Student Life

Counseling and Social Services

Counseling and Social Services are free and available to currently enrolled students.  Appointments must be booked by the student and cannot be booked by the proxy of parents, teachers, etc., as services are private and confidential.  Counseling services are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.  Students can contact the Mental Health Counselor directly by email (kweddington@southwest.tn.edu) or (counseling@southwest.tn.edu) or by phone (901) 333-5121.  Students can contact the Social Services Coordinator directly by email (smroyal@southwest.tn.edu) or socialservices@southwest.tn.edu) or by phone (901) 333-5272.

Southwest is committed to the development of the whole person, with specific focus on the intellectual, social, emotional, psychological, and spiritual dimensions. Southwest endeavors to provide an intentional atmosphere of caring while offering a myriad of opportunities and resources for students to experience wholeness within the context of a community of learners.

The Mental Health Counselor is focused on creating a therapeutic environment based on the use of client-centered services in which all students feel a sense of trust, acceptance, understanding, and safeness during interactions.  Students are not treated as a number but as unique individuals.  Evidenced-based therapeutic interventions are employed to ensure a high quality of care and to increase successful outcomes such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. Motivational Enhancement Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Strengths-Based Therapy.  Mental Health Counseling assists with issues such as Anxiety Disorders, Addictions, Autism, Anger Management, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Grief/Loss, Domestic Violence/Abuse, Eating Disorders, Health Related Issues, Relationships, Sexuality, Work Life Balance, Trauma/PTSD, etc.

Additional staffing will include practicum students (psychology counseling, and/or social work) that is supervised by our full-time Mental Health Counselor to assist students with their counseling needs.

In addition to on-campus services, third party, off-campus counseling services are available through community service providers by referral of: the Mental Health Counselor, Director of Student Development, the Associate Vice President of Retention & Student Success, and the Vice President for Student Affairs.  Scheduling for appointments for third party counseling services vary based upon hours of availability.

Social Services links students to community resources, while providing advocacy to improve student functioning socially and academically.  The Social Service Coordinator seeks to assist student in foundational mental, emotional, and relational health support for students’ academic pursuits and provides collaborative support of the overall retention and student success initiatives of the college.  This support includes but is not limited to transportation assistance, emergency financial assistance, emergency shelter assistance, food assistance, and clothing assistance.

Student Development

Southwest offers students opportunities to grow socially, personally, and intellectually outside of the classroom. The activities of clubs, organizations and intercollegiate athletics heighten and enhance the educational experience of the student population through social, cultural, intellectual and recreational activities and programs. Participation in student activities helps students to develop leadership, communication, interpersonal relations and problem solving skills.

Student Centers

Areas have been set aside for students to relax, study and visit with friends. The Student Centers are located in Room B-106 on the Union Avenue Campus, in Farris 1105 on the Macon Cove Campus, Room 101 at the Gill Center, Room 122 at the Maxine A. Smith Center, and the student lounge at the Whitehaven Center.

Student Clubs and Organizations

There are a variety of clubs and organizations available to all students. These include honors and leadership organizations, academic-related organizations, and special interest groups (political, religious, etc.). All students are encouraged to participate in clubs and organizations. A list of current student clubs and organizations can be found at http://www.southwest.tn.edu/clubs/clubs.htm.

Student Government Association (SGA)

www.southwest.tn.edu/clubs/sga/
Macon Cove Campus (901) 333-4196
Union Avenue Campus (901) 333-5546

The SGA works with all student clubs and organizations to improve the quality of student life at the College. The responsibility of the SGA is to communicate the opinions and concerns of the student body at large to the administration of the College. Members of the SGA are elected by popular vote and serve for a term of one year.

Campus Activity Board (CAB)

An advisory board composed of students who make recommendations for entertainment and educational activities that enhance the cultural, intellectual, and social environment of the college.

The Student Leadership Institute (SLI)

The Student Leadership Institute Program is designed to build and improve leadership skills by exploring the challenges of committing to a leadership position in an ever changing college environment for emerging and existing leaders. A student must be in an approved Southwest organization to participate or recommended by a faculty/staff member.

Men of Southwest - M.O.S.T.

The Project M.O.S.T. program is grant-funded through the U.S. Department of Education’s Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI) initiative and gives preference in assisting African American male students to adjust to the college environment as well as aid in their on-going retention and graduation efforts.

In addition, the Entrepreneurship Institute is established under the auspices of Project M.O.S.T. and provides services to enhance student success through developing entrepreneurial thinking.

Southwest Mentors Advancing Retention, Teamwork, & Success (SMARTS)

The SMARTS Mentoring Program/Saluqi Success Pathway for Adult Learners (SSPAL)
www.southwest.tn.edu/smarts/index.php

Union Avenue Campus (901) 333-5122

The mission of the SMARTS mentoring program is to develop supportive relationships between faculty/staff and students to provide campus advocates, resource information, guidance, and problem solving methods in order to encourage students to advance toward completion of a certificate or degree and ultimately enter a career of choice.  The Saluqi Success Pathway for Adult extends an extra layer of support for adult learners through mentoring and information sessions by way of roundtable discussions held each fall and spring semesters.

International Studies

www.southwest.tn.edu/intstudies/
Macon Cove Campus (901) 333-4250
Union Avenue Campus (901) 333-5268

The role of the international studies program is to serve as a catalyst for international education by promoting a campus environment that encourages the appreciation and understanding of all peoples and cultures of global communities. This mission is accomplished through many efforts including international focused campus-wide events, technlogy, and study abroad opportunities.

Intercollegiate Athletics

http://athletics.southwest.tn.edu/
Union Avenue Campus (901) 333-5143

The intercollegiate athletic program at Southwest encourages and promotes excellence in academic and athletic performance. Our student-athletes are dedicated to completing their degree programs and succeeding in life after graduation, and our program helps them to achieve those goals. We firmly understand that our athletes are students first and it is this frame of reference that guides us.

Southwest is proud of its athletic tradition and has over the years successfully competed at the state and national levels. The athletic department sponsors teams in the following sports: baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s soccer, softball, and cheerleading.

Southwest is a member of the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association (TCCAA) and Region VII of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).