Strategic Goals and Objectives

Division of Student Life mission statement is developed for:

1. The staff who work in the DSL

To help with our goal setting

• To help structure our work
• To guide our decision-making

2. The students, faculty and staff of the university - to help them understand our work

3. The parents and other stakeholders - to help them understand why we do what we do

Consistent with the mission of the division and the university, The Division of Student Life leadership team developed the following plan as a tool for advancing the work of the division.

The team identified strategic goal categories (or focal areas) from which they adopted strategic initiatives to guide the work. Each department will develop strategies consistent with these initiatives that will directly advance our work toward the attainment of our goals.

Priority #1: Student Learning

• 1.1 Design educationally-purposeful and creative activities so that SU students develop and enhance critical-thinking abilities, life skills and life-long learning
• 1.2 Carefully design policies, processes and services to maximize opportunities to actively engage students in campus life.
• 1.3 Develop programs and services that encourage student persistence to graduation
• 1.4 Establish appropriate standards of student behavior to help students develop values and ethics
• 1.5 Create programs and enhance the awareness of opportunities for leadership development in out of class activities
• 1.6 Promote opportunities for service learning to enhance life skills, values education and career development
• 1.7 Encourage and respect creative expression that fosters student learning

Priority #2: Excellence in the delivery of programs and services

• 2.1 Identify, prioritize and adapt best practices in student affairs
• 2.2 Systematically assess student outcomes and analyze data to continuously improve our programs and services
• 2.3 Identify and acquire innovative resources to improve the delivery of our programs and services
• 2.4 Celebrate student accomplishments
• 2.5 Establish standards for each unit and maintain accountability to those standards
• 2.6 Develop effective marketing techniques that promote the programs and services of student affairs to the SU community

Priority #3: Environment & Facilities

• 3.1 Establish safe, accessible, adaptable and well-equipped space that enriches the student collegiate experience
• 3.2 Create welcoming and inviting spaces that maximize student interaction
• 3.3 Develop facilities that are relevant to current trends in student life to enhance the recruitment and retention of students
• 3.4 Implement innovative use of facilities in order to maximize the connection between the physical environment and student learning
• 3.5 Annually assess the condition and utility of the facilities and plan for appropriate maintenance or improvements

Priority #4: Health and Safety

• 4.1 Deliver quality and cost effective health services for the university with a strong emphasis on prevention
• 4.2 Regularly assess university processes and facilities for compliance with safety standards
• 4.3 Provide health and safety education for all Shenandoah students
• 4.4 Provide support for the SU community (specifically students??) to incorporate Spirituality in achieving personal and emotional wellness
• 4.5 Create programs and services that enable students to identify high-risk behaviors and adopt healthy alternatives
• 4.6 Adopt professional standards for health-care providers and regularly assess campus community for compliance
• 4.7 Incorporate the mental, physical and spiritual approaches to life choices to maximize potential

Priority #5: Diversity/Multiculturalism

• 5.1 Cultivate a caring community where members valued, nurtured, and respect each other
• 5.2 Enhance university-wide awareness of cultural, ethnic and societal differences
• 5.3 Create an environment that affirms an individual's cultural identities
• 5.4 Generate opportunities for diverse populations to learn from each other
• 5.5 Support widespread participation in initiatives that foster global understanding

Priority #6: Professionalism

• 6.1 Aggressively recruit, develop and retain competent, qualified, and diverse staff and administration
• 6.2 Identify professional standards and model appropriate behavior
• 6.3 Promote a culture of excellence that recognizes staff for outstanding accomplishments
• 6.4 Institutionalize the expectation of professional development for all staff
• 6.5 Manage resources responsibly and effectively
• 6.6 Maintain compliance with reporting requirements

Priority #7: Regional Engagement/Outreach Programs

• 7.1 Develop partnerships with community agencies to enhance the effectiveness of program delivery and promote SU's public recognition
• 7.2 Cultivate collaborative agreements with professional agencies to broaden student learning opportunities
• 7.3 Embrace the community to foster recruitment (how should this be said?)
• 7.4 Assist students in broading their identity to include the global community
• 7.5 Promote and support educational opportunities in the form of summer camps and conferences

Priority #8: Technology

• 8.1 Judiciously select technologies that meet the needs of student and the professional
• 8.2 Stay abreast of emerging technologies that can enhance student affairs programs and services
• 8.3 Adapt technology that will improve services and to enhance student success