MSW Student Support Resources

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Office of Access and Learning Accommodation (OALA)

Any student with a documented disability needing accommodations should contact the Office of Access and Learning Accommodation. Any student who needs learning accommodation should inform the professor immediately at the beginning of the term. The student is responsible for obtaining appropriate documentation and information regarding needed accommodations from the Baylor University Office of Access and Learning Accommodation (OALA) and providing it to the professor early in the term. You can visit their website at www.baylor.edu/oala. To contact the OALA office directly, email OALA@Baylor.edu or phone (254) 710-3605.

Health Insurance

Upon admission, all domestic graduate students, including Waco and Online MSW students enrolled in 3 credit hours or more, must provide proof of active insurance and/or enroll in Baylor’s health insurance plan. All students will be charged for the student health insurance plan through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas upon registering for classes or at the beginning of the annual open enrollment period (whichever is later).  Enrollment in the insurance plan will be pending further action from the student. Failure to opt out of Baylor’s plan and failure to provide proof of private insurance will result in an automatic enrollment and charge for Baylor’s health insurance plan through Academic Health Partners. Students will receive an email from Academic Health Plans (AHP) with instructions on activating or waiving Baylor’s insurance.

Domestic students who wish to purchase Baylor’s plan should complete enrollment immediately.  The plan does not cover students until the enrollment process is complete. Domestic students with alternative health insurance may waive Baylor’s plan during the open enrollment period.  The waiver process must be completed before the close of the open enrollment period. Students who do not waive by the deadline will be automatically enrolled at the close of the enrollment period and will be responsible for the cost of the premium. Continuing students will need to re-enroll or waive the insurance each year. Per federal policy, international students will be automatically enrolled through Health Services at Baylor. Details about the plan, open enrollment period, and resources for help can be found on the AHP website.

International graduate students are required to maintain insurance coverage through Baylor’s student health insurance plan. International students will be automatically enrolled in SHIP. If an International graduate student would like to add additional coverage (dental, dependents, etc.), they should contact Lisa Bland. Otherwise, the health insurance enrollment process will be automatic for our international students.

For additional questions, contact the Baylor Health Service Insurance Claims Coordinator:

Lisa Bland: 254-710-1493 or Email: Lisa Bland

Health, Mental Health, and Wellness

Baylor provides access to comprehensive physical and mental health resources in person and through telehealth solutions tailored to graduate students. These services are free to all Baylor students throughout the MSW program. Online and residential MSW students may also access the Student Life Center for fitness, wellness, and relaxation services. Telehealth options are available through AHP (Academic Health Partners), providing 24/7 crisis and health consultations, psychiatric care, nutrition services, and access to licensed medical and mental health providers. 

You can find more contact information and the process for accessing these free resources by visiting this website: Academic Live Care Instructions. 

The Department of CareTeam Services provides case managers who connect students to resources both on and off campus and offer holistic care through creating trusting relationships.

University Writing Center 

At the University Writing Center (UWC), we offer free personal consulting in all areas of writing and composing at any stage of the writing process. Whether you want a reader for a final draft, to brainstorm ideas, or to discuss an entire assignment, the UWC can help.

Because everyone writes differently, we tailor our support to meet each writer's needs. We believe that writing benefits from feedback and response, so the UWC is a place for dialogue and conversation. We take the time to talk about your writing so that you can become a better writer, reviewer, and editor of your own work.

We offer three types of consultations at the UWC. Click on any of the following hyperlinks for more information:

Please visit these webpages to determine what will work best for you. For concerns or questions, please email us at uwc@baylor.edu. If you have problems logging in to your online consultation or have other questions about your consultation, please email your consultant directly. 

Any student, faculty, or staff member is welcome to schedule an appointment using our online scheduler. Drop-ins are also welcome, but we can't guarantee availability so it's best to make an appointment. For more information on how to schedule your online appointment, visit our Schedule an Appointment page.