SMS / VIMS Student Facilities and Services
Housing
There is no student housing on the SMS/VIMS campus, and most students live
in Gloucester Point or in surrounding communities. Rental housing is plentiful,
and area rents generally range from $250 to $450 or more per month, depending
on the accommodations. Students often elect to share housing in order to
keep costs to a minimum.
A limited number of apartments for graduate students are available on
the Williamsburg campus. Located next to the Marshall-Wythe School of Law,
the Graduate Housing Complex is within walking distance of the College's
main campus and historic Colonial Williamsburg. Information and application
forms can be obtained from the Office of Residence Hall Life, P.O. Box
8795, 206 James Blair Hall, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795, (757) 221-4134.
Cultural Life at William and Mary
As part of the William and Mary community, School of Marine Science students
may participate in a broad range of cultural activities on the Williamsburg
campus. Under the auspices of the Committees on Concerts and Lectures and
the Speakers Forum, the College provides its students opportunities to
enjoy a full spectrum of public lectures and concerts. In recent years
College audiences have enjoyed performances by nationally and internationally
recognized theatre arts performers. In addition, the William and Mary Theatre
annually presents four full-length plays in public performance. The Speakers
Forum offers subscription series featuring prominent national personalities
from the worlds of politics, entertainment and the arts.
Under the sponsorship of the Fine Arts Department, the Campus Center,
and the Muscarelle Museum of Art, exhibits in painting, sculpture, and
architectural design, theatre and industrial arts are shown throughout
the year.
Numerous small and large cities including the major metropolitan areas
of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Richmond are within easy driving distance
of Gloucester Point. Each provides a broad array of cultural and entertainment
events throughout the year.
Campus Parking
Many students drive a motor vehicle to the SMS/VIMS campus, and parking
can sometimes be at a premium. However, space is usually available in one
of the many campus parking areas, including three lots near the Franklin
Marine Center. All motor vehicles, including motorcycles and motorbikes,
parked on SMS/VIMS property must be registered with Parking Services. Registration
includes the purchase of a College of William and Mary parking decal, which
must be displayed on or in the vehicle. Decals are also honored on the
main campus in Williamsburg. Illegally parked or unregistered vehicles
are subject to citation, and students with unresolved citations are not
allowed to register for classes or to receive degrees.
A full description of campus motor vehicle regulations is contained
in a booklet available from Parking Services.
Outdoor Life and Athletics
With SMS/VIMS' semi-rural setting in close proximity to the Chesapeake
Bay and its many tributaries, and with the Blue Ridge Mountains only a
few hours drive to the west, students enjoy diverse opportunities for outdoor
activities ranging from sailing, canoeing, and kayaking to biking, hiking,
and both fresh- and saltwater fishing.
Graduate students regularly participate in informal and organized soccer,
basketball and other team sports, and are eligible for reduced-rate health
club memberships at community fitness centers in Gloucester and nearby
Newport News.
The Williamsburg campus includes the 15,000-seat capacity Cary Field
stadium used for competitive football, track, soccer and lacrosse events,
as well as providing space for intramural sports. William and Mary Hall
has an indoor seating capacity of 10,000 for basketball, gymnastics and
track. Graduate students who pay full tuition and general fees are admitted
to all athletic contests by presenting their ID cards.
The Office of Recreational Sports provides a variety of leisure pursuits
to all students through intramural, sport club, informal recreation, fitness/wellness
and outdoor programs. Facilities include the Student Recreation Center,
Adair Gymnasium, William and Mary Hall, Lake Matoaka and various other
outdoor facilities. The Recreation Center and Adair Gymnasium each have
a 25-yard indoor pool. Facilities are open seven days per week during the
academic year and often during the break periods. Facility schedules and
procedures for checking out equipment are available at any recreational
facility or the Campus Center.
Intramurals are separated into co-rec, men's and women's divisions for
most activities. Play is held for each of over 30 sports/activities during
the year. Informal or open recreation, generally considered "free-play,"
is offered in aerobics, swimming, racquetball and squash, basketball, weightlifting,
canoeing and kayaking and other sports.
The Sport Club program consists of 23 clubs, each self-governing and
self-supporting and dictated simply by participants' interest in the activity.
Clubs include badminton, crew, cricket, cycling, ice hockey, judo, men's
lacrosse, martial arts, outdoor, racquetball, rifle, men's rugby, women's
rugby, running, sailing, scuba, men's soccer, women's soccer, squash, surfing,
tennis and ultimate frisbee.
For information on any activity, program or service offered by Recreational
Sports, the office may be contacted at (757) 221-3310.
Student Health Service
Graduate students who have filed a history and physical examination form
and carry at least nine credits per semester are eligible to use the College's
student health service, which is operated on the main campus in Williamsburg.
Graduate students who carry fewer than nine credits per semester are eligible
to use the health service if they are certified by the Dean of Graduate
Studies as "full-time equivalent" students and pay the student health fee.
Any student who has not submitted his/her health history and physical
examination form by the end of his/her first semester at the College will
not be permitted to register for the next semester.
The health service is housed in the King Student Health Center, which
includes an out-patient clinic, a dispensary, and a limited number of beds
for overnight care. A variety of services, most of which are covered by
the student health fee (a portion of the tuition and general fee), are
provided by the King Student Health Center.
Center for Personal Learning and Development
Located on the Williamsburg campus offers professional assistance with
psychological problems and problems involving social relationships and
the understanding of oneself or others. Services are offered to students
through individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, and personality
testing and assessment. With the exception of national test services, all
Center services are free to students. As a matter of policy, the Center
does not deal with problems that require the prescribing of drugs, except
in instances that warrant cooperative work with the Student Health Service.
No information concerning an individual's contact with the Center will
be released without the written permission of the client. The Center
also does not handle problems associated with course selection, job placement,
career counseling or remedial academic programs.
Career Services Center
Located in Blow Hall on the William and Mary campus, Career Services provides
quality career planning and job search services. Numerous services including
a comprehensive computerized career guidance system, and career library.
Speakers series and seminars are provided to assist students as well.
The Graduate Student Association
The Graduate Student Association is a voluntary organization open to all
graduate students in the School of Marine Science. The purpose of the Association
is to advance the academic and social interests of its members. Officers
are elected each spring for the following academic year.
Comments? Contact webmaster@vims.edu
Last Modified: 12 September 1997
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