TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Mission
- Letter from Dr. Brad Patterson
- Promotes Student Development Through Intentional Services, Programming, and Structures
- Encourages a Health University Community
- Advocates for the Excluded
- Provides an Environment in Which Students Can Pursue Their Educational Goals
- Future Goals
- Student Affairs Reorganization
Summary Annual Report PDF
issue (flip book) version of UA Little Rock Student Affairs 2015-16 Annual Report
Student Affairs Mission
- Promotes student development through intentional services, programming, and structures
- Encourages a healthy university community
- Advocates for the excluded
- Provides an environment in which students can pursue their educational goals
Letter from Dr. Brad Patterson
Students, Colleagues, and Friends of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock,
It has been an exciting year with many changes and accomplishments. Since this time last year we have added the Office of Study Abroad and restructured the division in order to capitalize on likenesses within the various departments, increase efficiencies, expand our ability to raise external funds to support student programs, and enhance our focus on grant writing, communication, assessment, compliance, and partnerships with academic departments and community organizations. This new structure has positioned the division to better serve students and our faculty and staff colleagues.
We have also had great successes and partnerships this year on a number of different projects. This year’s partners include the Arkansas Department of Education on a grant to serve students in the Little Rock and North Little Rock School Districts, the Departments of Human Resources and Public Safety on the launch of our campus-wide Title IX training, and the Department of Athletics and the Student Government Association on a new Homecoming experience that the Chancellor described as “the best one within memory.” Finally, we have collaborated with students, faculty, and staff across campus on our UALRworks program that provides on-campus student employment with soft skill development and leadership training to help them transition to the workforce.
The following pages showcase the highlighted accomplishments of the departments within the division of Student Affairs as they relate to our mission:
UA Little Rock’s Division of Student Affairs:
- Promotes student development through intentional services, programming, and structures
- Encourages a healthy university community
- Advocates for the excluded
- Provides an environment in which students can pursue their educational goals
We hope that you will reach out to us this year if we can assist you in any way.
Go Trojans!
Brad Patterson, Ed.D, Vice Provost and Dean of Students
University of Arkansas at Little Rock | Student Affairs
Promotes Student Development Through Intentional Services, Programming, and Structures
Counseling Services
A new Mindfulness Group was in place for spring 2016. Led by an MSW clinical intern, the student-focused class taught strategies to increase mindfulness, thus reducing anxiety levels and improving quality of academic and personal lives.
Facilitated the annual Suicide Prevention Week in September, 2015. Brain Games, a new event this year, engaged participants in activities that promote self-awareness and better understanding of factors that influence our emotions and behaviors. Co-sponsors included Campus Living.
Campus Living
Offered exclusive Green Dot bystander training program for Resident Assistants and student athlete leaders.
Utilized the ACPA Residential Curriculum to develop meaningful relationships among residents, student leaders, and professional staff. This model focuses on one-on-one individual conversations and a unique living environment which highlights specific learning outcomes. Each month, staff members focus on a learning outcome that provides a holistic living and learning experience through guided conversations, community meetings, and both passive and active programming.
Chancellor’s Leadership Corps
Created new Leadership and Success Council organization to enhance student experiences surrounding leadership development and volunteer service to Arkansas.
Student Affairs Success Initiatives
Led the Leadership Institute (LI), an interactive approach to leadership training that focused on communication and organization skills. Topics included vision, goal, and plan development, delegation, multitasking, positive communication, constructive criticism, and micro-and macro-management.
Dean of Students
Collaborated with University Police and Counseling Services to develop Safety September, which included Suicide Prevention Week and Campus Safety Week.
Campus Dining
Student survey results indicate significant improvements over last year. Student satisfaction was continually monitored, which led to adjustments throughout the year to enhance the dining experience.
Disability Resource Center
The focus of this year’s annual staff retreat was transition. With the imminent reorganization of Student Affairs, the department used the retreat time to plan for a new director, and for a realignment of staff responsibilities.
Health Services
Created custom content for Student Health 101, a monthly on-line health and wellness magazine. Content included UA Little Rock’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month schedule, available student wellness programs, and a video invitation to Trojan Fest. The April issue had 7113 views with 4286 unique readers; 76% indicated they would apply what they learned.
Study Abroad
A total of $5,250 was awarded in scholarship money to students through the Trojan Travels Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded through a competitive application process.
Student Experience Center
Continued to meet weekly with representatives from Enrollment Management, the Director of Academic Advising, and the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Success and Onine Learning to discuss new student orientation and how it can best serve our incoming students. During the summer a practicum student from the Masters in Student Affairs program organized and implementing new strategies to improve orientation.
Homecoming was moved from the spring semester to fall to encourage more institutional pride and Trojan Spirit. Festivities surrounding Homecoming were expanded to include a women’s volleyball game, spirit contest, and tailgate.
Delta Chi has been approved to charter in fall 2016. Sigma Lambda Gamma joined the UA Little Rock Fraternity & Sorority Community in February 2016. Kappa Sigma re-chartered spring 2016 with 50 new members. With 307 members, current membership in a fraternity and sorority is the highest it has been in 10 years.
