2022 UPDATE
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There are many indicators of success for our programs and student support, with several publications ranking UGA student life in the top five of all colleges and universities nationally, but perhaps the clearest measure of our students’ satisfaction with UGA’s learning environment is the university’s record-breaking retention, progression, and completion rates.
As we reach the mid-point of our ambitious 2025 Strategic Plan, the staff and supporters of the Division of Student Affairs have much success and progress of which they may be extremely proud. There is much work remaining to be done, but as you review the ways we have continued to advance our work, please take a moment to reflect on your role in these accomplishments and know that we are grateful for the work of our staff, the support of our donors and friends, and the excellence of UGA’s amazing students.
Well-being and Success
Progress
Partnered with Instruction to create Connect & Complete, an individually tailored support framework for students in academic difficulty.
Engage faculty from across campus interested in promoting and researching student well-being
Doubled well-being programs and built a well-being module for GradFirst, an onboarding program for new graduate students
Rolled out virtual clinical visits, mobile apps for well-being and mental health, and Christie Campus wellness support and resources
Provides financial support to students needing to access off-campus mental health services. Substantial growth in donations to the Sunshine Fund (369% increase in FY22)
Future Well-being and Success Programs
Community of Care program, in which students, faculty, and staff across campus are trained in well-being resources and student support strategies to create a culture of care across campus
Quarterly campus-wide Well-being Summits
Increased partnerships with UGA Athletics
Enhanced efforts to support new and returning students with orienting to campus and offered a week dedicated to well-being and mental health awareness and resources
Peer-to-peer referral program called "Support Dawgs,” where students can clearly advocate well-being resources directly to fellow students
Essential Skills and Experiential Learning Progress
University Housing launched and implemented the new Residential Curriculum
Implemented an annual assessment project focusing on measuring student skill attainment within student organizations and events
Partnering with Instruction to develop Institutional Competencies
Aligned all co-curricular programming with our five Essential Skills
Continued increasing EL opportunities by adding 4 new programs, for a total of 16 added since the launch of SA2025
Future Essential Skills and Experiential Learning Programs
Continued partnerships with campus partners who assist students with skills based learning and post-graduation career paths
Continue expansion of Experiential Learning programs
Inventory, then enhance co-curricular programs that align with the university’s Active Learning initiative
Enhance academic partnerships and faculty training through the Center for Teaching and Learning
Contribute to the rollout of the Comprehensive Learner Record (UGA’s holistic approach to a unified curricular and co-curricular transcript)
Student Engagement Progress
Piloted texting and pathways digital tools with Welcome UGA, Instruction, and Enterprise Information Technology Services
Streamlining of resources and access to those resources via digital tools
Doubled the number of opportunities for engagement (ie. programs, activities, student organizations and clubs)
Expanded the Engagement Fair, the Student Leadership Conference,
and Dawg Day of Service
Expanded Engagement Coaching with peer leaders
Future Student Engagement Programs
Further expansion of the Student Leadership Conference
Continued focus on enhancing service-mindedness
Grow capacity of engagement opportunities
Convene partners to continue simplifying navigating and accessing resources (digital and in-person)
Reducing the financial barriers to student engagement through creation of the Student Engagement Grants initiative
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Progress
The Student Affairs Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Strategic Plan was developed throughout 2021 with final approval in 2022
Hired Associate Vice President Demetrius Smith to lead the initiative and associated departments
Hired a Talent Manager, Kathryn Kay, to help recruit and retain a diverse workforce
Shared DEIB Plan with campus and community partners
Published DEIB Plan on SA2025 website in preparation for launching belong.uga.edu in 2023
Future Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Programs
Increase involvement of students from underserved populations
Create affinity groups for staff and colleagues, and determine opportunities for increased staff recognition
Create a peer mentoring model
Review and enhance recruitment and hiring practices
Through a partnership with the Office of Institutional Diversity, create a diversity education certificate for students