Mission, Vision, & Strategic Plan

The mission of Student Life is to develop student-centered opportunities that contribute to a transformative Volunteer experience. These experiences create a climate in which learning, belonging, engagement, and care can thrive. 

Strategic Plan

We provide opportunities where students exemplify the Volunteer Spirit, inspiring others to learn, lead, and serve.

In 2021, the Division of Student Life developed a new strategic plan, providing a framework to create a climate where learning, belonging, engagement, inclusivity, and care can thrive. The strategic plan leads our work and directs our focus, our resources, and our decisions. The plan defines our role and the impact we have on the Volunteer experience.

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Priority 1: Transformative Experiences

Strategic Goals

1. Integrated Experiential Learning: Design and deliver intentional experiential learning opportunities—across student employment, leadership, service, organizations, and co-curricular experiences—that are aligned with career competencies and learning outcomes.
2. Pathways to Purpose and Futures: Create clear pathways that connect student involvement to academic, professional, civic, and global futures, supporting undergraduate, graduate, and international students.

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Priority 2: Supportive and Caring Community

Strategic Goals

1. Holistic Wellness and Care Ecosystem: Advance a coordinated, inclusive framework of care that supports the eight dimensions of wellness.
2. Belonging, Connection, and Community: Foster a culture and physical environment of belonging and connection that strengthens student engagement and community building.

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Priority 3: Personal and Professional Growth

Strategic Goals

1. Culture of Learning, Wellbeing, and Leadership: Cultivate a Division-wide culture that values continuous learning, reflection, wellbeing, and leadership for both students and staff.
2. Accessible Growth and Development Pathways: Ensure staff have access to intentional development opportunities aligned with competencies and career stages.
3. Recognition and Meaningful Assessment: Document, assess, and celebrate growth, learning, and impact in ways that are meaningful, human-centered, and improvement-oriented.

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Priority 4: Responsible and Effective Stewardship

Strategic Goals

1. Strategic Alignment, Compliance, and Advocacy: Align financial, human, operational, and physical resources with divisional and institutional priorities through transparent, data-informed decision-making that ensures compliance and advances student-centered advocacy.
2. Integration, Efficiency, and Systems Support: Strengthen integration across units by reducing duplication, improving systems and infrastructure, and enabling service units and collaboration.
3. Sustainability, Innovation, Advancement, and Partnerships: Expand and leverage institutional and external partnerships to sustain impact, innovate service delivery, and responsibly grow resources.