and graduate level students.

Flagler Towers is a four-story residence hall located on the Intracoastal Waterway, just south of the main campus. This hall contains 47 apartments and houses 237 upper-class students. Flagler Towers provides private kitchens, laundry facilities, a main lounge area, and a computer lab.

Johnson Hall is a five-story residence hall located on the Intracoastal Waterway. This hall contains 60 suite-style rooms and houses 120 students. Johnson Hall provides living rooms within each suite, a main lounge and kitchen area, a computer lab, and laundry facilities.

Lakeview Apartments is a three-story residence hall located on the Intracoastal Waterway, just south of the main campus. This hall contains 35 apartments and houses 80 upper-class students. Lakeview Apartments provide private kitchens and laundry facilities.

Oceanview Hall is a seven-floor building that has a residence hall on the top two floors. This building is located directly west of Baxter Residence Hall. The hall contains 92 rooms and houses 196 students. Oceanview Hall provides lounge areas, laundry facilities on each floor, meeting and game rooms, and a computer lab.

Rinker Hall is a five-story residence hall located in the center of the campus. This hall contains 60 suite-style rooms and houses 129 students. Rinker Hall provides living rooms within each suite, a main lounge area, a prayer room, a computer lab, and laundry facilities.

Weyenberg Hall is a two-story residence hall located in the center of the campus. This hall contains 12 rooms housing 52 honors students. Weyenberg Hall provides a main lounge and kitchen area, and laundry facilities.

Samaritan Gardens Apartments is a two-story residence hall located on the Intracoastal Waterway, just south of the main campus. The hall contains 12 apartments and houses 48 students. Samaritan Gardens Apartments provide private kitchens and a main lounge area.

Student Accountability

The Student Accountability system seeks to compliment the educational mission of Student Development by promoting student learning and spiritual development, providing opportunities for growth, restorative confrontation, accountability, modeling, and encouragement. The Student Accountability system seeks to facilitate a Biblical model of community through both value and practice. Specific policies and procedures are detailed in the Navigator Student Handbook found online at https://my.pba.edu/ics.

Student Services

The following services are available to all Main Campus students. Online students may benefit from electronic access to Main Campus services, such as Health and Wellness, Sailfish Services, Technology Support, and the Writing Center, as well as electronic resources and research assistance through the Warren Library.

Automatic Deposit Machines (ADM)

ADM Machines are located in the Lassiter Student Center, Einstein’s, and the Greene Sports Complex. These machines can be utilized to place money on a student’s PBACard, which can be used on Campus in the laundry room, vending machines, Campus Store, all food service locations, and select copiers and printers. These funds are NOT available for off campus use. Any questions, please call the PBACard Office at 561.803.2515.

Campus Safety

Students, faculty, and administration all have an interest in preserving a safe learning and living environment on our campus. The campus is patrolled by Department of Campus Safety officers, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Campus Safety officers work closely with the West Palm Beach Police in the event of any criminal activity on campus. Campus Safety officers are also authorized to report any misconduct of students to the appropriate departments. The Department of Campus Safety is located at the northeast corner of Borbé Hall.

The Campus Safety office telephone number is 561.803.2500. The following services are provided to the PBA community through the Department of Campus Safety:

• Patrol Division (State Certified) 24 hours/7 days
• Escort Services around the clock
• Lost and Found
• Operation ID
• Victim Assistance
• Parking Services
• Community Education
• R.A.D Instruction and training classes
• Lock, Key, and Access Control Emergency Phones and Call Boxes
• Crisis Management Hurricane/Emergency Preparedness
• C.E.R.T. Participation
• Liaison with Local, State and Federal Law Enforcement
• Security Analysis and Action Program

Campus Store

The Campus Store, located on the first floor of the Oceanview Hall, is open year round. Students can view hours of operation, shop online and check course requirements by visiting the Campus Store on the web at http://campusstore.pba.edu. The Campus Store stocks the required and recommended course materials in addition to helpful reference materials, study aids, Bibles and devotional books. Buy back of textbooks for PBA use is available year round. Students will be notified via PBA email for prime selling opportunities. The Campus Store is the on-campus source for University apparel, spirit gear, snacks, drinks, basic first aid supplies, and sundry items. The Campus Store accepts most major credit cards and general funds on the PBACard. The Campus Store can be reached at 561.803.2180.

Purchasing Textbooks Using Financial Aid Funds

Students may use their pending Financial Aid credit to purchase textbooks via their PBACard. To do so, students must first visit the Student Accounts page on myPBA to transfer funds to their PBACard. Once the funds are available on the card, students may use their PBACard to make purchases at The Campus Store, both online and on the main campus.

Online Students

Online students may rent or purchase textbooks, see hours of operation, shop online and check course requirements by visiting The Campus Store on the web at http://campusstore.pba.edu. Textbooks may be shipped directly to students, or picked up in store.

Health and Wellness

Health and Wellness provides a variety of both free and low cost medical services and health education programming.

ARNP visits are available to all PBA students for a minimal co-payment regardless of type of insurance coverage. Visits with the RN are free. Immunization, prescription medication and lab fees vary.

Access to a student health insurance plan is also offered. All full-time day Undergraduate students, all International students and all Pharmacy students are required to provide proof of current and adequate health insurance coverage each academic year prior to the start of classes. All full-time day undergraduate, International and Pharmacy students are automatically enrolled in the student health insurance plan unless proof of coverage is provided online by the waiver deadline. If you plan to waive the school endorsed plan, be certain that your current health insurance provides non-emergency coverage in the Palm Beach County area. Contact Health and Wellness for the most current health insurance plan and waiver information.

A Health Information Form (medical history), Immunization Form (immunizations are required as noted on the immunization form) and Physical Form (required for all full-time day undergraduate and Pharmacy students) must be on file with the Health and Wellness Center before a student is cleared to attend classes. All forms must be received by August 1st for fall semester or December 1st for spring semester to avoid student account holds or late fees.

The Health and Wellness Center is open Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. for urgent and non-urgent medical services. For medical emergencies after hours, call Safety & Security at 561.803.2500. For more information call the Health and Wellness Center at 561.803.2576 or visit the PBA Health and Wellness website at http://www.pba.edu/studentlife/health-wellness.

Mailroom

The mailroom is located in the Lassiter Student Center. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Saturday hours in effect during the regular Fall/Spring terms; the mailroom is closed Saturdays in May, June, July and August.)

Mailroom personnel are available to assist with UPS, FedEx packages and USPS mail services with weighing and stamping of packages and letters. Shipping supplies such as boxes, envelopes, packing tape and bubble wrap are also available.

Sailfish Services

Sailfish Services offers students, parents and employees one central location to take care of many administrative needs. Here, students can go to accomplish the “business” of being in school such as payments, forms, and transcripts; faxing and scanning documents; network password troubleshooting; Free Notary Service: and account information look-up without running around campus.

Sailfish Services provides Fast-Incredible-Service-Here (FISH) in its convenient location at 900 S. Dixie Highway. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and representatives may be reached at 561.803.2000.

• Call Center: Sailfish Services operates the Call Center for the campus, answering the main telephone numbers for the University.
• Departmental Deposits: Sailfish Services processes deposits of monies collected by the various departments throughout the campus for deliver to the Business Office.
• Federal Work Study Payroll: Students may pick up their payroll checks in the conveniently located Sailfish Services office.
• Financial Aid: Sailfish Services answers questions in regard to student financial aid awards.
• Forms: At Sailfish Services students may pick up and/or return Change of Address/ Phone/E-mail forms, and all other forms regarding academic requests, such as duplicate diploma orders and regalia ordering.
• Network Password Reset: Sailfish Services can assist students and alumni with resetting their network password for accessing email and myPBA.
• Notary Services: Sailfish Services provides this service for free to PBA students, guests and employees. All that is needed is a photo ID and the document that needs to be notarized.
• Payments: Student account payments are made at Sailfish Services. Sailfish Services representatives serve as cashiers for the campus community accepting cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. An online payment option is available at myPBA.
• PBACard Questions: Sailfish Services assists with placing money on students PBACard accounts and reviewing current balances.
• Registration: Sailfish Services assists students with registration issues such as answering questions about the online registration process, taking payments, clearing past-due balances, explaining registration holds, and printing copies of schedules.
• Student Account Questions: Sailfish Services answers questions about student accounts and can print copies of bills. Students may also view their account online at myPBA.
• Transcripts: Students may request official and unofficial PBA transcripts at Sailfish Services. Transcripts may also be ordered online at www.getmytranscript.com.

Student Accounts

Student Accounts is located on the first floor of Sachs Hall, to the right of the main entrance. Office personnel are available to assist students and parents with:

• Addressing detailed student billing inquiries;
• Arranging for use of approved monthly payment plans; and
• Sending letters and answering questions regarding employer reimbursement programs.

Please see the Student Accounts – Financial Policies and Services  section of this catalog for more information.

Student Success Center

The Student Success Center is dedicated to providing assistance to all university students so that they may make the most of the college experience. The Student Success Center is the home of the First-Year Experience Program, Academic Support, and Disability Services. Located on the second floor of the Lassiter Student Center, we operate Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You may take advantage of walk-in hours or schedule an appointment by calling 561.803.2063.

Academic Support: The Student Success Center is for all students who desire to improve their academic skills while at PBA. Whether the goal is to earn a competitive GPA or make it through a difficult course, the SSC is here for you. By providing a personalized one-on-one environment or an interactive on-line experience with a qualified tutor, the SSC staff strives to build professional and personal relationships with students in order to carefully assess their individual needs and provide appropriate academic support. Our services can help you clarify and reinforce what you learn in the classroom, enhance specific skills (e.g., math skills, test taking, memory), or provide a network of support for your academic aspirations.

Bridges: a program designed to assist new students with math and writing challenges through mentoring and other supports. Bridges helps students learn to use tools that will put all areas of their lives in order — spiritually, academically and socially — through monthly events and individual meetings with the Bridges Advisor.

Disability Services: Palm Beach Atlantic University is committed to providing optimal educational opportunities for all students, including those enrolled or admitted who have disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).

University policy provides for reasonable accommodations to be made for students with disabilities on an individual and flexible basis. It is the responsibility of students with disabilities to seek available assistance and make their needs known to the Assistant Director of the Student Success Center – Academic Support. In order to determine accommodations for special needs, PBA asks students to submit a recent professional assessment that documents the disability.