The Division of Student Affairs are educators committed to the success of every student.
Our mission is to foster community through the Michigan Tech experience and together,
we celebrate and respect individuality, support and challenge students to grow to
their full potential and inspire students to be active and inclusive leaders in a
diverse society. To help us achieve this mission, we are committed to several initiatives
to support diversity, inclusion, and a sense of belonging for all of our students
and our colleagues across the campus community.
In demonstration of this commitment, we have formed the CommUNITY Committee focused
on diversity, equity, inclusion and sense of belonging. The committee has identified
two strategic goals to move the division forward in our efforts to create an inclusive
community.
Goal One: Increase retention of first-year underrepresented students by 3%.
First-year underrepresented (URM) students will have a 3% increase in retention as
compared to the baseline group (Fall 2023 URM). Fall 2023 URM retention rate is 80.4% which is 8.8% lower than the total retention
rate for fall 2023 students despite meeting the same admission requirements and having
equal access to all support services. For the sake of this goal, we are defining
underrepresented students as racial/ethnic minorities, students who self-identify
as LGBTQIA students and first-generation college students, student veterans, disabled
students, and non-traditional students (students older than 24).
- Launch Student Success Council Sense of Belonging Working group
- Conduct 4 Focus Groups with URM student Groups
- Using the results of the 2024 Student Satisfaction Survey design and implement 2 initiatives
to support students' sense of belonging.
- Host at least 2 affinity group meet and greets
- Pilot CDI Academic Liaison initiative with academic units
- Have at least 25% of CDI students interact with the MEEM liaison
- Conduct targeted mid-term outreach
- All students with 2 or more Unsatisfactory grades will be reached out
to and meet with a success coach at least 1 time.
- Increase support for first-generation students
- Identify first-year, first-generation students and connect them to a
support person in Student Affairs
- Provide a list of campus resources to all first-generation first-year
students.
Goal Two: Increase staff and student staff knowledge of DEIS-related topics through
semesterly workshops and training organized by Student Affairs staff in order to improve
the DEIS climate in Student Affairs offices.
Student Affairs professional and student staff will report, on average, a 1 point
improvement on a scale of 1-5 for all questions on the division Pulse survey.
- 90% of Student Affairs staff and student employees will engage in at least 2 DEIS
workshops, training, or webinar of their choice
- Develop a pulse survey assessing division climate and satisfaction to be launched
in Fall 2024, and given quarterly
- Develop and implement a committee to organize and facilitate a DEIS Training and Workshop
series
- The CommUNITY Education Team was formed in Summer 2024 and has several events planned
for Fall 2024
- Student Affairs Pulse Survey has been created and will be sent on October 25, 2024
