Student success and opportunity have lain at the heart of Southwestern’s core values since its inception in 1872. For several years, Southwestern has made fervent efforts to improve the campus resources available to students. However, many of these resources go unused due to a lack of knowledge about their availability. From the Center for Career and Professional Development to Pirate Adventures, there are numerous assets to meet all academic and recreational needs of students.

CCPD: The Career Cafe & Career Closet

The Prothro building is one of the largest hubs on campus that is dedicated to student resources. One of those resources is the Center of Career and Professional Development, or CCPD. CCPD is the place for anyone seeking advice regarding careers and internships, but two key assets of CCPD are severely underutilized. 

The Career Closet and Cafe are both located in the CCPD office. The career closet provides an assortment of business professional attire—including blazers, slacks, ties, and much more! Students are allowed to check out enough items to complete an entire outfit, and once you check them out, the clothes are yours to keep! The clothes provide a wide range of sizes and colors, and you are able to try on the articles before taking them with you.

 If you’re looking for a quiet and comfortable place on campus to study, try the Career Cafe! The Career Cafe is an extension of CCPD and is open to all students. It offers a variety of teas, coffees, and cocoa, all free for visitors! You can also pick up a brochure, book, or pre-professional program guide from the shelf, all of which are also free to keep. Enjoy your drink and work either at the tables or on the cozy couches inside the cafe!

Learning Commons

You might have already been to the library and seen the Learning Commons. Or, perhaps you’ve had a writing workshop there. But the Learning Commons offers so many more resources to help students with their classes as well as other academic endeavors. The Learning Commons offers tutoring in writing, STEM subjects, and all languages. Feel free to chill on the cozy furniture with some nice ambient music playing on the TVS, and of course, enjoy some complimentary coffee, tea, cocoa, or even apple cider!

The Lord Cafe

Inside the newly renovated Mood-Bridwell Hall is the brand new Lord’s Cafe! The cafe recently opened a few weeks ago as an extension of Mood-Bridwell. The coffee is sourced from the Sacramento-based company, Java City Coffee, and sells an assortment of brewed coffees, lattes, and beverages. Additionally, the cafe sells packaged sandwiches and treats for customers to enjoy on the new furniture in the cafe. The beautifully decorated shelves located in the cafe also contain various board games and past Southwestern yearbooks that are available for guests to check out and enjoy with friends!

The Greenhouse

The Greenhouse is located behind Mundy Hall and consists of an outdoor garden, as well as three indoor plant beds. There are tools, pots, organic supplements, and fertilizers that are available for use. Students must be members of the community garden club to use both facilities, but the club is free and accessible to join! The Greenhouse and backyard community gardens are for recreational gardening. Garden club members work to help improve Southwestern’s green spaces and work on larger projects, such as the fresh vegetable mart event, hosted by Dr. Vanessa Mikan. Additionally, the Greenhouse operates as an extension of the Pirate Pantry, meaning that fresh vegetables from the garden are sent to the Pirate Pantry and are made available to all students gratis.

Pirate Adventures

Pirate Adventures is an extension of the Southwestern’s Student Life sector and serves as an opportunity for students to explore the surrounding areas with their peers. The events chosen for Pirate Adventures are aimed at creating an experience for students to explore an aspect of Austin or Central Texas that is both thrilling and pedagogical. Whether exploring a cavern, going on a coffee crawl, or touring a local exhibit, Pirate Adventures offers a diverse array of activities for students to enjoy for little or no fee!

The Health Center

Southwestern’s Health Center, located in Prothro, offers a wide variety of resources that are open to all students. Individual counseling services are available for free to any student wishing to receive them. Additionally, several different group therapy cohorts are open and are held each week, along with Meditation Monday, which is held in the Health Center every Monday at 4 PM. Furthermore, there are also many resources for students seeking tests, examinations, and lab services to be done by medical physicians. The center offers consultations for medication, sickness, and sexual/reproductive health. As for billing, per the Health Center’s policy, students will be charged using their private insurance; however, “…students will not be charged a co-pay, or billed for Health Center services not covered by their insurance.”