P a g e 1 University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Division of Student Affairs Strategic Plan Introduction: On October 25, 2012, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Al Thompson, convened the initial meeting of the Student Affairs Strategic Planning Committee. The committee was given the charge of developing a strategic plan for the Division of Student Affairs that will carry the division forward through the next three to five years. Aligned with the University Strategic Plan and guided by the Student Affairs Mission, Vision and Values, the Student Affairs Strategic Plan will provide for the unique and evolving needs of University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point students as well as the campus community. The strategic planning process was completed with input from students as well as representatives from all departments within the Division of Student Affairs (appendix A). Each department in Student Affairs was initially asked to perform a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis. The committee then reviewed the SWOT analysis and organizational structure for each department. Five main themes were identified by the committee: Communication/Marketing, Student Success, Climate, Culture of Learning, and Leveraging Resources. These themes formed the framework used to direct the goals, objectives and actions steps within the strategic plan. Mission Statement: The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Division of Student Affairs is dedicated to providing students with transformational living and learning experiences. In partnership with the university and community, the division supports an environment of mutual respect and integrity that encourages students to achieve their optimal potential as individuals, scholars, and global citizens. Vision Statement: The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Division of Student Affairs will be regarded as a premier student affairs division whose innovative professionals create a nurturing environment where students thrive and further cultivate and live their values and ethics.
P a g e 2 The Division of Student Affairs Values: Caring community Commitment Diversity Engagement Growth/change Inclusivity Involvement Lifelong learning Mentor students to thrive in life after college Partnership Reflection Reinvest what students have learned Respect Responsibility Safe environment Student centered Transparency Values/ethics for life beyond campus Whole student focus Goals, Objectives, and Action Items THEME: Communications/Marketing GOAL 1: The division of Student Affairs will develop communication/marketing strategies and infrastructure to engage and inform stakeholders. Statement of the Issue: Student Affairs currently employs a variety of efforts to market and brand individual departments within Student Affairs. Unfortunately, these efforts and artifacts do not have a consistent message about the impact of our programs and services on the student and to our campus community. OBJECTIVES 1.1: Design and implement a Student Affairs Communication Plan to deliver a cohesive message and increase awareness of the Student Affairs organization, its services, and the value it provides. A. Develop a Student Affairs Communication and Marketing Committee (SACMC) to review existing Student Affairs publications and develop a communication plan to assist in telling the story of Student Affairs to internal and external constituencies. B. SACMC will consist of a member from each unit in Student Affairs and will be responsible for the development of the brand/marketing strategy for the division. C. SACMC will develop content for overarching Student Affairs publications that will explain: Who We Are and What We Do an awareness campaign using key words to describe what Student Affairs is about, an email campaign, and a Student Affairs newsletter publication for students and their parents.
P a g e 3 D. If necessary, the Student Affairs Office will hire at least one student worker, reporting to the program assistant in the Student Affairs Office who will provide graphic design, social media, and Web support for this initiative. E. Opportunities will be created for informal internal communication. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICTORS: Development of committee, hiring of student worker, review of Student Affairs publications/marketing by committee to ensure effective marketing tools and consistent telling our story language and appropriate visuals in accordance to UWSP marketing guidelines. RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Central Office Team PROJECTED INITIATION DATE: 2013 Statement of the Issue: Student Affairs Strategic Planning committee members identified lack of awareness of services as a major problem for our students. This was also confirmed by the findings of focus groups by Equity Scorecard and navigating the UWSP website as well as getting connected to support services was identified as an institutional barrier. In addition, the Retention Task Force cited that it was difficult for faculty to refer students to proper support offices and services. OBJECTIVES 1.2: Design and implement a UWSP information portal website for nonacademic information that UWSP students, parents, faculty, staff, and community stakeholders might seek. A. The SACMC will recommend content to be linked on existing departmental pages to this new page to best serve those noted in objective 1.2. B. The SACMC will recommend cohesive content matching the themes and designs being developed. C. If necessary, the Student Affairs Office will hire at least one student worker, reporting to the program assistant in the Student Affairs Office who will provide graphic design, social media, and web support for this initiative. D. Responsibilities for this objective will eventually fall under the Dean of Students Office.
