Navigating Success: A Comprehensive Guide to Student Services at Grand Canyon University

Grand Canyon University (GCU) is dedicated to providing a holistic educational experience, and a key component of this commitment is the extensive array of student support services and programs available to all students. These resources are designed to enrich campus life and provide the necessary support for students to thrive throughout their academic journey. GCU aims to empower students to maximize their college experience through these opportunities.

To learn more about the resources offered in any of our departments, contact us at 855-GCU-LOPE.

Academic Support and Success

GCU Student Success Center (SSC)

The GCU Student Success Center (SSC) serves as a central hub for resources aimed at supporting students' learning throughout their academic journey.

Faculty Support

Whether students are taking classes on campus or online, GCU faculty members are readily available to provide assistance. Subject matter experts offer academic support both within and beyond the classroom through personalized, one-on-one assistance. GCU encourages students to schedule appointments with faculty during office hours to discuss course content, receive academic support, and gain career advice.

Lifelong Learning Assessment and The Office of Assessment

The Lifelong Learning Assessment may allow students to earn up to eight general education or elective credits. Explore the criteria to see if you may qualify. The Office of Assessment helps institute effective learning across the university.

Career Development and Preparation

Career Services

The GCU Career Services office is dedicated to supporting the professional development of all campus students. Career advisors and ambassadors offer group and individual support in various areas, including:

Resume writing
Navigation assistance of career tools
Internship and career search strategies
Interview coaching
Preparation for graduate school
Connecting with industry professionals

GCU is committed to preparing students for industry after graduation. Career Services has several ways to introduce your organization to our students. Register to become a part of our GCU Employer Network, Career Connections. This network consists of a complimentary, online digital job and internship board, the ability to register for on-campus career fairs and tabling.

GCU Employer Network, Career Connections

This network consists of a complimentary, online digital job and internship board, the ability to register for on-campus career fairs and tabling.

Campus Life and Community

Offices and Services

Grand Canyon University has a variety of offices and services on campus that provide resources to students, staff and faculty. These offices are committed to providing you with student services that help enhance your college experience. These offices play a key role in providing you with what you need while enjoying the comforts of our campus community.

Office of Welcome Programs

The Office of Welcome Programs is dedicated to ensuring a smooth transition into life at GCU. They host New Student Orientation, Welcome Week, Spring Welcome, and Family Weekend, providing opportunities to connect with campus life and the community. Student leaders, known as "Welcome Pros," extend their support beyond these events, helping students connect and build friendships at GCU.

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Residence Life

The Office of Residence Life manages campus housing logistics and is responsible for residence hall programming and staffing. Explore our suite-style residence halls to learn more about living on GCU's campus.

Spiritual Life

The Department of Spiritual Life provides spiritual formation opportunities for students during their time on campus. During the 2022-23 school year, GCU’s Department of Spiritual Life offered over 440 student leader positions that worked to ensure the spiritual growth and well-being of the Lope student body.

Student Engagement

The Office of Student Engagement enhances the campus experience by planning exciting events and facilitating involvement in clubs and campus recreation.

Housing Operations

Housing Operations handles the logistics of campus housing across the university. Explore our suite-style residence halls and apartments to learn more about living on GCU's campus.

Campus Health and Wellness Clinic

The Campus Health and Wellness Clinic offers quality medical services to students, faculty, and staff. Review the list of services to see how Campus Health can be of service to you during your time at GCU.

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Student Care

The Office of Student Care at GCU offers services to ensure that as an on-campus student, you have access to all the mental health resources and support you need to help you thrive in your collegiate environment. These services include short-term psychoeducational programs and counseling services.

Campus Recreation

Campus Recreation offers programs for GCU students to cater to the many interests of GCU students. These recreation programs include intramural sports, outdoor recreation, the GCU garden, GCU Fitness and other activities to maximize your experience on campus. GCU offers intercollegiate club sports teams for students who are looking for collegiate team play.

Multicultural Office

The Multicultural Office provides a welcoming environment for students, faculty, staff and community.

Welcome Week

GCU hosts Welcome Week, one of our biggest events of the year! During Welcome Week, we kick off the start of the school year with events on campus that help welcome all of students, new and returning, to campus.

Safety and Accessibility

Department of Public Safety

The Department of Public Safety prioritizes the safety of the GCU campus community. They have implemented policies and procedures, including parking decals and controlled access points, to help maximize safety on campus.

Student Disability Services (SDS)

In accordance with the university's mission and vision, the goal of the Student Disability Services Office is to provide equal access to all GCU programs, systems and facilities for students with disabilities. The ADA defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

SDS provides students with disabilities equal access to all GCU systems, programs, and facilities. If you require accommodations, Student Disability Services can help process your request.

Who is Eligible?

Students with physical disabilities
Students with chronic illnesses
Students with learning disabilities
Students with mental health issues
Students with emotional disabilities
Students with temporary disabilities (i.e., pregnancy, major surgery, major injury, concussion, etc.)

GCU provides reasonable accommodations in adherence with local, state, and federal laws. To receive accommodations through GCU, students must self-identify to disclose their disability to Student Disability Services (SDS) and follow the steps to receive accommodations. Accommodations are not retroactive. Approved accommodation requests submitted after courses have begun will be effective as of the date your completed request and supporting documentation were received by SDS.

