letter from the vice chancellor

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3 letter from the vice chancellor The Division of Student Life at the University of Tennessee is comprised of seventeen departments working collectively to provide students the programs and services essential to ensuring a successful college experience. Our staff takes great pride in assisting students from every college and major by offering opportunities for involvement, promoting wellness, and encouraging excellence. The academic profile of students on our campus has changed over the past several years. Freshmen in the Class of 2014 enrolled with an average ACT score of 26.5, and over 40 percent held high-school grade point averages of 4.0, above the average among Top 25 universities. (Statistics for Class of 2015 are expected to be similar to those of 2014 and we can insert the updated numbers when they are calculated.) In 2010, UT Knoxville began its quest to become one of the Top 25 public research universities in the nation within the next ten years. Under the leadership of Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek, the Vol Vision 2015 strategic plan was developed to help achieve this ambitious goal. Campus administrators, faculty and staff are working diligently to recruit, retain, and graduate the best and brightest undergraduate and graduate students in Tennessee and throughout the world. In order to serve these talented students, our Division is tasked with increasing opportunities for leadership and campus involvement, fostering a culture of diversity, and enhancing divisional identity and partnerships across campus and within the community. As the blueprint for Vol Vision was revealed to the campus, the Division of Student Life began efforts to compose a divisional strategic plan. The Strategic Planning Task Force was charged with developing a proposal for Student Life which would complement Vol Vision and direct divisional enhancement efforts. The Task Force was composed of staff, students, faculty, and alumni whose efforts included soliciting input from various constituents, performing extensive research and evaluation, and engaging in critical dialogue in order to prepare a guide for the future of Student Life. This document is the result of their thorough, intensive, and thoughtful analysis. The plan is composed of five strategic initiatives and comprehensive recommendations for achievement. This is a working document, dynamic rather than static, which will be reviewed, modified, and revised as needed over the course of the journey. I am extremely proud of the hard work and dedication exhibited by the members of the Task Force during the past months. It is my pleasure to present the Division of Student Life Strategic Plan. W. Timothy Rogers Vice Chancellor for Student Life 3

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5 Table of contents: Mission Statement Student Engagement and Success Student Environment Student Learning Student Services & Communication Staff Support Appendices A. Vol Vision: Journey to the Top 25, 5 Strategic Priorities B. Strategic Planning Task Force Members C. Student Life Departments 5

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7 mission statement The mission of the Division of Student Life is to foster the intellectual, cultural, social and emotional development of students by providing a climate conducive to learning and personal growth, enabling them to become fully productive members of a global community. To achieve this mission we will: Engage all students in meaningful co-curricular opportunities to promote retention and persistence toward graduation. Foster a campus environment that meets students evolving cultural, physical, social, and facilities needs. Sustain and strengthen partnerships with Academic Affairs to support the academic mission of the institution. Enhance services for students through data-informed decision making, branding, and communication. Support ability of staff to be effective student affairs practitioners and administrators. To ensure best practices, all objectives will be assessed by utilizing appropriate measures such as performance indicatior data, normed-surveys, focus groups, participation and usage data, and professional standards. 7

8 8 Goal 1

9 student engagement & success Engage all students in meaningful co-curricular opportunities to promote retention and persistence toward graduation Objectives: Consistently use and track data to inform practice that will increase student retention, engagement, and persistence. Demonstrate collaborative efforts among various departments to actively facilitate the progression of all students academic endeavors, health and safety, cultural experiences, and successes outside the classroom. Enhance and generate additional opportunities for formal and informal learning experiences through student leadership, support for academic initiatives, and civic and cultural education. 9

10 10 Goal 2

11 student environment Foster a campus environment that meets students evolving cultural, physical, social, and facilities needs Objectives: Strengthen communication with students, faculty, and staff regarding facilities, projects, and services, and incorporate, as appropriate, input from students on how facilities and services might better meet needs. Continuously enhance the quality of facilities for all students, staff, and faculty through ensuring accessibility, sustainability, and a commitment to the highest level of maintenance and cleanliness. Design state-of-the-art spaces that address evolving student, staff, and faculty needs by maximizing space, providing the most current technology, and planning for future needs as new facilities are built, or existing buildings are renovated. Advocate for student needs through the enhancement of diversity, social justice, and intercultural initiatives. Continue to promote civility and inclusion on campus as an essential, non-negotiable attribute of being a Tennessee Volunteer. 11

