Our Roadmap

Autumn 2021: Meeting Students Where They Are & Creating a Sense of Belonging

Autumn 2021 started with our annual Student Affairs Retreat where we invited Dr. Bernadette Han to lead us in a discussion about returning to campus and potential unconscious expectations of how things should be.  This included helping us look at this transition using the psychology of change to unfreeze → change → refreeze to help us bridge the world and find a new norm.  Using this strategy, Student Affairs went on a journey of exploration on how to best transition back to campus, seeking input across the Division.  A lot of energy was spent on reimagining how to deliver good programs and services in a hybrid environment, providing accommodations of virtual and face to face opportunities and options to meet students both in person and online.  Important to every staff member in the Division of Student Affairs is that students feel supported in the process of transitioning to a new norm and feel a sense of belonging and purpose while pursuing their degrees at the University of Washington Tacoma.  Using this mindset, we have begun the process of looking ahead at the next 5 years and exuding our energy around creative thought and strategic planning, establishing our new way forward. 

SUMMER 2021: THE PACK IS COMING BACK

The Division of Student Affairs continues to make good progress toward the goal of moving forward. We are excited to announce that SLATE, our new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool, has launched. This will aid us in reaching our students with a more supportive focus to help students in the application process and provide better customer service.

Supporting the well-being of staff and students is our greatest priority. We hosted a weekly Welcome Back to Campus brown bag discussion to help with the return to campus. The purpose of the session was to provide an avenue for staff to ask questions, give updates, and provide feedback regarding returning to onsite work and to receive our best answers during this changeable period. The forum has been guided by a Welcome Back to Campus anonymous survey that has captured staff’s thoughts about returning to onsite work, benefits of having worked remotely, feelings of excitement and anxiety during this transition, and more. The survey has informed decisions and actions as well as allowed leadership to inquire for more information for staff and students about resources offered beyond Student Affairs.  

 Additionally, Student Affairs has completed its first cohort of training led by the Center for Ethical Leadership focusing on pursuing equity in a moral framework and co-creating a more anti-racist culture across the Student Affairs Division and UW Tacoma.

Winter 2021: Introspection and preparing the groundwork for the road ahead

The Winter quarter has been a time of introspection and preparing the groundwork for the road ahead.  We have made strides on many of our commitments.  This quarter we have had the initial launch to the Moving Staff Forward which is currently receiving feedback from our team in hopes to further shape the more expansive role of providing resources, information, and tools for our staff.  Our commitment to Moving Our Students Forward begins with also cultivating and developing the talent that supports them.  

The Student Affairs Executive Leadership Team has also worked hard to achieve the first goal of the 2020-2021 anti-racist action plan which is to Engage the Student Affairs Leadership Team (SALT) in antiracist work.  A training was identified and committed to with two cohorts of 10-12 participants led by the Center for Ethical Leadership.  The first cohort began at the end of March 2021 with the purpose to introduce frameworks and practices associated with Values-based Leadership for the Common Good to help pursue equity in a moral framework and co-create a more anti-racist culture.  The hope is that the two cohorts will share their learnings with their teams and to help with projects that move the division forward in their anti-racist work recognizing that this work is ongoing.

Autumn 2020: Intentional efforts to provide "grace and space" to staff - focus on self care

The Student Affairs Team has worked tirelessly to meet the needs of the students through this unusual and trying time.  The divisional staff through talent, trust, and transparency made it look easy even though it wasn’t.  During the Autumn quarter, intentional efforts of providing “Grace and Space” were provided for staff to focus on their growth, professional development, and acquisition of tools in order to apply self-care, recharge, and be ready to propel students forward. 

As a result, conceptualization of important topics has occurred including developing an antiracist action plan, providing resources and outreach to adult learners, and continuing to find ways to reach and engage our students in a virtual mode, such as through DawgDen2.0 where there are currently 300,000 DawnBones already accrued this quarter alone.   

SUMMER 2020: NUMEROUS INNOVATIONS & COMMITMENTS WERE CREATED IN RESPONSE TO THE CURRENT CONDITIONS

The Division of Student Affairs stepped forward with numerous innovations in response to the COVID-19 environment, ranging from the administration of emergency aid and Husky Card distribution, to curbside orientations and high touch virtual support across many of our areas. Even in this new environment, Student Affairs maintained course on creating ways to engage, support, and welcome our students.

Most importantly, Student Affairs has made a commitment to lead change within our individual communities and spheres of influence to actively disrupt racism at the individual, societal, and systematic level and to cultivate an inclusive and anti-racist campus community.

Student Affairs also launched two new employee recognition programs. The Student Affairs Spotlight was created to recognize one of our amazing staff members each month for their hard work, dedication, and passion for serving students and the UW Tacoma community. The Team Spirit Award is a quarterly recognition that goes to any team in the division that exemplifies the Division’s values and goals in their work to support students. The Team Spirit Award comes with a visit from our new Student Affairs Mascot, Harlie, a larger than life (literally) plush Husky.

Spring 2020: Student affairs rebranding to moving forward creating a consistent look that compliments the UW brand

Student Affairs rebranded to MOVING FORWARD, which compliments the UW Boundless brand. Student Affairs continued moving forward! Student Affairs is one team, one staff. Together, we can achieve more and do it stronger. Having a consistent look, that compliments the UW brand, has made us more effective and recognizable in our work.

Autumn 2019: New mission, vision, and values and annual actionable goals are officially launched

The new mission, vision, values, and six 2019 - 2020 Student Affairs actionable goals were launched at the Student Affairs Retreat.

Summer 2019: Official renaming of the division to Student Affairs to better reflect the growth of the division

The official renaming of the division to "Student Affairs" occurred. This change in name more accurately reflects the growth of the division, as well as better aligns with national practices and standards. Office and position realignments also occurred at this time to best position the division for the continued growth and future of UW Tacoma.

Spring 2019: A whole new student affairs

"A Whole New Student Affairs" began to emerge as a road map of where we are going.

Autumn 2018: New mission, vision, and values are established under new leadership within the division

Our journey as a division under the leadership of our Vice Chancellor, Mentha Hynes-Wilson, began with laying foundational work in the autumn 2018 implementing a Strategic Sprint to lay out our new mission, vision, and values as a division.