Partnered with the Dean of Students Office to screen The Hunting Ground, a documentary film about sexual assault on college campuses.
UALRworks
Provided on-campus employment to 125 students in an effort to increase retention and student engagement. All students go through an onboarding process to learn how to be successful in the workplace, and are given ongoing training in time management and leadership.
Encourages a Health University Community
Counseling Services
Teamed with the Social Work student organization to provide free depression screening to 547 individuals for National Depression Screening Day in October.
Collaborated with UA Little Rock Social Work, Student Nurse Association and UAMS Eating Disorders Clinic to screen 392 individuals for eating disorders.
Disability Resource Center
Developed a more proactive response to student peanut allergies, linking a ‘nut-free zone’ sign on the Faculty Notification Letters for professors to print and post in the classroom. Students with this accommodation can also notify DRC staff to print and post signage in all the student’s classrooms.
Health Services
Provided biometric screening for 588 employees (85% increase over last year). The increase is due to providing these screenings at multiple on- and off-campus locations.
Submitted and received a $5,455 grant from the Arkansas Department of Health to host World AIDS Day events on the UA Little Rock Campus, which included over 200 HIV screenings.
Director represented UA Little Rock on the statewide committee on Act 943, which addresses unplanned pregnancies at public colleges and universities, and led the university’s response to this legislation.
To better address unplanned pregnancies among students, nursing staff were trained in the insertion and removal of Nexplanon, the long acting reversible contraception that lasts for three years.
A new Employee Wellness Coordinator position was created within Health Promotions, Programs and Education (HPPE) to help employees live a healthier lifestyle and to positively impact their life at work and at home. The new website includes registration links to monthly wellness workshops, a health tip of the week, recipe of the week, exercise demo videos, and other health-related articles. This content is also shared via email.
Campus Living
Collaborated with Health Services and HPPE to host Trojan Wars during Welcome Week 2015. Over 250 students attended to learn about consent and safe sex practices.
Student Experience Center
Hosted a workshop during National Hazing Prevention Week on identifying bystander behavior and how to appropriately intervene in a risk management situation.
There were 7034 participants in fitness classes during the Summer 2015 – Spring 2016 semesters.
Advocates for the Excluded
Campus Dining
Sodexo, our Campus Dining provider, was ranked 6th in Diversity Inc.’s Top 50 companies for diversity. This is Sodexo’s 8th consecutive year being ranked in the top 10.
Disability Resource Center
To increase usability, the DRC worked with IT Services to incorporate relevant images into the Faculty Notification letters. The images correlate directly with specific accommodations in each letter, and link to more detailed information. This should result in more seamless access to accommodations.
Donaghey Student Center
Collaborated with Chancellor’s Committee on the ADA (CADA) to purchase exercise equipment that is accessible to all users. With this purchase, wheelchair-users can take advantage of fitness training in an integrated environment with other fitness enthusiasts. This is an example of collaborating across departments to better serve students.
Dean of Students
Implemented Title IX/sexual misconduct training for all UA Little Rock students.
Continued partnership with Green Dot initiative and office of the Chancellor to put on the Green Dot Amazing Race which included lessons about campus safety, resources, and bystander information.
Student Experience Center
A screening of Girl Rising was held on campus to educate students on the state of women’s education around the world.
Author Lawrence Ross lectured on his new book, Blackballed: the Black and White Politics of Race on America’s Campuses. This thought-provoking lecture hit on recent events such as the controversial and racial Sigma Alpha Epsilon incident at University of Oklahoma.
Brought in guest speakers Aquil Charlton and Esmeralda Baltazar to facilitate the panel discussion on Black & Brown Lives: Justice Over Social Divides.
Chancellor’s Leadership Corps
CLC Scholars volunteered extensively within the community. Freshman scholars alone provided over 5,000 hours of volunteer hours for such organizations as Arkansas Foodbank, Easter Seals, and Our House.
The CLC scholarship program housed the UA Little Rock Reach 13,000 food drive initiative to help battle hunger. Proceeds this year went to the new UA Little Rock food pantry, which provides three-day supply of food to anyone in the campus community who is food insecure.
Campus Living
To improve the campus climate for LGBT students, Campus Living staff worked individually with transgender students to accommodate their housing needs. In addition, all single-stall restrooms were rebranded from gender specific to all-gender.
Campus Bookstore
UA Little Rock Book Grant Award committee gave $10,000 total to 24 students.
Provides an Environment in Which Students Can Pursue Their Educational Goals
Campus Bookstore
Over 1,300 students utilized the New Student Connection app which enables direct messaging about sales, price-matching, and VIP events.
Students can now order books online and choose either $7.50 flat shipping or in-store pick up, eliminating the need to wait in line.
Campus Dining
Created a partnership with UA Little Rock’s Student Government Association to Pack the Trojan Pantry. Students were able to donate a meal swipe or $10 to help stock the pantry.
Campus Living
Partnered with Information Technology Services to upgrade the antiquated wireless systems in East Hall, North Hall, and South Hall. More powerful wireless access points and gigabit Ethernet switches were installed, resulting in a dramatic reduction of wireless signal complaints from residents (see graph).
