Information supporting all online degree completion students can be found by logging into WebbConnect and Blackboard and clicking on the Online Degree Completion tab at the top of the Blackboard menu. In addition, a general New Online Student Orientation Webinar is hosted by Adult and Distance Education before the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. A recorded orientation is located in the New Students section of the Online Degree Completion area in Blackboard.
Refer to the online calendar for important dates for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Many of the academic services described in this section can also be found in all Gardner-Webb Blackboard courses. Click the “Support Services” link on the left-hand navigation of your course.
At Gardner-Webb University, academic advising is a shared responsibility of the student, success coach, and faculty.
Students entering Gardner-Webb University are assigned a personal success coach (with the exception of nursing and education) from the Digital Learning Enrollment division who will assist them with academic advising/registration from their first semester through graduation. In the nursing and education majors, after the student demonstrates academic success, he/she is transitioned to a faculty advisor who will mentor the student in the chosen career field and assist students in the registration process. The success coach/faculty advisor works closely with the students to successfully clarify and attain their personal, professional, and academic goals. Success coaches also provide direct assistance and serve as a bridge or ombudsperson between students and faculty advisors (Nursing and Education), Registrar Services, the Student Accounts Office, Financial Planning, academic support services, and other University resources in order to help students enroll successfully and persist to graduation.
Who is my success coach/faculty advisor?
It is important that you become familiar with the Gardner-Webb University Academic Catalog’s GWU Online Undergraduate Program section. The information in the catalog is important to your academic success, especially the section entitled Academic Policies. The catalog includes information regarding: course registration; changing, adding, dropping, and withdrawing from courses; removal from class; medical withdrawal; military deployment; academic load; auditing courses; credit by exam; attendance policy; exams and assessments; grades; academic standing; academic probation, suspension, and dismissal; and repeating passed courses.
Study the catalog carefully. It is your primary responsibility to familiarize yourself with these policies and understand how they affect your progress toward graduation. Your advisor and others can assist you, but ultimately it is your responsibility if correct policies and procedures are not followed.
Dover Library provides students with a robust research collection to meet their academic needs. The majority of the library’s collection can be accessed online through the library’s homepage. This includes over 110 online databases, 115,000 eBooks, and subject specific research guides. Items not held in the GWU collection can be requested through the GWU Interlibrary Loan service.
A team of librarians are available for students needing research assistance. Librarians are available by phone, reference chat, and email.
Location: Dover Library (Main Campus)Phone: (704) 406-4290Website: For current business hours, reference support hours, or additional information, visit the GWU Library homepage.
Peer Tutoring is an academic support service that is available to online students through either Zoom or MS Teams. Course-specific peer-tutoring services contribute to the tutors’ and tutees’ personal development and academic success. While Peer Tutoring is not equipped to offer tutoring assistance for all Gardner-Webb courses (especially in the major), the team strives to provide tutoring assistance for highly requested courses found within Gardner-Webb University’s curriculum. Should you have questions or concerns regarding Peer Tutoring, contact the Director of Tutoring at (704) 406-2254 or email to [email protected]
To make an appointment through WebbConnect:
1. Log into WebbConnect 2. Click on Academic Support 3. Click on Peer Tutoring Appointment Scheduler 4. Choose a class from the drop-down menu 5. Select a date for your tutoring session 6. Select an available time 7. Click submit
Gardner-Webb’s Writing Center is dedicated to helping all Gardner-Webb University students with writing skills and the writing process. The Writing Center is designed to enhance a student’s own critical thinking, revision, and editing skills. The GWU Writing Center uses a variety of tools to provide services to online students at a distance:
To schedule an appointment with the Writing Center from the WebbConnect Launchpad:
Writing Center staff now offer Zoom sessions for live meeting with students at a distance. Students simply click on a link in an email invitation to attend the session. Students whose computers have microphones and/or webcams will be able to share a screen, talk, and video chat with the consultant for a live session.
Zoom will prompt you to join the session. Once the consultant sees the request, he/she will initiate the meeting. For more information, please reference GWU’s Writing Center web page: www.gardner-webb.edu/writingcenter. If you need assistance making an appointment, please call (704) 406-4393.