P a g e 4 Publication of website, hiring of student and effective implementation of web materials (all in accordance with UWSP marketing guidelines.) RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Central Office Team, Dean of Students PROJECTED INITIATION DATE: 2013 (simultaneously with Objective 1.1) THEME: Student Success GOAL 2: The Division of Student Affairs will engage students through our programs and services in order to promote and strengthen student development and success. Statement of the Issue: The Student Affairs Assessment Team noted that the Division of Student Affairs has limited development of student learning outcomes as well limited understanding on how to assess learning. In addition, the new General Education Program (GEP) includes an experiential learning component to the curriculum. It seems a natural fit for Student Affairs to develop learning outcomes for departments as well as partner with Academic Affairs in forwarding this GEP outcome. OBJECTIVES 2.1: Establish an assessment-based culture within Student Affairs to maximize efficiency and effectiveness while fostering a campus community which understands and utilizes integrated student learning outcomes. A. Identify shared learning outcomes for programs and departments in the division. B. Increase student awareness of learning outcomes derived from interactions with Student Affairs. C. Enhance co-curricular programs offered through Student Affairs by developing a centralized process that generates, develops, and implements consistent, assessable learning outcomes. D. Establish consistent departmental assessment planning and reporting. E. Coordinate assessment initiatives and resources among departments. F. Create a reporting and communication structure to share assessment results with the campus community, including division staff, Academic Affairs and university administration. G. Use assessment results (learning outcomes, assessment plans, program reviews, etc.) as one tool to inform program, department, and divisional planning. H. Develop and evaluate annually, a process that ties assessment results to division priorities.
P a g e 5 Development of learning outcomes, development of experiential learning training process and student evaluations. Evidence of incorporation of assessment in planning and program reviews. Development of assessment communication such as website, newsletter, linkages to University Relations and Communications, and CDAT assessment forums &/or mini-conference. Student Affairs department and program assessments. RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Each department is responsible for yearly assessment. Annual assessment reports to be submitted to the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs by August 1. PROJECTED INITIATION DATE: 2016 Statement of the Issue: The Enrollment Management Team has the charge to enroll a student population that is reflective of our community. Student Affairs needs to be ready to accommodate for the changing demographics of the incoming student population. OBJECTIVES 2.2: Develop strategies to meet the needs of an ever-changing student population by partnering with programs and services throughout the university. A. Use existing data and on-going data collection to review existing programs and services to determine their effectiveness in serving the needs of diverse student populations. B. Work collaboratively with the Office of Admissions and Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management to anticipate needs of entering cohorts. C. Evaluate and enhance as appropriate, the funding and staffing for special, at-risk, and/or underrepresented populations (e.g. nontraditional, commuter students, international students, veterans, and transfer students). D. Review and restructure New Student Orientation. E. Create intentional collaboration opportunities with academic departments to promote student success especially as the new general education requirements become effective. F. Implement focused activities to improve retention and graduation of students, with particular emphasis on at-risk and underrepresented students. G. Assess, identify, and develop programs to address the unique needs of each year of the students development: first year, sophomore, junior, senior and beyond.
P a g e 6 Development or increased enrollments in student support programs. Retention analysis of students enrolled in student support programs. Design and implementation of appropriate assessment of student orientation and first-year programs. NSSE indicators of student success and engagement. MAP-Works success indicators and analysis. Student Affairs department and program level assessment. RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Institutional Research Office, Director of Diversity and College Access PROJECTED INITIATION DATE: 2014 Statement of the Issue: Conventional wisdom suggests that living holistically through the seven dimensions of wellness impacts student success and engagement. Too few UW-Stevens Point students achieve balance across the dimensions and thus fail to thrive and/or do not reach their full potential. OBJECTIVES 2.3: Educate and empower students to make choices that enhance personal and community wellness across the seven dimensions: physical, emotional, intellectual, social, environmental, spiritual and career. Measurable Objectives: A. Maintain a cross departmental Wellness Team with representation from relevant stakeholder groups to accomplish committee objectives. B. Create a communications plan and effective tools (e.g. electronic resources) to disseminate information throughout campus about the seven dimensions of wellness, valuable initiatives and resources. C. Educate staff and students on the 7 dimensions of wellness. D. Build capacity among staff and students to effectively advocate for and refer to services. E. Establish and sustain a data hub for units to coordinate and/or share relevant assessment results. F. Assist departments in developing program and service objectives that result in achievable learning outcomes, specific to the seven dimensions of wellness, as appropriate.
