Goals

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Goals

Updated in fall, 2019, the Division of Student Life’s goals support the unit’s mission and organized around two major themes: goals focused on supporting students and enhancing their education and experience at UMD ("Engaging Students"), and goals that support the unit’s operational excellence ("Excelling in Performance").

Engaging Students

Goal Area 1 - Learning

We engage students, and position, prepare and support staff to involve and empower all students within the Division’s work.  We also create, enrich, and value an individualized student experience that may extend beyond our Division, promoting retention, engagement, and academic success. To this end, we will:

1.1:   Meet the ever-changing needs of students through engaging, purposeful learning experiences that are integral to our students’ academic, professional and personal development and success at UMD and beyond. 

Goal Area 2 - Inclusive Excellence

Inclusive excellence is the integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work. We have a genuine commitment to inclusive excellence and the expansion of our knowledge and mindset. In addition, we work to support and validate multiple experiences, stories, and perspectives. Therefore, in our work we will:

2.1: Provide and promote education, resources, and training opportunities on equity, diversity, and social justice for the division’s professional staff and student staff. 

2.2. Infuse co-curricular programming and services with components that create engaging learning opportunities about inclusive excellence, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and cross-cultural learning. 

2.3 Constantly evaluate and innovate policies and procedures within Student Life to make systematic changes toward inclusive excellence.

Goal Area 3 - Wellness and Wellbeing

Wellbeing and wellness are holistic concepts. Our definition of wellbeing comes from Jim Purcell (Returns on Wellbeing Institute): “a state of good health, happiness, fulfillment, and purpose, judging one’s life positively and feeling engaged.” Our definition of wellness comes from The National Wellness Institute: “a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving full potential.” We work with students and staff to design programs, facilities, and services that promote wellbeing and wellness, and will:

3.1 Foster student and employee wellness and wellbeing by providing resources that best support each individual’s physical, social, environmental, spiritual, intellectual, emotional, career, cultural, and financial success.

3.2 Develop programs, services, and physical spaces that support a holistic and inclusive environment that contributes to the well-being of the UMD campus community.

3.3 Provide leadership and advocacy for student wellbeing that bridges student life with academics, serves to integrate wellbeing, and enhances retention at UMD.

Excelling in Performance

Goal Area 4 -  Great Experiences for Our Stakeholders

The Division serves many types of stakeholders from distinct backgrounds including current and prospective students, alumni, guests, colleagues, youth, family members, employers, and the general public. With a primary focus on students, we will design and manage our programs and services to best meet the needs and exceed the expectations of our stakeholders. We will provide innovative approaches in our work and will:

4.1: Demonstrate high-quality, inclusive service that is stakeholder-centered.

4.2: Utilize intentional methods that effectively communicate information in a transparent manner.

4.3: Use feedback and assessment to foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

4.4: Create a culture of collaboration to provide seamless services to our stakeholders.

Goal Area 5 - Resources

With 200 employees and 400+ student workers, the Division manages a diverse workforce across a variety of disciplines that serves and supports students in nearly every facet of their collegiate lives. The Division utilizes financial resources from a variety of sources including mandatory student fees, retail sales, O&M, and some outside funding via grants and donations. We also oversee a very large physical resources portfolio that includes housing facilities, dining facilities, event and hospitality space, recreational facilities and fields, parking lots, medical and other equipment, and much more. Considering the scope of resources for which we are responsible, we will:

5.1 Apply an innovative approach in developing and managing human, financial, and physical resources with a focus on students and sustainability.

5.2 Expand access to available resources and distribute them equitably to university constituents.

5.3 Strategically cultivate internal and external relationships that enhance the student experience

Student Life Goals Mapped to the UMD Strategic Plan

Student Life Goal Mapping
Learning  
1.1:   Meet the ever-changing needs of students through engaging, purposeful learning experiences that are integral to our students’ academic, professional and personal development and success at UMD and beyond. 1,3
Inclusive Excellence  
2.1: Provide and promote education, resources, and training opportunities on equity, diversity, and social justice for the division’s professional staff and student staff. 1,2,3
2.2. Infuse co-curricular programming and services with components that create engaging learning opportunities about inclusive excellence, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and cross-cultural learning 1,2,3
2.3: Constantly evaluate and innovate policies procedures within Student Life to make systematic changes toward inclusive excellence. 2,3
Wellness and Wellbeing  
3.1: Foster student and employee wellness and wellbeing by providing resources that best support each individual’s physical, social, environmental, spiritual, intellectual, emotional, career, cultural, and financial success 1,3
3.2: Develop programs, services, and physical spaces that support a holistic and inclusive environment that contributes to the well-being of the UMD campus community 1,3
3.3: Provide leadership and advocacy for student wellbeing that bridges student life with academics, serves to integrate wellbeing, and enhances retention at UMD. 1,3
Great Experiences for All Stakeholders  
4.1: Demonstrate high-quality, inclusive service that is stakeholder-centered. 5,6
4.2: Utilize intentional methods that effectively communicate information in a transparent manner. 5,6
4.3: Use feedback and assessment to foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. 5,6
Resources  
5.1 Apply an innovative approach in developing and managing human, financial, and physical resources with a focus on students and sustainability. 6
5.2 Expand access to available resources and distribute them equitably to university constituents. 6
5.3 Strategically cultivate internal and external relationships that enhance the student experience. 5,6