Loyola University Chicago

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Loyola University Chicago

Division of Student Development

Mission, Goals and Strategic Plan

Igniting Campus Engagement

Division of Student Development Strategic Plan, Goals, Objectives, Rationale, and Action Items

University Mission

We are Chicago's Jesuit Catholic University-- a diverse community seeking God in all things and working to expand knowledge in the service of humanity through learning, justice and faith.

Divisional Vision

At Loyola University Chicago, fellow students, faculty, staff, and administrators engage and support all students in discovering the values, skills, and competencies to enhance the intellectual, social, and spiritual growth of every student.  A collection of offices and departments offer developmental and sequential programs and services to support students and enrich their learning experience. The Division of Student Development’s vision is to have nationally recognized programs and services that embolden, enrich, and engage students through a collection of key experiences.  We support learning environments needed to lead and serve in a diverse and changing world. The Division of Student Development inspires involvement in a wide range of co-curricular pursuits that ignite the academic enterprise and services and that mirror the values of the core curriculum.  Our events and activities do more than support students; they also encourage the spiritual integration of prayer, reflection, and discernment into their busy academic and personal lives.

Divisional Mission

The mission of the Division of Student Development is to support a transformative education by offering programs and initiatives that aspire to provide unparalleled service to students, providing vision and leadership for a holistic student experience.

We not only have a vision of student formation, but we have also embraced a promise.  The Student Promise embodies the beliefs and values of students and is intended to unite our community around the very things that make us excellent.  It is a statement of pride and dignity.  It states “as a Loyola student being educated in the Jesuit Catholic tradition, I promise to care for myself, care for others, and care for the community.”

Based upon the University Mission, the Divisional Vision and Mission, and the Student Promise, the Division of Student Development adopts the following Divisional Goals, Objectives, Rationales, and Action Items as part of its Strategic Plan for Igniting Campus Engagement.

Goals

Divisional Goal 1: Enhance and create initiatives, programs, and experiences that foster student engagement and leadership development.

Divisional Goal 2: Establish and expand educational partnerships that integrate academic learning, spiritual growth, and student development.

Divisional Goal 3: Create a campus culture, climate, and environment that support a transformative education fostering a comprehensive and holistic approach to student learning and development.

Divisional Goal 4: Help students to develop a reasoned set of values and ethical standards consistent with our Jesuit Catholic Mission.

Divisional Goal 5:  Develop and utilize ongoing systemic assessment of Division programs to enhance the quality of the student learning experience.

Divisional Goal 6: Develop and implement coherent programs for first, second, third and fourth year, graduate, and continuing students.

Divisional Goal 1—Enhance and create initiatives, programs, and experiences that foster student engagement and leadership development.

Objective 1A: Expand Learning Communities (LC) to Create a Seamless Academic and Co-Curricular Experience for First-Year Through Senior Students

Rationale: LCs provide students with an integrated living and learning experience by offering activities and instructional strategies that support student learning in the classroom, in the residence halls, and within the greater city of Chicago (University Strategy 1).

Short Term Action Items (before July 1, 2011)

Intermediate Term Action Items (before July 1, 2012)

Long Term Action Items (after July 1, 2012)

Responsibility: Director of Learning Communities, Residence Life, partners in Student Development in conjunction with Academic Affairs.

Objective 1B: Develop a Premier Retreat Program That Focuses on Welcoming New Students, Engaging Them in the Jesuit Catholic Tradition, and Fostering Interfaith Cooperation. A Loyola Retreat Provides Students the Opportunity to Discern Actively Their Personal Spiritual Journey With the Intention of Making Meaning and Integrating Life Experiences While Disconnecting From Their Daily Routine.

Rationale: This student retreat program would be a first step in assisting students in understanding and fully appreciating the transformative nature of the Jesuit tradition (University Strategy 1).

Short Term Action Items (before July 1, 2011)

Intermediate Term Action Items (before July 1, 2012)

Long Term Action Items (after July 1, 2012)

Responsibility: Retreat Director, Ministry, partners in Student Development in conjunction with First Year Experience.

Objective 1C: Enhance Student Entry Into Service Experiences and Better Integrate Learning, Leadership, Reflection, Social Justice Education, and Commitment Into Student Service Opportunities

Rationale: Service experiences allow students to directly engage and explore social issues and foster a hunger for civic participation (University Strategy 1). A Center for Community Service and Action (CCSA) will provide an entry point for students to engage in a diverse menu of one-time, short-term, and long-term service opportunities.

Short Term Action Items (before July 1, 2011)

Intermediate Term Action Items (before July 1, 2012)

Long Term Action Items (after July 1, 2012)

Responsibility: Director of the Center for Community Service and Action, with collaborators as appropriate.