Campus Living, Campus Dining, and Donaghey Student Center
A design and feasibility study was completed that addresses the university’s need to attract new students. The study focuses on dining facilities and recreational facilities, as well as traditional, family, and Greek housing, providing market analysis and architectural designs. We have begun to explore possible funding options, including public-private partnerships.
Chancellor’s Leadership Corps
During summer 2016, all student leaders attended a two day retreat on leadership training and development to gain valuable professional development to utilize throughout their experiences in college and beyond.
Dean of Students
Provided resources for faculty, staff, and students to maintain campus civility and promote academic integrity.
Counseling Services
Hosted a Vet Center counselor once a month in the Counseling Services office to encourage veterans to avail themselves of mental health counseling.
Disability Resource Center
New policy was provided regarding animals on campus. This policy is in response to new legal requirements allowing emotional support animals in residence halls.
Student Affairs Success Initiatives
The Dr. Charles W. Donaldson Scholars Academy received grant funding for the Tri-District College and Career Readiness Program which brought high school students into the CWDSA and launched the first year of Saturday Academies. These Saturday programs helped increase graduation rates of students while preparing them for college success.
Mentor Mall: Hosted an opening event for incoming freshmen where mentors create a display to invite the freshmen students to select them as their mentor for the year. Selection is usually guided by factors such as intended major, hometown, and interests.
Freshman Transition Retreat: Hosted a retreat for freshman students and mentors that focused on relationship building and open discussions about common college myths.
Study Abroad
New enrollment and registration management software has streamlined the application system for students, faculty, and staff of Study Abroad, and integrates seamlessly and securely with Banner to import student information.
UALRworks
All UA Little Rock students employed through this program are rewarded by raises and public recognition for participating in leadership and soft skill development workshops and training.
Future Goals
Campus Bookstore
- Recruit at least one student for Barnes and Noble’s Best Seller program; participants learn all aspects of running a bookstore and upon graduation Barnes and Noble finds them a management position and provides a moving allowance and a bonus
Campus Dining
- Work with Sustainability Committee to collect food waste for campus garden composting
- Collaborate with SGA, athletics, and other student organizations to continuously improve dining services
Campus Living
- Evaluate and streamline the reapplication process for returning students
- Implement and expand electronic lock systems in residence halls
Chancellor’s Leadership Corps
- Pursue fundraising and grant opportunities to provide more resources and opportunities to scholars
- Develop assessment and improvements based on data analysis
Counseling Services
- Move GradFest responsibilities to a more closely-aligned department
- Establish MOUs with local psychiatric hospital officials
Dean of Students
- Implement AlcoholEDU program and sanctions with all incoming students
- Partner with ORSP to identify grants and donors to support DOS mission
Disability Resource Center
- Improve faculty interactions with students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and better prepare these students for a smoother transition to college life
- Transition planning in anticipation of two of three full-time interpreters’ retirement in June 2017
Donaghey Student Center
- Partner with Campus Recreation to reestablish a student mentoring program for student workers in the recreational field
Health Services
- Decrease number of unplanned pregnancies among UA Little Rock students
- Improve the self check-in process
Student Affairs Success Initiatives
- Solidify process for innovations to be marketed externally
- Create and implement an intentional Student Success Plan
Study Abroad
- Increase the number of faculty-led programs on campus, with a focus on interdisciplinary trips
- Explore grant funding for interdisciplinary faculty-led programs and for scholarships
Student Experience Center
- Create and implement an intentional Student Success Plan
- Create workspace that supports more effective workflow
UALRworks
- Implement new Trojan Mentors program, a collaboration with UA Little Rock Alumni Association
- Secure grant funding to provide on-campus employment opportunities to more students
Student Affairs Reorganization
At the end of this year a strategic organizational structure was approved that will allow for accomplishment of the recommendations made by Keeling and Associates after their recent review of the Student Affairs Division.
One feature of this reorganization is the emphasis on comprehensive assessment, review, and reporting processes, both for departments within Student Affairs and for individual employees. The Associate Dean for Division Strategy will revise and oversee the Student Affairs Strategic Planning Process that has been in place since 2012.
A new online annual reporting process was developed in partnership with the Office of Digital Strategy, which ensures all Student Affairs departments submit a comprehensive annual report in a user-friendly online environment. Academic Affairs used this reporting tool as a model for their departmental reports. A curated report is then created that represents the efforts of the entire division in one aesthetically-pleasing booklet available on the web and in print (this report).
And finally, a division-wide employee evaluation process is being developed and will be in place for the 2016-17 academic year.
By focusing our energies on assessment, review, and reporting, the Division of Student Affairs will be well positioned for the Higher Learning Commission visit in 2019-2020.
Campus Bookstore
Campus Dining
Campus Living
Chancellor’s Leadership Corps
Counseling Services
Dean of Students
Disability Resource Center
Donaghey Student Center
Health Services
Student Affairs Success Initiatives
Student Experience Center
Study Abroad
UALR Works
