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Student Affairs

Updated March 4, 2019

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Division of Student Affairs’ Purpose Statement


The Purpose of Student Affairs at Sonoma State University is to provide services and programs that support the achievement of students' educational and personal goals and that enhance the overall student experience.

Division of Student Affairs’ Vision Statement

The Division of Students Affairs at Sonoma State University strives to be nationally recognized for our commitment to student success, diversity and inclusivity, transformative learning, leadership cultivation, and outstanding service.

Division of Student Affairs’ Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Statement

The Division of Student Affairs at Sonoma State University affirms the importance and centrality of the values of diversity, equity, and inclusivity. As Student Affairs professionals, we believe that inclusivity and social justice require persistence and perseverance to ensure that members from all identities, backgrounds, abilities, and belief systems have access, acknowledgement, opportunities, and a voice to participate at all levels within the university. Additionally, the Division of Student Affairs strives to ensure that our staff, programs, activities, and services are reflective of these values and that through the mission of our university and purpose of our division, we hold ourselves accountable to these principles in our everyday work.

Division of Student Affairs aims to:

 •    Affirm the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusivity; and
 •    Provide support for student progress towards degree completion and timely graduation; and
 •    Provide purpose-driven co-curriculum and leadership cultivation that prepares students for individual success and to become contributing members of    society; and
 •    Be good stewards of our fiscal and personnel resources.

Priority #1: Student Success

GOAL 1

TACTICS

Enhance the student experience and provide support services students need to succeed

DSA will collaborate, share, and provide resources to promote student success.

 

DSA will initiate and provide a variety of student support services to promote student success.

 

DSA will cultivate an inclusive environment that promotes physical and psychological safety that promotes student engagement and success.

GOAL 2

TACTICS

Promote inclusive support services for a diverse student population

DSA will provide initiatives, events, and programs that achieve outcomes for promoting diversity and inclusion.

 

DSA will develop programs and strategies that advocate for full inclusion of all of our current and future students in the SSU community.

 

DSA will provide services that are culturally sensitive and promote inclusion.

GOAL 3

TACTICS

Promote health and wellness services that contribute to a healthy campus environment.

DSA will produce educational events that promote a healthy campus environment.

 

DSA will advocate for students’ health and wellness needs.

 

DSA will strengthen and build services that contribute to a healthy campus environment

GOAL 4

TACTICS

Contribute to increasing retention, progress to degree, and graduation.

 

DSA will engage in intentional advising practices to encourage retention and personal growth.

 

DSA will practice structured interventions to support student retention and graduation.

 

DSA will grow and develop services that encourage students to build engagement with the campus.

GOAL 5

TACTICS

Preparing students to succeed post-graduation while embracing life-long learning.

 

DSA will perpetuate practices and create programs that help students translate their academic accomplishments, learned knowledge, and campus experiences into being engaged citizens and lifelong learners post-graduation.

Priority #2: Academic Excellence and Innovation

GOAL 1

TACTICS

Contribute to distinct and responsive academic programs.

 

DSA will provide a diversity of services and programming leading to students’ success developed through student input and collaboration.

 

DSA will encourage students to become fully engaged in their educational experience.

GOAL 2

TACTICS

Promote innovative teaching and learning.

 

DSA will develop innovative teaching and learning opportunities that support the campus curriculum and encourage continued growth aligned with the University.

 

DSA will focus on building collaborations that support the University Mission and further DSA Tactics and Goals

GOAL 3

TACTICS

Provide support for research, scholarship and creative activity.

 

DSA supports student focused research, scholarship and creative activity through targeted services and programming.

 

DSA will collaborate with campus and community partners to create student scholarships and faculty training.

 

DSA will encourage, support, and promote the professional development of its staff.

GOAL 4

TACTICS

Promote hands on, real world learning.

 

DSA will develop and promote hands-on learning opportunities.

DSA will collaborate with campus and community partners to create and promote student experiential learning, internship, and study-abroad opportunities.

Priority #3: Leadership Cultivation

GOAL 1

TACTICS

Provide opportunities for student leadership development.

 

DSA will provide a diverse set of leadership opportunities where students will be challenged, solve problems, experience different leadership approaches, and learn real world applicable skills.

 

DSA will engage the curricular and co-curricular learning of leadership through class offerings and a student-centered approach to leadership education and reflection.

 

DSA will offer programs, events, and initiatives that will support student’s skills based leadership development.

GOAL 2

TACTICS

Support and provide opportunities for students and staff for personal and professional growth.

DSA will facilitate on-campus approaches to leadership education, pursuits, and development through integrative approaches and campus collaboration.

 

The DSA will support students to gain exposure to leadership opportunities and education through campus-wide coalition building and utilization of off-campus resources/communities

 

DSA will engage Student Affairs staff in professional development planning and opportunities.

GOAL 3

TACTICS

Support opportunities for mentoring.

The DSA will foster an environment of self-advocacy, peer-to-peer, and off-campus partner resource sharing for students and staff.

 

The DSA will facilitate the creation of collaborative relationships with our community.

Priority #4: Transformative Impact

GOAL 1

TACTICS

Promote personal citizenship and civic engagement.

DSA will promote Civic Engagement experiences and opportunities on campus and in the community.

 

DSA will help students learn about and engage in active citizenship.

GOAL 2

TACTICS

Support community outreach.

DSA encourages outreach and service through multiple opportunities developed and presented for students, prospective students, and staff.

GOAL 3

TACTICS

Encourage and promote the development of 21st century skills including: communication, critical thinking, collaboration, cultural competence, empathy, and problem solving.

DSA will support 21st century skill building opportunities for our students and staff.

 

DSA will encourage the development of communication skills among our students and staff.

 

DSA will establish opportunities to increase cultural humility among our constituency groups.