2009-2010 Undergraduate Catalog - Belmont University


Co-Curricular Activities

Awards and Honors

Numerous awards and honors recognizing students’ achievements in academics and co-curricular activities are presented annually at Awards Day events in the Spring semester. These occasions are a time of celebration for the entire campus and are an important time in the life of the university.

University Ministries

The Office of University Ministries, proclaiming Jesus Christ as the measure of all things, seeks to serve the Belmont community by: creating a culture of worship and spiritual formation, promoting the integration of all university life including academic, co/extra-cirricular, and residential, and cultivating practical service to others through church and outreach opportunities, both local and global.  Recognizing the spiritual diversity on Belmont's campus, University Ministries also serves as an umbrella for the following student-led faith development organizations:  

Orthodox Christian Fellowship is a group of Orthodox Christian college students who meet together for the purpose of sharing in fellowship in our faith.  We also want to provide opportunities for our group to serve others together and to create opportunities to share our faith with others through action.   

Worship Culture exists to worship Jesus and study the Bible together.  We love one another with the love of God and grow together as a Belmont Family.

Campus Recreation

Belmont University offers a wide variety of intramural sports and activities for both men and women. Programming is implemented by a coordinator and several student assistants. The program includes, but is not limited to, the following events: basketball, billiards, bowling, coed softball, flag football, floor hockey, racquetball, sand volleyball, ski trips, soccer, table tennis and tennis.

Fraternities and Sororities

Alpha Gamma Delta is Belmont's newest nationally-affiliated sorority. Membership in Alpha Gamma Delta is an experience of a lifetime. The group's purpose is to challenge sisters to aspire to the high ideals of scholarship, friendship, leadership, kindness, service, and religious faith.

Alpha Sigma Tau is the first national Greek organization for women at Belmont University. The sisters of Alpha Sigma Tau focus on academic excellence, leadership, and service by aiming to become active, self-reliant, and trustworthy women. Membership is open to all who wish to join.

Alpha Tau Omega is Belmont's newest nationally-affiliated fraternity. The group was created to promote scholarship, community service, campus involvement, strong moral character, and brotherly love. Christian principles, not Greek principles, are the cornerstones of the values of ATO.

Panhellenic Council is the governing body of the sororities on campus that also serves as an advisory board. The council is responsible for planning recruitment, enforcing policies, and working to unite the various Greek organizations.

Phi Delta Theta is Belmont's oldest nationally-affiliated fraternity. The organization offers fellowship among brothers and service to the campus and community.

Phi Mu has developed a tradition of excellence since 1852. As the second oldest national organization for women, the ideals of their three founders still hold true today. With more than 130 collegiate chapters nationwide, a network of sisterhood and enduring friendship is offered to members for today and tomorrow.

Honor Societies

Alpha Chi is a national honor society with the purpose of stimulation and recognition of scholarship and those elements of character that make scholarship effective for good. Membership is extended to junior and senior students ranking in the top ten percent of their respective classes.

Alpha Psi Omega is a national honor society for Theatre and Drama students and professionals. The Belmont University chapter is Kappa Omicron. Individual membership is approved through both Kappa Omicron and the national Alpha Psi Omega board.

Beta Alpha Psi is an honor association for students with an interest in accounting, finance and information systems management.

Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society is a national honor society that stimulates scholarship, disseminates scientific knowledge, and promotes biological research. Membership is based on superior academic achievements and major interest in the life sciences.

Beta Gamma Sigma is the honor society serving business programs accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Membership in Beta Gamma Sigma is the highest recognition a business student anywhere in the world can receive in a business program accredited by AACSB International.

Beta Upsilon (Occupational Therapy) contributes to the advancement of occupational therapy through special projects of its members; to provide a basis for relationship among the accredited schools of occupational therapy; and to work in cooperation with the aims and ideals of the occupational therapy club.

Gamma Beta Phi Society is a national honor society that recognizes and encourages excellence in education; promotes the development of leadership ability and character in its members; and fosters, disseminates, and improves education through appropriate service. A student must have completed at least 12 semester hours of university work and have maintained at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average to be eligible for membership.

Kappa Delta Pi is an education honor society formed to recognize and encourage outstanding contributions to education. Members must be juniors with a grade point average of 3.2 or better.

Phi Alpha is the national honor society for social work. The organization seeks to recognize and encourage excellence in education, promotes the development of leadership ability and character in its members, and fosters, disseminates, and improves education through service.

Phi Eta Sigma is a national honor society whose intent is to encourage and reward academic excellence among first-year students. Membership is by invitation only and is based on an academic grade point average of 3.5 or better.

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity is a national honorary fraternity for men that is dedicated to advancing the cause of music in America and fostering the brotherhood of music students. Membership is by invitation only to those interested in the development and furtherance of music.

