OATdb Archive

2012 - 2013

Student Services, Vice President

Goal
Innovative Programs And Services
Provide innovative programs and services.

Objective
Enhance The Student Experience
Develop programs and activities that enhance the student experience in the areas of University spirit, traditions, and residential campus culture.

KPI
Recruitment Of New Students
Recruitment of new students to attend spirit camp sessions.  Our goal is that approximately 600 students from the Freshman Class of 2014 will participate in at least one of three spirit sessions.

Result
Participation In Spirit Day Camps
396 students from the 2013 Freshman Class participated in two spirit camps. 34 transfer students also participated in one spirit camp.

KPI
Spirit Camps
Provide three spirit camps for freshman students by Summer 2014

Result
Spirit Camps
Two spirit camps for freshman students and one transfer camp were offered due to the continued limited availablity of camp facilities for Summer 2012.

Action
Bearkat Camp Growth
This was the final year to contract with Forest Glen as the location of the program.  In 2014, the program is moving to the SHSU University Camp location. Program plans include holding three Bearkat Freshman Camp sessions and one Bearkat Transfer Camp session.  The freshman sessions will have 150 participants in each session for a total of 450 participants.  The camp will be operational for 200 per session in the future. Construction still plays a big role in development and until staff quarters can be built, lodges meant for student participants will need to be utilized to house the staff.  The goal for the 2014 Bearkat Transfer Camp paricipants is 75.

Goal
Inclusive Community
Foster the development of an inclusive community.

Objective
Collaborative Programs
Improve communication with the University community to encourage participation and attendance at programs and events.

KPI
Student Communication Assessment
Student Communication Instrument will evaluate the effectiveness and value of e-mail marketing to the campus community. Develop an assessment instrument that will measure the value of information within the Student Services Weekly E-Update.

Result
Student Communication Assessment
A draft instrument has been created.  Review is needed to determine if the instrument will measure value of communication method. 

Action
Student Communication Assessment Instrument
Review and develop the Student Services Communication Assessment instrument to ensure value and validity of information is received. The Vice President for Student Services Office will work with the Director of Assessment for Student Services to prepare and distribute an instrument that will evaluate the effectiveness and value of e-mail marketing to the campus community.

Goal
Student Critical Thinking And Lifelong Learning
Engage students in programs that promote critical thinking and lifelong learning skills.

Objective
Opportunities For Learning
Through experiences at SHSU, students will be able to offer constructive ideas concerning the improvement of University programs and services and develop social responsibility through alternative learning opportunities.


Indicator
Collegiate Readership Active Program Student Survey
Collegiate Readership Active Program Student Survey. The survey provides information on civic engagement and global awareness.

Criterion
Collegiate Readership Program IPad App
In order to expand the program and increase student perception of benefits and availabilty of news information, the Collegiate Readership Program has incorporated a new internet tool, USA Today iPad App. The Collegiate Readership Program will survey students on their knowledge and usage of the new iPad App.

Finding
Collegiate Readership Program App Knowledge
91.3% of students surveyed were not aware of the USA Today Application that Sam Houston State University provides for students.  95.7% of students surveyed indicated they had not downloaded the application to any devices.  93.5% of students surveyed did not use the USA Today Application once downloaded.

Indicator
Survey Information Exchange Luncheons
Survey of students attending information exchange luncheons sponsored by the Vice President for Student Services. The survey provides information concerning what was learned and the learning experience. Throughout the fall and spring semesters the Vice President has eight luncheons and randomly selected students are invited to attend. They are primarily comprised of freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior students who are leaders in student and academic organizations on campus. International students are also invited to attend. Students were provided additional space at the end of the anonymous survey for comments, as well as asked to share what changes they would like to see at SHSU.

Criterion
Changes Requested By Respondents
Participants of the luncheon will be asked what changes they would like to see at SHSU.

