Links to General Information
Academic calendar (start of classes, breaks, graduation)
Airport shuttle schedule
Area hotels
Bookstore
Center for Academic Excellence (tutoring center)
Events calendar (all campus events)
Quick phone numbers
Pella area info
Student services (counseling, career center, health center)
Student Handbook
Have a question that's not answered. Email us!
Questions about Academics
1. How will I know if my child is on track to graduate in four years?
2. Who can help my child improve study skills, choose a major, or manage time?
3. My child hasn't chosen a major yet, is that okay?
4. Are tutoring services available?
5. Who helps my child choose classes?
6. Who is my student's advisor? What are my student's grades?
7. My child wants to drop or withdraw from a class, what should s/he do?
8. When are finals and grades issued?
Questions about Residential Life
1. What is residence hall life like?
2. Why must my student live on campus?
3. How should my student choose their roommate?
4. My student has a question about housing and/or roommates…who should they contact?
5. Where is the cool place to live on campus?
6. How does the housing process work?
7. What comes in the rooms?
8. What shouldn't my student bring to campus?
9. Can my student have a pet in their room or house?
10. What do we do about roommate conflicts?
11. Where can my student park their car? Where can I park when I come to visit?
12. What are my student's meal options? Can our family eat on campus when we visit?
13. Is there a security officer on call 24 hours a day?
14. Who do I contact about financial aid or my student account?
15. What is the college alcohol policy?
16. What is the campus judicial process like?
17. What is there for my student to do on campus over the weekends?
18. How can my student get to the airport at break times?
19. What is the faith community like on campus?
20. What if my student talks about transferring?
21. What should my student do with all the credit card offers they receive in the mail?
Questions about Academics
1. How will I know if my child is on track to graduate in four years? Ask your student! Students can compare the courses they have completed to graduation requirements. Students can check grades at any time online.
2. Who can help my child improve study skills, choose a major, or manage time? The Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) and your student's professors can provide individual help with time management, study skills, and choosing a major.
3. My child hasn't chosen a major yet, is that okay? Most students typically don't declare a major until their sophomore year. The majority of students also change their major at least once.
4. Are tutoring services available? Tutoring is available through the CAE and from professors and peers in individual classes.
5. Who helps my child choose classes? Students are often their own best advisors by taking advantage of the numerous resources to guide this process. The professor that serves as the student's advisor will help the students choose classes for the next semester. The interactions vary depending on the relationship between student and advisor, but advisors are required to review the class selections before a student registers for the next semester. Students can also consult with others students in the major, do their own degree audit online, or consult with their academic department.
6. Who is my student's advisor? What are my student's grades? It is best to ask your child who their advisor is. Your child will be able to provide you with this information. Information such as grades is protected under the FERPA Act. It is also best to ask your child about the status of their grades. Unless the student has given prior written consent, the college is unable to release this information to anyone other than the student. If you would like your child to provide consent, they can go to the Central Service Center to sign a release form.
7. My child wants to drop or withdraw from a class, what should s/he do? Students can add or drop classes anytime during the first two weeks of classes (the add/drop period) without any penalty. They just need to pick up an add/drop form in the Central Service Center and have the faculty member of the course and their advisor sign. Dropping or withdrawing from a class after the add/drop period will result in a "W" being added for that course to the transcript. Your son/daughter should check with their advisor or the class professor should they feel the need to withdraw from a class.
8. When are finals and grades issued? Grades are available to students electronically (on my.central.edu) generally two weeks after the end of the semester.
Questions about Residential Life
1. What is residence hall life like? We strive to make residence hall life as close to home life as possible. Students find residence hall life to be exciting, exhausting, and exhilarating all at the same time. Their sense of privacy may feel invaded as many of them have had their own rooms and now must share a room with a roommate. Residence hall life is fun! There are always lots of activities happening and many things to participate in—and how cool is it that you get to live with your friends 24/7!?! Students must learn to get along with all types of people. Students must learn to take care of themselves, from doing their laundry to making sure they get enough sleep. Overall, the experience should feel like a home away from home. The RA and Hall Director strive to make this experience the best possible one for your student.