Objective 1D: Expand, Deepen, and Increase Awareness of the Programs, Services, and Resources Provided to Support Student Leadership Development Initiatives.

Rationale: Further developing a comprehensive, developmental list of experiences that contribute to student leadership development, as well as tools, resources and approaches to support integrated learning around these experiences, will promote transformative learning in the Jesuit tradition (University Strategy 1).

Short Term Action Items (before July 1, 2011)

Intermediate Term Action Items (before July 1, 2012)

Long Term Action Items (after July 1, 2012)

Objective 1E: Reinvest in Athletics and Recreation

Rationale: To help promote the development of the whole person through an integrated curricular and co-curricular program (University Strategy 1), Loyola must strengthen its Athletic programs.

Short Term Action Items (before July 1, 2011)

Intermediate Term Action Items (before July 1, 2012)

Objective 1F: Enhance the Quality and Diversity of On-Campus Housing

Rationale: Loyola is experiencing an increased demand for on-campus housing. Research suggests students living on campus have an increased sense of belonging and a higher retention rate at the university. Yet, current housing inventories are inadequate. (University Strategy 1).

Short Term Action Items (before July 1, 2011)

Intermediate Term Action Items (before July 1, 2012)

Long Term Action Items (after July 1, 2012)

Objective 1G: Enhance the Quality of the Undergraduate Experience for Non-Residential and Commuter Students

Rationale: Non-residential and commuter students report lower satisfaction with their undergraduate experience and lower retention rates. To improve these metrics, special attention needs to be given to non-residential and commuter students. (University Strategy 1).

Short Term Action Items (before July 1, 2011)

Intermediate Term Action Items (before July 1, 2012)

Long Term Action Items (after July 1, 2012)

Divisional Goal 2—Establish and expand educational partnerships that integrate academic learning, spiritual growth, and student development.

Objective 2A: The Division of Student Development will continue to partner with Academic Affairs to expand significantly its Alternative Break Immersion (ABI) Program by offering immersion service experiences connected to students' academic disciplines.

Rationale: In an effort to engage more deeply students in the transformational nature of their Loyola education, an expanded ABI program will allow students to develop an appreciation for the global paradigm in which they operate, as well as an ability to integrate their academic knowledge into a wider community context (University Strategy 1).

Short Term Action Items (before July 1, 2011)

Intermediate Term Action Items (before July 1, 2012)

Long Term Action Items (after July 1, 2012)

Responsibility: Ministry, EVOKE/Undergraduate Initiatives in partnership with Academic Affairs.

Objective 2B: Increase Spiritual and Pastoral Support to Residential Students

Rationale: Residence Hall Chaplains will provide programming aimed at deepening the spiritual and faith development of students living in residence halls, athletic teams, and other students. The chaplains will pay particular attention to the “hungers” for a “moral compass” and “adult spirituality” (University Strategy 1).

Short-Term Action Items

Intermediate Term Action Items (before July 1, 2012)

Responsibility: Ministry, Residence Life, in collaboration with the Jesuit Community.

Objective 2C: Develop an Office for Outdoor Experiential Education (OOEE) That Offers the Loyola University Community a Unique Vehicle for Transformative Education

Rationale: The OOEE serves the Loyola University community by providing integrated educational experiences designed to foster the student promise. Using the outdoors as classrooms, students participate in intentional, challenging, group-based activities that provide space for reflection and leadership development.

Short Term Action Items (before July 1, 2011)

Intermediate Term Action Items (before July 1, 2012)

Long Term Action Items (after July 1, 2012)

Responsibility: Director of Outdoor Experiential Education, with collaborators as appropriate.

Divisional Goal 3—Create a campus culture, climate, and environment that support a transformative education fostering a comprehensive and holistic approach to student learning and development.

Objective 3A: Utilize Selected Assessment Results to Determine Themes and Perceptions Related to Diversity Issues at Loyola University Chicago

Rationale: In order to recruit and retain a diverse student body as well as a diverse, culturally competent staff committed to the principles of Jesuit education (University Strategy 2), the wider Division should achieve proficiency in multicultural competence.

Short Term Action Items (before July 1, 2011)

Intermediate Term Action Items (before July 1, 2012)

Long Term Action Items (after July 1, 2012)

Responsibility: Division-wide Cultural Competency Committee and the Department of Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs.

Objective 3B: Communicate and Foster Commitment to the Principles and Spirit of Transformative Education Within the Loyola University Chicago Community

Rationale: If the Division of Student Development is going to be an active and vital partner in providing a “Transformative Education” (University Strategy 1), all members of the Division must have a solid understanding of and appreciation for the document and how it relates to each department’s work.