P a g e 7 Potential Departmental Objectives: Provide programs and services to address physical wellness to include, but not be limited to, fitness, intramurals, health, and food choices. Provide programs and services to address emotional wellness to include, but not be limited to, mental health, stress management, community-building, and healthy relationships. Provide programs and services to address intellectual wellness to include, but not be limited to, study skills assistance, goal setting, and managing transitions. Provide programs and services to address social wellness to include, but not be limited to, diversity, volunteerism, respect, and engagement. Provide programs and services to address spiritual wellness to include, but not be limited to, values exploration, belonging, reflection, and belief in greater purpose. Provide programs and services to address career wellness to include, but not be limited to, exploration, involvement, work, and managing finances. Provide programs and services to address environmental wellness to include, but not be limited to, community safety, environmental attentiveness, and resource conservation. AODA survey results. Greek life survey results. BCSSE, NSSE and FSSE related indicators. Direct Connects assessment and implementation. Student Affairs program and department assessments. RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Health and Wellness Team PROJECTED INITIATION DATE: 2013 Statement of the Issue: Retention and persistence rates of UWSP students have been trending positively. Student Affairs programs have demonstrated assessment data that indicates that these programs have a positive effect on retention and persistence. Currently, only a third of our entering students are enrolled in Student Affairs programs that have a demonstrated impact on students academic performance and persistence. OBJECTIVES 2.4: Strengthen and expand existing successful programs and services in Student Affairs and develop new ideas, concepts, and programs that have the best potential and results for promoting student success.
P a g e 8 A. Assess existing programs to determine their contributions to student success. Eliminate unsuccessful programs. B. Expand the capacity of successful existing and develop new learning communities (e.g. sophomore, residential, commuter, transfer). C. Encourage more participation in learning communities and allow for flexibility to provide learning communities in successful areas. D. Improve efficiencies through the utilization of program review recommendations in short- and long-term planning. E. Identify ways to demonstrate how current or new programs add value to the student experience. F. Develop programs that integrate curricular and co-curricular components. G. Improve first-year students utilization of campus support services and provide programs that offer common experiences that help students to identify themselves as a part of the UWSP community. H. Develop a vision and plan for promoting student development through the firstyear experiences offered at UWSP (e.g. First-Year Experience, orientation, convocation) I. Collaborate with Academic Affairs and other campus entities to provide a strong First-Year Seminar program that connects new students to all campus support services. J. Develop a campus committee dedicated to enhancing the transfer students experience by meeting on a monthly basis to enhance the coordination of services, and collectively identify unmet need of this population. K. Explore the creation of and encourage the development of new courses specifically designed to address the academic and social integration needs of special populations. First-Year Experience plan. Student Affairs department and program level assessment data. RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Retention Team PROJECTED INITIATION DATE: 2014 THEME: Climate GOAL 3: The Division of Student Affairs will build a welcoming, engaging, safe, and inclusive community that creates a sense of belonging for all students and staff.
P a g e 9 Statement of the Issue: The UWSP climate survey, recent focus group data from Equity Scorecard, and experiences of students relayed to Student Affairs staff indicate that the UWSP climate does impact student and staff retention, feelings of inclusion and general success. OBJECTIVES 3.1: Ensure that student-centeredness is at the core of our programs and practices. A. Include students in assessing and planning all programs and practices. B. Provide leadership and training at all levels of Student Affairs staff in the student development model. C. Student Affairs will serve as a community of educators who ensure that cocurricular learning experiences are an integral and essential part of a student s university experience. NSSE, BCSSE and FSSE identified indicators. Department level assessment of any and all departmental assessments related to climate. RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Directors of Student Affairs departments, Professional Development Team, student leaders of advisory groups. PROJECTED INITIATION DATE: 2013 OBJECTIVES 3.2: Create a plan to coordinate existing programs and develop new efforts to promote cross-cultural competency and inclusion among UWSP community members. A. Increase staff diversity. 1. Due to the vastness of this action item, the Team needs to hone in on a specific group and move forward. Increase both student and professional staff. B. In collaboration with the Inclusivity Director, provide education, training, and development opportunities on this topic for staff and students. C. Develop strategies for recruiting diverse candidates to apply and be successful as Student Affairs staff.