2. Why must my student live on campus? Central has a four year residency requirement. Living on campus is the first step in making a life transition. It is important to allow students to be active leaders in their community and participants in self-governance opportunities. Central students value these opportunities as a part of their learning experience and utilize them to contribute meaningfully to their living environment. Additionally, residential living aids i mmersion in the educational enterprise . We believe that the development of the mind, body and spirit requires immersion in a learning community where faculty, staff, upper-class mentors and peers guide intentional experiences. Moreover, it facilitates a transition to interdependence. High school students yearn to be “on their own.” Residential living provides the challenges of being on your own with the benefits of a support network. Residential living creates common experiences . Through shared common experiences students learn directly about themselves and others while encountering the benefits and challenges gained through a living/learning community. Service to others, a core value of Central College , is that we are active and contributing members to our local, national and global community. It is through the residential setting that students learn the process of community service and engagement. Residential living encourages leadership development . Our developmentally based residential learning program offers many opportunities to observe participate in and serve in leadership roles. From residence hall councils to house presidents, students are offered the opportunity to shape their learning environment. Finally, higher retention, academic success and graduate placement are all positive outcomes of residential living . National research indicates that students who live on campus return to the college their sophomore year more frequently than those living off campus. Additionally research indicates that students who live on campus get better grades, have more interaction with faculty and are more likely to attend professional or graduate programs compared to students who live off campus.
3. How should my student choose their roommate? For first year students coming to Central, if you already know someone who is coming to Central with whom your student would like to room, they may request to live with that person. Those requests will be honored as long as they are mutual. The majority of first year students will be assigned a roommate by the Office of Residential Learning. Those roommate matches are made by hand according to the information you provided on their roommate request form when they turned in their housing request. Central attempts to make the best matches possible based on the information they provided about themselves.
For upperclassmen, its best to choose a roommate who has similar interests and with whom they share similar lifestyle patterns. For example, if you're child is an “early bird,” try not to choose a “night owl” for a roommate. Additionally, it's best not to live with your “best friend.” Often, roommates get along better if they don't spend “every waking moment” together or with the same group of friends. This makes it easier to discuss problems, and make plans for cleaning, sleeping, hanging out, etc.
Additional items to guide your discussion are:
4. My student has a question about housing and/or roommates…who should they contact? They should contact their Hall Director: Graham Hall - (641) 628-7682; Scholte Hall - (641) 628-5598; Gaass Hall - (641) 628-5707; Pietenpol Hall - (641) 628-5800; Collegiate Center/Pods - (641) 628-7646. If they are unsure who their hall director is, contact students life at (641) 628-5293.
5. Where is the cool place to live on campus? The answer to this question varies by student. Some students prefer to live in a coeducational environment, so they choose Scholte or Gaass halls. If they prefer to live in a same sex environment, they choose Graham, Pietenpol, or Hoffman Halls. For upperclassmen, the houses and Pods are often a popular choice. The Theme and Intentional Learning houses are also gaining popularity.
6. How does the housing process work? The housing process is made up of a few different steps. In the spring semester, students will receive announcements and notification of the housing process dates and important housing process information. The “Pods” are selected first, followed by the Townhouses and Theme Houses, followed finally by the residence halls. Students apply in groups or pairs for living units, and residential facilities are distributed based on application or through room lottery.
7. What comes in the rooms? Rooms are furnished with beds, desks, desk chairs, wardrobes/closets and dresser space. In addition, each room is equipped with information access plate walls which allows residents to receive basic cable TV and to access the Internet via Ethernet lines. Telephones (with voice mail and caller ID) are also furnished in each room. Each resident has their own telephone as well as their own phone number. Furniture cannot be removed from the rooms, as there is no storage. For more information, click here.
8. What shouldn't my student bring to campus? For the health, safety and well-being of all, it is necessary that some items be restricted from possession or use in the housing facilities. The following items are not allowed in all residential facilites:
9. Can my student have a pet in their room or house? No. Students are not permitted to keep any animals in their room or house other than fish which can live submerged in water at all times.
10. What do we do about roommate conflicts? If your student is experiencing a conflict with their roommate, they should first talk with their RA and determine if there is a way they can work through the disagreement or issues. RAs are all trained in conflict resolution. If the conflict persists, the Hall Director is the next person with whom to speak. The Hall Director is also trained in conflict resolution and can help where the RA could not, or if necessary, help the student find another living situation. No roommate changes may be made within the first two weeks of school. It is generally best that students take ownership of the problem and try to work through it themselves—it provides a great sense of independence and autonomy!