Phi Sigma Iota is an international foreign language honor society which encourages students to achieve academic excellence while pursuing studies in foreign language.

Phi Sigma Tau serves as a means of awarding distinction to students studying philosophy. The organization promotes student interest in the field by providing opportunities for publication of student research papers, encouraging a professional spirit and friendship among those who have ability in the field, and by popularizing interest in philosophy among the general collegiate public.

Pi Kappa Lambda is a national music honor society. The primary objective of Pi Kappa Lambda is the recognition and encouragement of the highest level of musical achievement and academic scholarship. Membership is by invitation to those students and faculty members who meet regulations stated in the National Constitution.

Pinnacle is an honor society that recognizes and encourages excellence in the nontraditional education; promotes the development of leadership ability and character in its members; and fosters, disseminates, and improves the nontraditional education through appropriate service and leadership projects. Membership includes students who are 25 years of age or older, are within three semesters of graduation, have at least a 3.0 GPA within their class, and are active in one campus organization, one campus activity and one community organization.

Psi Chi is a scholastic honor, leadership, and service organization that encourages, stimulates, and maintains excellence in scholarship of members in all fields, particularly in psychology. It also seeks to advance the science of psychology. Membership is open to psychology majors or minors who have completed 9 hours of psychology at Belmont and are enrolled in a program leading to the bachelor's degree.

Sigma Alpha Iota is an international music fraternity for women that promotes sisterhood and mutual interests with great artists, teachers, composers, and students of music throughout the world. Membership is based on scholarship and musical ability and is by invitation to those interested in the development and furtherance of music.

Sigma Beta Delta is a national honor society that encourages and recognizes scholarship and accomplishment among students of business, management and administration; and encourages and promotes aspiration toward personal and professional improvement and a life distinguished by honorable service to humankind. Membership is limited to those of high scholarship and good moral character.

Sigma Tau Delta is a national honor society offering the opportunity for furthering cultural stimulation, for formulating ethical principles, for developing skills in creative and critical writing, and for fostering a spirit of fellowship. Membership is open to students majoring or minoring in English or foreign language and who maintain a 3.5 average in language study and have a 3.0 cumulative average.

Sigma Theta Tau recognizes superior achievement, encourages creative work, recognizes the development of leadership qualities, fosters high professional standards, and strengthens commitment to the ideals and purposes of the profession of nursing.

Theta Epsilon Tau provides academic, extracurricular, and career guidance for students at Belmont entering careers in health sciences.

Program Board 

This group is a student-led organization which excels in creating quality activities and educational opportunities for the Belmont community. The mission of Program Board is to build working relationships with other campus organizations, offices and programs; to present quality lectures which deal with issues relating to pop culture, current events, and personal growth; to plan and promote concerts, which appeal to the wide range of musical tastes represented at Belmont and in the Nashville community; and to provide special events which encourage student involvement and a sense of campus community.

For more information about Program Board, contact the Office of Student Affairs (615) 460-6407 or the Program Board Office (615) 460-8527.  http://campus.belmont.edu/pb/

Intercollegiate Athletics

Belmont University became a full member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA-I) on September 1, 1999. The Athletic Department sponsors competition for men in the following sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis and track. Competition for women includes basketball, volleyball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis and track.

Special Interest Groups

American Choral Directors Association promotes choral singing which will provide artistic and spirited experiences for the participants.

Art Association fosters unity, uplifts morale, and creates camaraderie among all art students and provides a support group for the activities of the Art Department.

Belmont Accounting Association helps accounting students develop a better understanding of the ethics, standards, and practices of professional accounting.

Belmont Ambassadors promotes the interests of and understanding among the Belmont students of the past, present, and future. It is made up of current students who want to further the quality of the university as an institution of higher education and continued pride, loyalty, and tradition. Membership is based on an application process.

Belmont ELECT (Experienced Learners Effectively Creating Tomorrow) includes nontraditional students who meet regularly to promote fellowship and provide support in balancing study, work and family schedules.

Belmont Forensics Team offers national competition in speech and debate and is open to students from all majors.

Belmont History Society exists to create a greater appreciation of the study of history, to provide a sense of community among the students of history, and to promote the knowledge of the practical and professional applications of history.

Belmont Psychology Club promotes an understanding and appreciation of the field of psychology.

Belmont Stammtisch educates and inspires interested parties in the language and culture of the German-speaking world.

Belmont University Association of Student Social Workers promotes activities appropriate to strengthening and unifying the social work profession as a whole, promotes the sound and continuous development of the various areas of social work practice and promotes efforts on behalf of human well-being by methods of professional action.

Belmont University Black Student Association is a non-selective, non-secretive group of students concerned with improving cultural diversity on Belmont's campus and to provide a means of support for black students.

Belmont University English Club offers all Belmont students social occasions, cultural events, service opportunities, and leadership opportunities related to the study of literature.

