2022-23 SIUE Students Affairs Annual Report

Student Affairs Annual Report

Letter from the Interim Vice Chancellor

The Division of Student Affairs 2022-2023 Annual Report serves as a snapshot of our student outcomes and achievements for the past year.

Student Affairs staff work tirelessly to support student success and provide services and programs that help students develop a sense of belonging at SIUE. In 2022-2023, we welcomed our students back to a post-pandemic SIUE experience with campus largely returning to “regular” operations.

Leveraging what we learned about our students during the pandemic, Student Affairs staff focused our attention on supporting student mental health, expanding support of student basic needs and re-engaging students in activities to support student career-readiness and development of a strong sense of belonging.

With deep gratitude for their efforts to actively support student success and retention, I thank each and every staff member in the Division of Student Affairs. With appreciation, I thank our campus partners across the university who collaborated to co-create an outstanding SIUE student experience this past year. With humility, I thank our SIUE students and family members for allowing Student Affairs to join you on your journey to graduation. With pride in our collective work, I share the 2022-2023 Division of Student Affairs Annual Report.

With Cougar Pride,

Miriam Roccia Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

Table of Contents

1

Our Framework

5

By the Numbers

7

Department Highlights

15

Supporting Student Affairs

17

Student Life @ SIUE

Our Framework 1

Mission

Student Affairs supports students as they learn from and navigate life’s opportunities and challenges.

Vision

Student Affairs boldly prepares students to impact a changing world.

Values 1 Collaboration

We intentionally seek partnerships for the purpose of transforming student learning.

2 Cultural Competance

We continuously self-reflect and critique, as we expand our knowledge of social identities, cultures and worldviews of others.

3 Community

We value the needs of the individual on their path to success while promoting an environment that is inclusive and engaged.

4 Social Justice

We commit to creating a community that facilitates full and equitable access to learning while identifying and removing barriers.

5 Well-Being

We invest in people, places and spaces to strengthen the well-being of all.

6 Transformation Action We take action, challenge assumptions and strive to bring forth sustainable change.

2

Student Affairs Learning Objectives 3

Progress and Purpose

Through experiences with our programs and services, students will build a greater understanding of self and their relationships with others, take accountability for actions and inactions, establish meaningful relationships and maintain healthy habits.

Practical & Career Development Through experiences with our programs and services, students will continue to develop and achieve the competencies that broadly prepare them to be successful in their communities and careers.

Curiosity

Through experiences with our programs and services, students will pursue lifelong learning that prepares them to solve problems critically and creatively.

Empathy, Humility & Action Through experiences with our programs and services, students will engage in action that improves their local and global communities by affirming personal identities and group memberships, enhancing understanding of and respect for human dignity and disrupting biases within themselves.

Strategic Priorities Student Affairs strives to engage the SIUE community in services and programs that make lifelong learning possible. Our 2021-2024 strategic plan was designed to focus our efforts on providing a SIUE student experience in which every student feels supported by the campus environment, connected to the institution and prepared for the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Student Success: Strengthen student engagement, persistence, academic achievement and subsequent post-collegiate opportunities.

Infrastructure and Resources: Provide fiscally sound and innovative stewardship of Division funds and facilities to effectively support student needs.

Staff Success: Focus on organizational health and invest in division staff throughout their employment by evaluating needs and engaging in ongoing professional development.

Collaborative Partnerships: Develop, engage and sustain purposeful internal and external partnerships that reimagine student learning in programs and services.

Contemporary Co-Curriculum: Provide optimal delivery of high-impact experiential co-curricular programs to enhance student learning and development while pursuing degree completion.

Inclusion and Equity: Advance an inclusive culture and equitable practices and outcomes.

4

By the Numbers 5

Department Highlights 7

The Alestle •

The Alestle continued its award-winning tradition of journalism in 2022-2023 by placing in the top three of the College Media Association Pinnacle Awards Best Coverage of Faith and Best Nameplate categories. They also placed 8th in the country in the Associated Collegiate Press Best of Show competition’s Best Newspaper/Magazine category.

•

The Alestle hosted their 12th First Amendment Free Food Festival, where they taught 150 participants the importance of their First Amendment rights. The event was co-sponsored by the St. Louis Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and the SIUE Mass Communications department as part of Mass Comm Week.