Finding
Recommend Changes By Respondents
The changes are gathered by note documentation. Suggestions from participants included:
  • Better enforce the tobacco free smoking policy on campus;
  • Improve phone service for certain departments on campus;
  • Would like to see student payments include Visa;
  • Meal Plan structure flexibility for freshmen.



Action
Recommended Changes By Respondents And Review Of Assessment Processes
These recommended changes, as well as others, were shared with the appropriate administrators via phone conversations to improve student experiences and help enhance the value of student input.  Next year, information will be shared via written communication.  We will also change the assessment instrument so that student recommendations will be noted on the documentation.

Action
Collegiate Readership Program App Knowledge And Usage
The Collegiate Readership Program has implemented an onsite internship to help promote the availability and usage of the USA Today Application to SHSU students.


Update to previous cycle's plan for continuous improvement The University Camp is currently in the construction phase, and while space continues to be a challenge to the growth of the program due to leased facilities at Forest Glen, the construction of the University Camp will ensure added programming flexibility by 2014. A substantial amount of construction has occurred during FY 2013, but the development of the University Camp is a priority to continue with the success of Bearkat Camp by bringing the spirit, pride, and tradition to the majority of our incoming students.


The method of devising the communication survey changed offices from the Vice President for Student Services to the Director of Assessment for Student Services.  A collaboration between the two offices will ensure that a robust instrument be developed to evaluate the effectiveness and value or e-mail marketing to the campus community.  A draft instrument has been developed and a timeline for distribution will be determined for 2014.

The luncheons continue to be a valuable tool used to discover important student issues and areas of the University that may need improvement. The Vice President for Student Services acknowledges that the information obtained is so valuable, eight luncheons are held instead of the previous six. At the luncheon, students were asked to share their ideas concerning what changes they would like to see at SHSU.  The responses were recorded by taking notes and then distributing valid information to affected administrators.  So that information is not lost in translation the assessment instrument will be changed to ask students if they could make one change, what would that be.

During the first full year, the new ADAI coordinator conducted some benchmarking with other universities of a similar size to help restructure the mission and scope of his program. He has also been incorporating information from peer-reviewed research on substance abuse prevention in higher-education to determine which interventions have the potential to be the most effective. Subsequent assessment projects will look at the effectiveness of these programs, in an effort to tailor them to the specific needs of the SHSU student body.

Plan for continuous improvement This was the final year to contract with Forest Glen as the location of the program.  In 2014, the program is moving to the SHSU University Camp location. Program plans include holding three Bearkat Freshman Camp sessions and one Bearkat Transfer Camp session.  The freshman sessions will have 150 participants in each session for a total of 450 participants.  The camp will be operational for 200 per session in the future. Construction still plays a big role in development and until staff quarters can be built, lodges meant for student participants will need to be utilized to house the staff.  The goal for the 2014 Bearkat Transfer Camp paricipants is 75.

The Collegiate Readership Program measured the knowledge and usage of the USA Today Application and found that over 90% of students surveyed did not know the application was available, did not download the application and did not use the application once downloaded.  The Collegiate Readership Program has implemented an onsite internship to help promote the availability and usage of the USA Today Application to SHSU students. The internship will assist in promoting the paper and digital application by facilitating promotions for USA Today through avenues such as: Kat Kab, scavenger hunts, push notices via the marketing department and running advertisements in the Houstonian.  The intern will work in conjunction with the USA Today representative on streamlining communication and promotional opportunities for the paper and digital application.

Review and develop the Student Services Communication Assessment instrument to ensure value and validity of information is received. In 2014, the Vice President for Student Services Office will work with the Director of Assessment for Student Services to prepare and distribute an instrument that will evaluate the effectiveness and value of e-mail marketing to the campus community.

The luncheons continue to be a valuable tool used to discover important student issues and areas of the University that may need improvement. The recommended changes, as well as others, will be shared with the appropriate administrators via phone conversations to improve student experiences and help enhance the value of student input.  For 2013-2014, information will be shared via written communication.  We will also change the assessment instrument so that student recommendations will be noted on the documentation.