Student Life
Undergraduate Student Life
There are more than 120 student clubs and organizations at Stevens, and the community is always planning something to do — informal get-togethers, comedy nights, cultural celebrations and residence-hall social functions, just to name a few. Throughout the year, there are also off-campus trips, comedy nights and concerts sponsored by the Entertainment Committee (EC).
The Student Government Association (SGA) sponsors "Techfest" each fall and "Boken" in the spring. Both events feature fun-filled, festive activities. Special outings, such as the New York City Opera, Broadway shows, Museums, and other interesting and cultural affairs, are organized by the Office of Student Life throughout the year. Additionally, the Office of Student Life annually hosts special celebrations, such as student leader awards brunch and women's recoginition dinner held at the end of spring semester.
Throughout the year, students can take advantage of the on-campus boling alley located in the basement of the Howe center. For students interested in developing their leardership skills, the Office of the Student Life hosts two leadership programs through LEADS, in addition to a yearly leadership retreat.
Unique and impromptu recreational activities are also common. Each fall, students, staff, faculty and administrators help inflate the giant balloons used in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and each spring students operate a water station for the New Jersey Waterfront Marathon that runs through Hoboken's streets.
Student Government Association (SGA)
At Stevens, you are an important member of the community. The keystone of the undergraduate division is the SGA; it directs and funds all student activities with the assistance of the Office of Student Life. Other elected groups include the Co-op Student Council, Ethnic Student Council, Residence Hall Association, Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council and the Multicultural Greek Council, all which serve the interests of their members. Members of the administration frequently hold informal meetings with small groups of students, providing an opportunity for an exchange of ideas and opinions.
Stevens competes at the NCAA division III level for intercollegiate sports. Men participate in baseball, basketball, cross-country, golf, fencing, track and field, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, wrestling, tennis and volleyball. Women represent Stevens in basketball, cross-country, fencing, lacrosse, equestrian, track and field, soccer, field hockey, swimming, tennis, volleyball and softball. The majority of sports are affiliated with the Empire 8 Athletic Conference. Other conferences include MACFA for men’s fencing, NIWFA for women’s fencing, wrestling in the Centennial Conference, men’s volleyball in the United Volleyball Conference and the equestrian squad holds membership in the IHSA. Our mascot is Attila the Duck.
Stevens also offers a wide variety of intramural sports, a number of club sports teams, an outdoor recreation program and an extensive offering of informal sport/recreational opportunities including wellness classes and a well equipped fitness center. We want students to enjoy our full program of activities throughout the year and hope to meet the needs of each and every member of the Stevens community.
Club sports teams compete in national and regional conferences and tournaments. The current club sports teams include: archery, Badminton, Baseball, men’s and women’s bowling, crew, cycling, ice hockey, lacrosse, sailing, ski/snowboarding, men’s and women’s soccer, triathlon, ultimate Frisbee and men’s volleyball. Be sure to visit www.stevensducks.com/campusrecreation/club for complete details.
For a closer look, visit our impressive athletic facilities which include the Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. Athletic and Recreational Center, Walker Gym, De Baun Athletic Complex, six tennis courts and beach volleyball court and check out the department website at www.stevensducks.com.
Ethnic, Cultural And Religious Groups
The student body comes to Stevens from all corners of the nation and around the world. Stevens welcomes the dozens of ethnic, cultural and religious groups that have been formed on campus. These include the American Culture Club, Black Student Union, Chinese Student Association, Christian Fellowship, Filipino Association, Indian Student Association, Korean Student Association, Latin American Association, Muslim Student Association, Newman Association, Pakistani Student Association and Vietnamese Student Association.
Honor & Professional Societies
Membership in honor societies, both local and national, is by invitation and extended to juniors and seniors. National societies include Tau Beta Pi, an honorary engineering society involved in community-based public service projects, and Alpha Phi Omega, a national service fraternity. Other honorary engineering societies with chapters on the Stevens campus are Eta Kappa Nu, the electrical engineering honor society, Epsilon Mu Eta, the engineering management honor society, and the Phi Omicron chapter of Pi Tau Sigma, the mechanical engineering honorary fraternity. The National Society of Collegiate Journalists, an honor society, recognizes students who serve with distinction in the media. If a student has distinguished his/herself in the dramatic arts, you may be eligible for Theta Alpha Phi.