Campus Recreation •

The annual MidWest FitFest Conference was hosted by SIUE April 14-16 welcoming seventy (70) fitness professionals from nearly a dozen universities across the midwest. Twenty-five (25) educational sessions were presented throughout the weekend, including a keynote address from SIUE alum and best-selling author Joey Thurman.

•

The Club Sports Alumni weekend took place April 14-16 and welcomed back over 300 alumni, family and friends participating in over a dozen events. Seventy-two (72) individuals and businesses donated over $5,000 to Club Sports Foundation accounts.

Career Development Center •

The Career Development Center increased collaborations with academic programs and departments to build awareness of CDC programs and resources, building awareness of the CDC among students.

•

2,039 students participated in Career Development Center-sponsored career fairs during the 2022-2023 academic year. These experiences enabled students to utilize professional and networking skills to obtain interviews and positions.

8

Department Highlights 9

Counseling Services •

Counseling Services facilitated 8 Mental Health First Aid sessions for the campus community.

These trainings aid campus community members in recognizing the symptoms of mental illnesses, as well as provide tools to support students experiencing mental health concerns. 113 individuals completed the training.

•

Began a strategic partnership with the undergraduate psychology program to recruit students to be trained as peer educators. Each Certified Peer Educator holds weekly drop-in hours for students and participates in weekly mental health outreach and prevention initiatives.

Dining Services •

Dining Services reopened Auntie Anne’s, a favorite student location, for the first time since the COVID pandemic. Customer volume was significant, making Auntie Anne’s one of the busiest dining locations.

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SIUE elevated its rank to #2 in Illinois and #169 in America for Best College Food by Niche.

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Dining Services continues its efforts to transition to eco-friendly disposable products and packaging in all locations.

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Plant-based menu options were expanded by more than 5% to meet the dietary restrictions and preferences of today’s students. New products include plant-based burgers, vegan cheeses and bread products, and a new partnership with Rootberry for plant-based grab and go food options.

Student Care and Advocacy/ Dean of Students •

Established a Student Care and Advocacy Network, a collaboration of campus staff and academic partners, to address non-clinical case management and basic needs.

•

SIUE received a $50,000 End Student Housing Insecurity Grant from the Illinois Board of Higher Education. The grant allowed SIUE to administer the Basic Student Needs Survey in partnership with the non-profit organization, Hope Center, to better assess the needs of SIUE students and help the designed to focus on creating awareness of and providing support for homelessness among students.

Early Childhood Center •

The Early Childhood Center secured $415,925.97 to support access to childcare for student-parents. The funds were secured from the Childcare Access Means Parents In School (CCAMPIS) federal grant, ISBE Preschool for All grant and the Governor’s Childcare Restoration grant.

•

The Childcare Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) grant was expanded to support student parents of infant-fifth graders, providing funding for childcare in licensed facilities, summer camps and before and aftercare.

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The SIUE Early Childhood Center received accreditation through the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

10

Department Highlights 11

Health Service •

Partnered with SIU School of Medicine to expand access to healthcare for students by increasing available appointments by 16%, as well as expanding comprehensive, preventive health education.

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Partnered with School of Pharmacy to provide experiential learning opportunities to 9 School of Pharmacy students and expanded available pharmacy hours by 20 per week.

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Health Service met 90% Immunization compliance for new international students within the first 3 weeks of spring 2023 semester.

Kimmel Belonging and Engagement Hub •

Traditional community service activities like Cougars in the Community and Service Saturdays returned, providing students the opportunity to impact their local community through meaningful service opportunities.

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The Cougar Cupboard expanded to serve the needs of the SIUE community, serving 397 appointments. To better address the specific needs of the growing number of international students, the Basics in a Bag pop-up was conducted over the summer to provide access to staples like spices, beans and rice.

•

Marchdown, hosted by the National Pan-Hellenic Council with support from the Kimmel Belonging and Engagement Hub, was held in conjunction with Black Alumni Weekend. This year’s event, with nearly 1,600 people in attendance, showcased performances from each of the Divine 9 organizations. Before the annual step show, NPHC coordinated a meet and greet with several local high schools to answer talk about the importance of being involved on campus. NPHC also launched the Step Up Scholarship, providing financial assistance to a first-year student who has shown active involvement within their local community.

•

Student Government completed significant constitutional revisions that reorganized the Senate to better reflect the campus population, expanding the number of Senators by 12, and providing greater opportunity for diverse voices to be heard.

