The Division of Student Affairs at Syracuse University

The Division of Student Affairs Strategic Plan, 2007-2012 was created under the leadership of Barry L. Wells, senior vice president and dean of student affairs, with principal coordination by Jeanne S. Steffes, associate vice president for student affairs, and Anastasia L. Urtz, associate vice president and dean of students. The plan represents the work of 89 student focus group members, staff at all levels of the organization, and a professional consulting group.

Embedded in the plan is a commitment to extraordinary learning by students, staff, and community members—both within and outside the University. The future of the Division of Student Affairs will be one that embraces Scholarship in Action through excellence, access and support for enterprising students, and engagement with the world. These areas of focus will be amplified through a commitment to diversity, the arts, and the sustainability of our environment. The process through which this plan was developed was inclusive, intensive, and highly collaborative, involving consideration of institutional and divisional priorities; unit-based, peer-reviewed assessments of current practice; and, multiple staff retreats and student focus group sessions. This approach afforded the Division of Student Affairs the opportunity to identify unmet needs of students and other constituents; current and future trends affecting students and campus life; and, transformational opportunities to advance Syracuse University and its students through Scholarship in Action.

The resulting document begins with the Division of Student Affairs Position Statement, which establishes the division’s distinctive identity and worldview, followed by an updated mission, vision, and statement on diversity, which give form to the division’s identity and will guide us in realizing our aspirations. These elements should be read in concert with the division’s stated priorities, objectives, and related strategies.

Achieving these strategies will require our best thinking in collaboration with students and multiple campus and community colleagues: academic leaders and scholars, business and technology professionals, government and community partners, and many others. As we reflect on past collaborations that have benefited our students—nationally recognized learning communities and new student orientation programs, a comprehensive network of career services, and award-winning student and family support programs, to name a few—we are confident that our plans are within our reach if we work together.

The Division of Student Affairs Strategic Plan, 2007-2012 stands on the shoulders of the Strategic Plan, 2001-2006 and boldly charts a course for institutional distinction in co-curricular education, reflecting the division’s substantial expertise, scholarship, and entrepreneurialism.