The Stevens honor societies are Gear and Triangle, which honors juniors and seniors for outstanding work in extracurricular activities, and Khoda, which selects its members from the senior class on the basis of noteworthy contributions to the Stevens community in general.
A number of national professional engineering and scientific societies have student chapters at Stevens, and membership in them gives students a distinct opportunity to evaluate career choices. They include the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, which held its first organizational meeting at Stevens in 1880, the American Chemical Society, the American Society of Engineering Management, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Biomedical Engineering Society, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineers, the National Society of Black Engineers, the Society of Automotive Engineers, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, the Society of Physics Students and the Society of Women Engineers.
Social Fraternities & Sororities
The decision to join a fraternity or sorority at Stevens is strictly up to the student - about 35 percent of undergraduates choose to do so. The Interfraternity Council, Multicultural Greek Council, and the Panhellenic Council establish rules and oversee rushing and pledging. The formal rushing and pledging period occurs during the spring semester. It is Stevens' policy to actively advise fraternities and sororities on compliance with state statutes against "hazing."
Nine national Intrafraternal Conference social fraternities have chapters at Stevens: Alpha Sigma Phi, Beta Theta Pi, Chi Phi, Chi Psi, Delta Tau Delta, Kappa Sigma, Phi Sigma Kappa, Sigma Nu, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Theta Xi. Three national Panhellenic social sororities have chapters at Stevens: Delta Phi Epsilon, Phi Sigma Sigma and Theta Phi Alpha.
The University also supports several Latino and multicultural Greek letter social organizations: Lambda Upsilon Lamnda and Nu Alpha Phi fraternities.
Stevens has dozens of special interest clubs, such as the Equestrian Club, Paintball Club, Photography Club and Stevens Yacht Club, just to name a few.
For those interested in media and communications we have The Stute, our weekly student newspaper; WCPR radio; SIT-TV, an experimental television station; Red Shift, our student literary magazine and Link, the yearbook. Each gives students practical experience in a media function and affords the college community an outlet to express their opinions.
Grace E. and Kenneth W. DeBaun Auditorium is a 480-seat theater in Edwin A. Stevens Hall where many performances are held throughout the semester, with most events free to students. DeBaun Auditorium is run by a student staff trained in technical theater by its professional staff, including lighting design and operation, sound design and operation, set design, decor and construction, stage management and costumes and props.
The Ondrick Music Room on the fourth floor of the Howe Center is available for open rehearsals most weekdays from 10:00 a.m. until Midnight. Two new Boston pianos are available for use, along with three electric pianos and a number of other instruments. Recordings and sheet music are available for review and check-out. Subsidized piano, violin, and voice lessons are also available for undergraduate students and are given either in the Music Room or in the instructor's studio near campus.
The Center for the Performing Arts runs both DeBaun Auditorium and the Ondrick Music Room. In addition, musical student groups such as the Stevens Choir, Jazz Band, Concert Band, Brass Ensemble, Pep Band, and String Ensemble are produced by The Center for the Performing Arts. Concerts for each group are at least once per semester, with rehearsals 1-2 times per week. Additional ensembles are formed as needed based on student interest and availability, along with corresponding concerts and performance opportunities. Concerts are also held in the Great Hall in the S.C. Williams Library, using the Petrof concert grand piano.
The Stevens Dramatic Society, our oldest active student organization, produces one show per semester, usually a play in the fall and a musical in the spring. Students handle all aspects of production, from acting to scenery design, lighting and sound to stage and business management. In addition to plays and musicals, improvisational theater is presented by the OffCenter Comedy Troupe and produced in various locations across campus.
For more information on all of the performing arts at Stevens, please contact David Zimmerman, Executive Director, at 201-216-8960 or david.zimmerman@stevens.edu. For a list of directors, instructors, organizations and the latest schedule of performances, please reference www.stevens.edu/performingarts.
The Office of Graduate Student Affairs strives to develop and implement a variety of resources, programs and events that focus on professional development, co-curricular involvement and social engagement. The Office of Graduate Student Affairs (OGSA) works collaborative with several University departments to sponsor the Graduate Enrichment Series, a program designed to help graduate students develop personally and professionally by gaining new skills in a number of topic areas.
In addition to individual enrichment, OGSA hosts a number of social activities throughout the academic year, such as trips to sporting events, amusement parks, and cultural and tourist attractions.