Morris University Center and Student Success Center •

Opened in 1967, the Morris University Center saw significant renovations to the Conference Center in 2022-2023. New carpet, lighting and sound were installed to improve the spaces and atmosphere for students and guests. These spaces, which are highly used by students, now provide up to date and aesthetically pleasing rooms for all guests.

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The MUC was honored to partner with the Southern District of Illinois to host a Naturalization Ceremony. This event saw several SIUE students and hundreds of other individuals become U.S. Citizens. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois welcomed attendees and recognized the important ceremony.

12

Department Highlights 13

University Housing •

Leveraged software and relationships to establish a formal and effective referral process for residents between ACCESS and Dining Services to streamline accommodations, contributing to an easier onboarding process to campus for residents.

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Re-established Residence Housing Association (RHA) and National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) Executive Boards, supporting student leadership and resident engagement in the first year and beyond.

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University Housing completed 94% of student-initiated work orders within 3 business days, demonstrating a commitment to timely, high-quality service for residential students and their living facilities.

SIUE Experience Weekend •

Over 600 students, faculty, and staff attended New Student Convocation. After New Student Convocation, first year students were led into the Stratton Quad for a parade, class photo by the Cougar Statue and the Sweet Treat Social that featured 3 local businesses.

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Cougars in the Community showcased campus values by sending nearly 150 new SIUE students into the community to connect with 10 different Metro East non-profits and introduce them to the impact they are able to have in the region.

14

Supporting Student Affairs 15

Thank you to our many donors for their generosity and commitment to ensuring that SIUE students are well-prepared to impact a changing world. Alumni, colleagues, corporations, foundations, families and friends of SIUE made monetary contributions to Student Affairs departments, activities and initiatives that positively impact the student experience.

Our donors help SIUE Student Affairs fulfill our commitment to: • Support students as they learn from and navigate life’s opportunities and challenges • Help students cross the stage, with a degree in hand • Guide students as they follow their dreams In 2023-2024, Student Affairs has identified the following three areas of focus as central to our efforts to impact student retention, persistence and graduation: • Student Health and Well-being • Basic Needs Access • Career-readiness

FORWARD TOGETHER: Toward 90% Retention Your support is critical to SIUE reaching a 90% first-to-second year retention rate.Often, students who struggle to return do so because of expanding student basic needs. This year, we hope you consider supporting direct student aid programs, such as Cougar Cupboard and SIUE Student Emergency Assistance Fund, or directly to a Student Affairs department supporting basic student needs and career-readiness.

Give to what inspires you!

Give to the cause about which you are passionate!

Showcase your support by donating today!

connect.siue.edu/g/donate Give online to support access to student basic needs: Cougar Cupboard (code: 4197) General Student Emergency Assistance Fund (code: 7243) Career Development Center (Code: 4170) Counseling Services (Code: 4095) Health Service (Code: 4021) Early Childhood Daycare Support Fund (Code 4072) Prefer to give a different way? siue.edu/how-to-give Donors have numerous options to support meaningful initiatives or units across campus. If you need assistance, please reach out to the Foundation at 618-650-2345. Thank you for your willingness to invest your time, talent and treasures to improve the lives of SIUE students.

16

Student Life @ SIUE 17

Move-in

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is always filled with anticipation and excitement as first-year students move into their residence halls to begin a new year.

Welcome Weekend

Welcome Weekend is a critical part of a successful transition for new first-year, transfer, and graduate students. New Student Convocation serves as the official opening of the academic year, communicating the values of the institution and the commitment of SIUE to the success of our new students.

Cougar Welcome

Campus is vibrant when classes are in full swing. The first few weeks of the semester are always packed with activities that help students connect with their peers, faculty, and staff while developing a strong sense of belonging at SIUE.

18

Homecoming

Homecoming is an annual celebration of the University’s past, present, and future. Students, faculty, staff and alumni gather to connect and reconnect, honor their memories-made and accomplishments achieved, and collectively celebrate their SIUE pride.

Marchdown

Each year, Marchdown promises excitement, competition and unity among SIUE’s National Pan-Hellenic Council sororities and fraternities. In 2023, SIUE alumni, family and friends packed the Vadalabene Center as part of SIUE Black Alumni Weekend.