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Requirement Number 2.10: The institution provides student support programs, services, and activities consistent with its mission that promote student learning and enhance the development of its students.Full Compliance The mission of the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management supports the University’s mission and Strategic Plan by extending the learning environment beyond the classroom, promoting student growth, and developing leadership skills and service traits that prepare students for their roles as engaged citizens in the global community. The Division reflects the University’s commitment to excellence in service by enhancing the student-centered environment through transcultural experiences, public-private partnerships, and technological advancements. The Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management is primarily responsible for the out-of-class welfare of the students and provides a richly diverse array of educational experiences to supplement classroom learning. Programs and activities are designed to contribute to the intellectual, emotional, physical, spiritual, and social development of the student. Students are encouraged to be active participants in order to stimulate school spirit, strengthen campus life, and enhance the overall quality of their collegiate experience. The Division also holds primary responsibility for leadership in enrollment management—a process designed to influence students and parents in their choice of a college or university, to facilitate the transition of students to college or from one college to another, to reduce student attrition and improve retention, and to enhance student outcomes. Seventeen departments comprise the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management (see organizational chart). These departments (described more fully below) are aggregated under three separate umbrellas: (1) student life programming; (2) enrollment management; and (3) student services. The Division is also served by a technical support department. Student Life ProgrammingAcademic Success Center — The Academic Success Center promotes equal educational opportunities for all students admitted to the University; facilitates the development in students of skills, strategies, and attitudes essential to the attainment of academic, career, and life goals; and favorably impacts student retention. The Center achieves these objectives through sponsoring student workshops (e.g., What’s Important, Note Taking, Tips for Studying, Time Management, and Test Anxiety among others); tutoring, testing, offering learning support activities (remedial instruction), and organizing auxiliary instruction classes (led by student peers who have been successful in historically difficult classes and who share strategies for success with other students). Campus Recreation and Intramurals —Recreation and Intramurals provides students with recreationally organized growth opportunities and educational experiences. Through its programs and facilities, this department creates opportunities for students to learn and develop skills in leadership, decision making, problem solving, conflict management, communication as well as social skills. Students also learn the benefits of making healthy lifestyle choices. Programs run through this office include: aquatics, club sports, fitness programs, informal recreation, intramural sports, and Southern Adventures (white-water rafting, canoeing, climbing wall, and a challenge course among others). Russell Union — The Union complements the academic experience through a variety of cultural, social, recreational, and educational programs and services. Through its boards, committees, and student employment opportunities, the Union serves as a laboratory for developing leadership, citizenship, social responsibility, respect for diversity, and values such as honesty, civility, and dignity of work . Programs offered through the Center for Student Leadership Development and Outreach Programs include Eagle Leadership Edge; Inspire, Student Leadership Consultants; and Leadership Retreats and Spring Leadership Conference (Eagle Summit). Volunteer Services coordinates service-learning activities, offering students excellent opportunities for career exploration through hands-on professional level experience as well as addressing existing social issues and community needs. Programs administered under this office include: Adopt-A-Grandparent, Community Plunge, GS TOP STEP, Homelessness and Hunger Week, Red Cross Blood Drives, Step-Into-Statesboro, and a Student Volunteer Action Board. Enrollment ManagementAdmissions — Admissions focuses on developing a successful enrollment management culture for the University by echoing the Division’s commitment to excellence in service . In addition to processing and decision making for undergraduate and graduate applicants, numerous events fall under the management of Admissions. These events offer prospective students the opportunity to experience Georgia Southern first-hand by participating in Open House, Southern Exposure, personalized visits for high-achieving students, and Scholars’ Day. Career Services — Career Services staff assist students with choosing majors, identifying career options, gaining related work experience, and providing guidance in their full-time professional job search strategies through three distinct areas: career advisement, experiential education, and professional employment . The office coordinates Eagle Expo and Education Career Fair which provides students with a great opportunity to meet with potential employers and recruiters. (The Fall 2004 Eagle Expo is scheduled for October 28, 2004.) Career Services also administers experiential education or cooperative education which enables students to gain relevant work experience on work-study rotational basis, parallel work-study basis, or combination of the two. Financial Aid —Financial Aid assists qualified students interested in pursuing and completing an education at Georgia Southern with identifying and securing appropriate resources that will enable them to achieve this goal. Financial Aid reaches out to currently enrolled students by offering a comprehensive program of individual counseling to help students develop personal and fiscal responsibility. Registrar — Flexibility, guided by commitment to and excellence in service, is an important value in the administration of the Registrar’s Office. This office provides leadership in the development of automated and computerized processes that share data with the academic community to enhance the