Additionally, graduate students have the opportunity to get involved with more than 18 established professional and cultural based graduate student organizations. These organizations also offer events that are open to graduate students. Our ultimate goal is to provide graduate students with opportunities to network outside of the classroom and socialize in meaningful ways. The Graduate Student Life Newsletter is the main means of advertising departmental events. The newsletter is electronically distributed to all enrolled graduate students weekly throughout the academic year.
For more information, log on to the graduate activities web page at http://gradlife.stevens.edu or stop by the Office of Graduate Student Affairs on the 10th floor of the Howe Center.
Professional & Honor Societies
Graduate students are eligible to become members of professional and honor societies. Honor societies of interest to graduate students are Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honor society, Eta Kappa Nu, the electrical engineering honor society, Pi Tau Sigma, the mechanical engineering honor society, and Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society of North America. Of particular note is that the Tau Beta Pi chapter, established before the turn of the last century, was the fourth in the country and the first in the state of New Jersey. The Society of Sigma Xi, whose founder was a Stevens alumnus, recognizes and encourages original research in science and engineering. Election to full membership is based on noteworthy achievement as an original investigator, as evidenced by publications or the successful defense of a doctoral dissertation. Associate membership can be achieved by showing marked excellence in studies and demonstrated aptitude for research. As part of its activities, the Stevens chapter sponsors a series of lectures by authorities in various fields of science and engineering. Among the professional societies of interest to graduate students are the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, which held its first organizational meeting at Stevens in 1880, the Society of Automotive Engineers, the Association of Computing Machinery, the American Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the American Institute of Physics, the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers, the American Society for Metals, the Biomedical Engineering Society, the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers, the American Society for Engineering Management, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Many academic departments either independently or in conjunction with these or other organizations sponsor technical colloquia and seminars.
Hoboken
Hoboken is a unique, one mile-square community and a center of urban renaissance. Once known as the birthplace of the late Frank Sinatra and baseball, it is a wonderful place to live and is home to thousands of artists and professionals, among others. Washington Street, the main thoroughfare, has taken on a European flair with over 50 restaurants, delis and cafés, as well as art galleries, bookstores and music and dance clubs. Hoboken's picturesque streets with renovated brownstones and quaint parks have also become the backdrop for motion pictures and television sitcoms.
Located on the west bank of the Hudson River, the waterfront plays a dominant role in the life of the city. During World War I, Hoboken was the port of embarkation for hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and later (as portrayed in the award-winning film, On the Waterfront) the city became a major center of the shipping industry. Now, in the new millennium, the waterfront is the focus of renewed interest and activity; construction is underway to turn the old ferry slips and empty piers into complexes for housing, office and recreation facilities.
Just minutes away from Hoboken is Secaucus and the exciting Meadowlands Sports Complex, home to the Giants, Jets, Devils and Nets. Many high-profile events from the circus to concerts take place at this complex, both at the stadium and the indoor IZOD Center.
Further north and west are a variety of suburban towns where many Stevens faculty and staff reside. There are shopping centers, lakes and parks, as well as farms, horse stables, water parks and ski resorts toward the Pennsylvania border, which many students visit.
New York City
Our campus overlooks the Hudson River and New York City, the cultural capital of the nation. Whether you prefer to haunt museums or art galleries, attend the theater, or hear music ranging from classical to rock, New York City is the place to go. Eat in Little Italy or Chinatown, pick up bargain-basement-priced tickets to a Broadway or off-Broadway play, ride a bike or rollerblade in Central Park, stroll through SoHo, catch a Knicks or Rangers game at Madison Square Garden or go to the famous Bronx Zoo. A ten-minute train ride whisks you from the Hoboken PATH Terminal into midtown and downtown Manhattan. Students can also take a bus from the Hoboken Terminal into the Port Authority Terminal in midtown, or a ferry from the Hoboken Terminal to Battery Park downtown and from 13th Street to midtown.
Taking Advantage of Local Events and Activities
The Office of Student Life can provide specific details about events in Hoboken, at other nearby colleges and in New York City, and can arrange for tours or discount tickets to many event and discount movie tickets are available in the office.
Conduct & Student Responsibilities
We ask that students act in a responsible and mature manner, taking the safety of oneself and others seriously. Stevens complies with government regulations for health and safety; therefore, we also expect students to comply with all federal, state and local laws. The student handbook can be found online at http://ugstudentlife.stevens.edu/Handbook.
The legal age for consumption of alcoholic beverages in New Jersey is 21 years of age. No alcoholic beverages are permitted in residence halls where freshmen reside. Other resident students and guests may consume alcoholic beverages in private living units provided that such consumption meets the conditions listed below. Failure to adhere to the following regulations results in the termination of the gathering and/or judicial action.
- Persons may not transport open containers of alcoholic beverages, nor may they consume alcoholic beverages in hallways, foyers, stairwells, bathrooms, in open air or public areas.
- No kegs, "beer balls" or other such containers are permitted on campus.
- No unauthorized distribution of alcoholic beverages, or possession of alcoholic beverages for purposes of distribution on the Institute's premises or at Institute- sponsored or supervised activities is permitted.
- Any event where alcoholic beverages are sold or where any charge or donation is made for admission to the event requires a special Alcoholic Beverage Commission permit, as well as registration and approval by the Institute. This permit may be obtained through the Office of Student Life.
- Drunken or disorderly behavior on property owned or controlled by the Institute or at functions sponsored or supervised by Stevens is not permitted.
The Stevens drug policy is as follows:
"Stevens Institute of Technology will not condone the use, sale or possession of illicit drugs or narcotics on the property of the Institute or on the property of any affiliated organization recognized by the Institute. No warnings will be issued. An infraction will subject the student to disciplinary action by the Institute in the form of suspension or dismissal. In addition, the student may be subject to prosecution under federal, state and local law."
Additional information about the drug and alcohol policy, or the drug and alcohol assistance program, is available from the Office of Student Life and in the Student Handbook on the website at http://ugstudentlife.stevens.edu/Handbook.
If a student violates the rules, he/she may be put on probation, be required to fulfill community service and, depending on severity and/or repetition, be suspended or expelled. Students have the right to appeal any such action before the Non-Academic Committee on Appeals. If a student is suspended or expelled, he/she will not receive any refund of tuition or fees paid.
Honor System for Undergraduate Students
The term “honor,” when used in reference to the Stevens Honor System, refers to the rigorous ethical and moral code to which Stevens students are held, and which ensures that all academic work is bona fide. This code was formally implemented in 1908 with the creation of the Stevens Honor System as well as its governing body, the Stevens Honor Board. This board is entirely student-run, and is formed of a group of students elected by their peers. They investigate all suspected breaches of academic integrity, including meeting with the accused student, any pertinent witnesses, and any relevant faculty. If there is no substantial evidence, the investigation is dropped by the Board. Otherwise, these investigations are closed by the Board only upon a confession or a trial by Jury (where the jury is also composed entirely of the student’s peers). When a student confesses or is found guilty by his peers, the Board recommends a penalty to its faculty advisor(s). The accused student may appeal the Honor Board’s penalty directly to a Faculty Committee on Appeals by submitting a letter to the Dean of Undergraduate Academics. Such an appeal must be submitted within fourteen (14) days of the student being notified of the assigned penalty.
The constitution and bylaws of the Honor Board may be reviewed online at www.stevens.edu/honor.
Institute Policy and Procedures Regarding Academic Improprieties in Graduate Courses
The term "academic impropriety" is meant to include, but is not limited to, cheating on homework, during in-class or take home examinations and plagiarism. The Institute has adopted a procedure to deal with such actions. An instructor of a graduate course may elect to formally charge a student with committing an academic impropriety to the Dean of Graduate Academics or to adjudicate the issue personally.
If a complaint is made to the Dean of Graduate Academics, the Dean convenes the Graduate Academic Evaluation Board. The Board investigates the allegation, conducts a hearing and determines necessary actions. The accused may elect to be present at the hearing along with any witnesses he or she chooses. Appeals of the Board's decisions are first made to the Academic Appeals Committee and then, if necessary, to the Chief Academic Officer i.e. the Provost of the Institute. The Board, chosen from the Graduate Curriculum Committee, consists of a faculty member from each of the four schools.
If the instructor elects to adjudicate the issue personally, any appeal of the instructor's action is first made to the Graduate Academic Evaluation Board, and, if necessary, to the Academic Appeals Committee and then, if necessary, to the Provost of the Institute.