Short-Term Action Items

Intermediate-Term Action Items

Responsibility: Office of the Vice President.

Divisional Goal 4—Help students to develop a reasoned set of values and ethical standards consistent with our Jesuit Catholic Mission.

Objective 4A: Train Division Staff How to Engage Students in Purposeful Reflection.

Rationale: Since the university is committing itself to the delivery of transformative education as understood within the Jesuit tradition (Strategy 1), staff should be adept in the ways of how discerning and reflecting, both personally and corporately, in an intentional and purposeful manner.

Short Term Action Items (before July 1, 2011)

Intermediate Term Action Items (before July 1, 2012)

Long Term Action Items (after July 1, 2012)

Responsibility: Division-wide Jesuit Education Team, with Professional Development Group.

Objective 4B: Develop a Comprehensive Plan for Engaging Students in Activities Related to the Student Promise. Activities Will Vary Depending on Their Class Year and Will Relate to Appropriate Developmental Expectations of That Year (University Strategy 1, Tactic 4).

Rationale: The Student Promise is a student written document that serves as an inspiring symbol of student empowerment, pride, and student-to-student accountability. The above plan would infuse The Student Promise more concretely into the undergraduate experience.

Short Term Action Items (before July 1, 2011)

Intermediate Term Action Items (before July 1, 2012)

Responsibility: Assistant Dean of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution.

Divisional Goal 5—Develop and utilize ongoing systemic assessment of Division programs to enhance the quality of the student learning experience.

Objective 5A: Establish Assessment as a Priority for the Division.

Rationale: In order to establish a shared understanding of assessment for the Division, it is imperative that a position be created that is responsible for assessment to provide the leadership and management of a division-wide assessment plan.

Short Term Action Items (before July 1, 2011)

Intermediate Term Action Items (before July 1, 2012)

Long Term Action Items (after July 1, 2012)

Responsibility: Vice President for Student Development, Chair of Assessment and Research Group, Staff member responsible for assessment.

Objective 5B: Develop Learning Outcomes for Each Department or Function Area in Student Development

Rationale: To be able to assess the work being done in individual departments and ensure that the co-curricular experience is indeed transformational (University Strategy 1), it is essential that each area have outcomes that are measureable.

Short Term Action Items (before July 1, 2011)

Intermediate Term Action Items (before July 1, 2012)

Responsibility: Assessment and Research Group and Area Directors.

Objective 5C: Develop and Implement an Administrative Program Review for Individual Administrative Units

Rationale: To be able to assess the work being done in individual departments and ensure that the co-curricular experience is indeed transformational (University Strategy 1), each administrative unit should be reviewed, as an individual unit, on a periodic basis, including an evaluation by an external review team.

Short Term Action Items (before July 1, 2011)

Intermediate Term Action Items (before July 1, 2012)

Responsibility: Office of the Vice President.

Objective 5D: Create a Template to Identify and Track Programs That Engage Students in Reflecting Upon Experiences.

Rationale: In an effort to ensure that all students experience the transformative nature of reflection done in the Ignatian tradition (University Strategy 1), the template will identify which subsets of the student population are developing this skill.

Short Term Action Items (before July 1, 2011)

Intermediate Term Action Items (before July 1, 2012)

Long Term Action Items (after July 1, 2012)

Responsibility: Division-wide Programming Committee.

Divisional Goal 6—Develop and implement coherent programs for first, second, third and fourth year, graduate, and continuing students.

Objective 6A: In an Effort to Create a True "Loyola Experience," Provide a Symbolic Representation of Engagement ("Key Experiences"), Which Will Allow Bonds to Form Among Students, Connections to be Made With Alumni, and a Stronger Affinity With Loyola to be Created.

Rationale: By providing students with a clear recognition of our values and the programs that support them, students can more intentionally construct their experience at Loyola to be a transformational one (University Strategy 1).

Short Term Action Items (before July 1, 2011)

Intermediate Term Action Items (before July 1, 2012)

Responsibility: Associate Dean of Students (WTC), Associate Dean of Students (LSC), and Assistant Vice President for Student Development.

Objective 6B: Develop Incremental Faith Formation Programs Developmentally Appropriate for Undergraduate Students

Rationale: In order to ensure that the undergraduate experience delivers a transformative education, it is essential that all Loyola’s undertakings be “infused with a conviction regarding the sacred character of all reality. . .  (and) the mutually informing dynamic between faith and reason” (in keeping with University Strategy 1).

Short Term Action Items (before July 1, 2011)

Intermediate Term Action Items (before July 1, 2012)

Long Term Action Items (after July 1, 2012)

Responsibility: Ministry, in hopeful collaboration with the Jesuit Community, Theology faculty, and the Institute of Pastoral Studies.

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