Strategic Priorities and Goals

Goal 1: Student Engagement

Enhance the student experience through meaningful engagement and high-impact practices.

Tactics

• Define and adopt a Division and institutional definition of student engagement that reinforces a broad array of significant learning experiences
• Inventory and evaluate existing high-impact practices* to identify effective practices and opportunities to scale
• Implement interventions to increase equitable participation in student engagement activities
• Align resources to support effective practices and signature programs focusing on a continuum of engagement (all virtual to all in person)
• Create partnerships across campus, particularly with the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Research, to promote engagement opportunities, including undergraduate research
• Implement the Hawkeye Engage tool, a data-driven platform to help students explore and reflect upon opportunities for engagement

Success Indicators 

• Percent of seniors reporting engagement with high-impact practices (all students, underrepresented students)**
• Campus-wide engagement definition adopted
• Inventory and prioritization of high-impact practices complete

Campus Partners

• Office of the Provost
• Vice President for Research
• Student Success Team
• Faculty and Collegiate Leadership
• Information Technology Services

*Engaging educational experiences that promote deep learning

**Division metric

Goal 2: Holistic Well-Being

Lead a campus-wide movement to enhance holistic well-being.

Tactics

• Adopt a common definition of well-being
• Define organizational model/structure for a collaborative and holistic approach to well-being that addresses health inequities
• Prioritize well-being through staffing, hybridization (in person and virtual) of services, creation of an integrated well-being facility, and adequate resource allocation
• Partner with the Office of the Provost to leverage the well-being model to support University of Iowa retention goals

Success Indicators

• Clinical load index specific to each area* (relationship between demand of services and our ability to meet demand)
• Definition of well-being adopted across campus
• Model and structure developed
• Support plan in place (communication plan, student self-reporting data

Campus Partners

• Office of the Provost
• Facilities Management
• University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics
• University Human Resources

*Division metric

Goal 3: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Lead boldly through the Division of Student Life’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Action Plan.

Tactics

• Integrate DEI into daily work by establishing leader behaviors (student-first, employee-first, organization-first behaviors that demonstrate organizational values and illustrate desired organizational norms of being and doing)
• Engage leadership in an Equity Institute
• Revise the Division’s supplemental performance evaluation document to increase accountability for DEI
• Communicate the DEI Action Plan consistently throughout the Division and across campus
• Refresh the plan as goals are achieved to ensure continuous improvement

Success Indicators

• Student and employee climate data*
• Staff retention*
• Staff engaged in work related to DEI*
• Performance evaluation goals (content analysis) complete
• Leader behavior plan complete

Campus Partners

• University Human Resources
• Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

*Division metric

Goal 4: Community and Sense of Belonging

Cultivate virtual and in person programs and physical spaces that promote a sense of belonging, opportunities for socialization, and community development. 

Tactics

• Develop cultural neighborhood with both infrastructure and robust programming (investing in staffing, physical plant, and adequate resource allocation for existing cultural and resource centers; construction of a Cultural Neighborhood)
• Complete a graduate and professional student needs assessment and develop intentional outreach that invites graduate and professional students to participate in initiatives and programs
• Invest in student support partnerships with collegiate and academic advising staff
• Invest in the student employment experience by providing high-impact practices through Iowa GROW® and focusing on essential skill development
• Collaborate with the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to facilitate ongoing opportunities for the community to engage in difficult dialogues
• Promote a broad definition of civic engagement and create high-impact opportunities for students
• Using evidence-informed practices, outline programs and services to increase sense of belonging for first-generation students

Success Indicators

• Percent of all students served by Division programs*
• Cultural neighborhood complete

Campus Partners

• Graduate College
• Academic Affairs/Colleges
• Facilities Management
• Office of Planning

*Division metric

Goal 5: Staff Support

Recruit, retain, engage and develop employees at all levels to enrich student success.

Tactics

• Review staff salaries for competitive alignment with peer institutions, industry norms, and internal comparative positions
• Assess experience and expectations of merit staff’s sense of belonging as Division employees
• Utilize and share data from the Working at Iowa Survey and employee exit interviews to guide effective supervision and policy improvement
• Implement consistent and equitable opportunities for professional development across the Division
• Continue to engage staff through multiple effective communication strategies, including periodic Division gatherings, and both virtual and in person options
• Expand the hybridization of our programs and services to support remote work and student access

Success Indicators

• Staff retention (shared metric with Goal 3)*
• Increase in Divisional workplace satisfaction on the Working at Iowa Survey*
• Participation in professional development opportunities*
• Participation in Division events*
• Compensation reviews complete
• Merit staff engagement strategy complete
• Policy and supervision development action complete

Campus Partners

• University Human Resources

*Division metric

Goal 6: Resources and Development

Grow and align Division resources, partnerships, and revenue to support priorities.

Tactics

• Develop new sources of revenue through philanthropy and partnership
• Partner with the University of Iowa Center for Advancement (UICA) to increase alumni engagement
• Work with campus partners to build parent and family engagement strategy
• Sponsor development training for staff
• Recommend adoption of customer relationship management (CRM) system to track students through alumni status
• Review sources and uses of funds to identify opportunities for efficiency, including outsourcing and shared service models
• Establish partnership with campus master plan
• Expand strategic partnerships 

Success Indicators

• Philanthropic giving*
• Alumni engagement*
• Examine existing partnerships
• Align resources to DSL priorities 

Campus Partners

• Center for Advancement
• Information Technology Services
• Office of Admissions
• Facilities Management

*Division metric

Metrics and Progress

The Division of Student Life adopts the following success metrics to measure progress against the strategic plan: