Goals

The cube

Student Life Strategic Priorities and Goals 2017-2022

Student Life Staff should also see the staff-specific 2021-2022 strategic goals on the Student Life Staff website.
 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Goal 1: Transform our Workforce to be More Diverse and Inclusive.

Transform our workforce by recruiting and attracting a diverse pool of candidates, implementing competency-based hiring processes designed to mitigate bias, and onboarding and training employees to participate in and contribute to this inclusive workforce. (Year 1-3)

Goal 2: Transform our Workplace to Foster an Equitable and Inclusive Environment for All

Transform our workplace by utilizing Multicultural Organizational Development principles to provide equitable access to professional development, create transparency about and opportunities for promotion, connect staff with effective mentorship and coaching, and to transform the physical environment to reflect and affirm the diversity of our staff. These efforts will lead to the retention of our diverse workforce and will maximize and leverage the diverse experience of our staff. (Year 1-3)

Goal 3: Deepen and Broaden Student Engagement in Student Life DEI initiatives.

Deepen and broaden student engagement by widening opportunities for student participation in existing Student Life programs, advancing opportunities for students to build a sustained and progressive pathway of DEI experiences, and promoting student-led initiatives in collaboration with Student Life, so that they may have an opportunity to learn and practice skills that will be transferable past graduation. (Year 1-5)

Goal 4: Create Systems and Better Leverage Data to Improve our Work

Create systems for data collection and data analysis related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (Year 1). Create a Data warehouse (Year 1-3) . Develop capacity among unit staff to collect, analyze and implement changes based on data Year 1-3) . Analyze data and translate data outcomes to practice (Year 1-3).

Goal 5: Align Efforts and Resources with Campus Commitment to DEI

Appropriately (re)align efforts and resources in concert with institutional progress and priorities related to the University’s DEI Plan. Prioritize investment in:

  • Strengthening existing advocacy, support and education and the first-year experience for students, improving DEI academic partnerships, and building the Trotter Multicultural Center on State Street. Encouraging innovation with pilot initiatives to develop a more global and inclusive student mindset
  • Improving assessment capacity to ensure our DEI work is more data-informed
  • Enhancing current staff DEI skills and awareness, while developing inclusive hiring practices and building equitable onboarding and development experiences for all new team members
  • Facilitating broad and diverse student engagement with DEI efforts

Harm Reduction and Well-Being

Goal 1: Mapping and Connecting our Work

Development (Year 1), Dissemination and Utilization of continuum/spectrum model of well-being and harm reduction/risk management that includes 1) promoting wellbeing, preventing harm, and managing risk and 3) incident management and intervening in active harm, and 3) resolving incidences of harm and providing recovery support for individuals and the community (Year 2-3) .

Goal 2: Assess Mutually Reinforcing Activities in service of Health and Wellness Learning Outcomes

Identify and measure the quantity and quality of mutually reinforcing activities within individual units across the division to support Student Life health & wellness learning outcomes & the 8 dimension model of well-being (Year 1). Measure effectiveness of mutually reinforcing activities and consider improvements, consolidation, and refinement (Year 2-3).

Goal 3: Proactively Addressing Mandates and Compliance Issues

Identify and document all mandates (federal, state, institutional) and compliance requirements (Year 1). Create an infrastructure to anticipate and proactively adapt policy and law changes (Year 2-5).

Goal 4: Create Systems and Better Leverage Data to Improve our Work

Create systems for data collection and data analysis (Year 1). Create a Data warehouse (Year 1-3) . Develop capacity among unit staff to collect, analyze and implement changes based on data (Year 1-3) . Analyze data and translate data outcomes to practice (Year 1-3).


Telling Our Story

Goal 1: Develop a long term strategic communications plan

Realizing that students spend the majority of their day engaged in Student Life offerings, develop a long term strategic communications plan that coordinates our story, develops our brand, allows us to be proactive, brings to light the work that we do and the impact that it has on students, and attracts resources. (Year 1)

Goal 2: Create Communication Infrastructure

Create a communications infrastructure that has dedicated structures, roles, and resources that enable us to deliver on our strategic communications plan. (Year 1-3)

Goal 3: Create a Culture of Communicating the Value of What We Do

Create a culture of communicating the value of what we do so that we can project our strength and importance in students’ educational experience, internally and externally. Shift from acting and communicating out of crisis to confidently acting and communicating out of thriving. (Year 1-5)

Goal 4: Document the Value of What We Do

Document our efforts through the collection and sharing of data for the greater good as well as for the benefit of the individual unit or effort. Use shared measures and synthesized data stories as the proof statement of our impact on our students and on the institution. (Year 1-2)


Structure/Infrastructure for Sustainability and Success

Goal 1: Create a shared understanding of and resource alignment with priorities

Increase communication and understanding of our divisional and unit priorities. Clarify how those priorities are determined and funded and allocate resource accordingly. (Year 1-2)

Goal 2: Develop Infrastructure for Sustainability and Success

Identify divisional backbone infrastructure services and the work, systems, and appropriate and efficient standards and service levels for each. Ensure and communicate interaction and alignment with the central university infrastructure. Foster strong partnerships between infrastructure unit leadership and other unit leaders. (Year 1-3)

Goal 3: Examine and Align Structure for Sustainability and Success

Examine and align unit and divisional structure with our resources and business needs. Reduce fragmentation to improve the integrated learning and holistic experience for students and to increase financial sustainability for student life. (Year 1-5)


Talent Management

Goal 1: Establish Efficient and Inclusive Hiring Practices

Implement a competency-based hiring process designed to mitigate bias. Improve the speed and efficiency of the hiring process. Improve the candidate experience by adding engagement and hosting components. (Year 1-3)

Goal 2: Provide Holistic Onboarding for All Staff

Provide a holistic onboarding experience for all staff that prepares them for their role, orients them to and integrates them into to their unit, the division, and the institution, helps them excel and improves retention of high performing staff. Assess each staff member’s onboarding experience and the success of our model. (Year 1-5)

Goal 3: Implement an Effective Performance Appraisal Process

Create and engage divisional and unit leadership in implementing an online performance appraisal process for non-unionized staff that is competency-based, ongoing, interactive, and developmental. (Year 1) Assess the effectiveness and satisfaction of both supervisors and employees and adapt as needed. (Year 2-5)

Goal 4: Create and Implement Career Development Model for Staff

Create (Year 1-2) and engage divisional and unit leadership in implementing (Year 2-5) a career development model for all Student Life staff that is built around enhancing their proficiency in their positional competencies as well as in overarching competencies and recognizes and rewards longtime contributing staff members who continue to grow and contribute at high levels

Goal 5: Create and Implement Succession Planning Process

Create (Year 1-2), and engage divisional and unit leadership in implementing, (Year 2-5) a succession planning process that encourages bench-strength development, provides opportunities for advancement and supports preparation for leadership transition.