P a g e 10 D. Create a Student Affairs recruitment brochure and pre-employment orientation to the campus community. E. Support the creation of a campus climate office as per recommended in the UWSP Strategic Plan. Review of professional development plans. Potential NASPA staff competency evaluations RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs/Chief Diversity Officer, Student Affairs Department Directors, Central Office Team PROJECTED INITIATION DATE: 2015 THEME: Culture of Learning GOAL 4: The Division of Student Affairs will advance the philosophy that learning takes place in all aspects of campus life. We will engage students holistically to collaboratively provide purposeful learning experiences and environments that support the university s mission and learning goals. Statement of the Issue: Campus climate data, HERI faculty survey data, Academic Staff survey data, NSSE data and student assessment data has indicated that UWSP has reasons to improve campus engagement that in turn fosters deep learning that transcends the classroom. OBJECTIVES 4.1: Develop a core set of collaborative, intentional learning initiatives and programs to promote healthy student development. A. The Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs will identify, along with a consultant or other resources, a philosophical framework for division use. B. Form an implementation workgroup. Implementation and assessment of learning initiatives. RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Institutional Planner PROJECTED INITIATION DATE: 2015
P a g e 11 OBJECTIVES 4.2: Develop a division-wide professional development program for staff based on a cross-functional competencies model. A. Develop a division-wide professional development program for each of the five strategic plan themes to increase knowledge about divisional priorities. B. Student Affairs Professional Development Committee will identify a crossfunctional competency model to be used. C. Student Affairs directors will identify core competencies for Student Affairs staff. D. Student Affairs departments will identify new strategies for achieving curriculum goals. E. These goals will be incorporated into the Student Affairs departmental professional development planning. RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Student Affairs Professional Development Committee, Student Affairs Department Directors PROJECTED INITIATION DATE: 2015 Theme: Leveraging Resources GOAL 5: The Division of Student Affairs will establish and sustain necessary resources to advance divisional priorities. PERSONNEL/ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Statement of the Issue: After review of the Student Affairs departmental organizational charts, the planning committee realized that our division could benefit from reviewing our current structures to ensure strategic alignment of staff and organizational resources, reduce duplication and identify areas of resource sharing. OBJECTIVES 5.1.1: Evaluate staffing patterns and organizational structure within Student Affairs in order to remain relevant to the needs of our current and future populations of students.
P a g e 12 A. Review Equity Scorecard and ensure that staffing patterns reflect recommendations within. Implementation of Diversity Plan and identified indicators. FSSE, HERI indicators on climate. Climate survey administration and analysis. RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Director of Diversity and College Access, Institutional Planner PROJECTED INITIATION DATE: 2014 Statement of the Issue: AODA survey data, in-house assessment data and recommendations from the Retention Task Force all indicate the need for a single department to handle Rights and Responsibilities, conduct issues, late withdrawals, and probation and suspension cases. OBJECTIVES 5.1.2: Create an Office of Dean of Students to be a proactive department that provides programs and services of interest to all UWSP students and parents as appropriate. A. Hire a Dean of Students. B. Identify the unmet informational and programmatic needs of the UWSP community. 1. Continue to develop the Behavioral Intervention Team. C. Create this office as a centralized place for students and parents to receive information, referrals and support in connecting to needed resources. D. Create a new centralized website (See Objective 1.2) E. Create and fill case manager position. Consistent use, monitoring, and analysis of cases in Maxient. AODA survey indicators. NSSE, BCSSE indicators. RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Dean of Students, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
P a g e 13 PROJECTED INITIATION DATE: 2013 Statement of the Issue: The strategic planning committee cited that the current State financial system doesn t provide detailed financial and cost data in the timely fashion that is necessary to manage our financial resources. In addition, with the departure of our current financial staff person, there is a reduction in financial services for our division. OBJECTIVES 5.1.3: Create financial analyst position in the Student Affairs Central Office. ACTION ITEMS A. Develop a detailed financial reporting system. B. Continue to work on fulfilling Objective 5.3.1. RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Financial Analyst PROJECTED INITIATION DATE: 2013-2014 OBJECTIVES 5.1.4: Create cross-departmental functional teams within the division of Student Affairs. A. Create a Central Office Team. B. Create an Auxiliaries Team. C. Create a Health and Wellness Team. D. Create a Diversity Team. E. Create a Retention Team. F. Create a Strategic Planning Review and Reporting Team. RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs PROJECTED INITIATION DATE: 2013
P a g e 14 FACILITIES Statement of the Issue: The Student Affairs Strategic Committee noted limited planning resources allocated to Student Affairs. OBJECTIVES 5.2.1: Enhance Student Affairs existing facilities through effective planning, programming, and cost analysis of maintenance, renovations and construction. A. Develop a master plan to prioritize projects for funding cycles. B. Ensure that new projects and renovations meet current and future needs of the campus. C. Create an effective preventive maintenance plan for facilities. Student Affairs space master plan completion. Implementation of space allocation and reallocation. Maintenance plan designed and implemented. RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Assistant to Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Financial Analyst, Assistant Campus Planner PROJECTED INITIATION DATE: 2014 FINANCES OBJECTIVES 5.3.1: Create and maintain a climate of fiscal accountability and sustainability with transparency between all Student Affairs auxiliary units. A. Review of ongoing auxiliary and segregated fee rate structures. Involve students as necessary. B. Educate ourselves, the Student Affairs division, and the campus community about auxiliary enterprises. C. Educate others outside of the university about Student Affairs auxiliary units. D. Use knowledge to secure and maintain financial resources for Student Affairs. Review of financial data to identify inequities and inconsistencies. Implementation of consistent fee rates and mechanism for review. Track external funding sources, awards and applications.