12 12 Goal 3

13 student learning Sustain and strengthen partnerships with Academic Affairs to support the academic mission of the institution Objectives: Expand partnerships and communication with faculty and/or academic units to provide more effective co-curricular programs and services to assist with increasing academic success, intellectual growth, healthy living, inclusivity and community, and student retention. Communicate more effectively the roles and services of the Division of Student Life to departments and individuals within Academic Affairs. Strengthen academic support initiatives such as First Year Studies, Life of the Mind, and Light the Torch through staff participation and promotion to students and families. 13

14 14 Goal 4

15 student services & communication Enhance services for students through data-informed decision making, branding, and communication Objectives: Support the building and implementation of a comprehensive branding and communication plan to better articulate the mission of the Division of Student Life through the use of print, social, and electronic media. Further streamline online and physical go to resources for students, alumni, parents, faculty, and staff that highlight and integrate the services within the Division of Student Life. Consolidate and promote online feedback systems to assist students in providing specific and implementable suggestions and feedback on Division services and practices. Enhance use of data gathered through multiple means to assess, evaluate, and drive change in Division practices. Allocate resources through assessment techniques designed to identify program, service, and/or facility needs of students, staff, faculty, and guests. 15

16 16 Goal 5

17 staff support Support ability of staff to be effective student affairs practitioners and administrators Objectives: Empower staff to identify and enhance resources by strengthening communication between staff and the Student Life Development Officer. Continue to foster a culture within division departments which recognizes the importance of personal wellness. Create or supplement additional opportunities for career and professional enhancement for staff at all levels of the Division through departmental and campuswide collaboration. Utilize yearly assessment of staff needs and well-being in order to enhance programs and services. Strengthen recognition and appreciation opportunities for staff throughout the year. 17

18 18 appendices

19 Appendix A vol vision: Journey to the Top 25 VOL Vision: The Pursuit of the Top 25 ( VOL Vision ), was drafted under the leadership of Provost Susan Martin and completed in Fall of The VOL Vision priorities below align with the Top 25 metrics, and provide broad strategic direction for the University: Undergraduate Education: Recruit, develop, and graduate a diverse body of undergraduate students who through engagement in academic, social, and cultural experiences, embrace the Volunteer Spirit as life-long learners committed to the principles of ethical and professional leadership. Graduate Education: Educate and graduate increasing numbers of diverse graduate and professional students who are equipped to address the pressing concerns of their fields, to extend the frontiers of knowledge, and to contribute to the public good through service to the academy or their professions. Research: Strengthen our capacity and productivity in research, scholarship, and creative activity to better educate our students; enhance economic, social, and environmental development; support outreach to our various constituencies; and extend the reputation and recognition of our campus. Faculty: Attract and retain stellar, diverse faculty and staff who will proudly represent our campus, execute our mission, embrace our vision, exemplify our values, and collaborate to realize our strategic priorities. Infrastructure and Resources: Continually improve the resource base, including attracting and retaining excellent staff, to achieve campus priorities by carefully balancing state revenues, tuition, and private funding, and by embracing stewardship of our campus infrastructure and a culture that values sustainability. 19

20 Appendix B Strategic planning task force members: melissa shivers, Co-Chair, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Life Margaret Sallee, Co-Chair, Assistant Professor, Higher Education Administration Patrick Ladd, Parents Association, Assistant Director Frank Cuevas, University Housing, Executive Director Angi Smith, Dean of Students, Associate Dean Stephanie Kit, Career Services, Associate Director Phillip Smith, Student Activities, Assistant Director Joan Heminway, College of Law, Professor Avery Howard, Student Government Association Jonathan Kinnard, Minority Achievement Program Meghan Morgan, Alumnae Ryan Provost, Graduate Student David Ndiaye, Disability Services, Assistant Director Victor Barr, Counseling Center, Director Justin Burns, Graduate Student 20

21 Appendix C student life departments: Division of student life, career services, counseling center, dean of students, disability services, fraternity affairs, multicultural student life, panhellenic affairs, parents association, recsports, see center, student activities, student health center, student judicial affairs, student orientation and leadership development, student publications, university center, university housing, 21

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