Division of Student Development - Mission & Vision Statements

Values

  1. Connection
    Embracing diversity and cultivating a sense of belonging and inclusion for all.
  2. Excellence
    Striving for and achieving the highest professional standards in our work.
  3. Holistic Development
    Approaching student development and support from the standpoint of mind-body-spirit integration.
  4. Reflective Action
    Engaging deeply with questions of meaning and value through contemplation informed by Ignatian spirituality and encouraging students to consider, make sense of, and respond to complex issues.
  5. Student-centered Focus
    Putting students’ growth and development at the forefront of services, programs, and initiatives.

Mission

The Division of Student Development at the College of the Holy Cross, within the context of a Catholic Jesuit liberal arts education, is committed to delivering a formative student experience. The services and programs we provide prepare students to become engaged global citizens who thrive, lead by example, act with integrity and purpose, and work in solidarity to promote justice.

Vision

Provide expertise on college student development that is essential to offering an exceptional, integrated Catholic Jesuit liberal arts education.

Strategic Initiatives

  1. Addressing the Evolving Needs of Students
    1. Providing expertise about students, student development, and student trends
    2. Staying abreast of/preparing for changing needs of students
      1. Demographic trends
    3. Staff training and development
  2. Animating Ignatian Spirituality
    1. Understanding how our work with students and with one another is different because of our Catholic Jesuit identity
    2. Demonstrating Catholic Jesuit influence in our work
      1. Working effectively with ambiguity: Both/And
    3. Promoting and incorporating reflection and spirituality
    4. Staff training and development
  3. Building Strategic Partnerships
    1. Collaborating effectively with key partners across campus to enhance the student experience
    2. Creating, building, and sustaining cross-divisional opportunities
    3. Demonstrating effectiveness through collaborative efforts
  4. Cultivating Cultural Proficiency
    1. Promoting an inclusive environment where each student matters
    2. Enhancing awareness, knowledge, humility, and fluidity
      1. LGBTQIA+
      2. Students of color
      3. 1st generation students
      4. International students
      5. Students with disabilities
      6. Religious affiliation
    3. Staff training and development
  5. Establishing Operational Excellence
    1. Attending to the internal needs of the division, i.e. getting our own house in order
    2. Streamlining programs—Quality over quantity
    3. Assessment for continuous improvement: needs assessment, assessment of efforts
    4. Resource allocation and prioritization
    5. Structuring based on strengths and responsibilities/clarity of roles
      1. Attention to staffing workloads
    6. Utilizing our systems effectively
    7. Technology
    8. Attention to “customer service” approach
    9. Attention to needs of a multigenerational workforce
    10. On-boarding new staff
    11. Attention to divisional culture
    12. Staff training and development
  6. Promoting Community and Responsible Citizenship
    1. Developing both “macro” and “micro” communities
    2. Cultivating students’ sense of belonging
    3. Combating alienation, with particular attention to populations with marginalized identities
    4. Providing a sense of welcome for families, with particular attention to those with marginalized identities
    5. Fostering responsible citizenship locally, nationally, and globally
    6. Staff training and development
  7. Promoting Wellness
    1. Cura personalis
    2. Promoting healthy decision-making
      1. Alcohol/drug
      2. Relationships
    3. Developing personal accountability and responsibility
    4. Cultivating the ability to navigate and work through difficulty
    5. Attending to mental health needs
    6. Addressing needs for students with disabilities

Professional Development: Questions to Consider

  • What are the tangible outcomes to each professional development session?
  • How is our collective work/the work of each department/our programming different because of what we’ve learned?
  • How are we demonstrating the incorporation, execution, and assessment of strategic initiatives?