P a g e 15 Complete annual reviews of each Student Affairs auxiliary budget. Create a package of informational materials for each Student Affairs auxiliary unit. Develop a comprehensive Student Affairs auxiliary annual financial report template for departmental use. Establish a timeline for annual reporting processes for this committee that is consistent with campus timelines and deadlines. RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Financial Analyst, Auxiliaries Team PROJECTED INITIATION DATE: 2013 TECHNOLOGY OBJECTIVE 5.4.1: Ensure that the division can effectively communicate and provide the most up to date model of service delivery with ever-changing technology. A. The division will inventory its technology and assess areas that require an update to improve efficiency. B. The division will provide all new staff with basic technology training (e.g. SharePoint, email, information processing, etc.), and offer existing staff the same development opportunity. Training, certification of staff. RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Student Affairs Directors, Strategic Planning Professional Development Committee PROJECTED INITIATION DATE: 2015 Conclusion The Committee recommends the formation of a committee to conduct an annual review of the strategic plan to assess progress and/or completion of the action items and/or objectives. Responsible parties will determine appropriate completion dates and prioritization of action items. These completion dates will be reported to the Annual Review Committee.
P a g e 16 Appendix A Committee Members: Danielle Beschta Assistant Director, Conference and Reservations Jackie Christianson Program Assistant, Division of Student Affairs Stacey Gerken Director, Counseling Services Mark Hayes Director, University Dining Services Becky Helf Director, University Child Learning and Care Center Laura Ketchum-Ciftci Director, University Centers Susan Malnory Assistant Director, Residential Living Jen Sorenson Administrative Director, Student Health Service, Chair Ryan Specht Student Life Issues Director, Student Government Association Shari Summers Institutional Planner Henry Wojnicki Director, Upward Bound Appendix B Glossary of terms, acronyms and abbreviations: 1. Mission Statement Describes the division s purpose, scope and capabilities; what the division does. 2. Vision Statement Describes the division s desires and aspirations; what the division wants to be. 3. Values Fundamental principles that guide the division in accomplishing its mission. 4. Strategic Themes Statements of intended divisional focus/direction based on the mission, vision and values. 5. Goals Targeted items that direct progress within the broader strategic themes. 6. Objectives Specific initiatives designed to realize goals. 7. Action Steps A series of specific steps to achieve objectives. 8. Learning Outcomes knowledge, skills, and abilities that students have attained as a result of their involvement in a particular set of educational experiences. 9. Assessment The use of evidence based measures to determine progress. 10. Inclusivity Welcoming and valuing a wide range of social, economic, racial and cultural differences as well as a variety of life experiences. 11. Cross-cultural competencies The core skills, knowledge and experience required to work or respond effectively across cultures in a way that acknowledges and respects the culture of the person or organization being served. 12. Cross-functional competencies The core skills, knowledge and experience to understand different contributions from other disciplines and work with colleagues from across the organization to achieve better results.
P a g e 17 13. NSSE (National Survey of Student Engagement) Institutional wide survey of students to capture engagement practices of the institution and student that promote student learning. 14. BCSSE (Beginning College Student Survey of Engagement) Institutional wide survey of students to capture high school academic and co-curricular experiences and expectations for participating in educationally purposeful activities during the first year of college. 15. FSSE (Faculty Survey of Student Engagement) Institutional wide survey of Faculty designed to capture faculty s engagement in high impact practices that foster student learning. 16. HERI (Higher Education Research Institute) HERI Faculty Survey is designed to measure issues impacting faculty and administrators today. 17. NASPA National Association of Student Affairs Professionals 18. Equity Scorecard Systematic process to identify institutional barriers and equity gaps of students of color. 19. MAP-Works Student survey designed to capture at risk students. Also known as an Early Alert Student Warning system.
P a g e 18 Appendix C: Student Affairs Organizational Chart: Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Budget and Policy Analyst Program Assistant A.C. Dean of Students Counseling Center Diversity and College Access Child Learning Center Residential Living Dining and Summer Conferences University Centers Student Health Service Center for Prevention