Each semester the Gardner-Webb University Student Accounts Office will provide an online bill for each student detailing charges (tuition, fees, etc.) and anticipated credits (grants, scholarships, loans, etc.). For registered students, the Student Bill generally becomes available for review about three weeks prior to the beginning of the semester. Later registrants may expect to see their Student Bill within a matter of minutes after registering. After reviewing the bill, questions regarding charges should be directed to the Student Accounts Office at (704) 406-4287. Questions regarding financial aid should be directed to the Financial Planning Office (704) 406-4243.
Please note: The deadline for making payment in full or enrolling in the Deferred Payment Plan is the last day of the month in which the classes begin. The exact due date will be provided on the Student Bill each semester.
The Financial Planning office assists students with all matters regarding financial aid eligibility through federal, state, local, and institutional sources.
It is necessary to reapply for financial aid each year. The free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is completed in January or later for the upcoming fall semester. A link to the website, fafsa.gov, is available from the Financial Planning homepage.
You will receive notification from the Financial Planning Office when your award package is complete. You will access your financial aid through WebbConnect, the University’s online portal. You will be taken through the steps to accept your financial aid and process your Stafford loans. WebbConnect also provides information on any outstanding requirements affecting the finalization of your award.
Financial aid recipients are required to be in good standing and to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward their degree requirements for each semester/term in which they are enrolled. SAP includes three standards (listed below. Students must meet all three standards to continue receiving financial aid.
In order to meet this quantitative standard, students must complete and earn credit for 67% of courses attempted each academic semester.
Any student that fails to make progress by receiving all Fs or WFs (or combination of both) in any given semester will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and will immediately lose eligibility for financial aid beginning the next semester regardless of the students’ GPA.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is evaluated at the end of each semester. You must meet requirement in order to be eligible for aid provided at Gardner-Webb. In general, for undergraduate students, you must earn 67% of hours attempted, must meet federal guidelines of a cumulative 2.0 GPA at the conclusion of 4 semesters of coursework, and cannot exceed 150% maximum timeframe to complete your degree. You can view more information related to SAP standards on the Financial Planning website.
Barnes and Noble College, a partner of GWU, offers digital courseware, textbooks, faculty adoption tools, open educational resources (OER), and customized store solutions (physical and digital). The company also offers GWU-licensed products for alumni, students, family and friends of the University in a convenient online environment. Details related to the bookstore are available at gardner-webb.bncollege.com.
The Center for Personal and Professional Development is dedicated to serving Gardner-Webb students and alumni with an emphasis on two fundamental roles—aiding in career exploration and self-discovery and providing resources to aid in the job search process. All Gardner-Webb students and alumni are eligible for the services including use of FOCUS, a computerized guidance system, résumé writing assistance, and job listing services. The Center also sponsors educational workshops, career planning events, and several career fairs throughout the year.
Check out the Online Learning Lab, which provides content from the most popular workshops in easy to complete modules, accessible to students at any time. Just click on a module link to begin.
Gardner-Webb is committed to providing a supportive and diverse Christian community for students as an integral part of its mission. Two virtual areas provide you with access to resources, support, and events to connect you to Christian community at Gardner-Webb.
In each Blackboard course, an area called “Christian Community” can be found in the left-hand course navigation. This area features a welcome video, resources for pastoral care, and access to RightNow media (an extensive collection of faith-based videos). Also in Blackboard, in the top navigation tabs, the “Faith@GWU” area provides contact information, campus event information, resources, and support.
You are invited to take advantage of the many resources that are available to connect you to Christian Community here at Gardner-Webb.
The University Counseling Center is staffed by a team of professionals trained in education and counseling who want to assist students in coping with difficulties and help make the most of their opportunities for success.
The University Counseling Center adheres to the code of ethics of the American Counseling Association and operates within a Christian perspective. All services provided are confidential and no information will be given to others without the consent of the individual.