decision-making processes and support the academic integrity of the University’s programs . Strategic Research and Analysis — Strategic Research and Analysis facilitates the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, and the presentation of information; gathers and analyzes environmental information for the institution; provides staff support to facilitate the formulation and implementation of strategic and operational planning for the institution; prepares and publishes internal and external reports on the institution's performance and the environment in which it functions; performs and creates ad hoc studies and reports as requested; and conducts routine analyses of institutional operation . The functions of this office are instrumental in providing academic and administrative stakeholders with the necessary information to inform decision-making processes and assess academic programmatic quality. University Housing — University Housing complements the educational goals of Georgia Southern by extending the learning environment outside the classroom . The department operates 12 residence halls organized into living/learning communities that fall into four broad categories: communities reserved exclusively for first-year students; communities with ties to specific academic programs open to all classifications; theme communities open to all classifications; and communities for upper-class students only. Student ServicesEducational Opportunity Programs — Educational Opportunity Programs empower students to realize their academic potential, develop the skills necessary to be successful in their post-secondary pursuits, and expose students to a healthier standard of living. Educational Opportunity Programs serves low-income and potential first-generation college students through three TRIO federal programs: Upward Bound, Educational Talent Search, and The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program. A number of services are offered through this office including: academic, personal, and career counseling; basic skills classes and tutoring; cultural enrichment and educational travel; assistance with college selection and financial aid; a six-week residential summer program; ACT, GRE, and SAT preparation workshops and fee waivers; motivational and self-esteem activities; parental involvement activities; and summer research and internships as well as others. Judicial Affairs — Judicial Affairs upholds the academic integrity and behavioral standards of the University by adjudicating violations of the Student Guide: Code of Student Conduct in a fair and consistent manner, treating each student with dignity and respect. The office seeks to instill in students a sense of responsibility for their behavior both on campus and off campus that will enable students to become good citizens . Multicultural Student Center — The Multicultural Student Center promotes cultural awareness, understanding, and a sense of belonging; and fosters the educational and developmental opportunities of all students regardless of their ethnic background or national origin. The department is designed to educate and celebrate the cultural diversity of students, staff, and the community of Georgia Southern through a series of support services, programs, activities, and student organizations. Additionally, the Multicultural Student Center promotes academic, cultural, and social responsibility among all students and educates the campus community about issues of multiculturalism, inclusion, and pluralism . These objectives are achieved through numerous programs like Women’s Awareness Week, Hispanic Heritage Day, Black Awareness Month, Religious Awareness Week, and National Coming Out Day. Student Media — Student media provides students with opportunities to participate in University life through involvement in publications, interactive media, and broadcast activities that together provide a timely forum through which information and entertainment of general interest to its public might be disseminated and exchanged. This office oversees the production of The George-Ann (a student newspaper published three times a week), Miscellany ( a semi-annual magazine of the arts), and The Southern Reflector (a general interest “yearbook magazine”) as well as the administration of a campus radio station. In addition, two student groups—Photography, Art, Graphics, Electronic Systems (PAGES) and Advertising/Distribution Services (ADS)—provide students with additional learning opportunities relating to the technical and business support for print-based media. Counseling and Career Development Center —The Counseling and Career Development Center provides developmental and preventative services that enhance students’ ability to experience their college years as productive, creative, rewarding, and satisfying. Services include individual, couples and group therapy; crisis intervention; career development assistance; outreach workshops and seminars for the University community (e.g., Anxiety Management Workshop, Blues Busters: Managing & Preventing Depression, and Learning to be More Assertive); and consultation with faculty and staff. Moreover, the Center provides students with training opportunities through the master’s practicum, field experiences, and research experiences initiatives. Health Services — Health Services assists students with achieving and maintaining the best possible physical and psychological health and positively impacts students’ long-term health-related behaviors by providing high-quality, cost-effective healthcare services, programs, and products. Health education programs offered by Health Services include: Wellness; Alcohol; Sexuality; Nutrition; Sexual Assault & Date Rape; Fitness & Exercise; Eating Disorders; and Motivation, Positive & Negative Thinking. Student Disability Resource Center — The Student Disability Resource Center serves qualified students with disabilities by assisting them with reasonable academic accommodations and coordinating appropriate services based on students’ individual needs. This Center enables many students who might not otherwise have access to higher education to not only participate in Georgia Southern University’s offerings but to succeed as well. Information SystemsInformation Systems — Information Systems provides units of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management with the information technology necessary to provide the highest level of service to students.
Resources : Georgia Southern University 2004-2005 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog(p. 39) Georgia Southern University 2004-2005 Faculty Handbook (p. 66) |