Belmont University French Club promotes understanding of and interest in the language and culture of the French-speaking world.

Belmont University Italian Club provides academic and extracurricular activities which enhance the learning and proficiency of the Italian language to Belmont students.

Belmont University Latin Club is open to all students interested in the language and culture of Rome and classical antiquity.

Belmont University Spanish Club promotes understanding of and interest in the language and culture of the Spanish-speaking world through fellowship among Hispanic students and the students of Spanish.

Belmont University Student Nurses Association promotes understanding and cooperation between the faculty and the student body; and initiates, plans, and implements extracurricular activities which develop a sense of community responsibility in the individual students.

Beta Chi offers students interested in research in biochemistry and molecular biology a forum for presentations by outside researchers, preparation for graduate study and careers, and opportunities for volunteer service.

English Club offers all Belmont students social occasions, cultural events, service opportunities, and leadership opportunities related to the study of literature.

International Association of Jazz Educators brings together those who are interested in jazz to provide opportunities for musical experiences; assists future jazz educators in their professional and educational development; fosters and promotes the performance and appreciation of jazz and popular music and its artistic performance; and promotes and develops the education of jazz and popular music in public and private schools.

International Student Association provides fellowship, helps international students adjust to the university situation and promotes international understanding.

James Madison Society promotes a greater appreciation of political science and promotes the knowledge of the practical and professional applications of political science.

Mathematical Association of America stimulates interest in mathematics and mathematical applications among students, faculty and staff.

Music Educators National Conference provides opportunities for professional growth and development and opportunities to become acquainted with leaders in the music education profession.

Our Natural Environment (O.N.E.) Belmont's Environmental Club provides interaction with students across campus who are interested in environmental issues. Activities include river clean-ups, exotic plant removals, Earth Day awareness events, nature hikes and environmentally-focused guest speakers. Dr. Darlene Panvini serves as the faculty advisor for this organization.

Physical Education, Wellness, and Exercise Science (P.E.W.E.S.) Club promotes wellness and fitness within the school, and actively supports all movements directed toward an improvement and elevation of the profession.

Pi Sigma Epsilon exists to advance interest among students in the fields of marketing, selling, sales management, and related fields as a career and a profession.

Pre-Law Association provides students with an organization t support and encourage an interest in legal studies and careers.

Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society (SAACS) was created to generate interest in the chemical sciences, to instill a professional pride in the chemical sciences, and to foster an awareness of the responsibilities and challenges of the modern chemist.

Student Athlete Advisory Committee serves as an active voice representing the student-athlete population of Belmont University that facilitates communication between student-athletes and the athletic department.

Student Tennessee Education Association provides education majors with opportunities to develop professional identities through contact with individuals and organizations which are involved in education and its related fields.

Theta Epsilon Tau Pre-Health Student Association provides academic, extracurricular, and career guidance for students entering careers in health sciences.

Student Government Association

The Student Government Association is the representative and governing voice of the students. The SGA is comprised of three branches of government -- executive, legislative, and judicial -- of which offices are held by both elected and appointed officers. The executive cabinet and any offices not filled in the spring, are elected during the fall semester.

These committed student leaders gain experience and training as they strive to meet the needs of their peers. Their success depends upon the participation of the entire student body. Further information about the Student Government Association may be obtained from the Office of Student Affairs (615) 460-6407 or the Student Government Association Office (615) 460-6428. http://campus.belmont.edu/sga/

Towering Traditions Orientation Program

Making the transition into life at Belmont is the beginning of an exciting journey. Under the leadership of trained student leaders, Towering Traditions (New Student Orientation) equips students with the information and resources they need to begin their career at Belmont. This two-part program, with special components for freshmen and transfer students offers opportunities to learn about campus policies, registration, academic advising, student life and more. New students have many opportunities to interact with faculty, staff, returning students and each other.

Student Orientation is a one-day transfer and two-day freshman orientation that is offered during the summer. At this time, students will meet an academic advisor and register for classes they will be taking in the fall. Prior to the beginning of classes in the fall semester, new students participate in Welcome Week, a full week of academic and social orientation. Orientation programs are also offered for parents during Summer Orientation and Welcome Week. For those entering Belmont University in the spring, a shorter version of Towering Traditions is offered prior to the beginning of classes.

Traditions

All students are invited and encouraged to participate in campus-wide events which provide social and educational benefits. Traditional activities include Homecoming, Fall Follies, Harvest Party, Vince Gill Event, World’s Fair, Mistletoe Ball, O Christmas Tree, Showcases, Spiritual Emphasis Week, SPOTS Mission Trip, TNT Music Festival, and various lectures and concerts. These activities offer student leadership opportunities, spiritual growth experiences and entertainment. They also provide students with memories for years to come.