11. Where can my student park their car? Where can I park when I come to visit? Parking permits are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Students will be issued a permit for the lot closest to their residence hall or house (space permitting). There are multiple parking lots located throughout campus. Parents may park in one of the numerous visitor parking spaces on campus or on the city streets. Additional designated parking areas will be available for special events.
12. What are my student's meal options? Can our family eat on campus when we visit? Students have three meal options, Central Market, Grand Central Station, and The Café at Geisler. More information about these options can be found here. When families visit, parents can pay with cash or check to eat at these facilities.
13. Is there a security officer on call 24 hours a day? Yes, a security officer is on-call and available on campus 24 hours a day to respond to the needs of the campus community. Security can be reached at (641) 780-2847 anytime of the day or night.
14. Who do I contact about financial aid or my student account? Your student gets a copy of their bill and financial aid statement sent to them electronically unless you've requested the bill to be sent home. For questions about your bill, contact Student Accounts at (641) 628-5185. The Financial Aid Office can be reached at (641) 628-5911.
15. What is the college alcohol policy? Central College is an alcohol-free campus, or in other words, a “dry” campus. The Central College Student Handbook states that “The college does not condone the possession or consumption of alcohol by students [of any age] on campus”.
Last year, a group of students, staff, and faculty met to give recommendations to the College on Alcohol and Drugs issues. Upon recommendation from the task force, the following minimum alcohol sanction guidelines have been implemented:
1st violation
2nd violation
3rd violation
4th violation
Please keep in mind that these are minimum sanctions. Sanctions are increased for individuals who choose to HOST an alcohol gathering and/or have additional mitigating circumstances. The “house violation” system that existed last year is no longer in effect. We encourage students to visit the student handbook on-line for details at my.central.edu.
16. What is the campus judicial process like? If a student is found violating college policy, the student will be contacted by their Hall Director to set up an appointment to meet and discuss the incident. If the student is found in violation, the student can choose to have the Hall Director determine the sanction (the most common) or the student can choose to appear in front of a hearing board of their peers. If the Hall Director will be determining the sanction, the Hall Director will assign a variety of sanctions, including but not limited to, monetary fines, campus service, a reflection paper, a goals clarification paper, or a pamphlet review and paper.
17. What is there for my student to do on campus over the weekends? There are always activities planned on-campus and in the residence halls each weekend and throughout the week. There are also things to do in Pella and the surrounding areas. Check out the calendar of events for information about what's happening on campus. Students can access the Student Activities Calendar at my.central.edu. Look for info about what's happening each month in the monthly Parent Connections online e-Newsletter.
18. How can my student get to the airport at break times? Student Activities provides shuttles to the Des Moines airport and the Greyhound station at designated times for Fall, Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring breaks. The cost of a shuttle ride is $5 one way. The Office of Student Activities subsidizes the cost of these shuttles. See schedule here. Students needing transportation at any other time may contact Facilities Management for a driver at a cost of $60 one way.
19. What is the faith community like on campus? The faith community on campus is very strong. The traditional faith community is supported on campus by Campus Ministries. More non-traditional faith communities are supported on campus by the Office of Intercultural Life and other clubs and organizations.
20. What if my student talks about transferring? If your child talks about transferring, engage your student in a discussion about what is causing these feelings. Ask them what they like most about Central. Ask them what they like least about Central. Ask them what they think they could find at another institution that Central may not offer. The student could then discuss this with someone in the Office of Student Life, the Career Center , a Hall Director, their advisor, a professor, or other mentor on campus who could offer ideas or suggestions about transferring and/or not transferring.
21. What should my student do with all the credit card offers they receive in the mail? Before coming to campus, talk with your student about proper financial management. Discuss what their budget will be, how they will pay for various items (check, check card, credit card), and how to save while keeping track of finances. Talk about your family's views on how many credit cards a person should have. Discuss with your student what you believe is best for them to do with the credit card offers. Suggesting that students discard (shred and throw away) most offers and keep only the most important or intriguing offers to discuss with the family is a good way of dealing with the multitude of offers they may receive. Use the following information to help guide your discussion:
Financial practice
Help your student learn more about managing money by discussing family financial decisions. Show them that you have greater expectations of them to be a financially responsible adult.
Budget
Most students will be unaware of the expenses of college. Talk with your student in advance about who is expected to pay for which expenses. Possible expenses may include tuition, books, supplies, cable, parking, extra food, entertainment, insurance, or phone bill.
Positive uses of credit cards
Signs of unwise spending and overspending
