We’re excited your student has decided to become a Berry Viking! We hope the following information will help you and your family prepare for upcoming visits to campus for new student orientation and move-in day as well as assist you in supporting your student’s transition to college. After your student has a few months to adjust, we hope to see you again in early October for our First Year Parents Breakfast during Mountain Day Weekend!
New Student Orientation
The Berry College orientation program for incoming freshmen and transfer students is a three-part process designed to assist incoming freshmen, transfers, and their families with the transition into the Berry community. Each part of the orientation process is intentionally designed to build upon each other. As parents, we want you to be part of the orientation process. During SOAR, we have designed a parent schedule that gives a deep dive into life at Berry, and we will provide a more comprehensive time of information sharing. Students’ orientation continues through Viking Venture as well as the first 14 weeks on campus through our freshman seminar course, BCC 100.
You can view additional information, including the parent and student SOAR schedules, on the SOAR webpage.
Academic Success and Accommodations
The Academic Success Center, located on the main floor of Memorial Library is a helpful place for students seeking to be successful in all of their classes. The ASC’s two most popular services are ASC Sessions and Individual Academic Consultations. ASC Sessions are drop-in homework and Q&A sessions for many freshman and sophomore-level courses, built to be casual so students drop by early and often. Individual Academic Consultations are one-on-one meetings with a full-time staff member or Peer Academic Consultant and focus on academic skills and strategies like time management, studying for exams, effective reading, and managing academic anxiety.
You can read about the ASC’s programs and services at berry.edu/asc or watch this introductory video with Anna Sharpe, Associate Dean for Student Transitions, as she describes the Academics Success Center.
In this guided presentation, Katrina Meehan, Assistant Director of the Academic Success Center, walks through the steps of requesting accommodations. Additional details can be found on the Accommodations webpage.
Financial Aid and Student Financial Services
We know that the financial aid process comes with many questions. To help address them, we’ve put together some information on the questions we get most often along with updates, pro tips and a few instructional videos to help you navigate this process. After you review the Financial Aid Guide and additional resources, we’re happy to help if you still have questions! Contact us at financialaid@berry.edu to ask a question or schedule an appointment with our office.
LifeWorks
We’ve redefined the term student work, and that’s why Berry is different. Here on the world’s largest campus — with an array of unique resources and facilities —students can explore career possibilities through work opportunities (often the equivalent of internships!) in 180 departments. You can view more information, including new student FAQ, on the LifeWorks webpage.
Residence Life
You can search the name of each residence hall on YouTube to see a virtual tour. You can find additional information, including “what to bring” and “what not to bring” lists, in the Move-in Guide.
We recommend using products that will not leave a residue such as 3M pull tab strips or painters tape. Putting holes in the wall is not allowed and could result in damage charges. Many students decorate with rugs and lamps.
Many spaces have self- lofting furniture. The only spaces that will require ordering a loft are Clara, Morton and Lemley Halls. If you are assigned anywhere else, the furniture is self-lofting. You can order a loft at bedloft.com.
Student Health & Wellness
Berry is committed to the health and wellness of our students. In this short video, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Lindsey Taylor discusses student wellness and safety at Berry College. Michael McElveen, Assistant Dean of Student Wellness, also provides an overview of health and wellness at Berry.
Berry offers acute care as well as counseling services for all students. Specific information regarding the Health Center and the Counseling Center can be found below.
The Health Center FAQ document
The Counseling Center FAQ document
Berry is a safe campus, but we must continue to work to keep it safe. We encourage students to save the 24-hour emergency number for the Welcome Center in their phone (706-236-2262). We have fully-sworn officers and host many programs to promote safety and security. All higher education institutions are required to publish an annual security report. Our annual security report can be found here.
The college maintains a force of state certified police officers whose duties are integrated to provide law enforcement, crime prevention and parking control/enforcement. Officers are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are 18 staff positions in the department: twelve police officers, five communication officers and an office manager. They are authorized with full police powers including the power of arrest on all college property.
The department strives to contribute to the academic environment by performing professional law enforcement tasks with a positive, service-oriented and educational approach. Additional details and contact information can be found on the Campus Safety webpage.
Berry does not allow students to bring and store firearms on campus.
Campus is very walkable, but students are permitted a car and bike. Students must register their car and bike with Campus Safety. The vehicle pre-registration form is located on the student SOAR page on VikingWeb. Students should also bring a lock for their bike.
GENERAL INFORMATION
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Lindsay Norman
Associate Dean of Students
lnorman@berry.edu
706.236.2207