The University Counseling Center provides services to students, faculty, and staff in a concerned, caring, and confidential setting. Services are provided to assist students in defining and accomplishing personal and academic goals. The services include:
The Noel Center offers accommodations and support services to students with disabilities who provide appropriate documentation. Accommodations are determined individually based on the information in the documentation and consultation with the student. Note taking, interpreting services, assistive technology, orientation and mobility, alternate text, and advising are available. The Center sponsors academic support groups for all disabilities as well as a social group for students on the Autism Spectrum. “Joyful Hands,” the Gardner-Webb sign language choir, is also sponsored by the Center. A mentor program is available for students who wish to be paired with an upperclassman who has a similar disability. The Center is housed in Frank Nanney Hall. Cheryl Potter, Associate Dean for the Noel Center for Disability Resources, [email protected] or (704) 406-4271.
Technology Services is Gardner-Webb University’s central technology resource. Technology Services works collaboratively with students, faculty, staff, and alumni to provide network security, academic and administrative computing support, email services, software licensing and management, and technology training.
If you need Blackboard support: Contact the Blackboard HelpDesk at (855) 406-5336
Report a problem: For general problems not related to Blackboard, submit a Work Order ticket. Login to WebbConnect and click on the Technology Service Desk button located under the Launch Pad on the left-hand side column. Clicking on this icon will take you to the Help Desk site where you can submit a service ticket or report a problem. Once a ticket has been entered, it will be reviewed and assigned to the appropriate person. You will receive an email notifying you of the ticket being assigned, progress updates and when the issue has been resolved.
Technical support: Contact Technology Services at (704) 406-4647.
Hours of availability: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Suttle Hall, Gardner-Webb University main campus.
GWU Students should be able to:
Note: Instructors may require additional course specific skills. Make sure to consult your course syllabus and/or your instructor.
Free Software: Microsoft Office 365
How to Download and Install Microsoft Office 365
The University Police Department is a multi-functional service agency dedicated to the protection of the University community through local, state, and federal laws. Crime prevention and campus safety are shared responsibilities that require the cooperation and involvement of students and employees alongside the seven full-time officers who have been certified by the N.C. Attorney General’s Office. Officers patrol the entire campus on foot and in marked/unmarked University Police vehicles. The University Police Department is located in the Poston Center and operates on a 365 day, 24-hour basis. Services on Main Campus include traffic control, a 24-hour emergency number, vehicle entry service for lockouts, vehicle jump-starts, and a safety escort service on campus.
All vehicles parked on Main Campus during normal business hours must have a current parking registration displayed properly. The permit must be displayed in the lower back left window of the vehicle. Main Campus parking permits are available online through WebbConnect by following the Housing-Meals-Vehicle link to Register a Vehicle.
Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. all students must park in a space marked with white lines. All Faculty and Staff must park in spaces marked with red lines. Monday through Friday between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. drivers may park in any legally marked space regardless of their status. Saturday and Sunday drivers may park in any legally marked space regardless of their status. Students whose classes meet at an off-site facility must comply with the parking regulations of that site.
In case of an emergency, dial 911. On Main Campus, also call the University Police at extension 4444 or (704) 406-4444.
Online students who wish to obtain a Gardner-Webb University Student ID Card, e-mail Teresa Harp at [email protected] with the following information:
Name, ID Number, Mailing Address, Campus (if applicable)
Gardner-Webb off-campus ID cards are designed without a photo. As ID requests are received, they are processed immediately and mailed to students.
Any change of a permanent address or marital status must be reported to Registrar Services by following the instructions under Maintain Information in WebbConnect.
The cultural enhancement of campus life and learning experiences is important to Gardner-Webb University. The University assists in the promotion of being Christ-like in all relationships with all people. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion furthers the mission by facilitating the embracing and celebrating of diversity. All diverse populations represented at the University are free from discrimination. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion serves the needs of the various ethnic groups within the student body through programs designed to promote intercultural understanding, awareness, and collaboration. The multicultural programs develop the support systems and advocacy networks for the student population.
The Office of International Programs was created to foster and celebrate international and cross-cultural educational experiences in this global environment among students, faculty and staff. As we make the campus a home away from home to our international students, scholars and faculty, we also encourage our local population to explore the world through exchange, faculty-led, or mission trips. Our goal is to internationalize our community. Reach us at (704) 406-4276.