Steps to Requesting Accommodations:

Complete an Accommodation Request: Students can access the form online at sds.gcu.edu. Students will need their student ID number to complete the form. If the student has an issue accessing the form for any reason please contact the SDS office directly.
Provide Supporting Documentation: Submit all documents at least two weeks (10 working days) prior to the start of your courses to allow adequate processing time.

Maintaining Accommodations

Your accommodations will remain in place throughout your program of study at GCU unless you experience a break in enrollment or were approved for temporary accommodations only. Supporting documentation for permanent disabilities remains on file with SDS. If you are approved for temporary services, you will be asked to provide additional documentation to continue receiving accommodations.

Please notify SDS of any schedule changes that may occur during your program to ensure your accommodations are in place. If you withdraw or are suspended, or otherwise have a break from your enrollment, contact SDS upon your return to reestablish accommodations.

If accommodations are not properly requested, GCU cannot provide reasonable accommodations.

eBook Requests Accommodations Policy

Grand Canyon University utilizes accessible versions of texts for most classes in the form of eBooks. SDS can obtain eBooks for courses not currently part of GCU's eBook initiative. Our eBook program is primarily available to low-vision, blind and dyslexic students. Students without such impairments may request eBooks if they can provide appropriate reasoning in their accommodations request. For students who are enrolled in online coursework who exclusively use eBooks, and for other students who have requested and been approved for eBooks, SDS has several options it can provide for students to access their eBooks, including but not limited to Kurzweil 3000, Adobe or BibliU PDF delivery. If you have questions concerning the process for obtaining eBooks or would like more information about the features of our eBooks, contact SDS at 602-639-6342.

Service Animal / Assistive Animal Requests

Any resident student wanting an accommodation animal to live in Grand Canyon University Housing must complete the Steps to Accommodations process. Their request needs to include an explanation of the disability-related need for the animal and if the animal is a service dog or an emotional support animal. Additional documentation will be required that demonstrates the animal has a clean bill of health from an appropriate veterinary provider and that the animal has all required shots. If the animal is a dog, it will also be required to have their updated Maricopa County license information. Students who obtain approval to have an accommodation animal in university housing will be required to sign and abide by the Resident Responsibilities. Animals that are not approved are not permitted on GCU property or in GCU Housing prior to approval.

If you have questions concerning the process for service or assistive animals, contact SDS at 602-639-6342 or review the Service Animals and Assistive Animals Policy.

Housing Accommodations Policy

To request special housing accommodations due to a major medical issue, first complete GCU’s housing application. Then, follow the process outlined above in the Steps to Accommodation section.

Housing accommodation requests are determined on a first-come, first-served basis and are subject to availability and the student’s eligibility to be in GCU Housing.

Accommodation Review and Grievance Procedure

Accommodations are determined on an individual basis. Students are required to engage directly with the SDS Office in the interactive process to determine reasonable accommodations. The student of record/individual seeking the accommodation must be directly involved in the process; 3rd party requests cannot be reviewed. If the student feels they need additional or alternate accommodations other than what was initially approved, they should follow the accommodation grievance procedure, as outlined below.

Accommodation Review: Students should discuss the request with their assigned SDS Administrator and SDS Manager. Students should be prepared to consider alternative solutions. Other university policies and mitigating circumstances may apply when reviewing any request for accommodations.
Full SDS Case Review: If the student is not satisfied with the proposed options from step one, they may submit their accommodation request/request a meeting with the Director of SDS. An accommodation grievance must be submitted within 30 days of Full SDS Case Review Resolution. The formal complaint must include the following:
- Student name
- Course information that relates to the grievance, if applicable
- The specific accommodation/outcome that is being requested, including any additional supporting documentation, as needed

Upon receipt of a written complaint, the Institutional Access and Compliance Office will initiate a review, which may include an interview with the complainant, a review of any relevant materials submitted by the complainant and obtaining information from relevant colleges/departments/individuals, etc.

The Accommodation Review Board will conduct a thorough review and issue a determination regarding the student’s request. The length of the review may vary. Pending the outcome of the Accommodation Grievance review, the previously approved accommodations will remain in place. The student will be notified in writing of the Accommodation Review Board's decision. This will be considered the final determination of the university.

Support for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Students with ASD often face challenges in accessing educational support due to limited awareness and lack of services. Many families and students are unaware of the full range of resources, and some students may avoid seeking help to avoid stigma. In the pursuit of accommodating all students, GCU offers individualized support through the SDS for ASD students.

Here are some of the resources offered by GCU to support our neurodivergent students:

Non-Discrimination Policy and Grievance Procedure

Grand Canyon University strives to ensure equal access for individuals with a disability to its programs, events, systems and facilities. GCU fully complies with the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 ADA), as amended, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibit discrimination against qualified persons with disabilities, and has adopted an internal grievance procedure providing for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints. Any participants, beneficiaries, applicants, or employees, including students, staff, faculty and visitors who believes they have been subjected to discrimination on the basis of disability (or is unsatisfied with accommodations provided by SDS) may file a grievance utilizing the procedures outlined in the Title IX and Non-Discrimination Policy. GCU encourages students and campus visitors with concerns about a disability-related issue to first discuss the matter with the SDS Office, who will attempt to facilitate a resolution. In addition, the University requires that all faculty and staff of Grand Canyon University understand this policy and provide the appropriate guidance for individuals who believe they may have been discriminated against based on a disability issue.

Getting Started

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